Chauthi Saalgiraah

 Zindagi mein, baaz auqaat, kayi aaise waqiyaat pesh aate hain jo insaan ko sochne par majboor kar dete hain ki aakhir zindagi ke asal maani kya hain, insaaniyat ke asal maani kya hain, aur konsi aaisi khoobiyan hain jo waqai insaan ko insaan banati hain. Aaise bhi kuch haadse pesh aate hain jo insaan ko, dar-haqeeqat, mu’ashre se jodte hain aur unke ek insaan hone ka imtehaan lete hain. Mere nazdeek, ‘ghareebi’ aaisi hi ek shai hai.

Hum log apni apni zindagiyon mein itne masroof ho gaye hain ki jeena jaise bhool gaye hain, lamhon se lutfandoz hone ko faramosh kar baithe hain, aur apne mu’ashre mein hone wali hulchul par ghaur-o-fikr karne se anjaan hain. Halanki ye baat sach hai ki sabki quwwat-e-idraak ek si nahi hoti, par mujhe aaisa laga ki agar main apni zindagi se judi ek vaardaat iss awaam ke pesh-e-nazar karun to shayad wo sochne par majboor to ho sakenge.

Waqiya kuch yun hai ki mere chacha ke paani ke plant mein ek naujawan aadmi ne kaam shuru kiya. Wo plant mein kaam karne ke saath saath humare ghar ke bhi kaam kiya karta tha. Kuch saal kaam karne ke baad, uski shaadi hui; mere chacha ne uske liye aur uski biwi ke liye ek kamra tameer karwaya humare ghar ki chatt pe. Shaadi ke ek saal ke andar Allah ne unhe ek beti se nawaaza aur dusre saal mein ek aur beti. Kal humare ghar ki uss nanhi si fard ki chauthi (4th) saalgiraah thi.

Bade dhoom-dhaam se tayyariyan ki gayin. Uske waalid ne tamaam intezaam kiye, pados aur gaon se mehmaanon ki daawat karwayi gayi. Qareeb 80-100 log to rahe hi honge. Humari gudiya ke liye baqaida ghubbaron se sajaavat hui, cake bhi laaya gaya. Uski khushi to phoole nahi samaa rahi thi. 

Shaam ko uska chehra dekhne wala tha, naye naye kapde jo ammi ne pehnaaye the, chachi ne laali-powder se aur zeenat badha di. Iske fauran baad hum sabhi log uski cake-cutting ke liye badhe. Table pe ek dibba tha jisme cake tha, peeche parde pe ‘Happy Birthday’ latka hua tha. Cake ka dibba dekh ke jis tarah se wo betaab hui, uska baahein phela kar machalna aur dibbe ko apni taraf kheechne ki tamaam nakaam koshishein karna, wazeh tha ki bohot beqaraar hai cake kaatne ke liye. Dibba jab khula to ek gulaabi rang ka cake, jisko titliyon se sajaaya gaya tha uski aankhon ke saamne aaya. Cake bhi koi mamooli nahi, 2 manzila tha. Uski aankhon mein uss lamhe ek alag hi raunaq nazar aayi mujhe.

Aakhirkaar, wo lamha aa hi gaya jab mehmaan jama hue aur cake kaatne ki baari aayi; mere khayaal se uss lamhe mein uski khushi apne nuqta-e-urooj par jaa pohanchi thi. Cake ko dekh kar uski zubaan se nikla, “bilkul mall jaisa cake hai”, aur hum sab hans pade, aur meri hasi shayad wo thi, jo rone ke zyda nazdeek thi. Uss bachchi ne to mall ki sair shayad ek-aadh baar hi ki ho, aur hum jaise khush-haal mutawassit tabqe wale, jo mauqa aane par ek sheher se dusre sheher ke mall bhi ghoom aate hain, kitne bekhabar hain ki Allah Ta’ala ne humein kitni badi neymat se nawaaza hai. Aur yaqeenan hum log shukr karne walon mein se nahi hain. Beharhaal, usne cake kata aur wo hans padi- be-ikhtiyaar, dil khol kar; bilkul uss bachchi ki hansi ki tarah jo abhi tak zindagi ke unn paimaanon se na-aashna hai jin par khushiyon ki qeemat lagayi jaati hai. Jo ye nahi jaanti ki chalees rupaye ki musarrat ko chaar hazaar rupaye ki musarrat se kamtar samjha jaata hai. Jise abhi tak duniya ne ye nahi bataya ki ye saalgiraah- jo ek maamooli se shamiyaane ke neeche, cement ke farsh par, ek aaisi gali mein manaayi jaa rahi hai jo barsaat mein doob jaati hai- ek choti si saalgiraah hai, ek saadi si saalgiraah, ek aaisi saalgiraah jise duniya utni ehmiyat na deti.

Magar wo abhi ye sab nahi jaanti thi. Uske liye to bas itna kaafi tha ki ghubbare aur cake bohot khoobsurat hain.

Uss hi hafte, sheher ke kisi aur kone mein, Lucknow ke ek mehfooz aur bafaseel residential complex ki paanchvin manzil par waqai ek apartment mein, ek aur bachchi ne apni chauthi saalgiraah manayi hogi. Uski party ka ek khaas theme raha hoga- ek cartoon pari jaisi aab-o-bahr ki pari ka theme, jisse muta’aliq samaan sirf ek bain-ul-aqwami brand ke zariye dastiyaab kiya gaya hoga. Wahan ek professional photographer maujood raha hoga. Mehmaanon ke liye tohfe kraft paper ke khoobsurat thailon mein rakh kar diye gaye honge. Aur ghubbaron par hi pandra sau (1500) rupaye kharch kiye gaye honge. Uss bachchi ke chehre par ek ajeeb si uljhan numaaya rahi ho shayad. Dekhne ke liye itna kuch ke shayad use samajh hi nahi aa raha ho ki apni nigaahein kis simt jamaaye. Uski aankhon mein hairat to rahi hogi, magar wo be-lagaam khushi nahi jo ek bachchi ko sirf chand ghubbaron aur ek gulaabi titliyon wale cake se mil jaati hai.

Uske zehen mein ye khayaal tak nahi aa sakta tha ki inn do saalgiraahon ke darmiyaan jo faasla tha, wo darasal do ma’eeshaton ka faasla tha, do tarz-e-zindagiyon ka faasla tha; do Hindustaanon, aur “kaafi” ke mafhoom ko samajhne ke do yaksar, mukhtalif nazariyon ka faasla tha.

Baahar sheher apni rozmarra ki sangdili aur naazuk si meherbaani ke saath musalsal rawaan tha. Sadkon par gaadiyon ki hama-hami goonj rahi thi, jo kisi na kisi manzil ki taraf aur tez bhaagi chali jaa rahi thin. Naale se uss baarish ki mehek uth rahi thi jo abhi barasna baaqi thi. Aur aaise hi beshumaar gharon mein, kayi aaisi maaein aur baap achaar ke martabaanon ke peeche rakhe uss chote se aam dibbe mein apne khwaabon aur khwahishaat ko seench rahe hain.

“sharm aatī hai ki us shahr meñ ham haiñ ki jahāñ

Na mile bhiik to lākhoñ kā guzārā hī na ho”


                                      -JAN NISAR AKHTAR


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