Waahid

'do samosse aur ek strong coffee'.

maine canteen waale se kaha. wash basin par haath par lagi
grease dhote hue main usdin ko kos raha tha jab maine
taya kiya ki mujhe engineering ki padhai karni hai.main
hamesha ek kalakaar banana chahta tha. lekin pitaji ke
bahut samjhane par ki aaj kalek kalakaar aur bekar
mein koi antar nahi hai maine apna faisla badal diya aur
gyarahveen mein taya kiya ki mujhe engineer hi baanana
hai. tabhi se kagaz par rang bharna ka silsila samapt ho
gaya aur saath hi zindagi bhi berang,bematlab aur
neeras ho gayi. khair aaj main tata motors pune mein
naukri karta hoon aur apni zindgi se khush nahi to lagbhag
santust hoon.

kursi par baithte hi ek karib das saal ke duble patle se
ladke ne samose ka plate aurcoffee se bhari kaanch ki
glass meri table pe patak di . us ladke ki baniyaan phati
hui thee,safed rang lagbhag mitti ke rang ka ho chala tha.
maine gaur kiya ki uske haath mein do aur glass the aur
uski gandi ungaliyan unme doobi hui thee. maine moonh
bichkate hue socha ki na jane kab inhe akal aayegi.
kambakhton ko ek glass pakadne ki tameez bhi nahi hai.

mujhe bhookh zoron ki lagi thee aur main samose ke thanda
hone ka intzaar nahi karsaka. yon to main roz sham ko bas
coffee hi peeta hoon par aaj ke lunch ka pehla niwaala moonh
mein dalte hi mujhe aadimanwon ki paristhiti par taras aa
gaya jo khana sirf paka kar khate the. meri biwi kofte
mein namak dalna bhool gayee thee. so tiwariji ke saath
thoda lunch share kiya aur aadha bhookha hi reh gaya.

coffee ki chuskiyan lete hue maine canteen ke bahar jhanka.
bahar halki boonda-bandi ho rahi thee. khidki teen
chauthai khuli hui thee aur baaki ek matmaile parde se dhaki
hui thee. parde se satkar ek sajjan dhumrapan kar rahe
the. mujhe cigarette se sakth nafrat hai. pata nahi aadmi
cigareete ko jyda jalata hai ya cigarette aadmi ko. phir bhi
meri nazr unhi par tiki rahee. lambai kareeb paanch foot
das inch, charhara badan, koi tees ektees ki umra, mathe
pe halki sheekan, kisi judge ki tarah gambhir chehra, ek
khinnata, ek adhoorapan unke chehre se saaf jhlak raha tha.
shayad main unhe janta tha. coffee khatma kar, cigarette ki
durgandha ki parwah kiye bagair, mian unke paas chala gaya.

"mera naam shushant kumar hai. kyaa hum dono pehle
mil chke hain ? "
sthir nigahon se kuch pal mera awlokan karne ke baad unke
adhar ke kone anayaas hi upar ki or kheech gaye-
" kendriya vidyalaya, Nagpur."
rang aur brush ke saath shayad un khooshnuma dinon ki
yaden bhi kisi thandi kabra mein dafna ho gayee teee.
lekin kendriya vidyalaya, nagpur ka naam sunte hi un
hanseen dino ki yaad taza ho gayee.
" mohammad waaheed ?"

usne sweekarokti mein sar hilaya aur barbas hi hamare
haath ek doosre ki or badh gaye.
"tum yaahn kaise " maine waahid se poocha.
"main to yahaan aath saal se kaam kar raha hoon. aur tum ?"
"mujhe yahan abhi do mahine hi hue hain. isse pehle main
dilli mein yamaha ki factory mein kaam karta thaa."

tabhi tea time khatma hone ki ghanti baj uthee.
"chalo theek hai, ab mulakat hoti rahegi."
"zaroor" kehkar waheed ne apni cigarette bujhayi aur kaam
par chala gaya.

main aur waheed kaksha mein ek saath padhte the. hum
ghanisht mitra to nahi the par achhe sahpathi zaroor the.
waaheed padhai aur khelkood donon mein awwal tha aur
imaandari se kahoon to uska loha manne ke bawzood main
kai baar usse irshya karta thaa. jab hum naveen kaksha
mein the to uske pitaji ka kahin aur tabadla ho gaya aur phir
hamari mulakat nahi hui.

" tumne parchee par chaypatti to likh dee, lekin kaun sa
brand ye nahi bataya. red label, lipton taza, ya tata
tea , kaun sa loon ?" main pansaree ki dookan par khada apne
naye motorola L-7 par biwi se pooch hi raha tha ki,
peeche se mere kandhe par kisi ne haath rakha . mudkar
dekha to waaheed mere samne muskura raha tha.
maine patni se baat khatam ki aur poocha -
" tum yaahan ?"
usne apne haath mein rakhe wills classic ka pack dikhate
hue kaha- " ye khareedne aaya tha ."
kareeb ek hafte baad main waaheed se dobara mil raha tha.
"agar free ho to ek cup chay ho jaye" usne cigarette jalate
hue kaha.
"theek hai " maine utsah rahit lahje mein jawaab diya.
"aaj kai din baad mere ghar par koi mehmaan aayega"
usne meri or ek aankh maarte hue kaha aur khud hi
hansne laga. uski hansi mein ek azeeb sa khokhlapan thaa.
shayad tambaakoo ne uske phephde ke saath saath uski
hansi ko bhi khokhla kar diya tha.

"main chay bana kar lata hoon" kehkar waaheed kitchen
mein chala gaya.
maine idhar udhar nazar ghoomayee. drawing room mein
sirf char bent ki kursiyaan thee aur ek mez jispe do din
ka akhbaar bikhra pada tha. deewaar par koi tasweer nahee
thee, sirf ek purani ajanta ki ghadi latak rahi thee to saat
bajkar chalees minat ka samay dikha rahee thee. kisi bhi
tarah ka koi show piece nahi tha. kone mein ek taperecorder
rakha thaa jispar dhool ki halki parat jami thee.
waaheed chay lekar kamre mein aaya.

" shakkar kitni? "
"ek chammach."
usne apni chay mein teen chammach shakkar dalee.
shayad wah apni zindgi ki sadgee ko chay ki mithas se
kam karna chahta tha.

" bhabhi nahi dikhai de rahee hain" maine poocha.
" maine shaadi nahi ki hai" usne muskoorate hue jawaab diya.
meri bhawen tedhee ho gayee.
"kyun?"
"tumne shaadi kyun ki ?"
main usse aise jawaab ki apeksha nahi kar raha tha.
"are ajeeb baat karte ho" maine thoda kheejkar kaha.
"har insaan ko ek saathee ki zaroorat hoti hai, jiske
saath wo saare sukh dukh banta hai, jo taumra
uska saath deta hai."

"yaani tumne apne liye, apne swartha ke liye shaadi
ki. aur maine bhi apne swartha ke liye shaadi nahi ki ."

"matlab?" maine chay ki chuski lete hue poocha.
"matlab main ek hathee aur swarthee insaan hoon.
apni zindgee apne tareeke se jeena chahta hoon.
mujhe jo achha lagta hai wo karta hoon, jo achaa
nahi lagta wo nahi karta hoon. kisi se koi matlab nahi.
apni zindgi apni sharton par jeena chahta hoon."

"agar sabhi tumhari tarah sochne lage to manushya
jatee khatre mein pad jayegi. prajnan kaise hoga"
maine tana marte hue kaha.

"kamal hai. is ek sau das karod ke mulka mein tumhe
prajnan ki padi hai."
main niruttar tha.

26 january ki chutti thee aur meri patnee mayke gayee
hue thee. main ghar mein baitha bore ho raha tha to
socha ki waaheed ke ghar ho ho aaoon. wahaan
pahooncha to dekha ki waheed darwaaje par taala
laga raha hai.
"kahin ja rahe ho kya" maine poocha.
"haan" usne jawaab diya. phir kuch pal ruk kar kaha.
"kyun nahi tum bhi mere saath chalte ho".
"par kahan?"
"pehle chalo to ."
"aaj tumhe zindagi ke ek doosre pehloo se roobroo
karaata hoon" usne apna bajaj scooter kick start karte
hue kaha.

kuch door chalne ke baad waahid ne scooter ek tang gali
mein mod lee. jhooggi jhopadiyon ke beech sankre kachche
raste se hote hue hum ek chhote se maidan mein pahoonche.
wahaan kai bachche shorgul macha rahe the. waaheed ne
bataya ki ye gareeb anath bache hain aur aaj inka ek chota
sa sanskritik karyakram hai . karyakram dekhte hue maine
waaheed se poocha-
"tum inhe kaise jaante ho ?"
"main inhe padhata hoon"
usne bachon ki taraf se bina nazar hataye jawaab diya.

karyakram khatam hone par usne ek badi ladki ko mithai
ka dabba de diya aur bachonke beech baant dene ko kaha.
usne us ladkee ko raushan naam ke ek ladke ko bulane ko
bhi kaha.
" in bachon ki dekhbhaal ke liye paisa kahan se aata hai "
maine poocha.
"kuch na kuch intzaam ho hi jata hai " waheed ne kaha.
"kya main koi madad kar sakta hoon ?" maine laacahri
mein poocha.
"inhe mere aur tumhare paise ki nahi balki waqt ki zarrorat
hai."
meri samajh mein nahi aa raha tha ki main kya jawaab doon.
isi beech wo ladki raushan ko le aayi .

"is ladke ko to tum jante hi hoge" usne raushan ki taraf
ishara karte hue kaha.
"iske mata pita teen mahien pehle gujar gaye. ab ye
apne chacha ke sath rehta hai aur hamari hi canteen
mein kaam karta hai" kehte hue usne raushan ki taraf ek
lollipop badha dee aur donon ek saath mushkurane lage.

" aaj main iske chacha se baat kar ise god le loonga."

main stabdha sa waaheed ki or dekhta reh gaya .
un donon ki muskaan ke aage main apne aap ko
kitna gaun aur naganya mehsoos kar raha tha.