cricket

bahut prayas ke bawajood apne office ka kaam samay par
khatma na kar pane ke karan main thoda khinn tha.
do ghante se balance sheet mein sar khapa raha tha
lekin kafi kaam abhi baki hi tha. uspar se flatmate
ki bina silencer ke generator ki tarah karrate ki
aawaz. main apni kursi se utha aur fridge ka thanda
pani piya. ek cigarette jalayi aur apne chote se
flat ki chhoti si balcony mein chala gaya.
dasmanjili apartment ki chhathi manjil par
munder ki tek liye khada main aaj paas ke nazare
ka awlokan karne laga.

samne concrete ke kai aur bahumanjile daitya khade
the jo apne andar na jane kitne supt manushya
samaye hue the. kuch ek lighten jal rahi theen.
samne ek aur balcony mein ek aurat anpe rote hue
nanhe shishu ko chup karane ka prayas kar rahi thee.
iske alawa kisi aur manushya ke darshan nahi hue.
upar dekha to ek bhi sitara nazar nahi aaya.
yah samajh mein aate hi ki we badal ki ot mein
chupe hue hain, main kuch pareshan ho gaya.

" kal final hai, world cup cricket final. kahin
baarish na ho jaye. sara maza hi kirkira ho
jayega. 9 february, 2011 bharat ke cricket itihass
ka ek aur swarnim din ho sakta tha.bharat banam
dakshin africa. kya bharat jeet payega. aath saal
baad bharat final mein hai.teen din se mein isi
din ka intzaar kar raha hoon."
"kareeb 6 saal pehle maine pehli baar cuttak
cricket stadium mein bharat ka koi match dekha tha.
agar aapne stadium mein koi match dekha hai to aap
us anubhav ko bhool nahi sakte hain. hazaron ki
sankhya mein deewane darshak...
ek chauka ya chakka pada nahi ki sabhi apni seat
se uth khade hote hain aur paaglon ki tarah
chillate, nachte hue uska abhinandan karte hain.
koi plastic ki bolton se kursiyan peet raha hai,
koi dhol baja raha hai aur koi uspar nach rhaa
hai. wo josh, wo utsah, wo umang ,wo urja, wo
kolahal ...ek awismaraniya watawaran ko janma
deta hai.
lekin kolakata ke eden garden mein world cup
fianl dekhna kisi swapna ke kam nahi hoga.
subah nau baje match shuru hona hai. abhi lagbhag
ek baj rahe hain aur main apne office ke kaam
mein hi laga hua hoon. raviwaar ki chutti ke din
match hai, aur is chutti ko barbaad karne ke napak
mansoobe se boss ne somwaar ko hi mujhe report
jama karne ko kaha hai."

inhi khayalon mein main khoya hua tha ki achanak
dayen hath ki ungli mein tej jalan ka anubhav hua
aur jalti hui cigarette, newton ke sidhhdanta ka
palan karte hue munder se niche gir gayi.kal main
free rehna chahta tha isliye office ka kam nibtaya
aur kareeb teen baje sone chala gaya.

na chahte hue bhi mujhe uthne mein der ho gayi.
aankh khuli to mez par rakhi ghadi paune nau
ka samay dikha rahi thee. main samajh gaya ki
match ke pehle ghante ka kabada ho chuka hai.
main jaldi se tayar hokar ghar se nikal hi raha
tha ki phone ki ghanti baj uthee.

'is phone ko bhi abhi hi aana tha.'
maine socha.
'hello.'
'hello... ujjwal bol raha hoon.'
ujjwal mera karibi mitra tha jo bhuwaneshwar mein
rehta tha. wah agle hafte apne kapde ke vyapaar
ke silsile mein kolkata aa rha tha. cricket ke
diwanepan ne meri juban ko itna berukha kar diya
ki baat lambi nahi hui. mahaj do minute ke
wartalaap mein sari aupcharikta nibha kar maine
phone ka reciever patak diya aur tej kadmon se
lift ki or ruksat ho liya.

apni chamchamati hui wagaon-r par baithte hue
main aaj ke match ke bare mein soch raha tha.
sath hi main apni shart ke bare mein bhi thoda
chintit tha. hindustan mein har aadmi har doosre
aadmi se jyada cricket janta hai aur main koi
apwaad nahi tha. sabhi apne apne kayas lagate
hain aur maine bhi chati thok kar office mein
yah dawa kar diya ki is baar dhoni bharat ke
liye sabse achha khelega. mere ek punjabi mitra,
jo ki harbhajan ko lekar thoda bhawuk the, ke
gale se yah baat niche nahi utri aur unhone
mujhse paanch sau rupee ki shart laga li ki
bharat ke 'spin friendly' pitchon par harbhajan hi
bharat ka turup ka ikka saabit hoga. bharat abhi
tak aath match khel chuka tha aur shart ka faisla
is final par aa tika tha.

meri car assi km prati ghante ki raftaar se daud
rahi thee. aap kolkata mein kabhi itni tej car nahi
chala sakte hain lekin aaj baat kuch aur thee.
maine kabhi bhi kolkata ki sadken itni sunsaan nahi
dekhi thee. lagbhag ek lakh log eden garden mein
match ki lutfa utha rahe the aur baki apne apne
television screen se chipke hue bhaarat ki jeet ki
prarthna kar rahe the. aisa sannata ek vishesh
parsthiti ki yaad dilata hai. yah paristhiti shayad
pehli baar tab dekhne ko mili thee  jab raviwaar
subah nau baje ramanand sagar ki ramayan dekhte hue
poora desh apna saara kaam tyagkar bhakti bhav mein
ram jaata tha. amitabh bachchan ki kaun banega
karodpati aur baharat-pakistan cricket match bhi
kuch aisa hi prabhav paida karne mein saksham hain.

pachches minute ke safar ke baad main aakhirkaar
stadium pahoonch hi gaya. itni gadiyan maine ek
saath apne jeevan mein kabhi nahi dekhi thee.
lekin insaan ikka dukka hi najar aa rahe the.

main car park karne ki jagah dhoond hi raha tha
ki meri najar kareeb 50 gaj door ek vrididhh
'popcorn'  bechne wale par padee jo apni hi
duniya mein khoya hua, apne paise ginte hue
sadak paar kar raha tha. shayad wah itna anbhigya
tha ki use pata bhi na chala hoga ki kab ek tej
daudti hui safed ambassador car use takkar marte
hue chali gayi aur kab wah chetna ke doosre aayam
mein pahunch gaya. is dardnak hadse ne mujhe kuch
pal ke liye kinkartawyawimudh kar diya tha. hosh
sambhalte hi main apni car se nikal kar uski taraf
bhaga. uski sanse abhi chal rahi thee lekin sharrer
itna kshat vichchhat ho gaya tha ki haath lagane
mein bhi ek ghrina aur  bhaya ka aabhas ho raha tha.
uska matha phat gaya tha. badan khoon se lathpath...
dayen haath ki kuhni ulti disha mein mud gayi thee aur
raktaranjit manspeshiyan ek vibhatsa drishya paida
kar rahi thee. maine bayin hatheli ki nabja dekhi.
bahut kamzor. zindgi aur maut ke beech jyada waqt nahi
reh gaya tha.

maine idhar udhar nazar daudayi lekin madad ke liye
mujhe koi dikhayi nahi diya. meri samajh mein nahi
aa raha tha ki main kya karoon. tabhi meri  vyakul
nigahon ko ek ummed ki kiran dikhi. kuch abhage jo
meri hi tarah late ho gaye the, jaldi se jaldi
stadium mein ghusne ki koshish kar rahe the. maine
unhe aawaz lagayi lekin ya to un logon ko meri
bat samajh mein nahi aayi ya unlogon ne mujhe jan
bujh kar andekha kar diya aur andar chale gaye.
main awaak thaa. jehan mein uthe rosh ko avilamba
dafna karte hue maine us jarjar sharir ko apni god
mein uthya aur car ki taraf bhaga. kisi tarah pichli
seat ka darwaza khola aur ahiste se use wahan lita diya.

khoon se range kampte hue surkh hathon se maine car
start ki.
"shayad ye nahi bachega"
maine man hi man socha.

tabhi stadium se uthe ek ulaasporna kolahal ne
mera dhyan apni or akarshit kiya.
ek lakh log ek saath jhhom uthe the.
"shayad dhoni ne ek aur chhakka mara tha."