Part -28
Neeru Bua ke sasur – Shri Rameshwar Mittal – ki maut ekdam achaanak aayi thi. Dil ka daura pada tha, aur hospital pahunchte-pahunchte sab khatam ho gaya. Ghar mein maahoul bhari tha – log rote-bilakte aaye, antim yatra nikli, aur dah-sanskaar ke liye saara parivaar gaon ke kinaare shamshaan ghaat pahuncha.
Anand uncle – Manik ke pita – apne 'kaam' ke naam par bahar gaye hue the. Sabko pata tha ki woh Anita ke saath kahin farmhouse par hain, phone bhi switch off. Isliye dah-sanskaar ki poori zimmedaari Manik par aa gayi. Woh akela hi mukhagni deta raha, logon ko samhaalta raha, aur apne chhote se dil mein ek ajeeb sa khali-pan mehsoos karta raha.
Shaam dhalte-dhalte ghar lautne ke baad, sab apne-apne kamron mein simat gaye. Neeru Bua apne kamre mein akeli baithi thi. Unka chehra sooj gaya tha rone se, aankhein laal, baal bikhre hue. Unke sasur unke liye sirf sasur hi nahi the – chhoti umra mein hi vidhwa ho jaane ke baad unhone hi Neeru ko pita ka pyaar diya tha. Har tyohaar par naye kapde, har bimaari mein dawai aur sewa – woh unka sahara the. Ab woh bhi chale gaye.
Manik ne darwaaza khola aur dheere se andar aaya. Kamre mein sirf ek chhoti si laal light jal rahi thi. Bua bistar par baithi thi, god mein sar pakde hue, kandhe hil rahe the.
Manik: (dheere se) Bua... aap... aap theek to hain na?
Neeru Bua ne sar uthaya. Unki aankhon se aansoon abhi bhi beh rahe the. Woh kuchh nahi boli, bas haath faila diya. Manik turant aage badha aur unhen apni baahon mein bhar liya. Bua ka sar uske kandhe par tik gaya, aur woh zor-zor se ron lagne lagi.
Manik unki peeth par haath pher raha tha, dheere-dheere, jaise maa bachche ko sulati hai.
Manik: (awaaz mein dard) Bua... main hoon na. Aap akeli nahi hain. Papa ji aapko bahut pyaar karte the... hum sab karte hain.
Neeru Bua ne aur kas kar use jakad liya. Unka garam saans Manik ki gardan par lag raha tha. Unka shareer abhi bhi kaanp raha tha, lekin dheere-dheere shaant hone laga. Manik ka haath unki peeth par ghum raha tha, kabhi kamr par, kabhi sar par.
Par jaise-jaise bua ki saansen shaant hui, Manik ko ek ajeeb si bechaini mehsoos hone lagi. Bua ka narm shareer uske saath chipka hua tha. Unki saadi ka pallu sarak gaya tha, aur unka blouse uske seene se sat raha tha. Unki garam saansen, unki khushboo – woh sab Manik ke andar ek purani aag ko phir se sulga rahi thi.
Usne koshish ki ki apne mann ko samjhaaye – yeh dukh ka waqt hai, yeh galat hai. Par shareer ne suna nahi. Uska dil zor-zor se dhadakne laga. Bua ka sar abhi bhi uske kandhe par tha, aur unki gardan bilkul paas.
Manik ka haath ruk gaya. Usne apne honthon ko dheere se bua ke kandhe par tika diya – pehle ek halka sa kiss, jaise santvana mein. Phir doosra. Uske honth bua ki narm twacha par mehsoos hue – thoda namkeen, thoda garam.
Neeru Bua ka shareer ek pal ko sakht ho gaya. Unhen turant ehsaas ho gaya ki yeh sirf bhai-bahan wala sparsh nahi tha. Unki saans ruk si gayi. Woh jaanti thi ki Manik ke dil mein kya chal raha hai – pichhli raat ki baat unhen yaad thi, uski bhookhi nigaahen, uski tadap.
Par woh chup rahi. Unhone na sar hataya, na door kiya. Bas aankhein band kar li aur dheere se Manik ki peeth par haath pherne lagi – jaise keh rahi ho ki woh bhi mehsoos kar rahi hain, lekin abhi kuchh nahi bolegi.
Manik ka dil zor se dhadka. Usne teesra kiss kandhe par diya, thoda aur gehra. Uski saans tez ho gayi. Bua ne abhi bhi kuchh nahi kaha – sirf unka haath Manik ki peeth par aur kas gaya.
Kamre mein sirf unki saanson ki awaaz thi. Bahar raat gehri ho chuki thi, aur andar ek nayi, varjit aag dheere-dheere sulag rahi thi – dukh aur ichchha ka ajeeb sa mishran.
Neeru Bua ne aankhein kholi, lekin abhi bhi chup thi. Unki aankhon mein aansoon abhi bhi the, lekin saath hi ek gehri samajh aur shayad... ek chhupi hui pyaas bhi. Manik ne sar uthaya aur unki aankhon mein dekha. Dono ke beech ek lambe, ankaha pal tha.
Phir Manik ne dheere se bua ka sar apne haathon mein liya aur unke maathe par ek lamba kiss kiya – jaise bada bhai chhoti behan ko sulata ho. Par dono jaante the ki yeh sirf itna hi nahi tha.
Neeru Bua ne dheere se uske gaal par haath phera aur fusfusaaya: "So ja, beta... aaj bahut thak gaya hoga tu."
Par uski awaaz mein ek ajeeb si kampan thi – jaise woh khud ko samjha rahi ho ki abhi rukna hai.
Manik ne sirf sar hilaya aur uth kar darwaaze ki taraf badha. Darwaaze par ruk kar usne peeche mudkar dekha – bua abhi bhi bistar par baithi thi, pallu se aankhein ponchh rahi thi. Unki aankhon mein ek ajeeb si chamak thi jo Manik ne pehchaan liya.
Darwaaza band hua. Bahar corridor mein Manik khada raha, dil zor se dhadak raha tha. Usne apne honthon ko chhua – bua ki twacha ka sparsh abhi bhi wahan tha.
Aur andar, Neeru Bua bistar par let gayi, aankhein band kar ke. Unka haath dheere se apne kandhe par gaya – jahaan Manik ke honthon ka nishaan abhi bhi garam tha. Unhone aankhein band kar li, lekin neend nahi aayi. Unke mann mein ek tandav chal raha tha – dukh ka, pyaar ka, aur ek varjit ichchha ka.
*********************
Neeru Bua ke sasur – Shri Rameshwar Mittal – ki maut ekdam achaanak aayi thi. Dil ka daura pada tha, aur hospital pahunchte-pahunchte sab khatam ho gaya. Ghar mein maahoul bhari tha – log rote-bilakte aaye, antim yatra nikli, aur dah-sanskaar ke liye saara parivaar gaon ke kinaare shamshaan ghaat pahuncha.
Anand uncle – Manik ke pita – apne 'kaam' ke naam par bahar gaye hue the. Sabko pata tha ki woh Anita ke saath kahin farmhouse par hain, phone bhi switch off. Isliye dah-sanskaar ki poori zimmedaari Manik par aa gayi. Woh akela hi mukhagni deta raha, logon ko samhaalta raha, aur apne chhote se dil mein ek ajeeb sa khali-pan mehsoos karta raha.
Shaam dhalte-dhalte ghar lautne ke baad, sab apne-apne kamron mein simat gaye. Neeru Bua apne kamre mein akeli baithi thi. Unka chehra sooj gaya tha rone se, aankhein laal, baal bikhre hue. Unke sasur unke liye sirf sasur hi nahi the – chhoti umra mein hi vidhwa ho jaane ke baad unhone hi Neeru ko pita ka pyaar diya tha. Har tyohaar par naye kapde, har bimaari mein dawai aur sewa – woh unka sahara the. Ab woh bhi chale gaye.
Manik ne darwaaza khola aur dheere se andar aaya. Kamre mein sirf ek chhoti si laal light jal rahi thi. Bua bistar par baithi thi, god mein sar pakde hue, kandhe hil rahe the.
Manik: (dheere se) Bua... aap... aap theek to hain na?
Neeru Bua ne sar uthaya. Unki aankhon se aansoon abhi bhi beh rahe the. Woh kuchh nahi boli, bas haath faila diya. Manik turant aage badha aur unhen apni baahon mein bhar liya. Bua ka sar uske kandhe par tik gaya, aur woh zor-zor se ron lagne lagi.
Manik unki peeth par haath pher raha tha, dheere-dheere, jaise maa bachche ko sulati hai.
Manik: (awaaz mein dard) Bua... main hoon na. Aap akeli nahi hain. Papa ji aapko bahut pyaar karte the... hum sab karte hain.
Neeru Bua ne aur kas kar use jakad liya. Unka garam saans Manik ki gardan par lag raha tha. Unka shareer abhi bhi kaanp raha tha, lekin dheere-dheere shaant hone laga. Manik ka haath unki peeth par ghum raha tha, kabhi kamr par, kabhi sar par.
Par jaise-jaise bua ki saansen shaant hui, Manik ko ek ajeeb si bechaini mehsoos hone lagi. Bua ka narm shareer uske saath chipka hua tha. Unki saadi ka pallu sarak gaya tha, aur unka blouse uske seene se sat raha tha. Unki garam saansen, unki khushboo – woh sab Manik ke andar ek purani aag ko phir se sulga rahi thi.
Usne koshish ki ki apne mann ko samjhaaye – yeh dukh ka waqt hai, yeh galat hai. Par shareer ne suna nahi. Uska dil zor-zor se dhadakne laga. Bua ka sar abhi bhi uske kandhe par tha, aur unki gardan bilkul paas.
Manik ka haath ruk gaya. Usne apne honthon ko dheere se bua ke kandhe par tika diya – pehle ek halka sa kiss, jaise santvana mein. Phir doosra. Uske honth bua ki narm twacha par mehsoos hue – thoda namkeen, thoda garam.
Neeru Bua ka shareer ek pal ko sakht ho gaya. Unhen turant ehsaas ho gaya ki yeh sirf bhai-bahan wala sparsh nahi tha. Unki saans ruk si gayi. Woh jaanti thi ki Manik ke dil mein kya chal raha hai – pichhli raat ki baat unhen yaad thi, uski bhookhi nigaahen, uski tadap.
Par woh chup rahi. Unhone na sar hataya, na door kiya. Bas aankhein band kar li aur dheere se Manik ki peeth par haath pherne lagi – jaise keh rahi ho ki woh bhi mehsoos kar rahi hain, lekin abhi kuchh nahi bolegi.
Manik ka dil zor se dhadka. Usne teesra kiss kandhe par diya, thoda aur gehra. Uski saans tez ho gayi. Bua ne abhi bhi kuchh nahi kaha – sirf unka haath Manik ki peeth par aur kas gaya.
Kamre mein sirf unki saanson ki awaaz thi. Bahar raat gehri ho chuki thi, aur andar ek nayi, varjit aag dheere-dheere sulag rahi thi – dukh aur ichchha ka ajeeb sa mishran.
Neeru Bua ne aankhein kholi, lekin abhi bhi chup thi. Unki aankhon mein aansoon abhi bhi the, lekin saath hi ek gehri samajh aur shayad... ek chhupi hui pyaas bhi. Manik ne sar uthaya aur unki aankhon mein dekha. Dono ke beech ek lambe, ankaha pal tha.
Phir Manik ne dheere se bua ka sar apne haathon mein liya aur unke maathe par ek lamba kiss kiya – jaise bada bhai chhoti behan ko sulata ho. Par dono jaante the ki yeh sirf itna hi nahi tha.
Neeru Bua ne dheere se uske gaal par haath phera aur fusfusaaya: "So ja, beta... aaj bahut thak gaya hoga tu."
Par uski awaaz mein ek ajeeb si kampan thi – jaise woh khud ko samjha rahi ho ki abhi rukna hai.
Manik ne sirf sar hilaya aur uth kar darwaaze ki taraf badha. Darwaaze par ruk kar usne peeche mudkar dekha – bua abhi bhi bistar par baithi thi, pallu se aankhein ponchh rahi thi. Unki aankhon mein ek ajeeb si chamak thi jo Manik ne pehchaan liya.
Darwaaza band hua. Bahar corridor mein Manik khada raha, dil zor se dhadak raha tha. Usne apne honthon ko chhua – bua ki twacha ka sparsh abhi bhi wahan tha.
Aur andar, Neeru Bua bistar par let gayi, aankhein band kar ke. Unka haath dheere se apne kandhe par gaya – jahaan Manik ke honthon ka nishaan abhi bhi garam tha. Unhone aankhein band kar li, lekin neend nahi aayi. Unke mann mein ek tandav chal raha tha – dukh ka, pyaar ka, aur ek varjit ichchha ka.
