July 2003, Kanpur ke paas ka ek sheher...

Subah ke kareeb 8 baje the. Galiyon me doodh wale cycle chala rahe the, kahi door mandir ki ghanti baj rahi thi aur purane radio par Lata Mangeshkar ka gana halki awaaz me chal raha tha.

Us purane se ....ghar ke andar ek aurat apni aankhon me tension liye kitchen me khadi thi.

"Anshi beta... uth gayi kya?"

Unhone dheere se awaaz lagayi.

Koi jawab nahi aaya.

Par jawab ki umeed bhi kise thi...

21 saal ho gaye the.

Anshi bachpan se hi bol nahi paati thi.

Na "maa" keh payi...

na "papa".

Uske janam ke baad jab saare bachche dheere dheere bolna seekh rahe the... tab bhi Anshi ke honton se sirf tuti hui saanse nikalti thi. Kitne doctors, kitne mandir, kitni duaayein...

Par har jagah se ek hi baat mili-

"Ladki kabhi bol nahi payegi."

Us din ke baad uski maa chup si ho gayi thi.

Aur Anshi...

Woh toh jaise bachpan se hi khamoshi me rehna seekh gayi thi.

Kamre ka parda halka sa hila.

Anshi bahar aayi.

Safed cotton ka simple suit, geele baal aur aankhon me wohi shaant udaasi. Uska chehra bahut sundar tha... itna ki mohalla ki auratein bhi kabhi kabhi bol padti-

"Kaash bol paati... toh kitni achhi lagti."

Anshi ne maa ko dekha aur halki si muskaan di.

Uski muskaan bhi ajeeb thi.

Poori nahi hoti thi kabhi.

Jaise andar ka dard hamesha honton ko rok leta ho.

Uski maa ne plate me poha rakha.

"Beta garam hai sambhal ke."

Anshi ne haan me sar hilaya aur chupchaap baith gayi.

"Beta zara cheeni dena."

Anshi ne turant dabba pakda diya.

Tabhi bahar se kuch ladkon ki awaaz aayi-

"Arey dekho dekho... gungi madam !"

Ek ladka hans pada.

Anshi ke kadam ek second ko ruk gaye.

Uski maa gusse me bahar nikalne lagi... par Anshi ne turant unka haath pakad liya.

Aur naa me sar hila diya.

Jaise keh rahi ho-

"Rehne dijiye maa... aadat hai."

"Bhagwan jaane tera kya hoga..." uski maa ne achanak dheere se kaha, aankhon me chhupi tension ke saath.

"Humare baad tujhe kaun samjhega?"

Phir se

bahar se kuch aurato ki awaaz aayi-

"Arey suna hai Varma ji ki beti ki shaadi fix ho gayi."

"Accha? us gungi ki hi toh age ki thi."

"Kam se kam normal toh thi..."

Aakhri line dheere boli gayi thi... par Anshi ne sun li.

Woh hamesha sun leti thi.

Logon ko lagta tha gungi ladki ko fark nahi padta...

par uske kaan aur dil dono bahut tez the.

Usne dheere se nazar jhuka li.

Uski maa ka chehra utar gaya.

"Logon ka kaam hai bolna." unhone zabardasti normal tone me kaha.

Anshi ne turant smile karne ki koshish ki... aur notebook uthakar kuch likha.

"Maa pareshaan mat ho."

Uski maa ki aankhen bhar aayi.

"Tu har baar yahi likh deti hai..." woh dheere se boli, "par maa hoon na... darr lagta hai."

Anshi chup rahi.

Kya bolti?

Uski puri zindagi hi toh uska darr thi.

School me bachche "gungi gungi" bolkar chidhate the. Teachers taras kha kar marks de dete. Rishtedaar use dekhkar dheere se baatein karte-

"Shaadi kaise hogi?"

"Kaun karega?"

"Zindagi bhar maa baap par bojh rahegi."

Aur sabse buri baat?

Anshi kabhi jawab nahi de paati thi.

Bas aankhon me aansu lekar khadi reh jaati thi.

Tabhi uske papa office jaane ke liye tayyar hokar bahar aaye.

"Anshu beta."

Anshi turant uthkar unke paas gayi.

Unhone pyar se uske sir par haath rakha.

kya hua phir se kisi ne kuch kaha

Anshi ne jaldi jaldi naa me sir hilaya

"Tu bol nahi paati na..."

Woh muskurane ki koshish karte hue bole-

"Par iska matlab ye thodi hai ki main tujhe samajh nahi paata."

Dekhiye naa ye mahalle ki auratein ne

to Jina haram kardiya hai

iski saadi ho rahi hai ...uski saadi ho rahi hai to haam kya kare ...

uski maa bahar aayi...

"Kal Verma ji fir ek rishta bata rahe the..."

Anshi ke haath dheere se ruk gaye.

Uske papa ki awaaz me umeed kam... majboori zyada thi.

"Ladka accha tha . par uski par uski umar bahut jada thi .

mene bhi kahe diya ...meri beti bol nahi paati iska matlab ye nahi ki me use ki

me use kisi bhi aadhed umar ke aadmi se viha duu...

Anshi ne bas aankhen jhuka li.

Shaadi ka naam sunte hi uske andar ajeeb sa darr bhar jaata tha.

Use hamesha lagta-

Kaun samjhega use?

Kaun uski khamoshi ke saath jee payega?

Aur agar saamne wala bura nikla toh?

Woh toh cheekh bhi nahi payegi...

Uski maa ne baat badalne ke liye kaha-

"Accha jaa zara chhat se kapde utaar la."

Anshi dheere se seedhiyan chadh gayi.

Chhat par halki hawa chal rahi thi. Door door tak purane ghar, antenna aur taar dikh rahe the.

Anshi ne aasman ki taraf dekha.

Usse aasman bahut pasand tha.

Kyuki wahi ek jagah thi... jahan koi uski awaaz ka mazaak nahi udaata tha.

Hawa se uske baal ud rahe the.

Aur aankhon me wahi purani khamoshi thi...

Jise kuch dino baad ek aisa aadmi todne wala tha...

jo pyaar se zyada control me yakeen rakhta tha.

Shaam ke kareeb 6 baje the.

Suraj dheere dheere purane makaano ke peeche chhup raha tha. Gali me bachche cricket khel rahe the, aur kahi door se pressure cooker ki seeti ki awaaz aa rahi thi.

.

Anshi kitchen me apni maa ke saath khana bana rahi thi. Woh bina bole hi maa ki har zarurat samajh jaati thi.

"Beta zara pyaaz de dena."

Anshi ne turant plate aage kar di.

Tabhi bahar se kisi aurat ki tez awaaz aayi-

"Arey Sunitaaaa!"

Anshi ki maa ne haath saaf kiya.

ab kon aa gaya

Darwaza khulte hi saamne mohalla ki Shakuntala aunty khadi thi. Haath me purse, chehre par hamesha wali curiosity.

"Namaste behen."

"Aaiye."

Woh seedha andar aakar charpai par baith gayin

Anshi uske liye paani lekar bahar gai

"Arey Anshi bitiya bhi yahi hai?"

Anshi ne halka sa smile karke haath jod diya.

Shakuntala aunty ne use upar se neeche tak dekha... phir dheere se uski maa ke paas khisak kar baith gayin.

"Aur... koi baat bani shaadi ki?"

Ye sawaal sunte hi Anshi ke haath dheere se ruk gaye.

Uski maa ne zabardasti normal dikhte hue kaha-

"Bas dekh hi rahe hain."

"Dekh kya rahe ho behen?" aunty dheere se boli, "ladki ki umar bhi badh rahi hai."

Anshi ne nazar jhuka li.

Uski maa ka chehra utar gaya.

"Aapko toh pata hi hai..." unhone dheere se kaha, "sab log sunte hi mana kar dete hain."

"Arey isi liye toh mai layi hoon!"

Shakuntala aunty ekdum se seedhi baith gayin.

"Ek rishta hai mere dur ke bhatije ka."

Anshi ki maa aur papa dono ek second ko chup ho gaye.

"Ladka Allahabad me rehta hai. Apna kapdon ka business hai. Ghar bhi theek thaak hai."

"Par..." Anshi ke papa hesitant hue, "hamari beti ki halat -"

"Sab pata hai mujhe." aunty ne baat kaat di.

"Isiliye toh uska naam bataya."

Anshi ke haath halki si kaamp gaye.

Woh chupchaap glass pakde khadi thi... par uska dil ajeeb tarah se dhadak raha tha.

"Thodi umar zyada hai..." aunty ne dheere se kaha, "34 ka hoga shayad. Par ladka kamaane wala hai. Aur sabse badi baat..."

Woh aur paas jhuk gayin.

"Eklauta beta hai.""maa baap ne bahut laad se pala hai. Thoda gusse wala hai... par dil ka bura nahi."

"Nature kaisa hai?" papa ne pucha.

Aunty ne thoda socha.

"Seedha hai... par thoda sakht mizaj ka hai. Apni baat pe tikne wala."

"Apni biwi ko bahut sambhal ke rakhega."

Anshi ki maa ne umeed aur darr dono ke saath pucha-

"Naam kya hai ladke ka?"

"Adhikrit."

Ladke ki umar thodi jada nahi hai

Anshi ke papa ne kaha

"Dekho bhai sahab ... sach bolu?"

"Normal ladki hoti toh shayad baat alag hoti ...mai bhi ye rishta na laati."

"Par aaj kal ka zamana bahut kharab hai. Aur aisi ladki ke liye accha ghar milna mushkil hota hai."

isi liye me lekar aayi hoo

aur apni beti ki halat bhi to dekho ...umar se kya farq padta hai kamata to hai naa

"Mai bas itna keh rahi hoon..." aunty ne dheere se kaha, "agar ladka maan gaya na... toh apki Anshi Rani banke rahegi."

us ghar me

Rani.

Uske papa kaafi der chup baithe rahe... phir dheere se bole-

"Photo hai ladke ki?"

"Kal le aaungi."

Anshi ki maa ki aankhon me pehli baar halki si umeed chamki.

haam bas chahte hai hamari beti khus rahe...

Adhikrit ka naam sunkar Anshi ke dil me ek ajeeb si halki si bechaini ho rahi thi...

Use samajh nahi aaya kyu...

Aur kahin door, Allahabad ke us sheher me...

Adhikrit apni duniya me bilkul alag tareeke se jee raha tha.