Mera naam koi khaas nahi hai. Main bas ek aam sa ladka hoon, ek middle class parivaar se. Meri kahani shuru hoti hai ek chhote se shehar ke us ghar se, jahan sapne bade the lekin kamre chhote. Hamara ghar na zyada bada tha, na zyada sundar, lekin usme mehnat, imandari aur pyaar ki kami kabhi nahi rahi.
Subah meri aankh roz alarm se pehle hi khul jaati thi. Wajah alarm nahi, balki papa ki awaaz hoti thi jo subah-subah office ke liye tayyar ho rahe hote the. Unke jooton ki awaaz, maa ke bartanon ki khanak, aur chai ki sugandh — yahi meri subah ka routine tha.
Maa roz subah uthkar rasoi me lag jaati thi. Kabhi unhone complain nahi kiya. Unka kehna hota tha, "Middle class ghar ka sabse bada gehna mehnat hota hai."
Papa sarkari naukri me the. Salary fix thi, kharche unlimited. Phir bhi unhone kabhi hume ehsaas nahi hone diya ki paise kam hain. Har mahine salary aati thi aur uske saath hi planning shuru ho jaati thi — bijli bill, pani bill, ghar ka rashan, meri fees, aur thoda sa bacha hua paisa future ke liye.
Papa ke chehre par thakaan hoti thi, lekin aankhon me umeed hamesha zinda rehti thi.
Main school jaata tha ek purani si cycle par. Cycle ka rang kab ka ud chuka tha, bell bhi kabhi-kabhi hi bajti thi, lekin wahi meri shaan thi. Mere kuch dost naye shoes pehente the, naye bags laate the, aur main wahi purana bag le jaata tha jiska zip aadha kharab tha.
Kabhi-kabhi thoda bura lagta tha, par maa ka ek hi jawab hota tha —
"Kapdon se nahi, karm se pehchaan banti hai."
School me main average student tha. Na topper, na bilkul kamzor. Teachers mujhe jaante the kyunki main shant rehta tha aur mehnat karta tha. Main zyada bolta nahi tha, par dil me bahut kuch chal raha hota tha.
Lunch box me aksar wahi simple khana hota tha — roti aur sabzi. Kabhi-kabhi jab dost pizza ya burger ki baat karte the, main chup reh jaata tha. Dil to karta tha, par zarurat aur shauk ke beech ka farq mujhe jaldi samajh aa gaya tha.
Shaam ko school se aakar main maa ki madad karta tha. Kabhi pani bharna, kabhi sabzi lana, kabhi chhote kaam. Fir thoda padhna aur thoda sapne dekhna.
Sapne free hote hain, isliye middle class bachche sabse bade sapne dekhte hain.
Mujhe yaad hai jab pehli baar maine apne papa se mobile phone maanga tha. Unhone kuch nahi kaha, bas muskuraye aur bole, "Abhi zarurat nahi hai."
Us din bura laga, par aaj samajh aata hai ki unka har "nahi" mere bhavishya ke "haan" ke liye tha.
Hamare ghar me TV ek hi tha aur remote par sabka adhikaar. Kabhi news, kabhi serial, kabhi match. AC nahi tha, cooler bhi tab chalta tha jab garmi zyada ho.
Garmiyon me chhat par sona, machhar ke saath ladna, aur pankhe ki awaaz me neend aana — ye sab meri zindagi ka hissa tha.
Festivals hamare ghar me bahut simple hote the. Diwali par naye kapde milte the, lekin bas ek joda. Patakhe kam, mithai thodi si, par khushi poori.
Maa diya jalate waqt kehti thi, "Khushi mehngi cheezon se nahi, saath hone se milti hai."
Jaise-jaise main bada hota gaya, zimmedari ka ehsaas bhi badhta gaya. Mujhe samajh aane laga tha ki meri padhai sirf meri nahi, balki poore parivaar ki umeed hai.
Papa ki thaki hui aankhen, maa ke chhupe hue dard, aur unki muskurahat — sab mujhe roz yaad dilate the ki mujhe haarna allowed nahi hai.
10th aur 12th ke board exams mere liye sirf exams nahi the, wo zindagi ka mod the. Coaching ka paisa nahi tha, isliye main self-study karta tha. Raat-raat bhar padhai, kabhi-kabhi neend se ladte hue.
Maa chai rakh jaati thi bina kuch kahe. Papa bas itna kehte the, "Mehnat kar, baaki bhagwan dekh lega."
Result jab aaya, marks average se achhe the. Top nahi, par bure bhi nahi. Maa ki aankhon me aansu the — khushi ke. Papa ne sir par haath rakha aur bas itna kaha, "Mujhe tujh par garv hai."
Us ek line ne meri saari thakaan utaar di.
College me jaakar zindagi thodi badli. Naye log, naye sapne, naye comparison. Wahan pe bhi main wahi middle class ladka tha — simple kapde, limited kharche, aur unlimited struggle.
Kabhi-kabhi lagta tha main piche reh gaya hoon, par phir yaad aata tha ki meri race thodi lambi hai.
Main part-time kaam bhi karne laga. Thakaan hoti thi, par apna kharcha khud uthana ek alag hi garv deta tha.
Middle class ladka jaldi samajhdaar ho jaata hai, kyunki use zindagi jaldi seekha deti hai.
Aaj bhi main koi ameer nahi hoon. Abhi bhi struggle chal raha hai. Par mujhe apni jadhon par sharm nahi hai.
Main jahan se aaya hoon, wahan se yahan tak ka safar aasaan nahi tha.
Mujhe pata hai meri kahani kisi film jaisi nahi hai. Koi dramatic music nahi, koi instant success nahi.
Bas roz uthna, mehnat karna, girna, phir uthna — yahi middle class zindagi hai.
Aur sach kahoon, to mujhe is par garv hai.
Kyuki middle class ladka kabhi haarna nahi seekhta, sirf ladna seekhta hai.
Ye meri kahani hai.
Ek aam ladke ki, jo khaas banne ka sapna dekhta hai — mehnat ke dam par.