Rishtey

Rahul naam ka ek ladka hain. Woh dubla-patla lamba sa hain. Uska chehra bhi patla aur lamba hain. Sar par ghane baal hain. Woh bohut shaant swabhaav ka hain. Na kabhi kisi se zyada baat-cheet karta hain, na hi kisi se ghulta-milta hain. Woh ek akela musafir hain, na jaane kis manzil ki talaash mein hain. Bachpan se hi woh hamesha itna akela raha hain, maano jaise usne khudko samaaj se kaat kar rakha hua hain. Woh apne maata-pita ka eklauta ladka hain. Woh ek company mein accountant ka job karta hain. Woh mahine ka 20,000 Rs /- tak kamaa leta hain. Uske Pita bhi ek private company mein naukri karte the. Filhal woh retire ho chuke hain. Har mahine unhe company se pension milti rehti hain. 

Roz subah uthkar, tayyar hokar woh kaam par jaata hain aur shaam ko kaam khatam karke apne ghar wapas laut aata hain. Har itvaar ko uski chutti hoti hain. Woh chutti ke din apne mobile par koi na koi movies dekhta hain. 

Ek din uske office mein ek ladki ne job join kiya, jo ki shayad uski zindagi mein bhi dastak dene wali thi. Us ladki ka naam tha Riya. Woh sales department mein job kar rahi thi. Riya dikhne mein bohut hi zyada khubsurat thi. Uski choti-choti aankhen thi, lambi naak aur patle honth the. Baal ghane the. Woh bhi dubli-patli aur lambi thi. 

Riya aksar uske paas sales report lekar pohuch jaati thi. Saath-Saath kaam karte-karte woh dono kabhi kabaar thoda bohut desh duniya ki baat-cheet bhi kar lete the. Lekin Rahul uske saath zyada khul kar baat nahi kar paata tha, apne sharmile swabhav ke kaaran. Riya na sirf uske swabhaav se balki uski mehnat aur lagan se bohut prabhavit hui thi. 

Rahul dheere-dheere uske saath ghulne-milne laga. Ab woh Riya se khul kar baat-cheet kar leta hain. Aur ab woh dono office mein zyadatar waqt ek dusre ke saath hi bitane lag gaye the. Woh dono saath mein break par jaate the aur saath mein hi khana khate the. Dheere-Dheere woh dono ek dusre ke bohut nazdeek aa gaye the. Dono ne hi ek dusre ke dil mein dastak rakh di thi.

Kabhi-Kabhi Riya apne ghar se Rahul ke pasand ka khaana bana kar bhi le aati thi.

Ek baar ki baat hain. Baat-Cheet karte-karte Riya ne Rahul se puch liya, "Tum shaadi kab karoge ?"

Rahul - "Abhi toh kuch socha nahi hain. Lekin tum jab kahogi main tab shaadi ke liye tayyar ho jaaunga." 

Riya - "Zindagi bhar mere saath rahoge ?"

Rahul - "Haan."

Riya - "Kya tumhare ghar wale maan jaayenge humare rishte ke liye ?"

Rahul - "Haan."

Riya - "Aur agar ghar wale nahi maane toh ?"

Rahul - "Toh main unhe manaa lunga, apne ghar walo ko bhi aur tumhare ghar walon ko bhi." Riya muskura di. Bohut kam samay mein un dono ne zindagi ke kai haseen sapney sajoye the. Zindagi bhar saath nibhane ki kasme khayi. 

Sab kuch thik-thak chal raha tha. Ek din office mein khabar aayi ki company kuch karmachariyon ko naukri se nikaalne waali hain, kyunki company ko vyapaar mein kaafi bada nuksaan jhelna pada hain. Kuch dino baad Rahul ko naukri se nikaal diya gaya. Woh bohut dukhi tha na sirf naukri jaane ki wajah se, balki Riya se dur hone ki wajah se bhi. Ab Rahul berozgaar ho chuka hain. Lekin Riya use sahyog karti rehti hain. Aarthik roop se na sahi par woh use bhavanatmak sahara deti rehti hain. Saath hi saath woh, use prerit bhi karti rehti hain. 

Ab bas pita ke pension ke sahare ghar chal raha tha. Lekin sawaal yeh uthta hain, ki aakhir kab tak aisa chalega? Jagah-Jagah naukri dhundte-dhundte dhakke khaate-khaate woh thak chuka hain. Ek din woh ghar mein apne kamre mein baithkar, bohut ro raha tha. Rahul ke rone ki aawaz sunte hi, uske pita uske paas gaye. Uske pita ne use bohut samjhayaa aur prerit bhi kiya. Rishtedaaron se thodi-bohut madad lekar jaise-taise un logon ka guzara ho raha tha.  

Kuch dino ke kathin parishram ke baad aakhir kaar use ek company mein naukri lag gayi. Rahul ke maata-pita bohut khush hue. Usne jab yeh baat Riya ko batayi toh woh bhi bohut khush hui. Riya ne usse yeh bhi kaha ki, "Ab jaldi se shaadi ki baat karne ke liye ghar aana hain tumhe."

Rahul - "Abhi toh thoda sa waqt lagega. Ek baar life mein set ho jaaun phir dekhte hain."

Riya - "Hmm."

Ek din ki baat hain Rahul raat ke samay apni bike se ghar ki aur laut raha tha. Bohut kaali andheri raat thi. Woh apni motor cycle bohut sambhaal kar chala raha tha. Tabhi achaanak se mausam badal gaya. Aasmaan garajne laga, bijli chamakne lagi. Aisa lag raha tha maano jaise ki, baadal ab phatne hi wala ho. Aasmaan ke kaale chaadar ke piche shayad koi bohut badi aafat chupi hui thi. Rahul ne apni bike ki gati ko thoda sa aur dheema kiya.

Lekin woh zyada der tak apni gaadi ko sambhaal nahi paaya. Aur tabhi uski bike se ek vyakti takra gaya. Aur woh vyakti wahi par gir gaya. Rahul ne apni bike ko roka aur usne dekha ki ek 50-55 saal ka vyakti ghayal ho chuka hain. Rahul ne dhyan se chehra dekha toh usne paaya ki woh Riya ke pita the. Unka sar bhi phat chuka hain. Yeh dekhkar woh bohut ghabra gaya. Usne turant apne jeb se rumaal nikaala aur Riya ke pita ke sar par baandh diya. Uske baad usne turant ambulance ko phone kiya. Ambulance ke saath-saath woh bhi Aspataal ki aur chal pada. Rahul ne Riya ko kai baar call lagaya lekin usne call receive nahi kiya.

Unke jeb se aspataal karmiyon ko unka ID mila. Aspataal karmiyon ne ghar walon ko suchit kiya. Rahul thoda sa tension mein tha. Kuch der baad, Police aayi aur Rahul se poochtach ki. Rahul ne apna bayaan diya. Tabhi aspataal ke ek karmachari ne kaha, "Yeh patient ka parivaar hain." Rahul piche muda aur use dekhte hi Riya chaunk gayi. Riya ke saath unki maa bhi aayi thi. "Rahul ?", Riya ne bohut aascharya se uska naam liya. Tabhi waha khada Aspataal ke ek karmachari ne kaha, "Inhi ki Bike se aapke pita ka accident hua hain."

Riya ke pairon tale se zameen phisal gayi. Rahul usse nazrein nahi mila paa raha tha. Us samay dono hi chup the. Thodi der baad, Rahul waha se chala gaya.

Riya ke pita ka kuch dino tak ilaaj chalta raha aur Rahul un logon se milne ke liye aksar aspatal mein aata rehta tha. Lekin ab Riya us se sidhe muh baat nahi karti hain. Rahul jab bhi aspatal mein hota toh woh hamesha doctor se milkar, Riya ke pita ki tabiyat ki jaankari le kar hi wapas jaata tha. Woh kabhi-kabhi apne ghar se unke liye khaana bhi le aata tha. Kuch dino ke baad doctor ne bataya ki ab woh khatre se bahar ho gaye. Sabhi ne thodi chain ki saans li. 

Lekin, Rahul par Riya ka dimaag tab kharaab hua jab use yeh pata chala ki uske pita ab aajeevan apahij rahenge. Kuch dino ke ilaaj ke baad unhe aspataal se discharge mil gaya. Lekin ab unhe ek chhadee ke sahare chalna padta hain. 

Rahul kabhi-kabhi unse ghar par milne ke liye bhi aaya karta hain. Riya aksar use nazarandaaz karti rehti hain. Kuch mahine beet gaye, phir bhi Riya ka vyavhar bilkul nahi badla. Us ek haadse ne un dono ke beech, ek aisi badi deewar khadi kar di; jiska girna din par din mushkil hota jaa raha hain.

Dheere-Dheere Riya ke pita ko shak hone laga. Unhe laga ki, shayad yeh dono ek dusre ko pehle se jaante ho.  Riya ke pita ne is baare mein Riya se baat karna zaroori nahi samjha aur unhone tai kiya ki woh sabse pehle, Rahul se is baare mein charchaa karenge. 

Is baar jab Rahul Riya ke ghar pahucha toh usse baat karte-karte achaanak se unhone Rahul se sawaal kiya, "Kya tum Riya ko pehle se jaante ho ?"

Rahul - "Haan uncle. Hum dono office mein saath kaam kiya karte the. Baad mein meri naukri chali gayi aur maine dusri company join kar li." 

Riya ke pita - "Toh tumhari naukri chodne ke baad bhi tum log contact mein the ?"

Rahul - "Haan Uncle. Hum dono aksar baatein kiya karte the."

Riya ke pita - "Toh kya tum use pasand karte the ?"

Rahul - "Hmm. Jab tak main wahan par naukri kar raha tha, tab tak hum dono zyada tar samay ek dusre ke saath hi bitate the."

Riya ke pita chup the. Thodi der baad Rahul bina kuch kahe, wahan se chala gaya. 

Kuch dino baad Riya ke pita ne use bataya ki woh uske liye ladka dekh rahe hain. 

Riya ke Pita - "Agar tumhe koi ladka pasand ho toh mujhe bata do."

Riya - "Nahi papa. Aap jis se kahenge main us ladke se hi shaadi kar lungi." 

Riya ke Pita - "Aur Rahul ?" 

Riya - "Kaun Rahul ?" "Woh ladka jiske wajah se aapka accident hua ?"

Riya ke Pita - "Haan wahi ladka jiske saath tum apne office mein kaam karti thi."

Riya - "Main us ladke ko bhool chuki hoon. Ab woh mere liye sirf ek ajnabee ban kar reh gaya hain."

Riya ke Pita - "Woh ladka tumhe bohut pyaar karta hain."

Riya - "Pyaar bas ek dhoka hota hain. Aankhon mein dhul jhonkar peeth peeche vaar karte hain log. Mohabbat ek khubsurat naqaab ke piche chupa ek dhokebaaz chehra hota hain." Yeh kehkar Riya ki aankhen bhar aai.

Riya ke Pita - "Yeh mat bhoolo ki woh sirf ek haadsa tha."

Riya - "Kai baar haadson ke wajah se rishte apna dum tod dete hain." Riya ne yeh baat bohut gusse mein kahi.

Riya ke Pita - "Toh kya main kisi aur ke darwaaze tumhara rishta lekar jaaun ?" 

Riya ke aankhon se aansun chalak pade. Aur woh rone lagi. Rote hue woh boli, "Lekin Papa main ab kaise is rishte ko aage badha sakti hoon, yeh jaante hue ki Rahul ke wajah se aap zindagi bhar ke liye apahij ho chuke hain."

Riya ke Pita - "Lekin beta, woh sirf ek haadsa tha. Tum itni padhi-likhi aur samjhdaar ladki ho, is tarah tum bewajah use kaise zimmedar maan sakti ho? Yeh accident mere saath hona mere bhagya mein likha hua tha, so ho gaya."

Riya ke pita ne use khoob samjhaya. 

Riya ke Pita - "Dekho beta. Zindagi mein kabhi-kabhi aise bhi mod aate hain, jab na chahte hue bhi anjaane mein humare apne hume zakhm de jaate hain. Hume dard dene ka unka iraada kabhi nahi hota hain. Bas ise hi bhagya ka likha kaha jaata hain. Bhale hi us takleef ko bhoolana humare liye bohut mushkil hota hain, par hum is sachchai ko bhi nazarandaaz nahi kar sakte hain ki, yeh jo kuch bhi hua hain, anjaane mein hua hain. Tum padhi likhi ho samajhdaar ho." Riya ke pita ne aage kaha, "Ek dusre ki galtiyon ko bhoola kar zindagi bhar saath chalne ka naam hi pyaar hota hain."

Apne pita ke bohut samjhaane ke baad aakhir kaar Riya maan gayi. 

Riya ke pita ne Riya se Rahul ka number maanga aur, us se baat karne ki iccha vyakt ki. Unhone, Rahul ko call kar ke use apne ghar bulaya. Agle din woh unke ghar chala gaya. Rahul ke ghar aane ke baad Riya ke Pita ne us se kuch baat-cheet ki. Thodi der tak baatein karne ke baad Riya ke pita ne Rahul se, uske parivaar se milne ki iccha vyakt ki. Dono parivaar ke beech mulakat hui. Kai tarah ki baatein hui aur aakhir kaar dono parivaar ke beech, rishta tai ho gaya. Pandit Ji ko bulaya gaya aur shaadi ka muhurat nikalvaya gaya. Shaadi ki tayyari badi jor-shor se hui. Kuch dino ke baad shaadi ka din aa gaya. Shaadi badi dhoom-dhaam se hui. Riya ke pita ne uska kanyadan kiya. Woh dono shaadi ke pavitra bandhan mein bandh gaye. Bidaai ke samay Riya ke maata-pita ki aankhen bhar aai. Ab Rahul aur Riya hamesha ke liye ek ho gaye.

                   - Ved Vineet Gautam