chhupan -chhupaaee

shaama ke samay daftar sirf sannaate se goonj rahaa thaa. shaanti ko deevaara kee or munh karake sau tak ginatee ginanee thee par usane naheen ginee thee. fir bhee acharaj chhup gayaa thaa. shaanti ko use khojanaa thaa par shaanti kaa man khel men naheen thaa. daftara khtm ho gayaa thaa par shaanti kaa kaam khtm naheen huaa thaa. chhoote hue kaamon ne usake man ko ulajhaa rakhaa thaa. acharaj aisee kisee ulajhana men naheen thaa. vah shuddh prateekshaa kar rahaa thaa khud ko khoj lie jaane kee. yah jaise shikaaree aur shikaara kaa ek khel thaa. shaanti ko shikaaree honaa thaa aur acharaj shikaar kee bhoomikaa men thaa. vo jo mahasoos kar rahaa thaa vo shaayad ek aadim romaanch thaa jisane usake shareer kee saaree indriyon ko apane charam saamarthya tak kheench daalaa thaa. aankhon aur kaana nihaayat chaukanne, haath-paira kisee bhee pal harakat men aa jaane ke lie tatpar aur dil poore shareera men khoon ko tejee se fenkane ke lie dhaunkanee saa dhaunk rahaa thaa. ek-ek pal ke prati sachet thaa vo. jab bahut lambe-lambe dher saare pal yoon hee beet gae to usane bahut haule se jhaank kara dekhaa us dishaa men jidhar se shaanti ko aanaa thaa. shaanti vaheen apanee mej ke peechhe apane laipatop men sar sataae baithee thee.

mamaa, main chhup gayaa hoon.. aao! acharaja vaapas apane chhupane kee jagah jaakara uttejanaa men utaraane lagaa.

acharaja skool se seedhe shaanti ke daftara aa gayaa thaa kyonki ghar par n to saasoo maan theen aur n hee paakhee. aura daftar acharaj ke lie ek anokhaa snsaar thaa. usakaa vistaar, usakee oonchee chhat, chhote-chhote chaukor hisson men vibhaajita lambe kaauntar, aura har kuchh kaa saletee-neelee rngat men rngaa honaa bhee acharaja ke lie ek bhoolabhulaiyaa saa hai. chamachamaatee raushanee se jagamagaane ke baavajood vo saaraa kuchh acharaj ke lie ek rahasy ke khol se dhakaa huaa hai. us rahasy kaa anajaanaapana acharaj ke lie bhay aur uttejanaa kaa aadhaar hai.

isee bhay aur uttejanaa kee raah se gujrakar usane sabase pahale ghara ke anajaanepan kaa anusndhaan kiyaa thaa. fir ghar se nikalakar jis-jisa imaarat men rahe un imaaraton kaa anusndhaan kiyaa thaa. aur fira skool men bhartee ho jaane ke baad skool men sahaj roop se na dikhane vaale konon aur antaron men chhupe hue aayaamon kaa bhee apane saathiyon ke saath anveshana kiyaa thaa- binaa yaha jaane ki skool men daakhilaa lene vaalee har peedhee unhee konon kaa baar-baara anveshan karatee hai aur usake romaancha se gujratee hai.

acharaja kee aashaa thee ki usake shikaar kaa charam kisee daboch lie jaane vaalee cheshtaa yaa fir chaunkaa dene vaale sur se hogaa. par shaanti ne jo kiyaa vo bilakul bhee usa svabhaav kaa naheen thaa. apanee ulajhanon ko lapetatee huee see shaanti aaee aura sirf yah kahakar usake bagl se gujr gaee – chalo! na koee hamalaa, n koee cheekh, n jakdne kee jaldee aur n bach nikalane kee hadbadee - shikaar ke kisee tatva kaa kuchh bhee naheen majaa naheen milaa acharaj ko. vo maayoos ho gayaa. apanee jagah se hilaa bhee naheen. shaanti kheejakar ulate paanv lautee aur lagabhag use ghaseetate hue see apane saath neeche le gaee.

para mamaa, tumane praumisa kiyaa thaa..

haan kiyaa thaa.. par abhee taaeem naheen hai betaa.. ghara bhee to jaanaa hai..

pleej mamaa.. chalo khelo n.. pleej mamee pleej..

acharaja apane baalahath men utarakar paira patakane lagaa. haarakar shaanti ne samajhaute kee raah lenee chaahee- achchhaa theek hai.. ghara chalakar khelenge..

ghara par to main roj khelataa hoon.. yahaan khelate hain n mamaa.. kitanee badee jagah hai.. yahaan kitanaa majaa aaegaa..

shaanti ne use fir se bahalaane kee koshisha kee par acharaj ne thunakanaa shuroo kara diyaa. tab tak shaanti usakaa haatha pakad kar kheenchate hue paarkinga tak le aaee thee. shaanti ne use jhaansaa diyaa ki daftar men to chaukeedaara ne taalaa maar diyaa hogaa- to vahaan lautanaa to mumakin naheen aur apanee nekaneeyata dikhaane ke lie use paarkinga men chhupan-chhupaaee khelane kaa prastaav de daalaa. acharaj ne najr uthaakar dekhaa- paarking men andhere aur ujaale kaa ek ajaba chitakabaraa drishy failaa huaa thaa. kaafee kuchh khaalee paarkinga men kaheen-kaheen kaaren aur motarasaaeekalen khadee huee theen. vo ek aisee jagah thee jo nanhe acharaj ke lie bilakula aparichit aur anajaan thee. use dekhakar hee acharaj ke dil men ajnyaata ke bhay kee ek lahar see tharatharaane lagee. us bhay kee chhaayaaon ko usake chehare par dekh shaanti ko yah ummeeda huee thee ki vo naa kar degaa. para acharaj ne haamee bhar dee.

shaanti ke paas apane hee prastaav se palat jaane kaa vikalp naheen bachaa. acharaj ek baar shikaar ban chukaa thaa- ab shaanti kee shikaar banane kee baaree thee. shaanti ne sochaa- vo aisee jagah chhupegee jahaan se use khojane men acharaj ko jraa bhee mashakkt n karanee pade. acharaja usake skootar ke paas vaalee deevaara men munh gadaakar ginatee ginane lagaa aur shaanti usase ek khambaa chhodkar doosare khambe ke peechhe chhupakar khadee ho gaee. lekin shaanti us pal men maujood hee naheen thee. vah do ghnte pahale ke pal men paidaa huee kisee daftaree chintaa men baar-baara gote khaa rahee thee.

vaheen khade-khade jab kuchh minat gujr gae aur acharaja naheen aayaa to achaanak shaanti ko fikr huee. usane mudkara dekhaa -acharaja naheen dikhaa. khel ke niyam ke anusaar use har soorat men apane aapako chhupaae rakhanaa chaahie par vo khel bhool gaee aur khambe kee aad chhodkar vo acharaj ko dekhane ke lie paarking ke beechobeech aa khadee huee. fir bhee acharaj use kaheen naheen dikhaaee diyaa. shaanti ne aavaaj dee- acharaj!! koee javaab naheen aayaa. do-teena baar aur pukaaraa- koee javaab naheen. fir to buree tarah ghabaraa gaee shaanti. hadbadaae kdamon se pahale paarking ke ek kone tak daud gaee aur fir doosare kone tak. acharaj kaheen bhee naheen milaa. tarah-taraha ke dar usake man men umadne lage. hatheliyon se paseenaa chhootane lagaa, munh sookh gayaa, saanse ukhadne lageen. kyaa kare - kuchha samajh naheen paa rahee thee. dimaag hajaar dishaaon men ek saath daudne lagaa. use aisaa lagane lagaa jaise ki pairon men jaan hee n ho- saaree shakti nichud ke kaheen bah gaee ho. lagaa ki chakkar khaake gir padegee. to khambe ke sahaare jaise hee apanee deh ko tikaayaa ek teekhee aavaaj ne use buree tarah chaunkaa diyaa. ek pal vo aavaaj bhay kee eka lahar banakar usake hraday ko cheeratee chalee gaee aur kaheen gahare jaakar chubha see gaee. vo acharaj thaa jo khambe ke peechhe se aakar shikaar kar lene kaa vijayaghosh kar rahaa thaa. acharaj kee uttejanaa men ek shikaaree kee safalataa kee khushee thee. par shaanti khush naheen huee, vo jhunjhalaa gaee aur chidchidaane lagee aur kisee tarah se acharaj ko jhaapad maarane se khud ko rokaa. kho jaane aur mil jaane kaa jo aadima khel acharaj khelanaa chaah rahaa thaa usakaa koee svaad thaa jo shaanti bade hone kee kasarat men kaheen bhool aaee thee.

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