Aakhiri Udaan-Short story
“Traffic . Signal. Shor Aur Hum…
Heera aur Main. Heera ki umr 14 saal. Aur main 17. Heera mere bhai jaisa tha. Hum signal ke dhuein mein Maa ki khushboo dhundtey the. Gadiyon ki khidki jab khulti , hum sochte the shayad koi toh hoga jo hume dekh kar kahega…beta main tumhe jaanta huun. Na koi hume jaanta tha aur na hum kisi ko. Humara naam kisne rakha hum wo bhi nahi jaante the.
Waise jab kisi ko koi shounk hota hai, tab wo ussey apni rozi roti kamaata hai. Humare saath kuch alag tha. Heera bus mein gaane gaata tha. Usey gaane ka shounk ho gya. Main signal par kitaabe bechta tha, mujhey padhne –likhne ka shounk ho gya. Yaha aane se pehle main gaon mein school jaata tha.
Ab jo kitabe bechta, wohi khud padh leta tha. Ek kitaab mein tha chori nahi karni chahiye. Par usme ye nahi likha tha ki majboori ho toh kya kare. ..
Humne uss raat chori ki...
Bhookh.Bazaar. logon ki bheed..Ek purse.
Kuch logon ko hum par shaq ho gya. Wo humare peeche aane lage. Hum wahan se bhaage.
Bhaagtey bhaagtey bohot duur aagaye. Mujhe aisa laga jaise hum andhere ki dal-dal mein phaste jaa rahe ho. Humari zindagi hume roz yahaan se wahaan bhagaati thi. Hume aise haalaaton ki aadat si hogyi thi. Shayad isliye hume ab itna darr nahi lagta tha.
Bhaagtey –bhaagtey ek bada park dikha. Hum thak chuke the, wahin ek bench pe sou gaye. Subha aankhen khuli toh dekha…
Bachhe. Bade. Patangein. Tirangey. Shor.
Jab aasmaan mein dekha toh laga jaise kore aasmaa par kisi ne rangon se holi kheli hai. Laal, neeli, peeli, hari, tirangi, sunheri..har rang ki patang udd rahi thi. Hume logon se pata chala, uss din swatantra diwas tha.
Heera bola ‘kaash hum inke jaise hote. Humare papa bhi hume patang laake dete. Aur hum usey tab tak udaate jab wo taare jaisi chhoti na ho jaati.’
Heera bohot masoom tha. Aur main muhfat..shayad umr se pehle bada ho gaya..isliye!
Maine kaha, chal tu..humare paas na patang hai na papa ..
Shayad raat ko pedo ke beech sou kar, hum bohot hawa kha chuke the. Hume bhookh ka ehsaas nhi ho raha tha. Hum wapis signal pe laute.
Ek gaadi ruki. Heera uski khidki mein thak- thak karne laga. Sheesha khula. Ek aadmi bola , aey chal chal aage chal.Heera baahar se dekh chukka tha, koi ladki andar ro rhi hai. Heera ne apni jeb mein se ek gulab ka phool usey de diya. Yeh phool usne subha park mein se todha tha. Ladki muskurane lagi. Signal green hua aur wo aage badh gaye. Mere mann mein yeh khyal aaya, koyle ki khan mein hote huye bhi mera heera, sachmuch Heera hai. Maine Heera ko gale lagaaya.
Har taraf tiranga leheraa raha tha. Main bhi uss din red light par tirange bech raha tha. Ek gaadi aayi. Main poocha…Sir,flag? Usme baithi ek aurat apne pati se boli, le lo bechara garib hai…
Bechara. Garib. Lawaaris. Bhikhari.
Pehle inn shobdon se nafrat hoti thi par ab inse pyaar ho chukka tha. Kyunki inhi ke dum se humpe kayi log daya kar dete the.
Jo tiranga unhone mujhse kharida tha wo, signal green hote hee beech sadak phenk diya. Achanak meri nazar Heera par gayi. Wo jahan se traffic aarha tha usi taraf bhaagne laga. Heera ko na jaane kya hua..mujhe samajh nahi aaya. Aage bohot gadiyan aarhi thi. Main chillaya Heera, ruk..rukja..ruk ja pagal ho gya hai..par wo nhi ruka. Meri aankhon ke saamne , ek bus ne Heera ko kuchal diya aur main kuch na kar saka. Mere saamne andhera sa chha gaya..meri aankhon ko vishwas nhi ho rha tha ki Heera khoon mein rang chukka hai.
Main uske paas pohucha. Maine uske haath mein wo tiranga dekha jo kuch der pehle log beech sadak phenk gaye the. Shayad Heera tiranga zameen se uthaana chahta tha, taaki uska apmaan na ho.Main sadak par chillata raha. Koi madad ke liye nahi aaya. Uss samay yehi mehsoos hua ki humare hone na hone se kisi ko koi fark nahi padhta. Aur wahin zamin par mera bhai, mere Heera, ne dum tod diya.Mujhe raat se subha tak ke saare pal yaad aane lage. Phir mujhe ehsaas hua, galti meri thi. Wo meri wajah se mar gaya. Subha signal par laute hue maine usey tirange ki ahemiyat samjhaayi thi. Wo toh samjh gaya tha, par log na tirange ki keemat samajh paaye na ek jaan ki. Main poori tarah se toot gaya tha. Har pal Heera ka chehra mere aaspaas ghoom raha tha.
Main bohot akela mehsoos kar raha tha. Kaha jau? kya karuun? Andhere mein akela chalta jaa raha tha. Phir main usi park mein ja pohucha jahan pichli raat Heera aur main aaye the.
Andhera. Kuch dost. Nashe mein.ladaai -jhagda.
Main unhe duur se dekh hee raha tha ki ek ladke ne duusre par goli chalai. Main buri tarah darr gaya. Main kaamp raha tha. Phir waha se bhaagne ki koshish ki. Zameen par bikhre patton ki awaaz se unhone mujhe dekh liya. Main bhaagta raha. Wo mere peeche aaye. Unhone mujh par peeche se goli chalayi.
Main ruka. Gira. Wahin zameen par. Padha raha.
Unn sabko laga main marr gaya huun, wo duur se hee kisi aur raaste nikal gaye. Phir ek aadmi ne mujhe aisi haalat mein dekha. Aur paas wale clinic mein le gaya.
Ab do din se clinic mein yeh chaar safed deewarey, safed bed, safed chaadar..safed pardey..meri nazaron ko pheeka... berang sa kar chukey hain.
Doctor saab bhi keh rahe the mera bohot khoon beh chuka hai. Kisi bhi pal meri jaan ja sakti hai. Ya phir ye kahunn Heera ke jaise main bhi aaj azaad hone wala huun...Jab se hosh sambhala, yaha se waha bhaagta raha huun. Kayi udaan bhari khud ko bachaane ke liye, par aaj na bachu bas yehi chahta huun. Heera tak pohuchne tak ki ek aakhiri udaan bharna chahta huuni.
Dr. Neha ..aapne mera bohot khayal rakha ..uske liye ..woh angrezi mein kehtey haina..Thank you !!
Lekin mere jaane se rona nahi.. theek hai? Heera ko meri zarurat hai aur mujhe uski. Aapsey apni zindagi ..yaa phir kahuun yeh chhota sa safar baantna chaaha..isliye ye sarhaaney ke neeche rakh ,ravaana ho raha huun. Ab main aakhiri udaan ke liye tiayaar huun. Alvida!
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