Har subah, thik saade saat baje, Ramesh apne haathon mein do cup chai lekar balcony mein jaate the - ek apne liye, ek Kamla ke liye।
Aur har subah, woh wahi karte the jo pichle teen saal se kar rahe the - Kamla ke saamne baithkar, halke se muskura kar, apna parichay dete the।
"Namaste। Main Ramesh hoon। Aap...?"
Kamla, jo khidki ke bahar dekh rahi thi, unki taraf mudti - kabhi muskura kar, kabhi sirf khaali nazron se। "Main Kamla hoon। Aap yahan kyun hain?"
Ramesh ka dil har baar thoda tootta - lekin har baar woh usi pyaar se jawab dete - "Main aapka pati hoon, Kamla ji। Hum 45 saal se saath hain।"
Woh Pehli Mulakat
1981 mein, Kanpur ke ek chhote se mohalle mein, 24 saal ke Ramesh ne pehli baar Kamla ko dekha tha - unke ghar ke bahar, ek shaadi ke function mein, jab woh apni chhoti behen ke saath rangoli bana rahi thi।
Ramesh apni maa ke saath aaye the "dekhne" - ek arranged shaadi ke silsile mein। Lekin jab Kamla ne apna sar utha kar dekha - haathon mein rang lage hue, baalon mein ek gulaab ka phool - Ramesh ka dil pehli baar itni zor se dhadka।
Unhone shaadi ke baad Kamla ko bataya tha - "Us din maine tumhe dekha, aur laga jaise zindagi bhar ke liye kuch tay ho gaya।"
Kamla hansi thi - "Aur main toh bas rangoli complete karne ki soch rahi thi!"
45 saal ki shaadi। Do bachche - Rohit aur Priya, dono ab apne apne shehar mein settled। Ek chhota sa ghar jo unhone khud banaya tha, eent eent karke। Aur ek pyaar jo waqt ke saath aur gehra hota gaya।
Woh Din Jab Sab Badalne Laga
Teen saal pehle, Kamla ne chhoti chhoti baatein bhoolni shuru ki - chaabi kahan rakhi, khana banate waqt namak daala ya nahi, kal kya khaya tha। Shuru mein Ramesh ne socha, umar ka asar hai।
Lekin ek din Kamla apne hi ghar ki galiyon mein raasta bhool gayin - jahan woh 40 saal se reh rahi thi। Padosi unhe ghar tak chhod ke gaye, dara hua chehra liye।
Doctor ne jaanch ke baad Ramesh ko akele baithaya - "Ramesh ji, yeh dementia hai। Alzheimer type ka। Dheere dheere yaadein kam hoti jaayengi।"
"Kitna waqt hai?" Ramesh ki awaaz kaanp rahi thi।
"Kaha nahi ja sakta। Kuch logon mein saalon lagte hain, kuch mein mahine। Lekin ek baat pakki hai - ek din aisa aayega jab woh aapko pehchan nahi paayengi।"
Us raat Ramesh apne kamre mein akele baithe rahe, purani shaadi ki album khole - Kamla ki haldi wali peeli saree, unki jhijhakti hui muskaan, phool jamaate haath। Aankhon se aansu beh rahe the, lekin dil mein ek faisla ban raha tha।
Roz Ki Nayi Mulakat
Pehle mahine mein Ramesh ne Kamla ko yaad dilane ki bahut koshish ki - purani photos dikhate, kissa sunate, "yaad hai" bolte rehte। Lekin har baar Kamla ka confuse chehra dekh kar unhe lagta jaise woh use aur pareshan kar rahe hain।
Phir ek din, unke bete Rohit ne, jo ek doctor tha, unhe samjhaya - "Papa, unhe force mat kijiye yaad karne ke liye। Bas unke saath rahiye, jaisi bhi woh abhi hain। Naye sire se unse dosti kijiye, roz।"
Yeh baat Ramesh ke dil mein utar gayi। Agle din se unhone ek naya niyam banaya - har subah, Kamla se phir se milna, jaise pehli baar ho।
"Namaste। Main Ramesh hoon। Aap se milkar khushi hui।"
Kabhi Kamla unhe ajnabi samajhti, kabhi apna koi purana dost, kabhi - achhe dinon mein - unhe "Ramesh" bulati bhi, lekin phir bhool jaati ki woh unke pati hain। Har din alag hota। Lekin Ramesh kabhi nirash nahi hote।
Woh roz Kamla ki favourite adrak wali chai banate - bilkul waise, jaise 1985 mein banayi thi jab woh pehli baar bimar padi thi aur Ramesh ne khud chai banana seekha tha।
Woh roz shaam ko unka favourite gaana lagate - Lata Mangeshkar ka "Lag Ja Gale" - kyunki yehi gaana un dono ki shaadi ke pehle saal, unke ghar ke ek purane radio pe baja tha।
Woh Sabse Mushkil Din
Ek shaam, Priya apne bachcho ke saath milne aayi। Kamla achanak dar gayin - unhe laga koi ajnabi unke ghar mein ghus aaya hai।
"Yeh kaun hai? Inhe yahan se le jaao! Mujhe dar lag raha hai!" Kamla chillayi, kone mein simat gayin।
Priya ke aansu beh nikle - apni hi maa unhe pehchan nahi paa rahi thi। Ramesh dheere se aage badhe, apni awaaz mein woh hi purani narmi rakhkar - "Kamla ji, yeh Priya hai। Aapki beti। Darne ki koi baat nahi।"
Kamla ne Ramesh ki taraf dekha - unki aankhon mein bhi thoda dar tha, lekin Ramesh ki shaant awaaz mein kuch tha jo unhe surakshit mehsoos karata। Woh dheere dheere shaant hui, lekin Priya ko phir bhi pehchan na paayin।
Uss raat, jab Priya jaane lagi, usne apne Papa se kaha - "Papa, shayad ab humein inhe kisi acche care home mein bhejna chahiye। Aapke liye yeh sab akele sambhalna bahut mushkil hai।"
Ramesh ne apni beti ka haath pakda, aankhein geeli lekin awaaz mazboot - "Beta, maine 45 saal pehle vaada kiya tha - sukh mein, dukh mein, bimari mein, sehat mein। Woh vaada tab bhi tha jab woh mujhe pehchanti thi, aur ab bhi hai jab nahi pehchanti। Main use kahin nahi bhejunga। Main roz uski nayi mulakat banunga, jitni baar zaroorat pade।"
Woh Chamakta Pal
Mahine beete। Kamla ki halat dheere dheere aur nazuk hoti gayi। Ek din aisa aaya jab woh poori tarah khamosh reh gayin - na kuch bolti, na kisi ko pehchanti, bas khidki ke bahar dekhti rehti।
Rohit aur Priya dono ghar aaye the, dono ke chehre pe gehri udaasi thi। Doctor ne kaha tha ki yeh bimari ke aakhri charan (final stage) ke lakshan hain।
Ramesh roz ki tarah balcony mein baithe, chai ka cup pakde, Kamla ke saamne। Unhone apna wahi purana parichay diya - "Namaste। Main Ramesh hoon।"
Koi jawab nahi aaya।
Phir Ramesh ne kuch aisa kiya jo unhone kabhi plan nahi kiya tha - unhone dheere se "Lag Ja Gale" gungunana shuru kiya, wahi gaana jo unki shaadi ke pehle saal baja tha।
"Lag ja gale ki phir yeh haseen raat ho na ho..."
Kamla ki ungliyan halki si hilin। Unki nazrein khidki se hatkar Ramesh ki taraf ghoomin।
Ramesh ne gaana jaari rakha, awaaz kaanpti hui, lekin poori shiddat se।
"Shaayad phir is janam mein mulaqaat ho na ho..."
Aur phir - itne mahino baad pehli baar - Kamla ki aankhon mein kuch chamka। Unke honth halke se hile, aur ek dheemi, kamzor awaaz mein, unhone kaha -
"Ramesh...?"
Poora kamra ruk gaya। Rohit aur Priya darwaze pe khade, saans roke। Ramesh ke haath se chai ka cup gir jaate agar unhone use tight na pakda hota।
"Haan, Kamla। Main yahin hoon। Hamesha se yahin hoon।" Ramesh ki aawaz mein saalon ka intezaar tha।
Kamla ne unka haath thaama - kamzor, lekin pehchan bhari pakad ke saath। Do pal ke liye - sirf do pal - unki aankhon mein woh Kamla thi jo 1981 mein rangoli banate hue mili thi।
Aaj
Woh pal zyada der nahi raha - kuch minute baad Kamla phir se khamosh ho gayin, apni duniya mein wapas chali gayin। Lekin us pal ne poore parivaar ko kuch sikha diya jo kabhi nahi bhoolega।
Aaj bhi, Ramesh har subah wahi karte hain - do cup chai, ek parichay, ek gaana shaam ko। Kabhi Kamla unhe pehchanti hain, kabhi nahi। Lekin Ramesh ke liye yeh farak nahi padta।
Kyunki jaisa woh Priya se kehte hain - "Pyaar sirf yaad rakhne ka naam nahi hai, beta। Pyaar roz phir se chunne ka naam hai। Aur main use roz chunta hoon - chahe woh mujhe yaad rakhe ya na rakhe।"
Kahani Ki Seekh
Saccha pyaar yaadon ka mohtaaj nahi hota - yeh roz ka faisla hota hai। Ramesh ne apni Kamla ko har din naye sire se "milna" seekha, is baat ki parwah kiye bina ki woh unhe pehchanti hai ya nahi।
Zindagi mein hum sochte hain ki pyaar sirf tab tak zinda rehta hai jab tak yaadein zinda hain। Lekin asli pyaar tab dikhta hai jab yaadein chali jaayein, aur hum phir bhi roz waapas aayein - phir se, aur phir se।
Agar aapke ghar mein koi buzurg hain jo bhoolne lage hain, unse dur mat jaayein। Roz unse naye sire se milein - kyunki kabhi kabhi, pyaar hi woh cheez hai jo yaadash se bhi zyada gehri hoti hai।
