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- 14
Chapter 1
Sharma parivaar Patna ke sabse bade aur ameer gharo mein se ek tha.
Pita Shri Rajendra Prasad Sharma – ek aadmi jinka naam sunte hi log seedha khade ho jaate the. Iron businessman. 4 bade steel plants, Patna ke baahar 3 districts mein property, aur sheher ke andar 5-6 prime locations pe commercial buildings. Paisa itna tha ki ginne ki zarurat hi nahi padti thi. Lekin unka asli capital tha – unka strict sanskaar aur “khandaani izzat” ka naam.
Maa – Smt. Sarita Sharma. Bahut shant, bahut sundar, lekin andar se steel ki tarah sakht. Unka favourite sentence tha:
“Humare ghar mein jo bhi hota hai, woh pehle khandaan ki soch ke saath hota hai, phir dil se.”
Do bade bete the:
- Bada bhai – Ankur (32 saal), London se MBA karke wapas aaya, ab papa ke saath business sambhal raha tha. Shaadi-shuda, ek 4 saal ki beti bhi hai. Bilkul papa ki nakal.
- Doosra bhai – Arjun (28 saal), tu khud. MBA complete kiya hai, business mein haath batata hai, lekin dil se abhi bhi thoda student sa hai. Sabke liye “bhaiya” aur “Arjun bhaiya”, lekin andar se ek toofan chhupa rakha hai jo kisi ko dikhayi nahi deta.
Aur phir thi **Seema**.
Seema actually door ki cousin thi.
Papa ke chhote bhai – Rajesh chacha ki beti.
Rajesh chacha ka business chhota tha, lekin woh log joint family ke time se saath the. Jab chhote chacha ki death ho gayi, tab se Seema, uski maa (bua), aur uska chhota bhai humare hi ghar mein rehte the – upar waale floor pe alag unit mein. Papa ne kabhi mana nahi kiya. Kehte the:
“Humare ghar ka darwaza kabhi band nahi hoga apno ke liye.”
Seema 24 saal ki thi.
Arjun se 4 saal chhoti.
Bahut sundar thi – woh sundarta jo pehli nazar mein nahi, dheere-dheere dil mein utarti hai.
Hamesha thodi si sharmili, lekin jab baat karne lagti toh aankhon mein aag thi. Padhai mein brilliant – AIIMS Patna se MBBS last year mein thi. Ghar mein sabki favourite. Maa ko “beti” bolke gale lagati, papa ko “tau ji” bolke sar jhukati, aur Arjun ke saath… woh alag hi chemistry thi.
Arjun ko yaad tha woh pehla din jab Seema 15 saal ki thi aur ghar aayi thi.
Us din Arjun 19 ka tha, college first year.
Seema ne darwaze pe khadi hoke sirf itna kaha tha:
“Bhaiya… mujhe dar lag raha hai.”
Aur Arjun ne bina soche uska haath pakad liya tha.
Tab se woh haath chhoda hi nahi.
Saalon tak yeh haath sirf bhai-behen wala tha.
Phir ek din college ke last year mein, jab Seema 23 ki ho gayi thi aur Arjun 27 ka, kuch badal gaya.
Ek shaam ghar pe bijli chali gayi thi.
Saara ghar andhera.
Sirf terrace pe chhoti si emergency light jal rahi thi.
Seema wahan baithi thi, MBBS ki books khuli padi thi, lekin padh nahi rahi thi. Bas aankhein band karke baithi thi.
Arjun chupke se aaya, paas baitha.
“Padhai nahi ho rahi?”
Seema ne muskurate hue aankhein kholi.
“Nahi bhaiya… aaj dil nahi lag raha.”
Arjun ne halke se poocha,
“Kyun?”
Seema chup rahi.
Phir dheere se boli,
“Kal hospital mein ek patient tha… 26 saal ka. Heart attack se gaya. Uske paas sab kuch tha – paisa, family, sapne… phir bhi ek second mein sab khatam. Soch rahi hoon… hum log itna plan karte hain, itna sochte hain… lekin jo dil chahta hai, uske liye kabhi himmat kyun nahi juta paate?”
Arjun ka dil ekdum se zor se dhadka.
Usne poocha,
“Aur dil ko kya chahiye, Seema?”
Seema ne uski taraf dekha.
Raat ka andhera tha, lekin uski aankhon mein roshni thi.
Usne dheere se kaha,
“Jo cheez 8 saal se dil mein chhupi baithi hai… usko bolne ki himmat.”
Arjun samajh gaya.
Dil se dil tak current chala gaya.
Lekin usne kuch nahi kaha.
Bas haath badhaya aur uski ungliyon ko apni ungliyon mein jakad liya.
Koi shabd nahi.
Sirf sannata.
Aur woh chhoti si chhuan jo saalon se bhai-behen ki seema ke paar ja chuki thi.
Us raat ke baad dono ke beech kuch badal gaya tha.
Baat kam, nazrein zyada.
Chhoti-chhoti baatein badi lagne lagi thi.
Seema jab kitchen mein chai banati, Arjun chupke se peeche khada ho jata.
Seema jab books arrange karti, Arjun paas baith ke dekhta rehta.
Aur jab ghar waale nahi hote, toh dono terrace pe baith ke ghanto baatein karte – kabhi future ki, kabhi past ki, kabhi bilkul bekaar si.
Lekin ek baat saaf thi – yeh pyar ab “bhai-behen” ka nahi tha.
Yeh bepanaah tha.
Aur bepanaah cheezein chhup nahi paati.
Ek din papa ne casually poocha,
“Arjun, teri shaadi ki baat chal rahi hai. Koi ladki pasand hai kya?”
Arjun ne sirf itna kaha,
“Haan Papa… hai.”
Papa ne muskurate hue poocha,
“Kaun?”
Arjun ka dil zor-zor se dhadak raha tha.
Usne aankhein jhukayi aur dheere se bola,
“Seema.”
Ghar mein sannata chha gaya.
Jaise bijli gir gayi ho.
Papa ne dheere se kaha,
“Arjun… tu samajh raha hai na tu kya bol raha hai?”
Arjun ne sirf itna kaha,
“Main 8 saal se samajh raha hoon, Papa.”
Ab sawal yeh tha –
Yeh ghar jo kabhi tootne nahi deta tha… kya ab khud is pyar ke wajah se toot jayega?
Ya phir yeh pyar hi is ghar ko nayi kahani dega?
(To be continued…)
Sharma parivaar Patna ke sabse bade aur ameer gharo mein se ek tha.
Pita Shri Rajendra Prasad Sharma – ek aadmi jinka naam sunte hi log seedha khade ho jaate the. Iron businessman. 4 bade steel plants, Patna ke baahar 3 districts mein property, aur sheher ke andar 5-6 prime locations pe commercial buildings. Paisa itna tha ki ginne ki zarurat hi nahi padti thi. Lekin unka asli capital tha – unka strict sanskaar aur “khandaani izzat” ka naam.
Maa – Smt. Sarita Sharma. Bahut shant, bahut sundar, lekin andar se steel ki tarah sakht. Unka favourite sentence tha:
“Humare ghar mein jo bhi hota hai, woh pehle khandaan ki soch ke saath hota hai, phir dil se.”
Do bade bete the:
- Bada bhai – Ankur (32 saal), London se MBA karke wapas aaya, ab papa ke saath business sambhal raha tha. Shaadi-shuda, ek 4 saal ki beti bhi hai. Bilkul papa ki nakal.
- Doosra bhai – Arjun (28 saal), tu khud. MBA complete kiya hai, business mein haath batata hai, lekin dil se abhi bhi thoda student sa hai. Sabke liye “bhaiya” aur “Arjun bhaiya”, lekin andar se ek toofan chhupa rakha hai jo kisi ko dikhayi nahi deta.
Aur phir thi **Seema**.
Seema actually door ki cousin thi.
Papa ke chhote bhai – Rajesh chacha ki beti.
Rajesh chacha ka business chhota tha, lekin woh log joint family ke time se saath the. Jab chhote chacha ki death ho gayi, tab se Seema, uski maa (bua), aur uska chhota bhai humare hi ghar mein rehte the – upar waale floor pe alag unit mein. Papa ne kabhi mana nahi kiya. Kehte the:
“Humare ghar ka darwaza kabhi band nahi hoga apno ke liye.”
Seema 24 saal ki thi.
Arjun se 4 saal chhoti.
Bahut sundar thi – woh sundarta jo pehli nazar mein nahi, dheere-dheere dil mein utarti hai.
Hamesha thodi si sharmili, lekin jab baat karne lagti toh aankhon mein aag thi. Padhai mein brilliant – AIIMS Patna se MBBS last year mein thi. Ghar mein sabki favourite. Maa ko “beti” bolke gale lagati, papa ko “tau ji” bolke sar jhukati, aur Arjun ke saath… woh alag hi chemistry thi.
Arjun ko yaad tha woh pehla din jab Seema 15 saal ki thi aur ghar aayi thi.
Us din Arjun 19 ka tha, college first year.
Seema ne darwaze pe khadi hoke sirf itna kaha tha:
“Bhaiya… mujhe dar lag raha hai.”
Aur Arjun ne bina soche uska haath pakad liya tha.
Tab se woh haath chhoda hi nahi.
Saalon tak yeh haath sirf bhai-behen wala tha.
Phir ek din college ke last year mein, jab Seema 23 ki ho gayi thi aur Arjun 27 ka, kuch badal gaya.
Ek shaam ghar pe bijli chali gayi thi.
Saara ghar andhera.
Sirf terrace pe chhoti si emergency light jal rahi thi.
Seema wahan baithi thi, MBBS ki books khuli padi thi, lekin padh nahi rahi thi. Bas aankhein band karke baithi thi.
Arjun chupke se aaya, paas baitha.
“Padhai nahi ho rahi?”
Seema ne muskurate hue aankhein kholi.
“Nahi bhaiya… aaj dil nahi lag raha.”
Arjun ne halke se poocha,
“Kyun?”
Seema chup rahi.
Phir dheere se boli,
“Kal hospital mein ek patient tha… 26 saal ka. Heart attack se gaya. Uske paas sab kuch tha – paisa, family, sapne… phir bhi ek second mein sab khatam. Soch rahi hoon… hum log itna plan karte hain, itna sochte hain… lekin jo dil chahta hai, uske liye kabhi himmat kyun nahi juta paate?”
Arjun ka dil ekdum se zor se dhadka.
Usne poocha,
“Aur dil ko kya chahiye, Seema?”
Seema ne uski taraf dekha.
Raat ka andhera tha, lekin uski aankhon mein roshni thi.
Usne dheere se kaha,
“Jo cheez 8 saal se dil mein chhupi baithi hai… usko bolne ki himmat.”
Arjun samajh gaya.
Dil se dil tak current chala gaya.
Lekin usne kuch nahi kaha.
Bas haath badhaya aur uski ungliyon ko apni ungliyon mein jakad liya.
Koi shabd nahi.
Sirf sannata.
Aur woh chhoti si chhuan jo saalon se bhai-behen ki seema ke paar ja chuki thi.
Us raat ke baad dono ke beech kuch badal gaya tha.
Baat kam, nazrein zyada.
Chhoti-chhoti baatein badi lagne lagi thi.
Seema jab kitchen mein chai banati, Arjun chupke se peeche khada ho jata.
Seema jab books arrange karti, Arjun paas baith ke dekhta rehta.
Aur jab ghar waale nahi hote, toh dono terrace pe baith ke ghanto baatein karte – kabhi future ki, kabhi past ki, kabhi bilkul bekaar si.
Lekin ek baat saaf thi – yeh pyar ab “bhai-behen” ka nahi tha.
Yeh bepanaah tha.
Aur bepanaah cheezein chhup nahi paati.
Ek din papa ne casually poocha,
“Arjun, teri shaadi ki baat chal rahi hai. Koi ladki pasand hai kya?”
Arjun ne sirf itna kaha,
“Haan Papa… hai.”
Papa ne muskurate hue poocha,
“Kaun?”
Arjun ka dil zor-zor se dhadak raha tha.
Usne aankhein jhukayi aur dheere se bola,
“Seema.”
Ghar mein sannata chha gaya.
Jaise bijli gir gayi ho.
Papa ne dheere se kaha,
“Arjun… tu samajh raha hai na tu kya bol raha hai?”
Arjun ne sirf itna kaha,
“Main 8 saal se samajh raha hoon, Papa.”
Ab sawal yeh tha –
Yeh ghar jo kabhi tootne nahi deta tha… kya ab khud is pyar ke wajah se toot jayega?
Ya phir yeh pyar hi is ghar ko nayi kahani dega?
(To be continued…)
