ITVAAR KI BAARISH. Aaj phir baarish hui, aaj phir naabdaanon ko kabz hua. Itna sinch jaane ke baad to registaan bhi behte hain, mere shehar ke naale kisi aur marz se simte hain
Baadalon se abr barasta hai, shehar usme apna gubaar milata hai. Beh kar laata hai kayee aise marz. Jo naaliyon ki raftaar rok dete hain
Aur jab inki raftaar rukti hai to shehar ki beparvaah abaadi ko inke hone ka ehsaas hota hai. Koste hain gaaliyaan dete hain inki zaat ko. Jinko humne apni galaazat ka godaam bana rakha hai. Chips ke packet, plastic ki botalein, thailiyaan aur naa jaane kya kya chala jaata hai inme. Aur jo nahin karna chahiye wo karne ke baad hum kehte hain ki 'gutter kuch theek kaam nahin kar rahe'.
Ab jab paani beh nahin paa raha unme Sadkon par jama hue log aur unme jamaa ho raha hai gussa. Rickshewalon par, traffic police par, shehar ke zimmedaaron par.
Main bhi pichle itwaar apni family ke saath (urdu mein iske liye shayad koi chota lafz nahin, kumbe se chhota khandaan, usse chota kya hai...mujhe pata nahin ki hai ya yaad nahinaa raha) bahar gaya shopping ke liye. Linking road par shopping center se nikalte waqt barsaat jhamajham hone lagi. Waise mujhe barsaat achchi lagti hai. Par is baar ghabra gaya. Chhata bhi nahin tha. Bheege to sardi ho jayegi. Phir school ka naagha. Yahi soch rahe thhey ki gaadi kyun nahin li. Achchi tarah jaanta tha ki gaadi kabhi le hi nahin jaate hain itwaar ko. Driver ki chutti hoti hai. Aur itne nazdeek ke liye gaadi kya leni. Aaj saari baatein yaad aa rahin thi.
Itni bheed ki shopping center ka gate jaam tha. Log na bahar jaa rahe they na andar. Bas darwaaze par khade soch rahe they ki driver gaadi le aaye. Ya baghair beege rickshaw mil jaaye. Isi firaaq mein baarish ko aise dekh rahe thhey jaise pooch rahe hon? 'Tum kyun aayee, mere ghar pahunchne ke baad bhi to aa saktin thie?... Arre shayad wo rickshaw khaali ho raha hai...bheegte hue wahan jaaon poochne usse?'
Isi mahaul mein meri ghabrahat badh rahi thi. 'Chotu ko kal bukhaar tha. Agar beeg gaya to phir?... Kyun aaye bheed mein hum? Us cashier ne itni der kyun lagayee? Ab kya karun?' Bas kuch zaroor karna tha. Jitni jaldi ho ghar pahunchna tha. Bag biwi ko thama kar nikal gaye bheegte hue, main road ki ore. Meri tarah kuch aur bhi thhey. Ek sahab chhattri liye hue bhi. Rickshe thhey ki ya to khaali nahin yaa bhi rukne ka naam nahin. Us zaat ko us din bahut duaaein di! Man hi man unke license cancel karvaaye, unke gaanv jaa kar unke ghar mein ghus ke unhe bahut peeta. Ab tak mere kapde tarr ho gaye thhey. Jeb mein note they jinhe bheeg kar naram hote hue mehsoos kar raha tha. Dheeli jeans ab paani pee kar sikud rahi thi. Bhaari bhi ho gayee thi. Ek do rickshe ruke to fauran saat aath aadmi rok lete thhey. Lambe kiraye waale chune jaate. Jaise kisi swayamwar mein bahut bade maharathi ko chuna jaata hai. Baithte hi...chehre ke haav bhaav badal jaate... Ab hum savaari waale hain aur tum be savaar.
Ghabrahat badhne lagi...'Bachchon ko bhook lagi hogi. Aur shopping center ka iklauta restaurant bhi ab tak bhara hoga. Taxi aa rahi hai...Taxi! Taxi!....' Lekin koi fayda nahin.
Thodi der mein kanpkapi aane lagi. Main hansne laga. Aisa to jaadon ki barsaat mein bhi nahin hua tha. Upar dekha aasman ki ore... Jaise ki uparwale ki marzi tatol raha hoon....Sirf streetlight thi jiske ird-gird se moti moti boondein gir rahi thien.
Roshani se main bhool gaya ki ab tak paani ke jamaa hone se main sadak ke beech aa gaya hoon... Horn baja to ek scorpio wala gusse se sdekh raha tha...soch raha tha ki 'barsaat mein iska bheja beeg gaya hai...itni busy sdak ke beech mein pagal khada hai'. ' Maine sorry kaha aur peeche hat gaya...lekin uske peeche ek auto dikha. Khali. Bade miyan se kaha...isse pehle ki wo sochein main baith gaya. Itne mein chhatri waale bhai sahab aa gaaye. Aur ik dukaan ke saamne khade apni biwi ki ore ishara kiya. Mujhse kehne lage ki bachche ke saath door jaana hai. Maine aadhi bheegi maa aur uske bachche ko dekha... Aisa nahin tha ki wo mujh se pooch raha tha. Keh raha tha. Lekin maine yaad kiya ki merewaale to kam as kam shopping center mein sookhe to hain...bhale main bheeg raha hoon. Main utar kar rickshaw se hat gaya. Bade miya ne bina koi aitraaz auto start kar unhe bitha liya. Door ki savaari kise buri lagti hai. Aur jab main khud hat gaya.
Uske baad main aur bheegta raha. Masroof sadak. Kinaare dukaanon ke chajjon ke neeche logon ki bheed. Kuch chhattri waale chal rahe they, kuch bina chhatri daud rahe thhey. Par maib akela khada bheeg raha tha. Itne mein fone baja. Call loon ya nahin. Barsaat mein fone bheeg jayega to lene ke dene pad jaayenge.... Ek dukaan ke chajje ke neeche pahuncha to fone nikala. Biwi ka tha. Tabhi chand ring ke baad kat gaya. Maine kiya to keh rahi thien ki 'Majhle ko bhook lag rahi hai. Hum log KFC jaayein. Aap bhi aa jaao'. Badawala mere saath hi tha ek showrrom ke chajje ke neeche. Wo bhi achcha khasa bheeg gaya tha. Apni amma ko center mein chhotu aur majhle ke saath rehne diya aur zid kar ke mere paas aa gaya. Gussa bhi aaya. Do log kyun bheegein. Kya main hum sab ke liye bheeg nahin raha tha?
Tabhi Bade ne apni amma aur bhaiyon ko KFC mein dakhil hote hue dekha. Hum log bhi andar chal diye. Bheed, umas, garmi neeche aur jaise hum log upar baithne gaaye to sirf AC ke saamne wali jagah khali thi. Chhotu so gaya tha. Hum logon ne thoda sukoon mein khana khaya. Lekin meri kanpkapi badh gayee. Beech mein hi main hat gaya aur deewar se lag ke khaane laga.
Aur bhi log thhey wahan par meri tavajjo mein teen jode aaye. Sabhi logon ne t shirt aur jeans pehni hui thi. Adhed umr ke thhey, par javaani ke saaye abhi bhi unke chehron par bache thhey. Jaise antiwrinkle creams ki ad mein hota hai. Par yahaan to ek aurat zor zor se foreign holidays ke baare mein sabko keh rahi thi. Italy mein kahaan jaayein aur kya khaayein. Kuch baatein sunne ke baad samajh mein aa raha tha ki mohtarma ki maaloomaat kitni kam thi. Aisa kyun hota hai ki hum jin baaton ke baare mein kam jaante hain unhi ka lecture aksar dete hain.
khaana khatam karte karte baarish zara is kam lagi. Lekin itni bhaari barsaat ke zara sa kam hone se logon ko himmat mili ki shayad ab khatam honewaali hai. Jab shuru hui to utni barsaat mein nahin nikle. Lekin ab shayaad oob ke nikal pade. Biwi ka chappal ain mauke par jawaab de gaya aur wo apna pair ghaseet kar chal rahein thien. Bahar to aa gaye aur bheegte rahe. mere kapdon se paani tapakna band hus tha ki phir usi jagah aur usi tarah. Bada lachaar mehsoos kar raha tha. Achanak ek rickshaw aa kar ruka. Hum baith gaye. Balke, Biwi aur bachche baith gaye. Main baithne hi waala tha ki ruk gayaa. Unse kahaa ki aap log chalo. Main aata hoon thodi der mein. Auto chalaa gayaa.
Maine sar uthaaya aur muskuraa diya. Main chalta raha aur paani barasta raha. Chalte chalte barsaat ke is lambe mausam ki saari yaadein ek ek kar aati rahin. Kitni baar bachchon ko school se lene jana pada. Kitni baar musladhaar baarish mein traffic jam mein phanse rahe. Kitni raaton ko paani balcony ke darwaaze ke neeche se hall mein aa gaya. Saari baatein ek ek kar yaad karta raha, chalta raha. Ab kuch pet mein tha to kanpkapi bhi nahin ho rahi thi. June se october tak main baarish mein kayee baar bheega. Kayee baar jaan boojh ke. Gaadi mein chhaata rehta hai. Use wahin chhod kar utarta tha. Maze liye, takleefein jhelien, lekin kabhi yeh nahin kaha 'Ab bas karo!'. Shayad isi liye ik baat adhoori thi jo aaj akele chalte chalte baarish mujhse keh rahi hai.
Ghar pahunchte hi bachchon ne poocha 'Abba.... Aap kyun hamare saath nahin aaye?'
'Beta, mujhe ek dost ko bye kehna tha'
