‘paalak ek aane gaththee, tamaatar chhah aane rattal aur haree mirchen ek aane kee dheree’, pata nahin tarakaaree bechanevaalee stree ka mukh kaisa tha ki mujhe laga paalak ke patton kee saaree komalata, tamaataron ka saara rang aur haree mirchon kee saaree khushaboo usake chehare par putee huee thee.
ek bachcha usakee jholee mein doodh pee raha tha. ek muththee mein usane maan kee cholee pakad rakhee thee aur doosara haath vah baar-baar paalak ke patton par patakata tha. maan kabhee usaka haath peechhe hataatee thee aur kabhee paalak kee dheree ko aage sarakaatee thee, par jab use doosaree taraph badhakar koee cheez theek karanee padatee thee, to bachche ka haath phir paalak ke patton par pad jaata tha. us stree ne apane bachche kee muththee kholakar paalak ke patton ko chhudaate hue ghoorakar dekha, par usake hothon kee hansee usake chehare kee silvaton mein se uchhalakar bahane lagee. saamane padee huee saaree tarakaaree par jaise usane hansee chhidak dee ho aur mujhe laga, aisee taazee sabjee kabhee kaheen ugee nahin hogee.
kaee tarakaaree bechanevaale mere ghar ke daravaaze ke saamane se guzarate the. kabhee der bhee ho jaatee, par kisee se tarakaaree na khareed sakatee thee. roz us stree ka chehara mujhe bulaata rahata tha.
usase khareedee huee tarakaaree jab main kaatatee, dhotee aur pateele mein daalakar pakaane ke lie rakhatee-sochatee rahatee, usaka pati kaisa hoga! vah jab apanee patnee ko dekhata hoga, chhoota hoga, to kya usake honthon mein paalak ka, tamaataron ka aur haree mirchon ka saara svaad ghul jaata hoga?
kabhee-kabhee mujhe apane par kheejh hotee ki is stree ka khayaal kis tarah mere peechhe pad gaya tha. in dinon main ek gujaraatee upanyaas padh rahee thee. is upanyaas mein roshanee kee lakeer jaisee ek ladakee thee- jeevee. ek mard usako dekhata hai aur use lagata hai ki usake jeevan kee raat mein taaron ke beej ug aae hain. vah haath lambe karata hai, par taare haath nahin aate aur vah niraash hokar jeevee se kahata hai, “tum mere gaanv mein apanee jaati ke kisee aadamee se byaah kar lo. mujhe door se soorat hee dikhatee rahegee.” us din ka sooraj jab jeevee ko dekhata hai, to vah is tarah laal ho jaata hai, jaise kisee ne kunvaaree ladakee ko chhoo liya ho…
kahaanee ke dhaage lambe ho jaate hain, aur jeevee ke chehare par du:khon kee rekhaen pad jaatee hain is jeevee ka khayaal bhee aajakal mere peechhe pada hua tha, par mujhe kheejh nahin hotee theen, ve to du:khon kee rekhaen theen, vahee rekhaen jo mere geeton mein theen, aur rekhaen rekhaon mein mil jaatee hain par yah doosaree jisake hothon par hansee kee boonde theen, kesar kee turiyaan theen.
doosare din mainne apane paanvon ko roka ki main usase tarakaaree khareedane nahin jaoongee. chaukeedaar se kaha ki yahaan jab tarakaaree bechanevaala aae to mera daravaaza khatakhataana. daravaaje par dastak huee. ek-ek cheez ko mainne haath lagaakar dekha. aaloo- naram aur gaddon vaale. pharasabeen-jaise phaliyon ke dil sookh gae hon. paalak- jaise vah din-bhar kee dhool phaankakar behad thak gaee ho. tamaatar- jaise ve bhookh ke kaaran bilakhate hue so gae ho. haree mirchen- jaise kisee ne unakee saanson mein se khushaboo nikaal lee ho, mainne daravaaza band kar liya. aur paanv mere rokane par bhee us tarakaaree vaalee kee or chal pade.
aaj usake paas usaka pati bhee tha. vah mandee se tarakaaree lekar aaya tha aur usake saath milakar tarakaariyon ko paanee se dhokar alag-alag rakh raha tha aur unake bhaav laga raha tha. usakee soorat pahachaanee-see thee ise mainne kab dekha tha, kahaan dekha tha- ek naee baat peechhe pad gaee.
“beebee jee, aap!”
“main par mainne tumhen pahachaana nahin.”
“ise bhee nahin pahachaana? yah ratnee!”
“maanakoo ratnee.” mainne apanee smrtiyon mein dhoondha, par maanakoo aur ratnee kaheen mil nahin rahe the.
“teen saal ho gae hain, balki maheena oopar ho gaya hai. ek gaanv ke paas kya naam tha usaka aapakee motar kharaab ho gaee thee.”
“haan, huee to thee.”
“aur aap vahaan se guzarate hue ek trak mein baithakar dhuliya aae the, naya taayar khareedane ke lie.”
“haan-haan.” aur phir meree smrti mein mujhe maanakoo aur ratnee mil gae.
ratnee tab adhakhilee kalee-jaisee thee aur maanakoo use parae paudhe par se tod laaya tha. trak ka draivar maanakoo ka puraana mitr tha. usane ratnee ko lekar bhaagane mein maanakoo kee madad kee thee. isalie raaste mein vah maanakoo ke saath hansee-mazaak karata raha.
raaste ke chhote-chhote gaanvon mein kaheen kharabooje bik rahe hote, kaheen kakadiyaan, kaheen tarabooz! aur maanakoo ka mitr maanakoo se oonchee aavaaz mein kahata, “badee naram hain, kakadiyaan khareed le. tarabooj to surkh laal hain aur kharabooja bilakul mishree hai khareedana nahin hai to chheen le vaah re raanjhe!”
‘are, chhod mujhe raanjha kyon kahata hai? raanjha saala aashik tha ki naee tha? heer kee dolee ke saath bhainsen haankakar chal pada. main hota na kaheen.’
‘vaah ro maanakoo! too to mirza hai mirza!’
‘mirza to hoon hee, agar kaheen saahibaan ne marava na diya to!’ aur phir maanakoo apanee ratnee ko chhedata, ‘dekh ratnee, saahibaan na banana, heer banana.’
‘vaah re maanakoo, too mirza aur yah heer! yah bhee jodee achchhee banee!’ aage baitha draivar hansa.
itanee der mein madhyapradesh ka naaka guzar gaya aur mahaaraashtr kee seema aa gaee. yahaan par har ek motar, loree aur trak ko roka jaata tha. pooree talaashee lee jaatee thee ki kaheen koee afeem, sharaab ya kisee tarah kee koee aur cheez to nahin le ja raha. us trak kee bhee talaashee lee gaee. kuchh na mila aur trak ko aage jaane ke lie raasta de diya gaya. jyon hee trak aage badha, maanakoo betahaasha hans diya.
‘saale afeem khojate hain, sharaab khojate hain. main jo nashe kee botal le ja raha hoon, saalon ko dikhee hee nahin.’ aur ratnee pahale apane aap mein sikud gaee aur phir man kee saaree pattiyon ko kholakar kahane lagee, ‘dekhana, kaheen nashe kee botal tod na dena! sabhee tukade tumhaare talavon mein utar jaenge.’
‘kaheen doob mar!’
‘main to doob jaoongee, tum saagar ban jao!’
main sun rahee thee, hans rahee thee aur phir ek peeda mere man mein aaee, ‘haay ree stree, doobane ke lie bhee taiyaar hai, yadi tera priy ek saagar ho!’
phir dhuliya aa gaya. ham trak mein se utar gae aur kuchh minat tak ek khayaal mere man ko kuredata raha- yah ‘ratnee’ ek adhakhilee kalee-jaisee ladakee. maanakoo ise pata nahin kahaan se tod laaya tha. kya is kalee ko vah apane jeevan mein mahakane dega? yah kalee kaheen paanvon mein hee to nahin masalee jaegee?
pichhale dinon dillee mein ek ghatana huee thee. ek ladakee ko ek maastar vaayalin sikhaaya karata tha aur phir donon ne socha ki ve bambee bhaag jaen. vahaan vah gaaya karegee, vah vaayalin bajaaya karega. roz jab maastar aata, vah ladakee apana ek-aadh kapada use pakada detee aur vah use vaayalin ke dibbe mein rakhakar le jaata. is tarah lagabhag maheene-bhar mein us ladakee ne kaee kapade maastar ke ghar bhej die aur phir jab vah apane teen kapadon mein ghar se nikalee, kisee ke man mein sandeh kee chhaaya tak na thee. aur phir us ladakee ka bhee vahee anjaam hua, jo usase pahale kaee aur ladakiyon ka ho chuka tha aur usake baad kaee aur ladakiyon ka hona tha. vah ladakee bambee pahunchakar kala kee moortee nahin, kala kee kabr ban gaee, aur main soch rahee thee, yah ratnee.. yah ratnee kya banegee?
aaj teen varsh baad mainne ratnee ko dekha. hansee ke paanee se vah tarakaariyon ko taaza kar rahee thee, ‘paalak ek aane gaththee, tamaatar chhah aane rattal aur haree mirchen ek aane dheree.’ aur usake chehare par paalak kee saaree komalata, tamaataron ka saara rang aur haree mirchon kee saaree khushaboo putee huee thee.
jeevee ke mukh par du:khon kee rekhaen theen – vaheen rekhaen, jo mere geeton mein theen aur rekhaen rekhaon mein mil gaee theen.
ratnee ke mukh par hansee kee boonde theen- vah hansee, jab sapane ug aaen, to os kee boondon kee tarah un pattiyon par pad jaatee hai; aur ve sapane mere geeton ke tukaant banate the.
jo sapana jeevee ke man mein tha, vahee sapana ratnee ke man mein tha. jeevee ka sapana ek upanyaas ke aansoo ban gaya aur ratnee ka sapana geeton ke tukaant tod kar aaj usakee jholee mein doodh pee raha tha.