Us raat hawa kuchh alag si thi. Na thand jyada thi aur na hi jyada garmi-. Phir bhi seene ke andar ek ajeeb sa bojh mahsoos ho raha tha. Gali ke streetlight ka peela ujala sadak par phaila hua tha, jaise kisi puraani yaad ko jabardasti roshni me la diyaa gaya ho. Mai chupchap chalta ja raha tha, bina yah soche ki main apne har kadam ke saath us sach ke aur kareeb pahuch raha hu jo saalo se chhupa hua tha.
Ghar pahuchkar maine darwaja khola. Andar bilkul sannatta tha. Maa apne kamre me so rahi hogi - ya phir shayad jag rahi hogi. Jaise aksar hota tha , is ghar me khaamoshi bhi bolti thi, par koi uski baat sunana nahi chahta tha. Main apne kamre me gaya aur bag bed par rakh diya. Tabhi meri nazar almaari ke upar rakhe ek box par padi. Pahle bhi kai baar dekhta tha use, par kabhi use kholne ki himmat nahi hui.
Aaj pata nahi kyo, pair apne aap us taraf badhne lage. Box par dhool ki moti parat jami thi. Jaise waqt ne use chhupaane ki puri koshish ki ho. Jaise hi maine box uthaya, ek halki si aawaj hui -andar kuchh tha, jo hil gaya. Dil tezi se dhadakane laga. Maine dheere se box khola.
Andar kuchh kagaj the.... Purane, peele pad chuke. Upar ek letter rakha tha, jiska naam dekhkar meri saanse ruk si gayi. Wo naam.... Jise mai sirf kahaniyo me sunta aaya tha. Jise maa jyada yaad nahi karti thi. Aur jiske baare me poochne par hameshaa jawab milta tha-" Kuchh baate jaan lena jaroori nahi hota. "
Miane letter khola. Haath kaanp rahe the. Usme likha tha--
"Jab tum yah padh rahe hoge, saayad sach ko chhupane ka koi matalab nahi rahega....... "
Har lafz ke saath meri duniya hilti jaa rahi thi. Jo main maanta aaya tha, Jo sach mujhe bataya gaya tha -woh poora nahi tha. Ya shaayad bilkul jhootha tha.
Mujhe laga jaise meri zindagi ke har sawal ka jawaab isi letter me chhupa hai, par saath hi ek dar bhi tha- agar ye sach baahar aa gaya, to main vahi insaan nahi rahooga jo abhi hu.
Tabhi peechhe se awaaj aayi, "tumne wo box khol diya! "
Main chauk kar mud gaya. Maa darwaaje par khadi thi. Unki aankho me gussa nahi tha- sirf thakaan aur dar. Us pal mujhe samajh aa gaya ki yeh kahaani sirf meri nahi hai. Yeh ek aisa sach hai, jo saalo se is ghar me saans le raha tha.
Aur aaj...... Usne bolna suru kar diya tha. Maa ka chehra kuch ajeeb tha—na gussa, na muskaan, bas ek gehra bojh. Maine dheere se pucha, “Maa… ye kya hai? Ye sab kaun tha?”
Unki aankhon me aansu ubhar aaye, par bolne se pehle saans thodi der ke liye ruki. “Prateek… kuchh sach aise hote hain, jo sirf waqt ke liye chhupaye jaate hain. Aur kuchh sach… itna bhari hota hai ki insaan usse jhel nahi pata.”
Main samajh nahi pa raha tha. “Maa, lekin ye naam… ye letter… sab kuchh itna gehra kyun?”
Maa ne kursi par baithkar apne haath sar par rakh liye. “Ye sab us waqt ki baat hai… jab tum chhote the. Tumhare pita aur main… humne kuch faisle liye the. Faisle jo sirf bachpan aur suraksha ke liye the. Par jaise jaise waqt badhta gaya, sach aur jhooth ka farq aur mushkil ho gaya.”
Meri dhadkan tez ho rahi thi. Maine poocha, “Maa… ye sab mere saath kyun chhupa ke rakha?”
Unhone dheere se kaha, “Kyunki sach hamesha bardaasht nahi hota, beta. Har sach ko har insaan nahi samajh pata. Tumhare pita… unki maut sirf ek accident nahi thi.”
Mere pair thoda thartharane lage. Maut… accident? Mere dimag me sawalon ka tufan mach gaya. “Kya aap keh rahi hain ki… unki maut… jhootha tha?”
Maa ne sir hilaaya. “Jee nahi, sach ko chhupaya gaya tha. Aur ab jab tum bade ho gaye ho, ye sach tumhe samajhne ka haq deta hai. Tumhare pita ne kuch aise logon ke khilaf khade hone ka faisla kiya tha, jo shahar me apna raaj chalate the… aur isliye… unka saboot aur unka asli sach chupaya gaya.”
Mujhe lag raha tha jaise zameen mere pair ke neeche se khisak rahi ho. Har yaad, har pal mere zehan me ulajh raha tha. Woh hansna, woh khelna… sab kuchh ab ek naye rang me dikh raha tha. Main hamesha sochta tha ki mera bachpan safe aur normal tha… lekin har chehra, har muskaan… bas ek mask thi.
“Prateek… ab tumhe taiyaar hona hoga. Tumhe samajhna hoga ki sach ko sametne ka matlab sirf jaanna nahi, uske saath jeena bhi hai. Aur ye log… jo tumhare pita ke peeche pade the, ab bhi kahin se kahin tak nahi gaye.”
Mere haath box par pad gaye jisme letter tha. Maine dheere se ek aur kagaz uthaya—iske upar ek photo thi. Photo me mera pita ek dark alley me khade the, unke aas-paas kuchh shadowed log. Unki aankhen… direct camera ki taraf dekh rahi thi, jaise keh rahi ho, “Ye sach tumhe sambhalna hoga.”
Mera dimaag ghoom raha tha. Har ek sawal ka jawab, har ek shak, ab sirf ek raaste pe tha—seekhna, samajhna aur us sach ke saath jeena. Aur maa ke kehne ka matlab tha ki ye sirf shuruaat hai.
Us raat maine faisla kiya—main peeche nahi hatunga. Chahe sach kitna bhi dard de, kitna bhi bhari ho, main usse samna karunga. Kyunki ab main jaanta tha… kuchh sach sirf chhupaye nahi ja sakte.
Aur ye sach… ab meri zindagi ka hissa ban gaya tha.