Zindagi ne jaise ek naya mod le liya tha.
Is baar kahani sirf do dilon ki nahi thi…
Do parivaaron ki bhi thi.
Piyush aur maine decide kar liya tha.
Iss baar hum bhaagenge nahi…
Ladenge, Saath mein...
Agla step sabse mushkil tha.
Ghar walon ko sach batana.
Us raat main bahut der tak so nahi paayi
Dimaag mein hazaar sawaal ghoom rahe the.
"Maa kya kahengi?"
"Papa gussa honge?"
"Ya shayad… mujhe samajhne ki koshish karenge?"
Har sawaal ke saath mera dil aur tez dhadakne lagta ..
Par iss baar main peeche hatne wali nahi thi.
Subah ka waqt tha..
Maa kitchen mein thi… chai bana rahi thi..
Gas ki halki si awaaz aur chai ki khushboo poore ghar mein fail rahi thi..
Main dheere se unke paas jaakar khadi ho gayi..
"Maa… mujhe aapse kuch baat karni hai,"
maine darte hue kaha...
Unhone muskura kar poocha..
"Kya hua? Itni serious kyun lag rahi ho?"
Mere haath thode kaanp rahe the…
Par maine himmat jutai..
"Maa… main kisi se pyaar karti hoon…"
Unki muskaan dheere-dheere gayab ho gayi..
"Kaun?" unhone seedha sawaal kiya.
"Piyush…" maine dheere se kaha..
Kitchen mein ek pal ke liye khamoshi chha gayi..
Sirf chai ke ubalne ki awaaz sunai de rahi thi.
"Maine kabhi uska naam nahi suna," Maa ne thoda thanda sa jawab diya.
"Maine pehle bataya nahi… par ab sab clear hai.Woh bhi mujhse pyaar karta hai… aur hum shaadi karna chahte hain," maine ek saans mein sab keh diya.
Maa ne gas band ki…
Aur seedha meri taraf mud gayi..
"Shaadi?" unki awaaz tez ho gayi,
"Itni badi baat tumne humse chhupayi?"
Maine aankhein jhuka li.
"Mujhe darr lag raha tha…"
"Darr ya bharosa nahi tha?" Maa ne seedha sawaal poocha..
Mere paas koi jawab nahi tha..
Tabhi Papa wahan aa gaye.
"Subah-subah kya ho raha hai?" unhone poocha..
Maa ne seedha kaha...
"Aapki beti kisi ladke se pyaar karti hai… aur usse shaadi karna chahti hai. "
Papa ka chehra ekdum serious ho gaya...
"Kaun ladka?" unhone sakht tone mein poocha...
"Piyush…" maine dheere se kaha..
Phir sawaalon ki baarish shuru ho gayi..
"Kaam kya karta hai?"
"Family kaisi hai?"
"Caste kya hai?"
Main bas chup khadi thi…
Jaise kisi interview mein khadi hoon… jahan fail hona tay hai.
"Papa, woh achha hai… responsible hai…
aur mujhe khush rakhega," maine himmat karke kaha..
Papa ka gussa aur badh gaya....
"Khush rakhega? Yeh tumne decide kar liya? Hum kaun hain phir?"
Mere aansu nikal aaye..
"Maine galti ki… pehle nahi bataya… par ab main jhooth nahi bol sakti…"
Maa ne thoda naram hote hue poocha..
"Uske ghar wale jaante hain tumhare baare mein?"
Maine dheere se kaha...
"Abhi nahi… par woh bhi batane wala hai…"
Papa ne haath utha kar baat rok di.
"Bas! Humein yeh sab pasand nahi hai.Shaadi hum decide karenge. Tum nahi"
Yeh sunte hi mera dil toot gaya..
Par iss baar main chup rehne wali nahi thi..
"Papa… main aapki respect karti hoon… par apni life ka decision bhi main lena chahti hoon," maine himmat se kaha..
Papa gusse mein bole..
"Yeh sab filmon mein achha lagta hai. Real life mein nahi.Samjhi tum?"
Mere andar ka dard ab ruk nahi raha tha..
"Mujhe usse shaadi nahi hui… toh main kisi aur se nahi karungi… main uske bina jee nahi paungi… please Papa, maan jaiye…" maine ro kar kaha..
Room ekdum silent ho gaya.
Papa ka chehra badal gaya…
Unki aankhon mein gussa kam aur dard zyada tha..
"Tumhe yaad nahi tumhari bahan ke saath kya hua tha?" unhone dheere par bhaari awaaz mein kaha.
Mera dil sunk gaya..
"Main ek beti kho chuka hoon…" Papa ki awaaz bhar aayi,
"Ab tumhe nahi khona chahta.Aajkal ka pyaar sirf timepass hota hai.Kal ko agar woh tumhe beech raste chhod ke chala gaya toh? Tab kya karogi?"
Unki baat sun kar meri rooh tak hil gayi.
Par maine apni himmat nahi chhodi.
"Papa… maine pyaar kiya nahi… ho gaya," maine aansuon ke beech kaha,
"Aage kya hoga mujhe nahi pata… par mujhe uspe poora vishwas hai। Usne mere liye apni sagai tod di… main usse achhe se jaanti hoon… woh bahut achha ladka hai… woh mujhse bahut pyaar karta hai… uski koi buri aadat nahi hai… na smoking, na drinking… woh ladkiyon ki respect karta hai…"
Maa aur Papa dono chup ho gaye.
Main bas apne aansu poch kar wahan se chali gayi..
Dusri taraf...
Piyush ke ghar mein bhi toofan aaya hua tha.
"Tumne sagai tod di? Sirf us ladki ke liye?" uske Papa chillaa rahe the.
"Haan… kyuki main kisi aur se pyaar karta hoon," Piyush ne seedha jawab diya...
"Muhabbat se ghar nahi chalta!" unke Papa gusse mein bole.
"Jhooth se bhi nahi chalta," Piyush ne shaant rehkar kaha..
Uski Maa beech mein aayi...
"Kaun hai woh ladki?"
Piyush ne meri photo unhe dikhayi..
"Yeh hai… aur main isse shaadi karna chahta hoon. "
Unki Maa thoda pighli..
"Par beta… family, society… log kya kahenge?"
Piyush ne seedha kaha..
"Mujhe logon se zyada apni zindagi ki parwah hai.
"
Ghar ka mahaul aur heavy ho gaya.
Raat ko Piyush ka message aaya..
"Sab bata diya ghar par… situation thodi kharab hai. "
Maine reply kiya...
"Yahan bhi same…"
Kuch seconds baad uska call aaya.
"Dar lag raha hai?" usne poocha...
Maine halka sa hansa..
"Thoda…"
"Main hoon na," usne dheere se kaha..
Uski awaaz sun kar mujhe himmat mili.
"Is baar hum peeche nahi hatenge…" maine kaha.
"Bilkul nahi," usne confidently jawab diya..
Agla din aur bhi tough hone wala tha.
Do families…
Do soch…
Aur beech mein hum dono..
Ek taraf parivaar ka darr…
Dusri taraf pyaar ka vishwas...
Kya pyaar itna strong hoga ki sab kuch jhel sake?
Ya phir parivaar ka pressure sab kuch tod dega?
Kahani abhi shuru hui thi…
Aur asli jang ki suruaat...