Jab main sirf 9 saal ka tha, tabhi zindagi ne mujhe bachpan se zyada zimmedari sikha di. Dusre bachche khelte the, aur main mobile aur dukaan ke hisaab samajhne laga tha. Papa ke saath dukaan sambhalte-sambhalte mujhe duniya ki asli reality jaldi hi samajh aa gayi.
Us chhoti si umar mein hi maine logon ke chehre ke peeche chhupe rang dekh liye. Kuch log aaye, muskuraye, bharosa jeeta… aur phir dhokha dekar chale gaye. Lekin har dhokhe ke baad zindagi ne mujhe ek naya dost bhi diya. Aise dost jo khoon se nahi, halat se jude the. Unke saath roti kam thi, par wafadari zyada thi.
Samay badhta gaya, aur zindagi ke raste bhi badalte gaye. Kai log aaye, kai log gaye. Kai ladkiyan bhi zindagi mein aayi aur chali gayi, lekin har rishta ek nayi seekh dekar gaya. Maine dekha ki jazbaat mein liye gaye faisle aksar insaan ko andar se tod dete hain.
Aaj jab main peeche mudkar dekhta hoon, to lagta hai ki 9 saal ka woh bachcha waqt se pehle bada ho gaya tha. Duniya ne use pyaar se zyada imtihaan diye, aur usne chup rehkar sab seh liya. Usne seekha ki paisa sambhalna aasaan hai, par logon ko samajhna sabse mushkil kaam hai.
Aur agar meri kahani koi sun raha hai, to bas ek baat yaad rakhna, mere bhai…
Zindagi mein chahe kitni bhi galtiyan ho jaayein, lekin do galtiyan kabhi mat karna —
Pehli, ladki bazi mein apni zindagi barbaad mat karna.
Dusri, chori kabhi mat karna.
Kyunki galat raste par chal kar aadmi shayad jail se ek din mein bahar aa jaaye…
Lekin apni izzat aur apni pehchaan ki jail se kabhi bahar nahi aa pata.
Aur ye to sirf meri kahani ka shuruaat hai…
Asli khel to ab shuru hone wala hai, jab zindagi mujhe ek aise mod par le aayi jahan dosti, dhokha aur taqdeer — teeno ek saath takraane wale the…
(To be continued…)