Diwali ki raat. Ek aisi raat jiska intezaar saal bhar rehta hai. Mere liye toh yeh roshni, mithaiyon aur apno ke saath se kahin zyaada thi. Yeh ek ehsaas tha. Hawa mein ghuli hui barood ki mehek, ghee mein taley jaa rahe pakwaano ki khushboo, aur door tak goonjti hassi ki awaazein... yeh sab milkar ek jaadu sa banate the.
Is saal bhi sab kuch waisa hi tha. Ghar diyon ki roshni se jagmaga raha tha. Rangoli ke rang zameen par bikhre hue aise lag rahe the jaise aasman se sitaare toot kar gir gaye hon. Mummy-papa, chacha-chachi, cousins, dost... poora ghar mehmano se bhara hua tha. Har taraf shor tha, ek khushi wala shor. Main bhi usi bheed ka hissa thi, ek sundar sa lehenga pehne, haathon mein phuljhadi liye, sabke saath hass bol rahi thi. Par dil mein, kahin ek kone mein, ek ajeeb si khamoshi thi.
Aisa nahi tha ki main khush nahi thi. Main thi, bohot khush thi. Par kabhi kabhi bohot saari awaazon ke beech bhi aapko ek sukoon bhari khamoshi ki talaash hoti hai. Main wahi dhoondh rahi thi. Phuljhadi bujh gayi, par uski roshni meri aankhon mein abhi bhi aabaad thi. Sab log agle round ke patakhon ki taiyaari mein lag gaye. Maine dheere se kadam piche liye aur ghar ki chhat ki taraf chal padi.
Chhat, yaani terrace, humare ghar ka sabse shaant kona tha. Wahan se poora sheher dikhta tha – ek aisa sheher jo aaj sitaaron se saji ek dulhan jaisa lag raha tha. Har ghar, har imaarat roshni mein nahayi hui thi. Aasman mein har doosre pal ek naya rocket jaata, aur ek khoobsurat aatishbaazi mein badal jaata. Main chhat ke kinare bani deewar ke paas jaakar khadi ho gayi, thandi hawa mere baalon se khel rahi thi. Yahan sukoon tha. Yahan main bheed mein bhi akeli thi, aur is akelepan mein ek alag hi maza tha.
"Yeh wala sabse sundar tha, hai na?"
Ek gehri, shaant awaaz ne meri khamoshi todi. Main chaunk kar palti. Chhat ke doosre kone mein, andhere mein, ek saya sa tha jo ab meri taraf badh raha tha. Jaise hi woh andhere se nikal kar chaandni aur diyon ki halki roshni mein aaya, maine use dekha. Ek ajnabee. Shayad neeche party mein aaya koi mehmaan hoga jise main pehchanti nahi thi. Woh bhi meri tarah hi is shor se bhaag kar yahan sukoon dhoondhne aaya tha.
Usne kurta pajama pehna hua tha, simple sa, lekin uspar bohot janch raha tha. Uska chehra shaant tha, aur aankhon mein ek ajeeb si thehrav thi. Jaise woh yahan sirf aatishbaazi nahi, kuch aur bhi dekh raha ho.
Maine bas halka sa sar hilakar haan kaha. "Haan, blue aur golden wala... bohot khoobsurat."
Woh mere paas aakar, thodi doori banakar, deewar se tek lagakar khada ho gaya. Hum dono chupchap aasman ko dekhte rahe. Aam taur par main ajnabiyon se baat karne mein hichkichati hoon, par uski मौजूदगी mein kuch ajeeb sa comfort tha. Aisa nahi lag raha tha ki mujhe kuch kehne ki zaroorat hai. Khamoshi bhi humare beech ek rishta bana rahi thi.
"Tumhe bhi shor pasand nahi?" usne kuch der baad pucha, uski nazar abhi bhi aasman par hi tiki thi.
"Pasand hai," maine dheere se jawaab diya, "par kabhi kabhi roshni ko theek se dekhne ke liye, shor se door jaana padta hai."
Meri is baat par woh muskuraya. Ek bohot halki si, par bohot gehri muskaan. Usne meri taraf dekha, aur is baar uski aankhon mein ek chamak thi. "Yeh baat bohot gehri hai. Aur sach bhi."
Humne naam puche. Mera naam Ananya tha, uska Kabir. Pata chala ki woh mere papa ke kisi door ke dost ka beta tha, jo dusre sheher se aaya tha. Yeh uski pehli Diwali thi yahan.
Baaton ka silsila shuru hua toh pata hi nahi chala waqt kaise guzarta gaya. Humne patakhon ke baare mein baat nahi ki, na hi lehengon aur kurtas ke baare mein. Humari baatein alag thi. Humne baat ki Diwali ke asli matlab ki. Usne bataya ki uske liye Diwali sirf ek tyohaar nahi, balki andhere par roshni ki jeet ka sabse bada saboot hai. Andhera sirf raat ka nahi, balki mann ka bhi.
Maine use bataya ki mere liye Diwali yaadein hain. Bachpan ki yaadein. Jab papa ke saath milkar ghar ke har kone mein diye jalati thi. Jab ek-ek phuljhadi ko aakhri saans tak jalane ki zidd hoti thi. Jab mithai ka dabba chupke se apne kamre mein le jaana duniya ki sabse badi jeet lagti thi.
Kabir ek bohot achha listener tha. Woh sirf sun nahi raha tha, woh samajh raha tha. Meri har baat, har ehsaas ko. Usne mujhe mere hi bachpan ki un galiyon mein laa khada kiya tha jinko main kab ka piche chhod aayi thi.
"Sapne dekhti ho?" usne achanak pucha, jab ek rocket 'phusss' karke reh gaya aur hum dono hass pade.
Maine uski taraf dekha. "Kaun nahi dekhta?"
"Nahi, mera matlab hai... aankhein khol kar sapne dekhna. Aasman ko dekhte hue, ya bas khidki ke bahar dekhte hue. Sochna ki tumhari zindagi aisi nahi, waisi honi chahiye. Ya fir aisi hi honi chahiye, bas thodi aur behtar."
Uska sawaal itna aam sa tha, par uske puchne ka tareeka... itna khaas tha. Aisa laga jaise woh mere dil ke andar chhipe un sawaalon ko padh pa raha hai jo main khud se bhi puchne se darti thi.
"Roz," maine dheere se, imaandari se kaha. "Main roz sapne dekhti hoon. Ek chhota sa book cafe ho mera, pahadon mein. Jahaan log aayein, aaram se coffee piyein aur ghanton kitabein padhein. Jahaan baarish ki awaaz ho, aur purane gaano ki dhun."
Yeh sapna maine aaj tak kisi ko nahi bataya tha. Yeh mera tha, sirf mera. Par aaj is ajnabee ke saamne, is Diwali ki raat, yeh raaz bhi mere honthon par aa gaya.
Usne meri baat sunkar aankhein band kar li. "Main imagine kar sakta hoon," usne kaha. "Lakdi ki deewarein, ek fireplace, aur har taraf kitaabon ki khushboo. Main wahan zaroor aaunga, ek cup garam chocolate peene."
Uske kehne mein itni sachchai thi, ki ek pal ke liye mujhe bhi laga ki woh book cafe sach mein hai, aur woh wahan baitha hai. Humari baatein gehri hoti jaa rahi thi. Humne zindagi, dar, khushi, sabke baare mein baat ki. Aisa lag raha tha jaise hum saalon se ek doosre ko jaante hain. Jaise mere andar ki khamoshi ko uski awaaz ki zaroorat thi, aur uske thehrav ko mere sapno ki.
Waqt jaise tham sa gaya tha. Neeche se aa raha shor ab door ki sargoshiyon jaisa lag raha tha. Hum dono apni hi ek duniya mein the, jo is chhat par, is raat, humne banayi thi.
Tabhi ek saath kayi rockets aasman mein gaye. Ek, do, teen... poora aasman sone, chaandi, neele, hare, laal rangon se bhar gaya. Roshni itni tez thi ki ek pal ke liye laga jaise din nikal aaya hai. Hum dono ne ek saath upar dekha. Woh nazara itna khoobsurat tha, itna zyaada, ki lafz kam pad gaye.
Usi roshni mein, maine Kabir ko dekha. Uske chehre par ek bachchon jaisi muskaan thi, aur uski aankhon mein woh saari aatishbaazi ki chamak qaid ho gayi thi. Usne bhi mujhe dekha. Humari nazrein mili. Woh kuch pal... shayad kuch second hi honge, par mujhe laga jaise ek poori zindagi unmein simat aayi hai. Na usne kuch kaha, na maine. Saari baatein, saare ehsaas, us ek pal ki khamoshi mein hi bayaan ho gaye the. Ek anjaan insaan ke saath itna gehra connection, itna apnapan... yeh ehsaas naya tha, aur bohot khoobsurat tha.
"Ananya! Beta, kahan ho? Chalo, dinner thanda ho raha hai!"
Mummy ki awaaz ne jaise humare us jaadui pal ko tod diya. Main hosh mein aayi. Main uski aankhon mein ab bhi dekh rahi thi, aur woh meri.
"Mujhe jaana hoga," maine dheere se kaha. Dil nahi kar raha tha. Aisa lag raha tha jaise is chhat se neeche utri, toh yeh sapna toot jaayega.
"Main samajhta hoon," usne usi shaant lehje mein kaha. Uski muskaan waisi hi thi. Na koi shikayat, na koi jaldbaazi.
Main mudne lagi, par ek aakhri baar use dekhne se khud ko rok nahi paayi. Usne na mera number maanga, na maine use dene ki koshish ki. Hum dono jaante the. Yeh raat, yeh baatein, yeh pal... yeh bas itna hi tha. Isko aage badhane ki koshish shayad iski khoobsurti ko kam kar deti. Kuch kahaniyan poori hone ke liye nahi, bas ek khoobsurat yaad banne ke liye hoti hain.
"Happy Diwali, Ananya," usne kaha.
"Happy Diwali, Kabir," maine jawaab diya aur neeche chali aayi.
Neeche aakar main fir usi bheed mein kho gayi. Sabne pucha kahan thi, maine hass kar taal diya. Dinner kiya, mithaiyan khayi, sabke saath tasveerein khichwayi. Sab kuch pehle jaisa hi tha, par mere andar kuch badal gaya tha. Ab woh khamoshi khal nahi rahi thi. Uski jagah ek ajeeb sa sukoon tha, ek meetha sa ehsaas.
Baaki ki raat meri aankhein bheed mein anjaane mein use hi dhoondhti rahi, par woh dobara nahi dikha. Shayad woh bhi, meri tarah, is kahani ko ussi chhat par, un sitaaron ke neeche chhod aaya tha.
Party khatam hui. Mehmaan chale gaye. Ghar shaant ho gaya. Main apne kamre mein aayi, aur bistar par late gayi. Khidki ke bahar ab bhi kahin kahin patakhon ki awaaz aa rahi thi. Aankhein band ki toh wahi chhat, wahi aasman aur wahi ajnabee... Kabir... nazar aaya. Uski shaant aankhein, uski gehri muskaan, aur uski baatein.
Us raat mujhe neend bohot achhi aayi. Ek aisi neend jo bohot dino se nahi aayi thi. Main soyi nahi, main jaise ek khoobsurat ehsaas mein behti chali gayi. Zindagi mein kayi Diwaliyan aayengi aur jaayengi. Par woh Diwali ki raat hamesha ke liye mere dil mein qaid ho gayi. Ek anjaan shakhs se hui ek chhoti si mulaqat ne mujhe zindagi ke, aur khud ke, itne kareeb laa diya tha. Yeh Diwali, sach mein, andhere par roshni ki jeet thi. Mere mann ke andhere par, ek ajnabee ki yaadon ki roshni ki jeet.