CHIKU.u
por Padmalochan Bishi
Ret Ka Samundar
Kahaani ek aise insaan ki hai, jiske paas sab kuch tha, siwaye apne ateet ke.
Uska naam tha Samar.
Samar ek safal businessman tha, Mumbai ki chamakti duniya mein uska ek bada naam tha.
Badi gaadi, aalishan ghar, aur bank mein laakhon rupaye – uske paas woh sab tha jiske log sapne dekhte hain.
Lekin uski neendon mein aksar ek bechaini ghumti thi.
Ek khaali jagah thi uske andar, jise woh samjh nahin paata tha.
Uski yaadein dhundli thi, bachpan se pehle ka kuch bhi use theek se yaad nahin tha.
Woh ek ret ke samundar jaisa tha, jismein har yaad fisal jaati thi.
Ek din, Samar ko apne purane ghar ke kaagzaat milte hain.
Ek chhota sa gaon, Rajasthan ke gehre registaan mein – 'Roopnagar'.
Use halka sa jhatka lagta hai.
Roopnagar? Usne kabhi is naam ko suna nahin tha, phir bhi ek anjaani si kashish mehsoos hoti hai.
Usne faisla kiya ki woh wahan jaayega, apne ateet ke un dhundhle pannon ko palatne.
Rajasthan ki tapti dharti par uski modern gaadi daud rahi thi.
Har mod par use lagta jaise woh kisi purane khwab ki taraf badh raha ho.
Roopnagar pahunch kar use laga jaise waqt tham sa gaya hai.
Kachhe makaan, dhool bhari galiyan aur chehron par anokhi shanti.
Log use ajnabee nazaron se dekh rahe the.
Apne purane ghar ke saamne khada hokar Samar ko ek ajeeb sa ehsaas hua.
Woh ghar chhota tha, deewarein toot rahi thi, par usmein ek garmahat thi, ek apnaapan.
Andar jaate hi uski nazar ek purani tasveer par padi.
Ek choti bachchi, theek us jaisi dikhne wali, ek burhi aurat ke saath khadi thi.
Us burhi aurat ki aankhon mein woh apnaapan tha jo Samar ne kabhi mehsoos nahin kiya tha.
Tabhi, pados se ek burha aadmi bahar aaya.
Usne Samar ko pehchaan liya, ya shayad uski aankhon mein chhupi pehchaan ko.
"Samar beta? Tu wapas aa gaya?" Aadmi ki awaaz mein ek apnapan tha.
Woh the Roopnagar ke purane mukhiya, Ram Singh.
Ram Singh ne Samar ko bataya ki woh yahan ek chote se bachche ke roop mein rehta tha.
Uski maa, Sarla, bahut bimar rehti thi aur ek din usne Samar ko Ram Singh ke hawaale kar diya tha, yeh keh kar ki use bade shehar le ja kar ek achhi zindagi de.
Sarla ne Samar ko chhupa kar rakha tha ek bade raaz se – uske pita ek bade gunehgaar the aur unki maut ke baad Sarla Samar ko uske bure saaye se door rakhna chahti thi.
Usne Samar ki yaadasht bhula di thi jadoo-tona kar ke, taki woh ateet ke dukh se door reh sake.
Samar ko sab kuch sun kar bahut bada jhatka laga.
Use laga jaise uske pairo tale zameen khisak gayi ho.
Woh jis ateet se anjaan tha, woh itna gehra aur dardnak tha.
Ram Singh ne use Sarla ki di hui ek potli di, jismein ek chithi aur ek sukhi hui moti ki mala thi.
Chithi mein Sarla ne likha tha ki usne apne bete ko ek nayi zindagi di hai, par use yeh bhi bataya ki uska asli rishta us mitti se hai jahan woh paida hua hai.
Usne Samar ko maaf kar dene ko kaha tha, aur apni zindagi ko shanti se jeene ki salaah di thi.
Samar ne us potli ko thaam kar apni maa ke pyaar aur tyag ko mehsoos kiya.
Use laga jaise ret ka woh samundar dheere-dheere bharne laga ho.
Usne Mumbai ki chamak-dhamak mein bahut kuch paaya tha, par Roopanagar mein use apni pehchaan mili thi.
Us din Samar ne faisla kiya ki woh Roopanagar ki mitti ko kabhi nahin bhulega.
Usne us gaon ke liye kuch karne ki thaan li, jahan uski maa ne use ek nayi zindagi di thi.
Samar ne wahan ek school banaya, paani ki samasya hal ki aur logon ko rojgar dilaya.
Usne apni maa ke sapne ko pura kiya, ek aisi zindagi jee kar jismein paise se zyada rishton aur insaniyat ki keemat thi.
Ret ka woh samundar ab uski yaadon se bhara tha, aur uski zindagi mein ab ek gehra sukoon tha.
Kya aap aisi aur kahaniyan sunna chahenge?..
