DIWALI KI USS RAAT!

Ravikant Deshpandey ek electrical engineer tha. Jo ki Diwali par apne ghar Banaras Bangalore se chutthiyon par aaya tha. Ravikant ke ghar mein uske maa baap ke ilaawa uske do bade bhai aur ek chothi behan the. Aaj diwali hai. Har koi bum patake chala raha tha. Rangoli saja raha tha.Har ghar har gali dhulhan jaisi saji hui thi. Issi beech Ravikant ke mobile ki ghanti baji. Haan bhai! kahan ho aaj kal. Suna Bangalore se chutthiyan manane aa ye ho? Toh bhai aa jao ghar pe hamaare, baith te aaj. Diwali bhi hai, pataake phoredenge bhi aur taadenge bhi. Kya khayal hai?. Ravikant ne bola bahut hi nek khayal hai. Ghar mein puja hai.Uske baad aate hain.



Anshul ke ghar mehfil jami hui thi jab Ravikant pahuncha. Toh Ravikant bhi haath mein sharab ka glass lekar baith gaya. Patte khelega? Anshul ne poocha. Ravikant ne kaha nahi yaar in sab mein nahi padta hoon. Juaa wagera nahi kheltha hoon. Anant bol pada toh khelte kya hain aap aaj kal?... Sab khelne mein mast aur hamare bhaisahab peene mein mast. Toh Anshul phir bola aur Bangalore ke kya haal chaal hai. Kuch kiya ya abhi bhi ….ha ha! Nahi woh… Ravikant ek aur peg banaate hue bola tabhi Sunil bol pada tu kya abhi bhi ussi ladki ke khyalo mein khoya hua hai? Khair in baataon ke beech raat katti gayi daaru chadhti gayi aur bum pataako ki awaaz ghat ti gayi.

Ravikant ne ghadi dhekha toh raat ke teen baj gaye the. Usne bola bhai log main chalta hoon . Anant bol pada chal main bhi chalta hoon. Tujhe chor doonga. Anant ne gaadi roki aur kaha ki yaar bidi lena to bhool gaya. Khatham bhi hogayi hai. Ravikant bola chal paas mein hi panwari ka dukaan hai leke aata hoon. Kaunsi piyega? Anant ne bola tu kya pita hai toh Ravikant bol pada Navy Cut. Haan thik hai phir ek packet utha le. Ravikant pahuncha panwari ki dukaan par woh bandh tha. Tabhi ek aadmi ne bola aapko kya chahiye sahaab? toh Ravikant bola woh cigarettes chahiye the … toh us aadmi ne kaha aap peeche ke gali mein chale jaiye aapko mil jayega. Toh Ravikant dukaan ke peeche ek gali mein ghus gaya. Khaafi andhera tha. Patli si gali thi. Ek duur kisi ghar pe ek bulb tim tima raha tha. Paas ke chabootre par ek budda sadhu leta hua tha aur aapne mein bol raha tha.

‘Aaj bhai raat bhar
bali chadega ghaat par.
Chamgadar ki sabaah mein
Mauth naachega lalaat par’

Ravikant thoda sa saham gaya par aage badta raha. Anant ko issi beech aankh lag gayi woh so gaya gaadi mein Ravikant ke intezaar mein. Achanak se uski aankh khuli aur woh dhekta hai ki Ravikant aabh bhi aaya nahi. Woh usse dhoone laga. Udhar dhekha subha ke chaar baj rahe the. Aadhe ghante ke upar ho gaya tha. Anant ko chinta hone lagi par woh karta kya. Aas paas koi nazar nahi aa raha tha. Mobile pe phone kiya par who bhi bandh tha. Agle chaar paanch din Ravikant ke gharwaale paagalon ki tarah kabhi idhar kabhi udhar usko dhoonne lage. Police bhi dhoone lage par kuch bhi haath nahi laga. Hafte ke hafte mahine ke mahine guzar gaye par Ravikant ka koi thikhana nahi. Uske gharwale ne haal chhor diya tha uske wapas aane ka. Har Diwali ke din uski maa sochti ki ab aa jayega par aisa kuch nahi hota. Dhekte dhekte chaar saal guzar gaye.

Aaj Lalita ki shaadi hai. Ravikant ki chothi behen. Ghar par kusshiyon ke saath kahin ek gum bhi chupha tha. Ravikant ka nahi hone ka. Kyunki Ravikant ke baad hi Lalita sabse chothi thi ghar mein to Ravikant ki jyada kareeb bhi thi.Lalita ki shaadi ho gayi woh apne sasuraal Kanpur chali gayi. Lalita ke sasuralwaale nayi dhulhaa aur dhulhan ko lekar haridhwaar chale gaye thirth yatra mein.Lalita ek shaam ghaat pe bhaithi thi ki achaanak se kisi ne peeche se bola laali. Lalita ne ghoom kar dhekha ek aadmi jiske badan mein fati kameez hai. Muuh suja hua hai. Nange paar hai jisse khi khoon baha ra hai. kada hai. Woh pehachaan gayi aur boli bhaiya! tum? Ravikant bola abhi khuch mat pooch mujhe yahan se le chal khuch logon se nazar bajake aa ya hoon. Kahin chupha de. Who girgirane laga. Par kyun bhaiya? Ravikant ne poocha tujhe jo keha raha hoon karegi ya main phir jaoon? Lalita samaj nahi para rahi thi ki kya kare woh? Usne apne pati se kaha. Uske pati ne Ravikant ko lekar paas ke ek dharamshaala mein rukwa diya. Agle din subha Lalita aur uska pati isse milne aaye.

Ravikant bahut samaha hua tha. Lalita ko phir se dhekh kar Ravikant rone laga. Lalita bhi rok nahi paayee apne aap ko who bhi rone lagi. Lalita ke pati Aakash ne poocha bhaisaahab kya hua tha? Kaha the aap itne dino se? Ravikant uth kada hua aur khirki ke taraf jake khada hoke ghaat ke taraf mooh kar liya. Pure kamre mein ek sanatta tha. Thodi der baad Ravikant ne bolna shuru kiya.

Banglore mein jab main parikshaye khatam karke Banaras aane ke pehle mere college mein elections ke natije nikle main student union ka adhayaksh ban gaya tha. Dusre guth ke logon ko yeh shayaad pasand nahi aaya. Unke saath ek din mera haatha paayi bhi hoga ya. Us hatha paayi mein maine galti se unke kisi aadmi ko chaku mar diya. Pakde jaane ke daar se main Banaras aa gaya. Kisi ko khabar kare bina. Aur Diwali bhi thi toh ghar walon ko bhi shak nahi hua. Par us din main aapne dost ke ghar se laut raha tha, raat ke teen baje. Toh cigarette karidne ke liye main ek gali mein ghus gaya. Achanak kisi ne mujhe waar kiya peeche se. Main behosh ho gaya. Do din baad hosh aaya toh aapne ko ek kamre mein jo ki pata nahi koi godown jaisa jagah tha. Aur main kursi se bandha hua tha. Woh log mera peecha karte huye Bangalore se Banaras tak aa gaye the. Mujhe maar te the. Karaake ki thand mein nanga bandan rakhte the. Tabhi Lalita ne kaha yeh gol gol ghao jaisa kya hai tumahare shareer mein? Toh Ravikant thoda muskurake bola cigarette ko mere badan pe pine ke baad bhujhaate the. Aise kai mahine chalte raha mere saath. Injection se nashile dawai mere mein dalte the. Main jyadatar samay behosh hi rahata tha. Ek baar khaana milta tha. Kyunki unko mujhe zinda toh rakhna tha tadpaane ke liye. Uske baad mujhe ek din train ke patriyon par behoshi ke halath mein chor diya. Woh toh ganimat tha kisi ne dhekh liya aur mujhe bachaa liya. Mujhe pata chala ki main Jhanghai namak koi jagah mein hoon.

Do teen cup chaaye aur khuch matrhri uus kamre mein Lalita ke pati leke aaye. Shaam ho gayithi. Phir se sanaatta chaah gaya. Ghaat pe nadiyon mein baha rahi diyo ki roshni kamre mein aa rahi thi. Lalita ne kaha uske baad kya hua? Ravikant chaye pite huye phir bola do char din toh main phir uske ghar rahne laga jisne mujhe bachaya tha. Par dil nahi maan raha tha . ki un logon ko aise hi jaane doon. Maine phir wahan se bhaag gaya aur Banaras chala gaya. Par ek cheez mujhe taklif de rahi thi woh nashili dawai. Uski aab lat pad gayi thi mujhe. Main Banaras mein hi idhar udhar bhatak raha tha bus uus nashile dawa ke liye.Lalita aur Aakash dono chup chap sun rahe the. Ravikant ne bola are! tum logo ki chaaye thandi ho gayi hai? Lalita ne bola uske baad kya hua? Ravikant ek lambi saans chor ke bola sach bataaon mujhe ghar aane ka bhi himmat nahi ho raha tha. Ek raat maine train pakdi aur Jhanghai wapas chala gaya.Ek raat aise hi Jhanghai railway station ke paas leta hua tha. Toh ek aadmi ne aakar poocha maal chahiye kya. Main ekdunm se bola haan. Hain tumhare paas? Usne bola haan usne mujhe bola yeh lo. Usko lekar jaise mere jaan mein jaan aayi. Usne bola aur bhi chahiye toh kal station ke peeche aake milo.

Station ke peeche ek patli si sadak hai. us sadak ke khatham hote hi ek chai ka dukaan hai. waha ye aadmi phir se mila. Usne mujhe ek aadmi se milaya. Yeh aadmi ek gunda tha. Usne bola mere liye kaam karega toh paise ke saath yeh bhi milega. Maine socha acha hai nasha bhi karne ko milega, paisa bhi aur inke saath raha kar badla bhi le paonga. Yehi soch kar main ne haan bhar di. Yeh bol kar Ravikant phir chup ho gaya. Aakash ne poocha phir? Phir kya maine naya kaam shuru kia. Yeh bolkar zor zor se who hasne laga. Kabhi loot mar kabhi khoon karaba. Kitne logon ke khoon se mera haath ranga hua hai mujhe nahi pata. Aur Ravikant phir se ro pada. Lalita ne kaha uske baad kya hua. Uske baad main wapas Bangalore chala gaya. Un logon ko dhoond nikala jinohone meri yeh halath kit hi. maine unko bhi mar dala. Kya kahoon Laali us samay aur kuch nazar nahi aaya mujhe. Main puri tarah se behosh tha hosh mein. Dimaag kahin aur chalta hi nahi tha. Main socha chor char ke bhaag jata hoon. Bus train mein bhaith gaya. Kabhi is coach mein toh kabhi dusre coach mein. TT se nazare chuphate hue. Mujhe Jhangai mein dhund rahe the mere gang waale. Jab train haridwaar mein ruka toh main utar gaya. Kal tujhe jab shaam ko ghaat mein dhekha toh main raha nahi paya. Teri shaadi ho gayi thi iska bhi khabar mila tha mujhe par main kya karta?

Lalita ne Ravikant ko Banaras ghar bhej diya. Ghar walon ne jab Ravikant ko dhekha to khuch nahi kaha. Sab khuch jaise tham sa gaya tha. Ravikant ke bhai ne haal chaal poocha. Ravikant chup tha. Phir usne saari baat phir se kahi apne bade bhai ko. Ravikant ke bade bhai Ramakant ne bola theek hai tu ghar aagya hai wohi bahut hai. Tujhe aab darne ki koi zaroorat nahi. Ab nayi tarike se sab shuru kar. Kal se mere dukaan par bhaithana theek hai. Ravikant ko jaise jaan mein jaan aayi.

Paanch mahine kat chuke the Ravikant dukaan pe bhaita tha par andar se uska mann nahi manta tha. Uske dimaag mein abhi bhi wahi khoon kharaba ladai jhagra bhaitha hua tha.Use pata hai ki woh sab theek nahi isiliye toh bhag aaya tha par…. Koshish karne ke baad bhi woh yeh khaayal dimag se nahi nikaal paa raha tha. ghar pe bhi tik nahi pa raha tha. Uske mann jaise aast wast tha. jaise uski peechli zindagi peecha hi nahi chor rahi thi. Woh phir se sochne laga ki kya karoon.Yeh zindagi jaise ajeeb si tham si gayi hai…. Phir se Diwali aayi sab jagah roshni thi. Diye jal rahe the par yeh diwali aage wali diwaliyon se aalg thi. Aaj Ravikant aaya hua tha mithaiyaan ghar pe aur aas paas ke logon mein bat rahi thi. Sab ghar waale khush the. Ek ko chor kar. Ravikant. Diwali ki raat jab sab so gaye. Raat badhti gayi pathaako ki gunj ghathi gayi Usne apna boria bistara bhandhkar wapas station ki taraf chal diya apni duniya mein. chala gaya Jhanghai.