Fauji Bhai Ki Rakhi - Ek Vaade Ki Kahani

Pihu 12 saal ki thi jab usne apne bhai ka haath pakad kar poocha tha - "Bhaiya, agle saal bhi aaoge na Rakhi pe?"

Rohan us waqt 19 saal ka tha। NDA ka interview clear kar chuka tha। Agle hafte Dehradun jaana tha - training ke liye।

Usne Pihu ki kalai pe bandhi kachchi dhaage wali rakhi dekhi - jo usne khud, raat bhar jaagkar, apne haathon se banayi thi। Rohan ne Pihu ka sar sehla ke kaha tha -

"Main hamesha aaunga, Pihu। Chahe kahin bhi hoon, chahe kaisi bhi halaat ho - main Rakhi pe zaroor aaunga। Yeh vaada hai।"

Pihu muskura di thi। Us din use nahi pata tha ki yeh vaada aane wale saalon mein kitna bhaari padne wala tha।

Woh Pehla Saal

Rohan Indian Army mein commission hua - Lieutenant Rohan Sharma, 6 Para Regiment। Pehli posting mili - Siachen ke qareeb, Ladakh sector। Height itni ki saans lena bhi mushkil hota tha। Temperature minus 30 degree tak girta tha।

Pehle saal Rakhi aayi toh Rohan leave nahi le paya। Border pe alert tha। Phone signal bhi kabhi kabhi hi aata tha।

Pihu ne rakhi post office se bheji - ek chhota sa parcel, saath mein ek chitthi।

"Bhaiya, aap nahi aaye toh kya - yeh rakhi aapke paas pahunch gayi na? Wahi kaafi hai। Aap wahan surakshit raho, bas।"

Rohan ne woh rakhi apni jeb mein rakhi - poore saal। Post ki duty pe bhi, patrolling mein bhi। Woh dhaaga uski taaqat ban gaya tha।

Saal Dar Saal

Ek saal beeta। Do saal। Teen saal।

Har Rakhi pe wahi kahani dohrayi jaati - Pihu rakhi bhejti, kabhi video call pe hi rakhi baandhne ki koshish karti (screen ke saamne apni kalai dikhake), aur Rohan wahin border pe apne unit ke saathiyon ke saath baithkar apni behen ki awaaz sunta।

Uske saathi fauji - jinki apni behnein thi - sab saath baithkar apne apne phone pe apni-apni behno se baat karte। Border pe ek ajeeb sa tyohar manta - door reh kar bhi paas hone ka ehsaas।

Pihu bhi badi ho rahi thi। College gayi। Job lagi। Lekin har saal August mein, jab bazaar rakhiyon se saj jaate, uski aankhon mein wahi sawaal hota - "Is baar bhaiya aayenge kya?"

Jawaab hamesha wahi hota - "Nahi Pihu, is baar bhi nahi।"

Ek saal - paanchwa saal - aisa laga ki shayad ho jaaye। Rohan ki leave sanction ho gayi thi, ticket bhi book ho chuki thi। Pihu ne poore ghar ko saja diya, Rohan ke favourite pakwaan bana rahi thi, sabko bata diya tha - "Iss baar bhaiya aa rahe hain!"

Phir raat ko 11 baje phone aaya। Rohan ki awaaz mein sharmindagi thi - "Pihu, sorry। Border pe kuch hua hai। Meri leave cancel ho gayi। Main nahi aa sakta।"

Pihu ne phone rakha aur kamre mein ja ke akele royi - lekin subah uthke usne poore ghar ke saamne muskura kar kaha, "Koi baat nahi, agle saal aayenge।" Kisi ko pata nahi chalne diya ki raat bhar kitna roi thi।

Lekin Pihu ne kabhi shikwa nahi kiya। Kyunki use pata tha - jahan uska bhai khada tha, wahan lakhon logon ki raksha ho rahi thi। Uska bhai sirf uska nahi tha - poore desh ka tha।

Woh Saal Jab Sab Badal Gaya

Pihu ki shaadi tay hui - Arjun se, ek software engineer, Pune mein। Shaadi ki date rakhi gayi - 28 August, Raksha Bandhan ke agle hi din।

Pihu excited thi, lekin ek hi khayal use bechain kar raha tha - "Bhaiya iss baar zaroor aayenge। Meri shaadi hai। Rakhi bhi hai। Iss baar toh aana hi padega।"

Usne Rohan ko call kiya - awaaz mein umeed aur dar dono the।

"Bhaiya, meri shaadi hai। 29 August ko। Aap aaoge na? Rakhi bhi baandhni hai aapko, aur phir kanyadaan bhi toh aapko hi karna hai - Papa toh hain nahi।"

Line pe kuch second ki khamoshi rahi।

Rohan ki awaaz bhaari thi - "Pihu, main koshish karunga। Pakka nahi bol sakta abhi। Border pe kuch tension hai - hume pata chalega leave milegi ya nahi, sirf do-teen din pehle।"

Pihu ka dil baith gaya। Lekin usne khud ko sambhala - "Theek hai bhaiya। Koshish karna। Main wait karungi।"

Border Pe Tension

Un dino border pe halaat sach mein tang the। Ceasefire violation ki khabrein aa rahi thin। Rohan ki unit ko high alert pe rakha gaya tha। Leave applications freeze ho gayi thin।

Rohan ne apne Commanding Officer, Colonel Vikram Rathore, se baat ki - halke se, jaise koi bada favour maang raha ho।

Camp mein us waqt sirf duty ki baatein hoti thin। Naksha table pe rakhe the, wireless set pe lagataar updates aa rahe the। Rohan ne apni turn ka wait kiya, phir Colonel Sahab ke cabin ke bahar khada ho gaya - dil mein ek ajeeb sa dar tha, jaise koi choti si cheez maang raha ho jo bahut badi lag rahi ho।

"Sir, meri behen ki shaadi hai 29 August ko। Agar mumkin ho toh..."

Colonel Rathore ne uski taraf dekha - unki apni bhi ek behen thi, saalon pehle unki shaadi mein woh khud border duty ki wajah se nahi ja paaye the। Unhe pata tha yeh dard kya hota hai।

"Lieutenant, main koshish karunga। Lekin promise nahi kar sakta। Duty pehle hai।"

Rohan ne sar hilaya। "Samajhta hun Sir।"

Rakhi Ka Din

27 August। Raksha Bandhan।

Pihu ghar mein thaal saja rahi thi - roli, chawal, mithai, aarti ki thaali। Sab ready tha। Lekin bhai wahan nahi tha।

Usne phone check kiya - koi message nahi। Border pe network hi nahi hota kai baar।

Maa ne Pihu ka haath pakda - "Beta, ho sakta hai woh nahi aa paayein। Hume samajhna chahiye। Woh desh ki seva kar rahe hain।"

Pihu ne aansu rok liye। "Haan Maa। Mujhe pata hai।"

Shaam ko video call laga - kaafi koshish ke baad, kharaab signal mein Rohan ka chehra dikha। Thaka hua, lekin muskurata hua।

"Pihu, khush raho। Main phone pe hi tumhari rakhi le raha hun।"

Pihu ne screen ke saamne apni kalai dikhayi - jaise woh rakhi baandh rahi ho। Aankhon mein aansu the, lekin awaaz mein himmat thi।

"Bhaiya, kal meri shaadi hai। Aaoge na?"

Rohan chup ho gaya। "Pihu, main sach nahi bata sakta। Halaat theek nahi hain। Lekin ek baat yaad rakhna - jahan bhi rahoon, main tumhare saath hi hoon। Kanyadaan Maama karenge, main asha karta hun tum samjhogi।"

Call cut gaya। Pihu ro padi।

Shaadi Ka Din

29 August। Mandap saja tha। Sab mehmaan aa chuke the। Pihu dulhan ban ke baithi thi - lekin uski nazar baar baar gate ki taraf jaa rahi thi।

Pandit ji ne kanyadaan ki rasam shuru karne ko kaha। Maama aage aaye - lekin Pihu ne ek pal ke liye haath roka।

"Ek minute ruk jaayein please।"

Sabki nazrein Pihu par thi। Uski aankhon mein umeed thi - jo shayad ab tootne wali thi।

Tabhi - gate pe halchal hui।

Ek jeep aakar ruki। Aur usme se utra - fauji uniform mein, dhool se sana hua, thaka hua - Lieutenant Rohan Sharma।

Pihu ki saans ruk gayi। "Bhaiya?!"

Rohan bhaagta hua mandap tak aaya। Saans phool rahi thi, lekin chehre pe woh muskaan thi jo Pihu ne saalon se miss ki thi।

"Maine kaha tha na - jahan bhi rahoon, aaunga।"

Woh Kahani Jo Baad Mein Pata Chali

Baad mein Pihu ko pata chala - Colonel Rathore ne khud upar tak baat pahunchayi thi। Unhone apne senior officers ko Rohan ki poori kahani batayi - woh vaada jo usne 7 saal pehle apni behen se kiya tha।

"Yeh sirf ek soldier ki chhutti ka mamla nahi hai," Colonel Rathore ne kaha tha। "Yeh ek vaade ki baat hai। Aur hum aise vaadon ki izzat karte hain।"

Ek emergency 36-hour leave sanction hui - sirf itni ki Rohan jaldi jaake, shaadi mein pahunch ke, wapas turant lautna tha। Rohan ne bina soche haan kar di। Ek military vehicle se airbase, phir flight, phir seedha shaadi ke mandap tak - sirf isliye ki uski behen ka intezaar poora ho sake।

Rohan ne kanyadaan kiya - fauji uniform mein hi, kyunki waqt itna kam tha ki kapde badalne ka mauka nahi mila। Sabki aankhein geeli thin jab unhone Pihu ka haath Arjun ke haath mein diya।

"Ab isse utni hi mohabbat aur raksha karna jitni maine ki hai," Rohan ne Arjun se kaha - awaaz mein bhai ka pyaar aur ek fauji ka sense of duty dono the।

Wapsi

36 ghante poore hone se pehle Rohan ko wapas jaana pada। Pihu ne station pe usse vida ki - is baar bina aansuo ke, sirf garv ke saath।

"Bhaiya, thank you। Aapne apna vaada nibhaya।"

Rohan ne muskura kar kaha - "Ek fauji sirf desh ki raksha nahi karta Pihu। Woh apne vaadon ki bhi raksha karta hai। Tum mera vaada ho।"

Train chal padi। Pihu station pe khadi apne bhai ko dekhti rahi - jab tak woh nazron se ojhal na ho gaya।

Uski kalai pe abhi bhi woh rakhi thi jo usne khud video call ke through "baandhi" thi - aur uske dil mein ab ek naya vishwaas tha। Doori chahe kitni bhi ho, kuch vaade kabhi nahi tootte।