"Wo kuch der tak apne likhe shabdon ko dekhti rahi…
jaise unme apna hi bachpan dhoond rahi ho.
Phir usne agla page khola…
aur likhna shuru kiya —"
"Wo kiraye ka ghar…
jahan ek hi floor par chaar rooms the,
aur har room me alag-alag parivaar rehte the.
Sabka ek hi bathroom aur washroom tha…
jise sab apni baari se use karte the.
Subah-subah…
har taraf se awaazein aati thi.
Kahin bartan dhone ki,
kahin cooker ki siti ki teej awaz ,
toh kahin chalte nal ki awaaz…
kahin kisi aunty ki awaaz,
aur sabse zyada…
bachon ka shor.
Ek ajeeb si, zinda si jagah thi wo…
aur unhi awaazon ke beech,
main bhi ek bachi thi.
Tabhi mummy ki awaaz aati —
"Sunooo… bachon ka school ka time ho gaya hai,
unhe utha do."
Papa bina kuch kahe…
achanak se hume utha dete the.
Wo hume seedha khada kar dete…
Zameen bahut thandi hoti thi…
aankhen band kiye, neend me hi
hum halka sa jhukte rehte…
aur papa hume pakad kar rakhte,
taaki hum dobara gir na jayein
ya wapas so na jayein.
Hum aankhen malte hue,
aadhi neend me hi tayyar hone chalte jaate.
Sab kuch dhundla sa dekhta tha…
Maa hume ek-ek karke school ke liye pyar se ready karti…
uniform pehnati,
baal theek karti,
aur hamara lunch pack karti. 🍱
Phir hum sab,
apne parents ko "namaste" karte… 🙏
aur papa ke saath,
unka haath pakad kar school ke liye nikal padte.
Subah ke raste bhi apni kahani sunate the… 🌿
bheed kam hoti thi,
par bachon ki awaaz zyada.
Koi scooty se ja raha hota,
koi rickshaw se…
Us waqt e-rickshaw nahi hote the…
sirf pedal wale rickshaw dikhte the.
aur kuch humari tarah,
apne parents ke saath paidal.
Raste me chhoti chhoti dukaanon par khade bachche…
school ka samaan lete hue,
ya kuch khane ki cheezon ke liye zidd karte hue.
Par pata nahi kyun…
humne kabhi school ke samaan ke alawa
kuch aur maanga hi nahi.
Aaj bhi yahi sochti hoon…
aakhir kyun?
Shayad humne bachpan me hi samajh liya tha…
ki har cheez maangne ke liye nahi hoti.
Us waqt toh mujhe ye bhi nahi pata tha…
ki chalna kaise hai.
Samne dekhkar chalun,
ya neeche dekhkar…
agar samne dekhti,
toh neeche ke pathar aur gadde nahi dikhte.
Aur agar neeche dekhti,
toh kabhi kisi se takra jaati.
Par phir bhi…
main zyada tar neeche dekhkar chalti thi.
Shayad isliye…
kyunki mujhe apne jootey ko ganda nahi karna tha.
Takra jaane par toh papa sambhal lete the…
par gande jootey ka kya?
Seedhiyan utarna bhi mere liye
ek chhota sa adventure hota tha…
har step dheere dheere,
sambhal kar.
Aur phir bhi…
mujhe wo sab mushkil nahi,
balki mazedaar lagta tha.
Aise hi…
apne chhote chhote kadmon ke saath,
dekhte, sambhalte,
aur chhoti chhoti baaton me ulajhte hue…
pata hi nahi chalta tha,
kab school aa jata.
Papa kehte —
"Lo, aa gaya tumhara school."
Main apna bag theek karti…
aur haath hila kar kehti —
"Bye papa…" 👋
Aur phir…
ek aur chhoti si duniya shuru ho jaati."