Ritu ek chhote se shehar mein rehti thi. Ghar itna chhota tha ki agar ek kamre mein do log khade ho jaate, toh teesre ke liye jagah nahi bachti. Deewar pe purani si ghadi latki thi jo aksar galat time dikhati thi, bilkul us ghar ki tarah jahan waqt hamesha mushkil ka hi chalta tha.
Ritu ke papa, Mohan Lal, ek private factory mein helper the. Din bhar heavy saman uthana, machine ke paas khade rehna, aur shaam ko thake hue pair ghaseet kar ghar aana – yahi unki zindagi thi. Salary itni kam ki mahine ke last week tak ghar mein sirf daal aur roti ka sahara reh jaata.
Maa, Shanti Devi, gharon mein kaam karti thi. Subah 6 baje nikalti aur dopahar 2 baje laut ti. Haath hamesha jale hue, par chehre par shikayat kabhi nahi.
Ritu unki sabse badi beti thi.
Bachpan se hi usne dekha tha ki paisa na hone ka matlab sirf cheezein na hona nahi hota, balki sapno ka dheere-dheere mar jaana hota hai.
School ke Din
Ritu school mein hamesha first aati thi. Teachers usey "bright student" kehte the. Par har baar jab annual function hota aur parents ko bulaya jaata, Ritu ke papa chhup jaate the.
"Beta, aaj overtime hai," papa kehte.
Sach yeh hota tha ki unke paas school jaane ke kapde tak theek nahi hote.
Ritu samajh jaati thi.
Class 10 ke baad jab usne science lene ki baat ki, ghar mein sannata chha gaya.
"Science mehngi hoti hai," maa ne dheere se kaha.
Papa ne sir jhuka liya.
Ritu ne pehli baar apne sapne ko apne haath se thama… aur chupchaap commerce le li.
Us raat wo chhat par baith kar royi thi. Aasman mein taare the, par uski zindagi mein andhera.
College aur Pehla Jhukaav Zindagi Ka
College mein Ritu ne part-time kaam shuru kar diya. Kabhi tuition, kabhi ek stationery shop par. Wo ladki jo kabhi sirf kitaabon mein rehti thi, ab life ke chapters khud likh rahi thi.
College ke dost malls mein ghoomte, selfies lete, plans banate.
Ritu bas muskurati aur kehti, "Next time."
Next time kabhi aata hi nahi tha.
Final year mein papa ko factory se nikaal diya gaya. Company band ho rahi thi.
Us din Ritu ne pehli baar papa ko rote dekha.
"Meri wajah se tumhari padhai ruk jayegi," papa ne kaha.
Ritu ne unke haath pakad liye.
"Papa, meri padhai meri zimmedari hai."
Us din Ritu sirf beti nahi rahi… ghar ki zimmedar ban gayi.
Sapno Ka Karz
College ke baad Ritu ne ek chhoti si accounting firm mein job pakdi. Salary sirf ₹8,000 thi. Usme se ₹6,000 ghar de deti.
Wo khud sirf ₹2,000 mein jeeti thi.
Ek din uski boss ne kaha,
"Tum talented ho, professional course karo. Life badal jayegi."
Ritu ne sirf muskuraya.
Course ka fees sunte hi uske sapne wapas dab jaate the.
Par us raat usne ek decision liya.
"Sapno ka karz utarna padega… chahe mushkil ho."
Usne bank loan liya. Log bole,
"Ladki ho, itna risk kyun?"
"Shaadi kar lo, tension khatam."
Par Ritu ne pehli baar sabko ignore kiya.
Failures, Raat Ki Mehnat aur Aansoo
Job + studies = sirf 4 ghante ki neend.
Kabhi kabhi bus mein sote-sote station nikal jaata.
Exam ke pehle papa bimar pad gaye. Hospital ka bill dekh kar Ritu ke haath kaanp gaye.
Usne apni gold earrings bech di – jo maa ne uske liye sambhal ke rakhi thi.
Exam clear nahi hua.
Us din Ritu ne khud ko bathroom mein band karke itna roya ki awaaz tak khatam ho gayi.
Par agle din wo phir uth khadi hui.
"Ek baar aur," usne khud se kaha.
Waqt Ne Palta Khaya
Do saal baad Ritu ne exam clear kar liya.
Uski salary triple ho gayi.
Ghar mein pehli baar fridge aaya.
Papa ki dawa time pe aane lagi.
Ek din maa ne kaha,
"Beta, aaj roti zyada hai. Tu bhi khaya kar."
Ritu muskura di.
Sabse Badi Jeet
Kuch saal baad Ritu ek reputed company mein manager ban chuki thi. Usne apne papa ko retirement gift diya – ek chhoti si shop.
Papa ki aankhon mein aansoo the.
"Meri beti ne mera karz chuka diya," unhone kaha.
Ritu ne dheere se jawab diya,
"Nahi papa… maine apne sapno ka karz chukaya hai."
Aaj Ki Ritu
Aaj Ritu motivational sessions leti hai.
Wo ladki jo kabhi apne sapne chupakar rakhti thi, aaj dusron ko sapne dekhna sikhati hai.
Wo kehti hai:
"Zindagi garib ho sakti hai, par soch nahi.
Agar soch ameer ho, toh ek din zindagi bhi ho jaati hai."