By Inderjot Singh Chadha
Do mahine pehle jab maine college join kia tha tab aisa lagta tha jaise ki mai kuch nhi jaanta, jaise ki meri zindagi koi mayne hi nhi rakhti thi. Bachpan mujhe sirf ek hi cheez ke liye accha lagta tha aur vo tha ki, baadal hamare bohot hi nazdeek lagte the aur jab baarish hoti thi to aisa lagta tha jaise ki mai baadalon ko, unki khushboo ko mehsus kar sakta tha aur isi karan mujhe baarish se bohot lagav tha. Vaise to mai ek punctual student hun but mere college jane ke liye jo raaste hai vo baarish ke dino me non-functional se ho jate hai is liye mujhe special permission hai ki mai un dino me kuj bhi artistic work kar sakta hun.
Aur talent to koi hai nhi mujhme isliye mai apna saara free time drawing aur sketching me hi bita diya karta hun. Ek special jgha hai jahan par mai apna saara time spend karna pasand karta hun aur vo hai meri society ke pass hi ek rain shelter. Mai vahan jaata hu aur baarish ki meethi meethi awaaz me koi na koi sketch banane lag jata hun aur inhi sketches ki vjha se mujhe boht se prizes bhi mile hain aur ye special class na attend karne ka discount bhi. Aise hi meri zindagi araam se nikal rahi thi jabtak vo meri zindagi me nahi aai thi.
Vo…..aaj bhi mujhe humari pehli mulaakaat yaad hai, mai baarish ke chalte jaise hi rain shelter pahuncha vahan kya dekhta hu ki ek young si lady baithi hai pehle se hi. Baarish ki vjha se koi baithi hogi ye sochkr maine jyada gaur nhi kia aur jakr apni sketching me lag gaya. Aisa kuj dino tak continuously hua to hum dono ne ek dusre ko vhi formally hi and bye bold dena start kar dia. Dheere dheere baatein barhti gayi. Vo mujhse baatien karti mere baare me poochti but apne baare me kuj nhi batati thi. Mai bhi usko har kuch dino me milne ka used to ho gya tha isliye maine bhi zor nhi daala. Uski ek baat thi jo mujhe sabse jyada ajeeb lagti thi aur vo thi uski drinking ki problem as jab bhi vo vahan aati uske haath me beer ka can to hota hi tha. Na jaane vo aisa kya kaam karti thi jis se usko koi stress tha ya maybe she was just used to it. Aise bhi WHO AM I TO CARE, mai to bas us se roz milne ki fariyaad karne lag gya, aur lagta hai bhagwan ne meri sun li as rainy season finally aa gya tha ,which meant ki mai ab daily us se mil sakta tha.
Vo roz mere saamne aakr baith jaya karti thi aur mai kbhi nature ka to kabhi uska sketch banane lag jata tha. Phir mere mann me na jaane kya aaya aur maine dheere dheere uski heels ke sketches banane shuru kiye as mera plan tha to make a pair for her and gift her. Ab mai dialy uski heels ko observe karta aur slowly maine ek perfect shape bana li ab kaam tha material se is sketch ko asli heels me badalna. Mai roz ghar jakr uski heels par thodi kaam krta aur baaki time mai isi soch me rehta tha ki pta nahi kya karti hogi aur pta nhi kaun hai vo…. Vo Anamika.. well usne mujhe apna naam to bta dia tha but I still liked calling her Anamika as sach me hi mujhe kuch nhi pata hai uske baare me , sirf uske naam ke alava. Aur han ye ki vo kaafi acha cook kar leti hai…. Hehe.. as usne mujhe abtk boht variety ki dishes bana kar khila di hai.
Mai abhi bhi apne starting ke dino ko yaad karta hun jab vo achanak se mere pecche aa jaya karti thi aur kabhi mere liye chocolates le aya karti thi just to prove ki vo khana bhi khati hai… mai ek normal student tha aur vo us duniya ka ek representation thi jisme sab kaam par jate hai aur busy rehte hain but phir bhi uske dressing sense ke alava aur kuch bhi us diniya se isko jorh nahi paa raha tha. Mai jaanta hi kya tha uske baare me, na uska kaam aur na uski uamr bas yahi ki kuj hai jo usko pareshani ka raha hai and mujhe uske baare me kuj to karna hi hai.
Aise hi karte karte ye rainy season ka end hua aur mai phir se regularly college jane lag gaya. Itne time baad jab mai college me time par pahuncha to sabka ayhi reaction tha ki pta nhi kahan hi rehta aajkal but phir maine sabko bataya ki kis trha meri deal hai ki I can cut my classes on rainy days on the condition that I work on some piece of art. Mai apne classmates se baatein akrta hua bahar nikla hi tha ki maine usko dekha. Mujhe vishwas nahi hua ki ye vahi thi but han maine use dekha, mere college ke hi corridor me thi vo aur use dekhte hi sab larkiyan uske pass bhaag gyi aur bolne lagi ki “we are very sorry ma’am” aap kyu college chorh rahi ho and all. Mujhe samajh sa nahi aa rha tha isliye maine tab to react nahi kia. Mere friends ke sath jab mai baad me baitha hua to tha to maine poocha ki kya tha ye sab to unhone pehle to muhe shocked nazron se dekha ki mujhse koi ginha ho gya ho na jankr but phir unhone mujhe bataya ki vo teacher hai is college ki aur huamri ek senior ne unke baare me rumor faila diye the ki vo uske boyfriend ke saath involved thi and iski vjha se hi ma’am ne college ana kam kar diya tha aur ab unhe college chorhna par rha tha. Mai sunkr ek minute ke liye to bilkul shocked hi reh gaya but phir hosh sambhalte hue maine poocha ki kaun thi vo senior and jab unhone mujhe bataya ki kaunsi senior thi to mujhe pta chala ki vo Shalini thi, college ki ‘Diva’ jo apne aage kisi ko kuch nahi samajhti thi and na jaane kya hua mujhe ki mai achanak sabko chorhkr Shalini ki class ki taraf chla gaya aur vahan jakr maine shalini ko kaha ki “ u should be ashamed ki tumhari vjha se Ruhi ma’am(han Ruhi naam tha meri Us Anamika ka) ko college chorhkr kjana par rha hai and u should apologize “ Shalini ne to mujhe bilkul hi ignore karte hue bola ki “ Don’t know kahan kahan se aajate hai” but mai us time to chup rehne wala nahi tha aur maine use apni taraf kheencha aur ek jordar chamaat lga di. Poori class chup ho gayi aur usme sirf Shalini ke aansuon ki hi awaz thi. Phir uska boyfriend aaya aur usne mujhe maarte hue bahar nikal diya class se lekin na jaane kyun mujhe bohot sukoon mila tha shalini ko uski value dikha kr.
Maine apne face par lagi hui choton ki dressing karvai aur usi rain shelter ki taraf chala gya aur vhan dekha ki Ruhi mera intezzar kar rahi thi aur mujhe dekhkr uski ek aah nikal gyi but maine sirf yahi kaha ki bilji ki ek choti si awaz hui hai and ab chahe baarish aaye ya na aye mai tumhare saath hi rahunga. Ruhi ne kaha ki ye sahi jwab hai us baat ka jo usne mujhe pehle hi din kahi thi, aur vo thi baarish aur pyar ka aisa hi hota hai ki bas kabhi bhi aa jate but aaj maine us baat ko poora kia ki chahhe ab baarish ho ya na ho mai to tumhari life me rahunga hi.
Usi ke saath ek jordar awaz hui aur bijli ki chamak ke saath baarish shuru ho gi aur us din baarish aise barsi jaise vo bhi Ruhi ke liye ro rahi ho. Hum poori rha se bheeg chuke the aur phir Ruhi ne mujhe uske gahr aane ka offer kia jo saamne ki hi building me tha. Vahan usne mujhe kuj kapre diye aur meri dress ko sukhne ke liye daal diya. Isi beech maine aur Ruhi ne milkr Khana banaya aur phir bas achanak ek doosre ki aankhon me kho gaye. Ye to pressure cooker ki whistle ne hume bahar nikala ek dusre ke trance me se.
Bas phir maine socha apne dil ka haal bta dun aur maine vaisa hi kia…”Ruhi , I think I have fallen for u”. ispr pehle to vo shrma gayi lekin phir boli” Ruhi, nahi its Miss Ruhi, and aise bhi I’ve decided ki mai next week apne home town vapis jaa rahi hun, mai to us rain shelter me isliye aati thi ki dekh paun ki kya mai ab bhi apne pairon par chal sakti hun jab mere saath itna kuch ho gaya…” ye sunkr mai bas yahi bol paya” I should get my stuff” aur main apna saaman lene uth gaya , maine apni dress pehni aur Ruhi ko aakr thank u kia uski is hospitality ke liye Aur vahan se chal diya. Ruhi uthi but kuch bhi bol napayi aur phir vo apna muh chipa kar rone lagi, aur purani baatien sochne lagi ki kaise maine use lunch offer kia tha aur kasie maine kaha tha ki ab baarish aaye ya na aaye mai hamesha uske saath rahunga aur bas vo achanak uthi, haath se coffee ka cup neeche gir gaya, jis chair par vo baithi thi vo neeche gir gayi aur us tez baarish me bheegi bheegi aankhein lekr Ruhi apne apartment ki stairs neeche uatrne lagi.
Bhaagte bhaagte uska pair doosre se takraya aur vo neeche gir gayi lekin aaj nhi ruk sakti thi vo aur isliye bas vo bahaagti rahi aur neeche ek floor ke pass dekha usne ki mai kahada tha. Mai itne gusse me tha ki bas mai bharak utha aur bola” mai kabhi tumhari jaise kisi se pyar kar hi nahi skata as tum pyar ke layak hi nahi ho, tum vahan bas mera use karne aati thi , din bhar meri sunti rehti thi taaki tumhe kuch na bolna pade. Subha subha beer peeti rehti thi, tum ek zeher ki trha aa gyi ho meri indagai me, tumhe to pata tha ki mai to sirf ek student hun lekin tumne kabhi ye nahi bataya ki tum ek teacher ho. Agar baatay hota to mai tumhe kabhi apne sapno ke baare me nahi batata aur na hi kabhi tumpr vishwaas karta. Tum to hamesha se yahi sochte hogi ki ye to ek bacche ka sapna hai, ye kaunsa poora ho jayegi, isliye isko aise hi behlate rehti hun. Tum mujhse nafrat karti ho na to bata do, bol do jo bhi kehna hai, bol do ki mai ek Loser hun jo kabhi apni dreams tak nahi pahunch sakta . kuj to bolo yr chup kyun ho….tum hamesha se pretend karti aai ho ki jaise tum care karti ho lekin tum care nahi karti tum bas akele rehna chahti ho.” meri aankhon me aansu the aur uski aankhon me bhi. Is Andheri baarish me se achank ek kirna nikli sooraj ki aur phir doosri maano vo hume bata rahi ho ki bas ab aur andheera aur dukh nahi, aur achanak vo meri taraf aa gyi aur mujhe gale lagate hue rone lag gayi” Sab, Sab log mere khilaaf ho gaye the aur mai dar gayi thi ki kya karungi , kaise aage jee paungi aur phir tum meri zindagi me aaye aur tumne sab badal diya.. tumne mujhe apne aap se bacha liya.” Bas phir kya tha us din jaise baarish ka un roshni ki kirnon ke saath milan hua vaise hi us din hum dono jaise ek ho gye…..Bas Itni si thi kahani….
By Inderjot Singh Chadha