School ki last bench par baithne wale bachchon ko log aksar backbencher bolte hain… par kabhi kisi ne yeh socha hai ki unki kahani kya hoti hai?
Yeh kahani hai Aman ki.
Aman class 11th ka student tha. Na topper, na fail — bas beech ka ladka. Teachers kehte,
"Tum mein potential hai, par tum mehnat nahi karte."
Sach yeh tha ki Aman mehnat karta tha… bas padhai mein nahi.
Usko drawing pasand thi. Notebook ke last pages par formulas nahi, sketches bane hote the. Kabhi hero ka face, kabhi kisi ladki ki aankhen, kabhi apna future — jo usko khud bhi samajh nahi aata tha.
Uski class mein ek ladki thi — Riya.
Na wo Aman se baat karti, na ignore karti. Bas kabhi kabhi mudh ke dekhti aur phir muskurake palat jaati.
Aman ko lagta tha wo uski life ki sabse sundar cheez hai.
Par Aman ne kabhi usse baat nahi ki.
Ek din maths teacher ne test liya. Aman blank copy de aaya.
Teacher ne poori class ke saamne bola —
"Tum life mein kuch nahi kar paoge Aman."
Class hansi… Aman bhi halka sa muskuraya.
Par us din pehli baar Riya nahi hansi.
School chhutte waqt Riya uske paas aayi aur boli —
"Tum sach mein itne careless ho ya bas dikhawa karte ho?"
Aman hairan — pehli baar wo usse baat kar rahi thi.
"Pata nahi…" Aman ne kaha,
"Shayad main woh nahi ban sakta jo sab chahte hain."
Riya ne uski notebook uthai… last page khola… aur chup ho gayi.
Us page par Riya ka sketch bana tha.
Bahut realistic. Itna ki lag raha tha jaise photo ho.
Riya dheere se boli —
"Tumhe pata hai… tum fail nahi ho… bas galat jagah khade ho."
Us din ke baad Aman padhai mein nahi… par drawing mein serious ho gaya.
Raat bhar YouTube se seekhta, din bhar practice karta.
Friends ne mazaak banaya, gharwalo ne daanta —
"Drawing se pet nahi bharta."
Par Aman rukka nahi.
12th ke boards aaye… Aman average marks se pass ho gaya.
Sabne kaha — "Kuch nahi hoga iska."
2 saal baad…
School ka WhatsApp group ek photo se bhar gaya.
Ek bade mall ki wall par 30 foot ka mural bana tha —
Aur neeche likha tha:
Artist: Aman Verma
Sab shock.
Uske neeche ek chhota sa signature tha —
Ek chashme wali ladki ka sketch.
Usi shaam Aman ko ek message aaya —
Riya:
"Tum galat jagah khade nahi the… tum bas alag raste par the."
Aman ne reply kiya —
"Thanks… us din meri copy check karne ke liye."
Riya —
"Copy nahi… tumhari zindagi ka last page tha… jo first ban gaya."
Aman muskuraya.
Last bench wala ladka aaj front page par tha.