Uss din main Piyush ke baare mein soch rahi thi. Dil aur dimaag dono uljhe hue the. Uski yaadein baar-baar mere khayalon mein aa rahi thi, aur main samajh nahi pa rahi thi ki main usse bhool kyun nahi paa rahi.
Tabhi achanak ghar se phone aaya.
"Meri chhoti behen ne apni jaan lene ki koshish ki hai…"
Yeh sunte hi meri saansen ruk si gayi. Haath kaanpne lage, aur dimaag bilkul sunn ho gaya. Mujhe samajh nahi aa raha tha ki main kya karun. Maine turant gate pass liya aur bina kisi deri ke ghar ke liye nikal padi.
Jab main ghar pahunchi, toh jo maine dekha… usne mujhe andar tak hila diya.
Meri chhoti behen zameen par leti hui thi. Uski maang mein sindoor tha, gale mein mangalsutra, aur haathon mein chudiyaan.
Yeh sab dekh kar meri aankhon ke saamne andhera chha gaya. Mujhe samajh hi nahi aa raha tha ki yeh sab kya ho raha hai aur kyun.
Tabhi ambulance aayi, aur hum usse lekar hospital gaye. Wahan doctors ne use turant admit kiya aur andar le gaye. Bahar papa bench par baithe the—pareshan, aankhon mein aansu, aur sir par haath rakhe hue.
Main unke paas gayi aur poocha,
"Papa, aakhir hua kya hai? Usne aisa kyun kiya?"
Jo sach mujhe pata chala… usne mujhe andar se tod diya.
Meri behen ek ladke se bahut pyaar karti thi. Lekin use darr tha ki mummy-papa is rishte ko kabhi nahi maanenge. Is darr mein usne us ladke ke saath mandir mein shaadi kar li.
Par kahani yahin khatam nahi hui.
Woh ladka Brahman tha… aur hum SC caste se the. Uske gharwaalon ne is rishte ko kabhi accept nahi kiya. Unhone ladke ko samjhaya, dabav dala… aur aakhir mein us ladke ne meri behen ka saath chhod diya.
Yeh sab meri behen se bardasht nahi hua.
Pyaar mein dhokha, ghar walon ka darr, logon ki baatein… sab kuch uske upar ek saath toot pada. Uski wajah se mummy-papa ko bhi bahut kuch jhelna pada. Room malik ne hume ghar chhodne ko keh diya, aas-paas ke log baatein karne lage.
Woh sab kuch seh nahi paayi…
Aur usne zehar kha liya.
Yeh sab sun kar mujhe bahut gussa aaya. Dard bhi hua, par gussa zyada tha.
Maine ussi waqt dil mein kasam kha li—
"Pyaar-vyaar sab bekaar hai… main kabhi pyaar nahi karungi. Main sirf apne mummy-papa ki marzi se shaadi karungi."
Tabhi doctor bahar aaye.
Unhone kaha, "Aapki beti ab theek hai… lekin woh ek mahine ki pregnant hai."
Yeh sunte hi papa khud ko sambhal nahi paaye. Woh turant uthe aur hospital ki chhat ki taraf bhaagne lage. Shayad woh sab kuch khatam kar dena chahte the.
Lekin tabhi…
Meri behen wahan aa gayi.
Usne sab kuch sun liya tha.
Aur woh sab bardasht nahi kar paayi.
Kuch samajhne se pehle hi… woh chhat se kud gayi.
Sab kuch ek pal mein khatam ho gaya.
Hum use bacha nahi paaye.
Mere saamne mera poora parivaar toot chuka tha. Main khud andar se bikhar chuki thi, lekin phir bhi maine sabko sambhala.
Papa ko samjhaya, mummy ko sahara diya.
Maine bas itna hi kaha,
"Shayad yeh sab bhagwan ki marzi thi…"
Humne meri behen ko shraddhanjali di, aur sab kuch chhod kar gaon aa gaye.
Dheere-dheere zindagi normal hone lagi. Humne gaon mein ek general store ki dukaan kholi. Ghar ki halat thodi better hone lagi. Maine bhi chhote bachchon ko padhana shuru kar diya.
Sab theek lag raha tha…
Par ek cheez abhi bhi theeknahi thi.
Piyush.
Woh har waqt mere dil aur dimaag mein tha. Main chaah kar bhi use bhool nahi paa rahi thi. Maine kasam khayi thi ki main kabhi pyaar nahi karungi… lekin dil meri baat maan hi nahi raha tha.
Shayad kismat ko kuch aur hi manzoor tha.
Mujhe bilkul bhi andaaza nahi tha ki jis cheez se main bhaag rahi thi… wahi meri zindagi ki sabse badi khushi banne wali thi.
Hamari love story ab shuru hone wali thi—
ek aisi kahani jisme pyaar tha, vishwas tha, dooriyan thi… aur lamba intezaar bhi.
Ek din main phone par videos dekh rahi thi. Time pass ke liye maine apna account open kiya… aur achanak meri nazar ek photo par jaakar ruk gayi.
Woh Piyush tha.
Mera dil zor se dhadakne laga. Maine socha ignore kar doon… lekin na chahte hue bhi maine uski photo like kar di aur comment likha—"Nice."
Agle din jab maine phone dekha, toh ek message aaya tha.
"Kaun ho aap?"
Mera dil ek ajeeb si khushi se bhar gaya.
Samajh nahi aa raha tha kya likhun.
Maine reply kiya, "Pehchano kaun…"
Usne likha, "Mujhe nahi pata, kaun ho aap?
Maine phir likha, "Yaad karo… shayad yaad aa jaaye."
Ab woh thoda irritate ho gaya. Usne likha, "Kaun ho tum?"
Maine likha, "Main Kashika."
Usse laga koi mazaak kar raha hai. Usne turant call kar diya.
Main phone dekh kar ghabra gayi… par na chahte hue bhi maine call utha liya.
Meri dhadkanein itni tez ho rahi thi ki mujhe lag raha tha woh phone ke uss side bhi sun sakta hai.
"Hello… kaun?" usne poocha.
Main kuch seconds chup rahi… phir dheere se bola, "Hello… main Kashika hoon.
Hum saath mein kaam karte the."
Woh thoda confuse hua, "Kaun Kashika?"
Main muskurayi aur boli, "Pehchana nahi?
Gate pe takraane wali…"
Yeh sunte hi woh hans pada.
"Accha… tum ho pagal ladki! Mujhe laga koi mazaak kar raha hai."
Mera dil halka sa ho gaya.
Usne poocha, "Achanak se yaad kaise kiya?"
Maine kaha, "Bas… tumhari photo dekhi, isliye socha haal-chaal pooch loon."
Phir usne poocha, "Tum achanak se gayi kahan thi? Company kyun chhod di?"
Main kuch pal ke liye chup ho gayi… phir maine use sab sach bata diya.
Woh sab samajh gaya.
Phir usne kaha, "Theek hai, main abhi kaam pe ja raha hoon. Agar baat karni ho toh raat ko 10 baje tak wait karna… nahi karna ho toh bhi theek hai."
Maine dheere se kaha, "Theek hai…"
Aur call cut ho gaya.
Us din ke baad… meri zindagi phir se badalne wali thi.