gaay – a story by Anwar Sajjad

ek din un‍honne milakar faisala kiya ki gaay ko boochadakhaane mein de hee diya jae.

“ab isaka dhela nahin milata,” unamen se ek ne kaha.

“in mutthee-bhar haddiyon ko kaun khareedega?”

“lekin baaba, mujhe ab bhee bharosa hai ki isaka ilaaj agar theeg dhang se…”

“tum chup raho jee, bade aae aqlavaale!”

nikka chup karake ek taraf ho gaya tha aur baaba apanee daadhee mein aql ko kuredate hue badon ke saath sir jodakar baith gaye the. main jab zubaan hilaata hoon, ye boochad (kasaee) ban jaate hain. jis din se mainne apane ko pahachaana hai, usee din se chitakabaree ko bhee jaana hai. jabase ye use boochadakhaane le jaane kee soch rahe hain, tab se har ghadee yateem hota ja raha hoon. main k‍ya karoon. ye sab mujh par hansate hain ki main isakee itanee seva k‍yon karata hoon? in haddiyon se itana p‍yaar k‍yon karata hoon, k‍yon karata hoon?

“aap ise boochadakhaane bhejane kee bajaay haspataal k‍yon nahin bhej dete?” nikke se raha nahin jaata tha.

“tum nahin samajhate. yah theek nahin ho sakatee. isake ilaaj par bekaar paisa k‍yon kharaab kiya jae?”

“main naasamajh hoon? abhee kal hee to maan ne dhaage mein pandrahaveen gaanth lagaee thee.” nikka bola — “aap ilaaj karaakar dekhen to sahee.”

“badon kee baaton mein dakhl na diya karo.”

“mera jee chaahata hai ki main aap sabako boochadakhaane de aaoon.”

phir sabane milakar gaay kee zanjeer pakadee thee lekin jaise gaay ko bhee sab kuchh pata tha. vah apanee jagah se ek inch nahin hilee. un‍honne maar-maarakar usaka phaalooda bana diya tha. nikka ek taraf khada patharaee aankhon se sab-kuchh dekh raha tha, samajhane kee koshish kar raha tha.

“shaabaash! meree chitakabaree, meree gaay, meree gomaata, hilana mat! tum nahin jaanateen, ye log tum‍haare saath k‍ya-kuchh karane vaale hain. hilana nahin! jaana nahin! nahin to…nahin to…”

gaay apanee jagah par adee, mud-mudakar use dekhatee rahee. thoda hatakar gaay ka bachhada khoonte se bandha baitha tha. haddiyon par laathiyon kee maar use nahin sunaee detee thee. nikke ke kaan bhee dheere-dheere ban‍da ho rahe the. ghar ke saare bade-boodhe haanphate hue sir jodakar baith gae the, phir faisala hua ki agar ab yah chal bhee pade to mumakin hai ki raas‍te mein kham‍ba ho jae. isalie yahee uchit hai ki ise trak mein daalakar le jaaya jae. trak mein to ise uthaakar bhee laada ja sakata hai.

agale din trak bhee aa gaya tha. trak kee aavaaz par gaay ne mudakar dekha tha, aankhen jhapakee theen aur phir naand mein munh daal diya tha, jahaan nikka chaara daalakar abhee-abhee trak dekhane gaya tha.

“aap log ise sachamuch…” use vish‍vaas nahin aata tha.

“nahin to ham log mazaak kar rahe hain k‍ya?” ek ne kaha tha.

“baaba, yah gaay mujhe de do. main ise…”

“hakeem kee aulaad!” doosare ne kaha tha.

“baaba isake bagair main…”

“majanoon ka bachcha…!” teesare ne kaha tha.

chautha, paanchavaan, saare hee saale ek se hain. baaba, jo apanee daadhee ko aql ka gadh samajhate hain, jaane unhen k‍ya ho gaya hai?

“bete! trakavaale ko ham das rupaye dekar bhee faayade mein rahenge.”
oh, kamabakht saudaagar… mujhase lo rupaye, mujhase. yah lo! lekin meree mutthee mein to is vaqt hava hai. jab main bada ho jaoonga. ha-ha-ha-ha! jab main kamaane lagoonga… ha-ha-ha-ha! tab tak to chitakabaree kee haddiyon ka surama ban gaya hoga. main… main k‍ya karoonga?

unamen se ek gaay ko lene kholee kee taraf gaya tha. nikka bhee unake peechhe-peechhe ho liya… yoon hee dekhane ke lie. bade ne zanjeer kholee. gaay ne naand mein munh maar ke daanton mein patthe (hara chaara) dabae the, mud ke nikke ko dekha tha aur jaane ke lie khur uthaaya tha.

“na-na-na!” nikka cheekha.

“bako mat!” gaay khadee ho gaee thee.

“hai-hai-hai!” bade ne zor lagaaya tha.

“na chitakabaree, na… na!”

“chup bhee karoge ya kheechoon zubaan?”

nikke ne zubaan ko qaid kar liya tha.

bade ne phir zanjeer ko jhataka diya tha. “chalo mem saahab, trakavaala aapake baap ka naukar nahin jo saara din khada rahega.”

gaay kee aankhen baahar ko nikal aayee theen. zubaan qaid mein phadaphada ke rah gaee thee, lekin vah mutthee-bhar haddiyaan vaheen-kee-vaheen thee. nikka muskaraaya, phir turant hee maayoos ho gaya tha. yah to-yah to bik bhee chukee hai. ise jaana hee hoga. mujhe ab bhee vish‍vaas hai ki agar thode-se paise lagaakar isaka ilaaj theek tarah se kiya jae to… to… lekin apane in boodhon ka, main k‍ya karoon. kaash! main hakeem hee hota. is bachhade ko sharm nahin aatee, maan ke shareer par neel pad rahe hain aur yah ulloo ke patthon kee tarah dekhe ja raha hai. zubaan phadaphadaakar rah gaee thee.

phir unamen se ek ko badee ach‍chhee soojhee thee. usane gaay kee dum ko pakadakar teen-chaar marod die the. vah peeth ke dard se door bhaagee thee. usane nikke kee taraf dekhakar qahaqaha lagaaya tha. peeth ka dard use trak ke paas le aaya tha. nikke ka dil badee zor se dhadaka tha. trak vaale ne gaay ke chadhane ke lie trak se dharatee par takhta laga diya tha. gaay ne takhte par khur rakha.

“na chadhana.”

“isakee zubaan kaat lo! yah gaay ko bahakaata hai — daraata hai.”

nikka munh ban‍da karake peechhe hat gaya tha. gaay ne pahale takhte ko dekha phir nikke kee taraf dekha. nikke ka sir sharm se jhuk gaya tha.

“isake alaava main aur k‍ya kar sakata hoon… k‍ya kar sakata hoon?”

vah abhee tak daree nahin thee par usane shak bharee aankhon se idhar-udhar dekhakar bade zor-se phumphakaar maaree thee.

“meree chitakabaree jaanatee hai. vah jaanatee hai ki takhte par qadam rakhakar trak mein chalee jaegee. lekin vah yah nahin jaanatee, k‍yon — k‍yon vah chadhana nahin chaahatee?”

un sabane milakar usakee peeth par laathiyaan barasaayee theen. gaay kee taangen kaamp rahee theen. lekin vah apanee jagah se, bil‍kul nahin hilee thee. jab un sabane milakar doosara vaar kiya to vah dard se door bhaagane ko thee ki baaba kee daadhee mein aql ne josh maara aur unhonne jamaakar usake munh par laathee maaree thee. gaay phir takhte kee taraf munh karake seedhee ho gaee thee. baaba ne haanphate hue kaha tha — “aao! peeto!!”

aur phir sabane milakar laathiyon kee baarish kar dee thee. nikka door khada tha, bil‍kul alag-thalag, chupachaap…

“yoon baat nahin banegee.” ek ne apanee saans par qaaboo paate hue kaha tha.

“to phir…?”

vah trak ke saath tek lagae soch hee rahe the ki jaane gaay ko k‍ya soojhee ki vah palatakar ekadam bhaag uthee thee, aur dhool udaatee huee, nikke ke paas se ekadam ajanabiyon kee tarah guzar gaee thee. nikka — shareer ka v‍yarth bhaag.

“dekho-dekho … vah to baeen taraf…” ek chaunka tha.

“laazimee baat hai.” baaba ne apanee daadhee mein ungaliyaan pherate hue kaha tha.

gaay apane bachhade ko chaat rahee thee. baaba kee aankhen mak‍kaar-see muskaraahat se chamak uthee theen.

“us bachhade ko yahaan le aao!”

“yah chaal to hamen kal hee chal denee chaahie thee. trak ke paise bhee bach jaate.”

nikka chupachaap khada tha. unamen se ek ne bachhade kee rassee pakadee thee. nikke kee zubaan kaamp rahee thee. gaay kuchh sochatee, qadam uthaatee, rukatee-chalatee bachhade ke peechhe-peechhe usake paas se guzar rahee thee to dheere se nikke kee zubaan se gaalee phisalee thee. bachhada takhte par chadhakar trak mein chala gaya tha. gaay takhte ke paas jaakar phir rukee. bade taazjub se bachhade ko dekhakar, dheere-dheere gardan mod ke nikke ko dekha tha. ek ne turan‍ta bagal se patthon ka gattha nikaalakar gaay ke aage kar diya tha. usane kuchh danthal daanton mein le lie phir kuchh sochakar dharatee par gira die the. phir agala khur takhte par rakh diya tha, phir doosara khur.

khuda jaane nikke ko k‍ya ho gaya tha! ekadam usake shareer mein garm-garm, taaza-taaza khoon kee baadh aa gaee thee. usake kaan laal ho gae the aur dimaag buree tarah bujhane laga tha. vah bhaaga. ghar mein gaya aur usane baaba kee donaalee bandooq utaarakar usamen kaaratoos bhare the. usee josh mein bhaagata hua baahar aa gaya tha aur kan‍dhe par bandooq rakhakar nishaana saadha tha. usane khulee aankh se dekha. bachhada trak se baahar gaay ke girae hue pattho mein munh maar raha tha. trak mein bandhee huee gaay baahar munh nikaalakar bachhade ko dekh rahee thee. unamen se ek gaay ko le jaane ke lie trak mein baitha tha aur baaba ek haath se apanee daadhee mein aql ko sahalaate hue baahar khade draivar se haath mila rahe the.

phir mujhe pata nahin k‍ya hua! nikke ne kise nishaana banaaya! gaay ko, draivar ko, baaba ko, apane aapako ya vah abhee tak nishaana baandhe khada hai?

koee vahaan jaake dekhe aur aake mujhe batae ki phir k‍ya hua? mujhe to keval itana pata hai ki ek din un‍honne milakar faisala kiya tha ki…