Laal Joda

 

Vivaah ka laal joda har ladki ka sunder sapna hota hai, jise wo khuli aankho se dekha karti hai. Wahi laal joda, Suman ke liye shaap ban gaya tha. Kal wo dulhan banegi par na uski doli ko kaandha dene ke liye uske baba honge na usey gale lagaakar nam aankho se vidaayi dene ke liye maa hogi. Na honge uske bhai-behan aur na sakhiya. Har dulhan ki tarah, aane waale kal ke liye uski aankho mei sunhere sapne nahi bas aansoo jhilmila rahe the, aur yaad aa raha tha wo manhus din jab uske gaanv mei Brij aaya tha, Sheher se apne saath anginat sapne lekar. Brij, vidhva Surja kaki ka beta, teen varsh pahle kaam dhundhne sheher gaya tha. Kuch mahine to koi khabar nahi aayi uski, phir ek din kaki ke naam money order aaya, purey 10000 rupaiye ka aur ek patra ki usey naukri mil gayi hai ek factory mei aur ye uski pahli tankhwah hai. Kaki phuli nahi samayi thi apne bete ki kaamyaabi par aur saare gaanv mei laddoo baante the.

Phir har mahine isi tarah money order aata raha, aur kaki apne bete ka intezaar karti rahi par Brij aaya purey teen varsh ke baad. Pura gaanv jaise uske swaagat mei bawla ho raha tha, maano unka apna beta aaya ho. Kaki ne uske aane ki khushi mei Mata ke mandir mei bhakti sandhya aur pooja rakhi thi. Wahi par Brij aur Suman ka aamna-saamna hua pahli baar jab Suman aur uski saheliya bhajan gaa rahi thi. Purey gaanv mei Suman ki meethi aur surili aawaaz ke sabhi prashanshak the. Mandir mein sawere aur sandhya ki aarti ho ya koi bhajan-sandhya, ya koi sangeet ka karyakram, uske bina adhura tha. Sanvli parantu theekhe naak-naksh wali Suman ko Brij baar-baar kankhiyo se dekh raha tha.

Suman ke ghar mei uske mata pita ke alava ek choti behan aur ek chota bhai the. Uske pita ke purkho ka ek chota sa zameen ka tukda tha jis par wo kheti karke apne pariwaar ko palte the. 12 vi tak padhi Suman gaav ke bacho ko tution padha kar apne pita ka haath bata deti thi. Uski ek hi ichchha thi ki dono bhai-behan apni shiksha puri kar sake. Agle din Brij unke ghar aaya, ghar mei Suman aur uski maa hi the.

“Pranam kakiji! gaav mei kuch hi din hu to socha sabse mil lu” Brij Suman ki maa ke paav chhute hue bola.

“Acha kiya beta, aao beitho…arey Suman jara chhach to le aa...Brij aaya hai” maa ne Suman ko pukara.

Suman haath mei chhach ka glass aur plate mei ghar ke bane laddoo lekar aayi. Brij usey dekh kar muskuraaya aur laddoo khate hue bola:

“ Aapki Suman bahut achchha gaati hai. Sheher mei to sangeet ke bahut aayojan hote hai aur gayak kalaakaro ko paisa bhi acha khaasa milta hai. Navratri mei to jagah-jagah Mata Rani ke darbaar lagte hai aur Raatri-jagran hote hai. Agar aap theek samjho to Suman aur uski saheliya waha aakar gaa sakti hai, mai kuch sangeet partiyo ko jaanta hu.”

“Par beta anjaane sheher mei ye akeli ladkiya kaise rahengi? Suman ke baba nahi maanenge.”maa boli

“Arey kakiji mai hu na, mai sab intejaam kar dunga, in sab ki jimmedaari meri. Itna to apne gaav vaalo ke liye kar hi sakta hu mai. Bas aap iski saheliyo ke ghar mei baat kar lijiye. Agle mahine Navraatri hai, mai tareekh taiy karke phone kar dunga tab aap log inhe bus mein baitha dena. Waha mai sambhaal lunga.” Brij ne apni meethi baato se maa ko samjhaaya

“Theek hai beta, mai Suman ke baba se baat karke dekhti hu. Tumne itna socha hum logo ke liye, ye hi bahut hai. Bhagwaan tumhaara bhala kare!” Maa ne Brij ko duaa di

Brij maa ke paav chhu kar chala gaya, par peeche ek asha ki kiran chhod gaya. Sandhyaa bhojan ke baad, Suman aur uski maa ne Suman ke baba se baat ki to thodi jhijhak ke baad Suman ke samjhaane par wo raaji ho gaye. Do din mei Suman ki teen saheliya bhi tayaar ho gayi. Brij sabko jaldi hi suchna dene ka vaada karke sheher laut gaya.

Agle mahine navratri mei Brij ne daak-khane mei phone karke Suman ke baba ko bulwaaya. “Kaka maine kuch partiyo se baat ki hai ...Navraatri ki Ashthami ke din ek bada kaaryakram hai, waha sheher ke bade-bade seth log honge, usi mei gaane ke liye maine Suman aur uski saheliyo ke liye baat ki hai. Aap karyakram se do din pahle unhe bus mei baitha dena, mai yaha sambhal lunga aur koi chinta mat karna, mai aate hi aapki phone par baat karwa dunga.” Brij ne tareekh tay karke phone rakh diya.

Tay hue samay aur din par Suman aur uski teen saheliya sheher ke liye ravaana hui. Sheher mei Brij bus stand par hi unki prateeksha kar raha tha. Waha se unhe wo apne ghar le gaya. Do kamro ka chhota par sab suvidhaao wala sunder ghar tha uska. Agle din un sabko baazar se kuch naye kapde bhi dilwaaye, phir sabko tayaar hone ko kahkar wo party ko liwaane chala gaya. Ek ghante ke baad 2 adhed umr ke vyakti uske saath aaye. Unhone Suman aur baaki ladkiyo se baatcheet ki aur apni svikriti de kar chale gaye. Brij unhe baahar chhod kar aaya aur Suman ke haath mein 1000 ke 8 note rakh diye. “Ye advance hai, chaho to gaanv money order kar do. Agar ye sangeet sandhya safal rahi to aagey aur bhi kaam milega.” Brij ne muskura kar kaha. Suman ne brij ke saath jaakar money order kar diya aur apne baba se bhi baat karke sab bata diya.

Ashthami ke din, ek badi si car aayi Brij aur ladkiyo ko lene. Raaste mei Brij ne bataya ki sangeet sandhya paas ke sheher mei hai. Aur phir ek bade se bangle ke saamne car ruki… Andar pravesh karte hi Brij ne waha khadi ek mahila ko ishaara kiya, aur chaaro ladkiyo ko uske saath jane ko kaha. Suman aur uski saheliyo ko sankoch mei dekh kar Brij ne unse kaha ki abhi Bhakti Sangeet mei samay hai to wo vishraam kar le, tab tak weh seth logo se baat kar lega. Charo ladkiyo ko ek kamre mai baitha kar wo aurat chali gayi. Thodi der prateeksha karne ke baad jab Suman khidki se bahar ke drashya dekh rahi thi, achanak uski nazar bangle se bahar jaate hue Brij par padi. Suman ne usey pukara to weh ek pal ke liye ruka par phir bina mudey seedha bahar chala gaya. Tabhi kamre ka darwaza khula aur ek lamba pahalwaan sareekha aadmi aakar bola, “ Chalo tumhe bahar bula rahe hai.”

Bahar ka nazaara dekh kar ladkiyaa hairaan rah gayi. Koi 10-12 adhed umr ke vyakti, haatho mei jaam thaame, kisi baat par thahaake laga rahe the aur unke saamne baithi thi 4-5 lagbhag unhi ki umr ki sahmi hui si ladkiya. Tabhi ek vyakti utha aur Suman ki saheli Beejal ka haath pakad kar apni aur kheech liya. Ghabraayi Beejal ki cheekh nikal gayi, Suman ne uski taraf kadam badhaaya hi tha ki uss pahalwaan numa vyakti ne baaki teeno ko bhi baaki ladkiyo ki taraf zor se dhakel diya. Ek zor ka thahaaka laga aur uss thahaake mei kayi cheekhe dab gayi. Wo kali raat un sabke jeewan mei na mitne waali kaalikh chhod gayi. Bahar kahi kanyao ki pooja ho rahi thi aur us haveli mei kayi maasoom kaliya berehmi se kuchal di gayi. Ye silsila yahi nahi thama, bas tahaake aur haath badal gaye. Us din ke baad Suman ne apni saheliyo ko kabhi nahi dekha. Us bangle ka ek andhera kamra uski niyati ban gaya. Un dahla dene waale thahaako ke beech bas itna sun paayi weh ki unki achi khaasi keemat vasooli thi Brij ne.

Phir aaya Dhanteras ka din ! Shagun ke liye us din log bartan, sona, chaandi, vaahan, ghar ityaadi khareedte hai, parantu un sabse alag ek duniya aisi bhi hai jaha shagun ke taur par ladkiyo ki khareed-pharokht hoti hai. Jaha masoom majboor ladkiya khareedi jati hai taaki kuch avivaahit adhed umr ke vyaktiyo ki vansh-vridhi ho sake. Aise hi ek bazaar mei aaj Suman bhech di gayi, aur kal is laal kafan mei uski doli kisi ameer adhed ke ghar bhej di jayegi.

Ek tez saairan ki awaaz se Suman ki tandra tuti, bahaar kolaahal sunaayi diya aur uske kamre ka darwaaza khula. Dekha to 2 mahila constable khadi thi. Unme se ek ke honth hile par jaise Suman ko kuch sunayi hi nahi de raha tha. Aankho ke aagey andhera chha gaya tha, shaayad kayi dino ki aadha peit bhookh ne apna asar dikha diya tha. Wo achet ho gayi, aur jab aankh khuli to khud ko ek hospital ke bistar par paaya. Police ki raid mei usey shaadi se to rihaai mil gayi par kya wo kabhi us shaap se mukt ho payegi jo Brij jaise kuch laalchi aur swaarthi darindey uss jaisi ladkiyo ke maathe par jadd dete hai. Uska pata poochne aaye Inspector ko Suman kaise kahti ki wo apne maa-baba aur bhai-behan ka saamna nahi kar paayegi kabhi, isliye kah diya ki uska is duniya mei koi nahi hai. Agle din ek Naari-grah mei bhej diya gaya usey, shayad wahi uski niyati ban gayi hamesha ke liye.

Na jaane kab tak in dastooro ki aad mei, aur kitni Suman yun hi apna Astitva khoti rahengi. Kya koi Asha ki kiran roshni laayegi in andheri galiyo mei?

BY- Vinita Surana