“aap khvaah makhvaah kutton se darate hain. har kutta baavala nahin hota. jaise har insaan paagal nahin hota. aur phir ye to “alaseshiyan” hai. bahut zaheen aur vafaadaar.” kaiptan hameed ne hamaaree dhaaras bandhaate hue kaha.kaiptan hameed ko kutte paalane ka shauq hai. shauq nahin junoon hai. kutton ko vo itanee mohabbat se paalate hain jo vaaladain ko apane ikalaute bachche se hotee hai. main is muamale mein unakee zid vaaqe hua hoon. kutte ko dekh kar chaahe vo kitana shareef aur be-zarar kyon na ho mujhe usase khuda vaaste ka bair ho jaata hai. mera bas chale to tamaam kutton ko ek lambee chaudee havaalaat mein band kar doon, kaiptan hameed meree is kamazoree se bakhoobee vaaqif hain.iseelie vo baar-baar mujhe apana nazariya badalane ke lie kah rahe the. dekhie “taigar” (ye unake kutte ka naam hai) do-chaar din mein aap se maanoos ho jaega aur phir aap mahasoos karenge ki jab tak vo chaay kee mez par maujood na hon aap chaay nahin pee sakate. khaane ke vaqt baraabar vo aap ke saath milakar khaana khaega aur aap ko ehasaas hoga jaise aap kisee bahut pyaare mehamaan kee khaatir va tavaazo kar rahe hain. sair par aap ke saath jaega aur.”
“lekin kaiptan saahab main to kutton kee soorat tak se bezaar hoo. main….”
“are bhee nahin. maheena bhar kee to baat hai. main madraas se vaapas aate hee use apane haan le jaoonga.”
“maaf keejie main aapaka kutta….”
“aap to bachchon kee tarah zid karate hain. zara rakh kar to dekhie ise jab aap vaapas karenge to aap kee aankhon mein aansoo honge.”
kaiptan hameed “taigar” ko mere haan chhod gae,jaisa ki unhonne faramaaya tha. taigar bahut jald mujh se be-takalluf ho gaya aur isee be-takallufee kee vajah se mujhe tarah-tarah kee parishaaniyaan uthaana padeen.ye shaayad teesare chauthe din kee baat hai ki main naya soot pahanakar ek paartee mein shirakat karane ke lie ja raha tha joon hee devadhee mein se ki jahaan taigar bandha hua tha guzara yakalakht vo uchhal kar taangon par khada ho gaya aur mujhase yoon bagalageer hua jaise barason ke baad mulaaqaat huee thee. laga apanee lambee-lambee zabaan mere kot aur paint par pherane. chunaanche jitanee raal usake munh mein thee, vo sab usane mere libaas kee nazr kar dee. usake panje mittee se ate hue the. isalie soot par jagah-jagah badanuma dhabbe lag gae. apanee daanist mein vo mohabbat aur be-takallufee ka izahaar kar raha tha aur idhar ham dil hee dil mein pech-va-taab kha rahe the ki kamabakht ne badhiya soot ka satyaanaas kar diya. soot tabdeel kiya aur pichhale daravaaze se baahar gae. paartee se vaapas aae to bilakul bhool gae ki devadhee mein taigar bandha hua tha. usake qareeb se jo guzare to usane uchhalakar hamaara khairamaqadam kiya aur itanee garmajoshee se ki pahale khairamaqadam ko maat kar diya. ham girate-girate bache jab vo hamaara munh chaatane kee baar-baar kaamiyaab koshish kar raha tha. hamane haath se mana karane kee saee kee. usane hamaara haath apane mazaboot daanton kee giraft mein le liya. go khuda ka shukr hai ki kaata nahin, ab jitana use samajhaate hain ki taigar saahab muravvat kee had ho gaee. ab jaane bhee deejie. utana hee vo mushtaaq hota jaata hai. baare jab usakee tasallee huee ki be-takallufee ka haq ada ho gaya to usane andar aane kee ijaazat de dee.
baithak mein aae aur ek kitaab padhane ke lie nikaalee. abhee das baarah safe padhe the ki kamare mein zalazala sa aa gaya. taigar patta tudava kar jo kamare mein daakhil hua to usane mez par rakhe hue khoobasoorat phooladaan ko neeche patak diya tipaee par rakhee huee tasaaveer ko soonghane ke baad faisala kiya ki kuchh achchhee nahin isalie unhen neeche gira diya. kitaab hamaare haathon mein se chheen lee. use daanton mein dabaakar idhar-udhar tahalane laga. do ek minat ke baad kitaab farsh par rakhakar rediyo kee taraf mutavajje hua. shaayad pakke gaane kee taab na laakar be-tahaasha bhaunkane laga. rediyo seet par hamala karana chaahata tha ki use lalakaara. chunaanche tamaam harakaat band karake vo aaraam se sophe par daraaz ho gaya. naukar se doosara patta laane ko kaha aur badee mushkil se use pahanaaya. ab use devadhee kee taraf ghaseetate the aur vo musir tha ki baithak hee mein qayaam karega.
doosare din hamaare hamasae kee bachchee jo hamaaree bachchee kee sahelee thee ek gudiya uthae hamaaree devadhee se guzar rahee thee ki taigar kee nazar us par padee, sher kee tarah jo vo dahaada to gudiya bachchee ke haath se gir padee aur vo khud behosh hokar zameen par aa rahee hai. bhaag kar bachchee ko uthaaya. use hosh mein laane ke lie kaafee jatan kie. magar khauf ka usake dil-va-dimaag par itana asar hua ki use hosh na aaya. daaktar ko bulavaaya gaya. poore ek ghante ke baad usane aankhen kholeen use usake ghar pahunchaaya gaya. jahaan use teen din bukhaar raha. hamasae se alag sharminda hue, koft alag uthaana padee.
usase agale din daakiya chitthee dene aaya. taigar usakee taraf bijalee kee tarah lapaka. pichhalee taangon par khada hokar usakee gardan naapana chaahata tha ki hamane daud kar beech-bachaav kiya aur vo apane khataranaak iraade se baaz aaya. do ek din baad postamaastar saahab ka khat mila. unhonne likha tha ki choonki hamane ek nihaayat khaufanaak qism ka kutta paal rakha hai isalie daakiya hamaaree daakaghar par pahunchaane se mazoor hai ham daakakhaane se apanee daak mangavaane ka intizaam karalen.
chand din aaraam se guzare. ek din subah ke vaqt taigar ko sair karaane ke lie ja rahe the ki usakee nigaah ek paalatoo hiran par padee jo apane maalik ke saath ja raha tha. taigar aape se baahar ho gaya aur hiran kee taraf sarapat bhaaga bahutera use pukaara “taigar idhar aao. taigar kam hiyar” magar usane ek na sunee.hiran ko neeche gira diya aur usakee antadiyaan phaadana chaahata tha ki hiran ke maalik aur hamane badee mushkil se hiran ko usake panje se nijaat dila dee. isake baad ham donon mein mundaraja zail guftugoo huee.
“ye kutta aap ka hai?”
“jee nahin.”
“to phir kisaka hai?”
“kaiptan hameed ka.”
“to aap goya ise chura kar lae hain.”
“jee nahin. vo khud ise mere haan chhod gae the.”
“bada be-hooda kutta hai.”
“jee nahin. alaseshiyan nasl ka hai. dekhie na isake kana khade rahate hain.”
“kaan khade rahane se kya hota hai. kuchh tameez bhee to honee chaahie?”
“tameez kee baat aur hai vaise to kaafee zaheen hai.”
“ise zaheen kaun bevaqoof kahega. jee chaahata hai golee maar doon.”
ham apana sa munh lekar rah gae. vo badabadaate hue chale gae. us din hamane faisala kiya ki aainda taigar ko sair par nahin le jaenge. lekin taigar kab maanane vaala tha, subh chhah baje hee vo uchhal-uchhal aur bhaunk-bhaunk kar hamen neend se bedaar kar deta, kabhee chaadar ko kheenchata kabhee hamaara kaan daanton mein dabaata. kabhee munh chaatane lagata jaise ki kah raha ho uthie ki ab to lazzat-e-baad-e-sahar ho gaee. chunaanche use apane saath le jaana hee padata. sair ke dauraan mein bhee yahee khadasha laga rahata ki agar usane kisee jaanavar ya aadamee par hamala kar diya to khvaah makhvaah nidaamat uthaanee padegee—ek ajeeb baat jo isamen dekhee ye thee ki saaree raat na khud sota aur na hamen sone deta. mushkil se aankh lagatee ki vo zor-zor se be-tahaasha bhaunkane lagata. uthakar dekhate ki vo door sadak par khade hue kisee kutte ko dekh kar bhaunk raha hai, use daant dapat kar chup karaate aur sone kee koshish karate. magar jald hee usakee falak shagaaf bhaun-bhaun bedaar kar detee. ab vo isalie bhaunk raha hai ki hava zara tez kyon chal rahee hai ya chaand baadalon kee ot mein kyon chhup gaya hai. ye hamaara hamasaaya uthakar paanee kyon pee raha hai—aur phir usakee khaatir tavaazo aur usapar sarf kiya gaya rupaya, subh use ek ser doodh ka naashata karao. dopahar ke vaqt ek ser gosht ka lanch. shaam ko das baarah rotiyon aur saalan ka dinar, har vaqt ye dar rahata ki agar vo kamazor ho gaya to kaiptan hameed saaree umr maaf nahin karenge. kabhee-kabhee ham ye sochane lagate ki agar kaiptan hameed kutte ke bajae bhediya ya cheeta paalate to kitana achchha rahata. kam-az-kam vo ek ajooba to hota aur phir agar kisee ko kaat khaata to afasos na hota ki usane koee aisee harakat kee hai jisakee usase tavaqqo na thee. raha taigar ke kaan khade rahane ka muamala to kaan to kharagosh ke bhee khade rahate hain. kaiptan saahab ne kharagosh kyon na paala. saaree raat bhaunk-bhaunk kar vo hamaaree neend to kharaab na karata.
taigar hamaare haan ek maheena raha. ye maheena pahaad kee tarah katane mein hee nahin aata tha. har roz subah uthakar ham hisaab lagaate ki ab kitane din baaqee rah gae. khuda-khuda kar ke kaiptan hameed madraas se laute. hamane jab taigar unake sapurd kiya to vaaqee hamaaree aankhon mein aansoo the. lekin ye aansoo khushee ke the!