Sundarta Se Pare

[aries]

Uski aankhon mein, vah antim saundarya thi.

Uski aankhein sitaron ki tarah chamakti thi, ghunghralay palken dheere se ghumaati thi, ek sapno jaisi tasveer banaati thi. Uski bhavnaayein sundarta se bhari hui thi, choti si naak par chamakdaar naak ka nath tha, halka sa utha hua gulabi hothon jaisa khilti kali, aur uska dil jaisa chehra doodh ki tarah safed tha. Uske baalon ki lehratein, jo uske kamar tak girti thi, raat ke aakash mein taare ki tarah chamakti thi, use dekhkar uska dil dhadakne lagta tha.

Aljun uski patli shakal mein kho gaya, jab usne halka gulabi rang ka chifon ka dress pehna hua tha aur khuli chappal pehni hui thi. Uske ird-gird ek manmohak aura tha.

Uska dil tez dhadakne laga! Usne ankhon se use kuch der tak dekha.

Yeh nayi jawaani ki ladki Aljun ki nazron ko mehsoos kar gayi! Usne halka sa muskuraya.

Pichle raat, college ke dance mein, unhe ek saathi dost ke zariye milaya gaya tha. Halankeh unhone gehri baatein nahi ki thi, lekin wo pal hi Aljun ke liye kaafi tha.

Agli subah, jab wo bus stop par school jaane ka intezaar kar rahi thi, Aljun ne apni motorcycle roka aur dekha ki wo wahan intezaar kar rahi hai.

Unki nazrein mili, usne haath hilaaya, kuch pal sochne ke baad, usne bhi jawab diya.

“Ruchika... kya tumhare saath school chal sakta hoon?” Usne poocha.

“Main samajhti hoon ki tum bhi wahan ja rahe ho. Kyun nahi?” Usne muskurate hue jawab diya.

Is tarah ve saath mein school gaye!

Kuch mahine guzar gaye. Ruchika aur Aljun aksar milte rahe, apni hasi aur aansuon ko baantte rahe, ummeed aur nirasha ko saath mein jeete rahe…

Ek baar baarish ho rahi thi! Unhone pichle din yeh tay kiya tha ki ve sheher se lagbhag 50 kilometer door jungle ke kshetra mein jaayenge—northeast disha mein.

Baarish ne unhe nahi roka. Ve baarish mein safar karte rahe; baarish dheere dheere kam hoti gayi… ve sunaasht rasta lete hue jungle ke kinare pahunch gaye!

Tab baarish poori tarah band ho gayi. Surya apni poori roshni se chamak raha tha. Jungle khushbu se bhara hua tha, baarish ne sab kuch dhul diya tha… Surya ki roshni patton aur dakhiyon se chhalakti hui sunehri roshni bana rahi thi, zameen par chhupte hue paani ke nadiyon ka naksha bana raha tha… Pakshiyon aur anya praniyon ki chahchahat alag alag sur mein sunai de rahi thi!

Unhone wahan khade hote hue prakriti ke uphaar ko mehsoos kiya. “Chalo andar chalte hain!” Aljun bola… Ruchika ka haath pakadkar andar chalne lage.

Jab ve andar gaye, to unhone dheere dheere kadam rakha, ab bhi haath pakde hue.

Lagbhag ek aur aadha ghanta baad ve ek chhoti si talab ke paas ruk gaye, jo ghaney jangal se ghiri hui thi aur paani ka sthal lagbhag chhupa hua tha.

Ruchika boli: “Oh meri maa! Main to girne hi wali thi!”

Aljun ne jangal ke beech dekhte hue kaha, “Paani ka rang ajeeb hai… paani par girne wale patte bhi sukh gaye hain… Mujhe kuch ajeeb khushboo mehsoos ho rahi hai…”

Ajeeb baat yeh hai ki wahan puri tarah shanti thi. Koi pakshi ya anya praniyon ki awaaz nahi sunai de rahi thi.

Ve ek badi chattan par baithe aur apna backpack rakha. Tab samay dopahar ka tha aur taapmaan dheere dheere badh raha tha.

Chamakdaar surya patton se alag alag nakshon mein chamak raha tha aur shant paani par pad raha tha.

Aljun uthkar bola: “Ruchika, main kuch sukhi lakdi dhoondhne jaata hoon taaki hum choti si aag laga sakein aur apna picnic lunch garam kar sakein.”

Ruchika akeli intezaar karti rahi, thodi pareshan hui; wo ajeeb shanti aur talab se aati khushboo use pareshan kar rahi thi!

Achanak usne dekha ki uske aankhon ke kone se ek dhuwain uski taraf aa rahi hain. Jab tak usse samajh aata, tab tak wo dhuwain use gher leti hain! Jab uska duniya gandhi safed rang mein badal gaya, to usne chehre par tez dard mehsoos kiya; kabhi aise jalan nahi mehsoos hui! Uske baalon aur sir ka bhi jalna mehsoos hota hai…!

Usne dard bhari cheekh maari: “Aljun… mujhe bachao… main jal rahi hoon…” Wo andhi tarah uthkar bhaag jaane lagi us maut ke baadal se!

Aljun door nahi tha; usne uski udasi bhari cheekh sun li. Kuch sukhi lakdiyaan giraakar wo Ruchika ki taraf dauda.

Daudte waqt uske mann mein ek vichar aaya: “Yeh kya samasya hai… is jungle mein koi jangli prani nahi hai… to yeh kya hai?” Usne phir se mehsoos kiya ki hawa mein ek vishesh khushboo hai jo uske chehre par lagti hai. Usne turant is khushboo ko pehchaana… acidi khushboo!! Yeh kya hai?

Achanak use yaad aaya pichle kuch din pehle jab chemical professor ne kaksha mein kaha tha.

“Tum sab ne suna hoga duniya ke kai jagah par acidi baarish hoti hai. Yeh rasayanik pratikriya ke karan hota hai jab sulfur dioxide aur nitrogen oxides jaise yogik hawa mein chhodte hain jo paani, oxygen aur anya rasayanik padarthon ke saath milkar acidi talab banate hain. Aam taur par yeh talabe halka acidi hoti hain lekin kabhi kabhi yeh kathor acidi baarish ya talab ban sakti hain jo na sirf vatavaran ko nuksan pahucha sakti hain balki manavta ko bhi khatar mein daal sakti hain… hamare sheher ke paas aisi talabe ho sakti hain…”

Jab Aljun ne dekha Ruchika unke chhod diye gaye sthal par lehti hui hai, apne chehre ko pakadkar roti hui hai to uska shak unki soch ko vastavikta bana deta hai! Yeh ek dil tod dene wala nazara tha!

Uske ird-gird halki acidi dhund thi; hawa ke badhne par yeh dheere dheere phail gayi…

Aljun Ruchika ke paas jhuk gaya dekhte hue ki wo dar se bhari hui hai; uska chehra, baal… aisa lag raha tha jaise dheere dheere shikanj rahe hain jaise chehre par acida gir gaya ho! Uski band aankhein sujan lene lagi!!

Turant kuch karna zaroori tha!

Usne pareshani se charo taraf dekha… use bahut saara paani chahiye taaki wo Ruchika ka chehra aur aankhein dhoke saaf kar sake… lekin aas-paas sirf talab hi dikhai de rahi thi aur uska sixth sense use bata raha tha yeh sab kuch wahi samasya hai!

Achanak use apni drinking bottle yaad aayi. Usne tezi se ise uthakar Ruchika ka chehra dhone ki koshish ki! Dheere-dheere wo behosh hone lagi; swagat karta hua behoshi use gher leti!

Aljun ne apne phone se madad bulayi.

Ruchika hospital mein do mahine tak rahi. Acidi dhund se hone wale zakhmon ka ilaj chal raha tha; ek anokhi prakritik ghatna theek ho rahi thi.

Lekin uska manmohak saundarya kho gaya! Wo gehri udasi mein doob gayi; aksar akeli roti rehti thi, kisi ne use tasalli nahi di… atmahatya ki taraf badhti gayi!!

Is dauran Aljun ne poori koshish ki use is dukh se nikalne ke liye… Usse lekar uski bhavnaayein aur bhi majboot hoti gayi… Halankeh wo kabhi sundar sapno jaisi thi, ab wo sirf ek yaad ban gayi… Wo pehle se zyada use paana chahta tha!

Usne uska haath pakda: “Ruchika… main tumse pyaar karta hoon… fikar mat karo; yeh durghatna kabhi kabhi hoti hain… main hamesha tumhara rahunga… jab tum bilkul theek ho jaogi main tumse shaadi karunga…”

Ruchika aankhon mein aansu bhar kar palti: “Nahi Aljun… tum mujhe sirf mere saundarya ke liye pyaar karte ho; ab jab yeh kho gaya hai... tum mujhe sirf daya kar rahe ho lekin ab tum mujhe kabhi nahi pyaar karoge…”

Aljun ne tezi se inkaar kiya aur use samjhane ki koshish ki... Yeh dinon tak chala…

Us raat Aljun ko Ruchika ka phone aaya. Wo theek ho gayi thi aur ghar aa gayi thi.

“Kya tum aadhe ghante mein mere ghar ke paas park mein mil sakte ho?”

Aljun bechain hokar park mein intezaar karta raha; woh lamp ke neeche bench par baithe the, woh peela roshni sirf wahi jagah roshan kar raha tha!

Shaayad wo use sweekar karegi!

Usne dekha wo aa rahi hai! Usne apne sir aur chehre ko safed scarf se dhaka hua hai!

Aljun uthkar uska haath pakadta hai taaki wo baithe.

“Mujhe batao Ruchika,” woh halke se kehata hai.

Lekin usne jawab nahi diya.

Chup-chaap usne scarf uthaya. Peeli roshni uske chehre ko roshan karti hai; woh sundarta jo sab logon ne prashansa ki ab woh ise dekh rahi hai.

Aljun ne mushkil se kaha: “Yeh kya hua Ruchika?”

“Main Ruchika nahi hoon…” Usne uska haath pakadkar kaha “Main uski kabhi na batayi gayi ek twin behan hoon... Ruchika ne mujhe tumse milane bheja…”

Aljun peeche hat gaya “Main sirf meri Ruchika chahta hoon!”