“apanee jagah se girakar
kaheen ke nahin rahate
kesh, auraten aur naakhoon” –
anvay karate the kisee shlok ko aise
hamaare sanskrt teechar.
aur maare dar ke jam jaatee theen
ham ladakiyaan
apanee jagah par!
jagah? jagah kya hotee hai?
yah, vaise, jaan liya tha hamane
apanee pahalee kaksha mein hee.
yaad tha hamen ek-ek akshar
aarambhik paathon ka–
“raam, paathashaala ja!
raadha, khaana paka!
raam, aa bataasha kha!
raadha, jhaadoo laga!
bhaiya ab soega
jaakar bistar bichha!
aha, naya ghar hai!
raam, dekh, yah tera kamara hai!”
“aur mera?”
“o pagalee,
ladakiyaan hava, dhoop, mittee hotee hain
unaka koee ghar nahin hota!”
jinaka koee ghar nahin hota–
unakee hotee hai bhala kaun-see jagah?
kaun-see jagah hotee hai aisee
jo chhoot jaane par
aurat ho jaatee hai
kate hue naakhoonon,
kanghee mein phansakar baahar aae keshon-see
ekadam se buhaar dee jaane vaalee?
ghar chhoote, dar chhoote, chhoot gae log-baag
kuchh prashn peechhe pade the, ve bhee chhoote!
chhootatee gaee jagahen.
lekin, kabhee bhee to nelakatar ya kanghiyon mein
phanse pade hone ka ehasaas nahin hua!
parampara se chhootakar bas yah lagata hai–
kisee bade klaasik se
paasakors bee.e. ke prashnapatr par chhitakee
chhotee-see pankti hoon–
chaahatee nahin lekin
koee karane baithe
meree vyaakhya saprasang!
saare sandarbhon ke paar
mushkil se udakar pahunchee hoon
aisee hee samajhee-padhee jaoon
jaise tukaaraam ka koee
adhoora ambhag!