Astitva

 Sagar Shah ek businessman hain. Unki kapdon ki factory hain. Unki ek biwi aur ek ladka hain. Sagar ki patni ka naam Laxmi Shah hain aur bete ka naam Siddharth Shah hain. Siddharth ne haal hi mein America ki ek university MBA ki degree prapt ki hain. Aaj woh wapas ghar lautne wala hain. Siddharth airport se bahar nikla aur taxi mein baitha. Ghar lautte samay woh bohut aanandit tha. Kyunki, aaj woh poore do saal baad apne ghar laut raha hain. 

Kareeb ek ghante baad, woh apne ghar par pohunch gaya. Siddharth ko dekhte hi Sagar ne use apne gale se laga liya. Woh dono baap-bete ghar ke andar aaye. Laxmi ki aankhon se aansun aa gaye. Poora parivaar saath baithkar duniya bhar ki baatein karte rahe. Uske baad, sabhi apne-apne kamre mein jaakar so gaye. 

Agli subah, Sagar ko ek phone call aaya. Usne thodi der baat-cheet ki aur woh hadbadaahat mein apni car mein baithkar nikal pada. Uski yeh harkat dekh kar do maa-bete aaschryachakit reh gaye the. Dono ne Sagar ko kai baar call lagaya, lekin, usne call receive nahi kiya. 

Shaam mein woh ghar pohuncha. Woh bohut dukhi dikhayi de raha tha. Siddharth ne Sagar se pucha, "Kya hua Papa ?"

Sagar chup tha. Aisa lag raha tha, maano woh kisi khayalon mein khoya hua hain. Siddharth ne Sagar ke kandhe par haath rakha. Sagar ne uski taraf dekha. 

Siddharth - "Kya hua Papa ?"

Sagar - "Beta sab kuch khatam ho gaya hain."

Siddharth - "Kya hua hain ?"

Sagar - "Hamari factory ab hamari nahi rahi."

Siddharth - "Matlab ?"

Sagar - "Ajit ne dhokhe se factory par kabza kar liya hain."

Siddharth - "Woh kaise ?"

Sagar - "Kuch dino pehle woh ek business deal lekar factory mein aaya hua tha. Uspar bharosa karke, maine papers bina padhe uskar sign kar diya. Ab woh hi is company ka maalik hain."

Siddharth - "Ajit uncle aisa kaise kar sakte hain ? Aap jald hi unpar case kar do."

Sagar - "Aate waqt main Vakil se milne gaya tha."

Siddharth - "Toh kya kaha Vakil ne."

Sagar - "Kuch nahi ho sakta hain filhal toh. Case maine register kar diya hain. Lekin, faisla hone mein saalon lag jaayenge. Ab toh yeh case saalon saal chalega."

Dono maa-bete ne Sagar ko samjhaya aur kuch der tak baatein karne ke baad, woh log so gaye.

Agle din, dono baap-bete Vakil se milne gaye aur shaam mein ghar par laute. 

Laxmi - "Kya kaha Vakil ne ?"

Sagar - "Case court mein jaayega. Uske baad, sunvayi shuru hogi. Phir dekhte hain, kya hota hain aage. Faisla hone mein do se teen saal lag sakte hain. Ho sakta hain ki us se zyada lag jaaye."

Laxmi - "Toh ab aage kya hoga ?"

Sagar - "Ab hume kahi naukri hi dekhni hogi."

Laxmi - "Aur ghar ?"

Sagar - "Ganimat hain ki ghar bach gaya hain. Lekin, factory toh haath se nikal hi chuki hain."

Siddharth - "Aapne koi loan toh nahi liya hua tha na ?"

Sagar - "Nahi. Ek yeh bhi khush-kismati ki baat hain ki, hamare sar par koi bhi karz nahi hain. Lekin, ab sab kuch phir se shuru karna hoga. Paise toh itne hain nahi ki koi business shuru kiya jaaye. Toh ab naukri ka hi vikalp bacha hua hain."

Siddharth - "Koi baat nahi Papa. Hum dono baap-bete mehnat karke aage badhenge."

Agle din se, dono baap-bete naukri dhundhna shuru kar diye. Kuch dino ke prayason ke baad, dono ko alag-alag jagah par naukri mil gayi. Kuch mahine beete lekin, haalat jas ke tas the. Yeh baat market mein phail chuki thi ki, in logon ke saath bohut bada dhokha hua hain. Kuch log sahanbhuti dikhate. Kuch jaan-pehchan walon ne madad bhi ki. Toh kuch log bas sahanbhuti dikhane ka naatak karte. Vyang mein sawal karte the, jinka jawab dene ki in logon mein himmat nahi thi. 

Sagar ne apna business dubara shuru karne ke liye, nirantar prayaas karne laga. Wahi dusri aur Siddharth ne bhi din-raat ek kar diya tha. Woh market ko samajhne ki koshish karne laga. Alag-Alag business ke baare mein jaankariyan ikattha karne laga. Aaj kareeb dedh saal ho chuke hain. Lekin, dono baap-bete ka har ek prayaas keval vifal hi hua hain. 

Ek din, Siddharth naukri se ghar laut raha tha. Mahine ka aakhri ka hafta chal raha tha. Jis wajah se uske pass ghar lautne ke paise nahi the. Woh paidal hi ghar ke liye nikal pada. Thodi der baad, barsaat shuru hui. Ek halki si barsaat ho rahi thi aur Siddharth ke kadam, dheere-dheere apne ghar ki aur badh rahe the. Mausam bohut khoobsurat lag raha tha. 'Kya nazara hain.' usne socha. Woh is pal ko jee bharke mehsus karna chahta tha. Isliye woh wahi par hi ruk gaya. Aasmaan se paani ki boondein uske badan par gir rahi thi. Siddharth ne apni aankhen band kar li aur baarish ki boondon ko mehsus karne laga. Woh ek ajeeb si aanandmayi bhavna mehsus kar raha tha. Aaj kaafi dino ke baad, use thoda sa sukun mil raha tha. Siddharth ka mann halka hua. Uski aankhen abhi bhi band thi. Tabhi Siddharth ko apne antarmann mein kuch smrutiyan dikhayi dene lagi. Use ek bada bangla dikh raha tha. Ek car dikh rahi thi aur videsh ke kuch paryatan sthal bhi dikh rahe the. Thodi der ke baad, barsaat ruk gayi aur usne apni aankhen kholi. Tabhi Siddharth ke Mann mein ek khayal aaya, 'Jab khwab itna khoobsurat ho sakta hain, toh haqeeqat kitna zyada khoobsurat hoga.' Uske baad, woh apne ghar ki aur dubara chal pada. Thodi der baad, woh apne ghar pohuncha. Ghar pohunchte hi, usne apna badan pocha aur apne kapde badle. Laxmi ne khana nikaala aur plate dono ke saamne rakh diya. Uske baad, Laxmi ne kaha, "Aaj sirf roti aur achaar hi hain. Sabzi khatam ho chuki hain."

Sagar - "Koi baat nahi. Waise bhi mahine ka aakhir chal raha hain. Kharcha thoda haath baandhkar hi karna hoga."

Sabhi ne saath mein khaana khaya aur sone ke liye chale gaye. Siddharth apne gadde par leta hua tha. Use neend nahi lag rahi thi. Woh baar-baar karwate badal raha tha. Phir woh sthir let gaya. Lete-Lete woh soch raha tha, 'Mahine ka aakhir chal raha hain. Khaane tak mein paise bachane pad rahe hain. Aakhir aisa kab tak chalega ? Kya waqt tha, jab kharchon ke baare mein sochna tak nahi padta tha. Aur aaj, ek-ek rupaya kharch karne se pehle dus baar sochna padta hain. Mahine ke aakhri hafte mein, jeb mein phoonti kaudi nahi bachti hain. Pai-Pai ke liye mohtaaj ho chuke hain hum log. Ab mujhe zindagi ke baare mein koi sateek yojna banani hi hogi. Maine toh USA se MBA kiya hain. Itna kharcha hua hain meri padhayi mein, uska kuch toh outcome nikalna chahiye na ?' 

Phir achanaak se Siddharth ko yaad aaya, America mein usne MBA ke saath-saath animation ka course bhi kiya hua tha. Lekin, sawaal yeh tha ki, is kaam ko kaise shuru kiya jaaye ? Raat bhar woh sochta raha, woh apni buddhi dauda raha tha. Apne aap ko dhoondhne mein laga hua tha. Dheere-Dheere raat gehri hoti gayi aur uski aankhon par neend ka vaar shuru ho chuka tha. Dekhte-Dekhte hi  Dekhte-Dekhte, Siddharth ko neend lag gayi. 

Agli subah uski neend khul gayi. Aaj uski chutti thi. Woh subah tayyar hokar apne maata-pita ke saath halka naashta kiya aur unke saath baithkar dher saari baatein ki. Thodi der baad dopahar ho gayi aur sab apne-apne kamre mein aaram kar rahe the.  Siddharth bhi apne kamre mein leta hua tha. Lete-Lete use yaad aaya ki, uske pen drive mein aaj bhi us course ki jaankariyan maujood hain. Usne turant apna laptop nikaala aur use start kiya. Uske baad usne laptop mein pen drive lagayi aur course ki jaankariyan dhoondhna shuru kiya. Thodi der ke baad, use animation ke course ki jaankariyan mili. Siddharth ne use padhna shuru kiya. Usne ghar mein padi copy aur pen li aur usmein mahatvapoorn binduon ko likhna shuru kiya. Uske baad, usne kareeban ek hafte tak un saari binduon ka adhyayan kiya aur saath hi saath naukri par toh woh jaata hi tha. 

Agle hafte se har shaam, Siddharth ne apne laptop par baithkar animation ka kaam karne ki koshish shuru kar di. Apne dwara banaye gaye animations use khud pasand nahi aate the. Usne apne doston ko WhatsApp par apne dwara banayi gayi animation ke clips bhejna shuru kar diya aur unse unki pratikriya bhi maangta rehta tha. Pehle toh sabhi dost bas uski animation ki tareef kiya karte the. Lekin, Siddharth ne apne doston ko saaf-saaf keh diya ki, "Tum log mujhe ek darshak ki tarah batao mere kaam ke baare mein. Na ki kisi dost ki tarah. Filhal tum sab yahi socho ki tum mere dost nahi balki, ek aalochak ho." Uske baad, sabhi ne use uske animation mein apni dher saari rai di. Siddharth ne un sabhi rai ko bohut gambhirta se liya aur apne aap ko is kaam mein behtar banane ke liye internet par is baare mein aur zyada jaankariyan ikattha karne laga.

Dheere-Dheere use ehsaas hua ki, use abhi bhi is kaam mein maahir hone mein thoda waqt lagega. Siddharth ne is kaam ko sikhne mein din-raat ek kar diya. Waqt guzarta gaya, lekin abhi bhi uske haath koi safalta nahi aayi. Ek aur ghar ke haalat bad se badtar ho rahe the aur dusri aur uske saare prayas vifal ho rahe the. Tabhi Siddharth ko ek animation company ke baare mein pata chala. Woh company haal hi mein uske shahar mein, apna branch kholi thi. Siddharth ne apna samay nikaalkar, us animation company mein meeting karne ke liye gaya. Unhone Siddharth se sawaal karna shuru kiya.

Interviewer - "Toh Siddharth. Bataiye ki aapne yeh course kab aur kaha se kiya tha ?"

Siddharth - "Ji sir maine yeh course kareeban do saal pehle, America se kiya tha."

Interviewer - "Toh kya tabse aapko naukri nahi mili ?"

Siddharth - "Sir main ek private company mein naukri kar raha hoon. Ek accountant ke taur par."

Interviewer - "Toh kya aap woh naukri chodh sakte ho ? Kyunki filhal hum aapko acchi pagaar nahi de sakte hain."

Siddharth ne kuch der socha aur phir woh jhath se bol pada, "Sir kya main ek freelancer ke taur par aapke liye kaam kar sakta hoon ? Aap alag-alag projects ke liye apne hisaab se payment kar dijiyega."

Interviewer - "Thik hain. Lekin agar hume project pasand nahi aaya, toh hum aapko koi bhi payment nahi denge."

Siddharth ne kuch pal socha aur ek gehri saans lete hue kaha, "Mujhe manzoor hain."

Interviewer - "Toh thik hain. Yeh pehla project hum aapko de rahe hain. Agar aapka project approve ho jaata hain, toh hum aapko bees hazar denge."

Siddharth - "Thik hain Sir."

Unhone Siddharth ko project ke baare mein samjhaya aur woh contract sign karke ghar chala aaya. Din bhar woh naukri karta aur raat mein kai ghanto tak woh apni zindagi ka pehla project complete karne mein laga deta. 

Agle hafte, Siddharth apna project lekar, bohut ummed ke saath us office pohucha. Dabe paao se woh dheere-dheere us office ki sidhiyon par chadhta jaa raha tha. Woh office ke andar gaya aur thodi der baad, uska presentation shuru hua. Presentation khatam hone ke baad, unhone usse intezaar karne ke liye kaha. Woh sofa par baitha hua mann-hi-mann apni kamyaabi ke liye ibaadat kar raha tha. Uske dai par ka anguntha phadphada raha tha. Jis wajah se use aur bhi zyada ghabrahat mehsus ho rahi thi. Kaafi intezaar ke baad, aakhir kaar nateeja ka lamha aa hi gaya. Use bulaya gaya aur woh cabin ke andar chala gaya. Un logon ne usse kuch der baat-cheet ki aur use bees hazar ka cheque pakda diya. Uski aankhon se aansun aa pade. 

Samay ne karwat li aur dheere-dheere Siddharth ko ek ke baad ek projects alag-alag companies se milte gaye aur usne teen saal mein hi ghar ka saara karza khatam kar diya. Sagar ne case jeet liya aur use uski mehnat se khadi ki hui factory wapas mil gayi. Kuch mahino mein hi, business chal pada.

Ab Siddharth ko zyadatar online projects hi milte hain aur woh unse accha khaasa kama leta hain. 

                 - Ved Vineet Gautam