"Dekho na maa....ye wali sari ?"Ankush ik sari uttha k bola.
"Nhi beta....badi mehangi ye...tumhe toh pata naa...main itni mehangi sari nhi pehanti...." maine muh bana k kaha.
"Are maa....aapke dono bete MNC me kaam karte...itni bhi mehangi nhi ki aapko kharid k nhi de sakte....aap toh bas jo pasand ho, uspe haath rakh do...phir dekho." Beta kharidne ki zidd karta hua bola.
"Haan haan itni fizul kharchi tum aaj k log kar sakte....tumhare babuji k zamane mein toh aisa sochte bhi toh bade naraz ho jate."maine na karne k irade se kaha
"Are maa....tab ka zamaana gya....ab toh zamana hifi ho gaya hai...." uski baaton pe main muskura utthi.
Usne akhir sari le hi di...
Haathon mein sari liye kamre me pahonchi toh unki tasveer pe aankhein eka-ek ja k thehar si gyi. Aur hawa k sath mera mann waqt ki us daali pe chala gya jo aankhon se toh ojhal ho chuki hai...par jiske phoolon ki mehak liye aaj tak ye saansein ghoom rahi hain.
" suno na....is diwali mujhe na woh sari dilado na...jo kal dekhi thi........agar paise hon toh"...mere shabdon me glaani bhari hui thi.shayad inka dil na dukha doon...mehangi farmayish kar k.
"Dekhta hoon.... babuji ka karza chuka loon...phir shayad.....are guddu ka imtihaan kaisa gaya?" Janti thi ye mera dhyaan bhatka rahe hain par theek hai....sahi keh rahe hain ........ " are maine puchha guddu ka imtihaan kaisa tha.....kahaa kho gyi?" Ye jhalla k gusse me bole.
" ji woh....woh achha gaya....kal hindi ka paper hai..."
Main dar k boli.
"Maaji...dikhaiye na....kon si sari pasand ki aapne?" Sangeeta bahu paas me khadi puchh rahi thi.usk aane ka pata hi nhi chala..aur meri ateet ki bedi samay ko kab paar kar gayi...pata hi na chala.
" Haan dekho na beta....ye rahi...main toh mana karti rahi par woh mana hi nahi." Main bol padi.
" Are maaji sari toh bahot sundar hai....aap kal peheniyega....inke office me kal party hai.sab jayenge.aap pe ye badi phabegi." Sangeeta ki aankhon me chamak si thi khushi ki.
Woh keh k chali gyi.....aur main phir ateet k panno ko palat k inke paas pahonch gayi.
" Bachche bade ho gaye hain....unke kapde, khaana aur padhai bahot mehangi ho gyi hai Arti....Babuji ka karza toh badi mushkil se khatam hua....ab inki caalege ki padhaiye.... aisa lagta hai main rupay kamate kamate hi mar jaunga." Ye thake hue se lag rahe the.
"Aisa mat kahiye.....sab ho jayega....maine kuch paise jode the....ma babuji ne diye the Bhaiya ki shaadi k neg mein....aur kuch maine ghar k kharche se bacha liye....aap pareshaan mat hoyiye....main aapke saath hoon na...." main rote hue boli.
"Mujhe bas ek baat ka malaal hai Arti.....main tumhari koi ichchha puri na kar saka....lekin waada raha...tumhe tumhari pasand ki sari zaroor dilwaunga....mujhe yaad hai tumne ek baar mangi thi....par main tumhe le k nhi de saka..." inke shabdon me dukh mehsoos ho raha tha mujhe.
" Mujhe bas aap chahiye ji....koi sari nahi....jo hai woh bahot hai mere liye....aap itni mehnat karte....bachon k bare me sochte....mere bare me...pure ghar ka kharcha akele utthate....bas aage koi baat nhi..." maine inhe chup karwa diya.
Aur phir....diwali pe mujhe ye le gye bazaar, meri marzi ki sari dilwane. Mere na nakur karne par bhi 1100 rupay ki sari akhir dilwa hi di....ab tak ki meri sabse mehangi aur sundar sari...
Magar kismat ko na jane kya manzoor tha.... use pehan bhi na saki aur ye is jahaan ko chhod chale gye....
Unki badi ichchha thi mujhe us mehangi sari me dekhne ki par aisa ho na paya...
Us sari ko aaj bhi akele me dekhti hoon....haathon se chhooti hoon...toh ehsaas hota hai ki insaan sari zindagi jis cheez k pichhe bhaagta hai...
Woh milti tab hai...jab uski shayad use zaroorat hi na ho....
Bas yaadein hi sabse badi poonji hoti hai paas....jo koi nhi churasakta....waqt uspe mitti ki parat beshaq chaddha deta hai....par woh dil se kabhi bhi mit ti nhi...
Maine apne bete se keh diya hai..Ki jab main maru toh uske babuji ki di hui woh mehangi sari pehna k hi mera antim sanskar karna....
Main sari ko gale laga ro rahi thi unhe yaad kar k... ki kab beta-bahu mujhe darwaze pe khade dekh rahe the pata hi na chala...mudke dekha toh beta eka-ek bol pada," maa....bas karo...maana meri di hui sari babuji ki di hui sari k aage kuch nahi hai...magar ise kal zaroor pehanna mere liye....plz."
Usk chehre mein inki jhalak thi....
Aur maine haan bhardi.
©Ravinder Kaur
Image: www.pinterest.com