vaashingatan dee. see. -01

maheene bhar pahale, haftebhar, vaashingatan dee. see. men rahanaa huaa. is baar toorist vaalee hadabadee kee jagah itmeenaan se jaanane-dekhane kaa maukaa milaa. isase pahale, do dafe yahaan aanaa huaa hai, kuchh puraanee yaaden taazaa ho aayeen, andaaz huaa ki kitanaa bhool bhee gayee hoon ....

pahalee baar vaashingatan dee. see. pandrah saal pahale, krisamas ke samay aayovaa se 1998 men aayee thee. mere mitr manoj aur hemaa yahaan the. in donon mitron ke saath mainne neshanal mol v maimoriyal paark men amerikee raashtrapatiyon ke smaarakon ko dekhaa, neshanal instityoot aof helth kee laib aur bethesdaa kee tahal kee, idhar udhar chhitakee huyee barf dikhatee thee, jo aayovaa ke barfeele andhad se nikal kar khushanumaa ahasaas thaa. ab itane saalon baad, smriti kuchh dhundhalaa gayee hai. achchhe samay gujaarane, unake sneh kee yaad hai. aayovaa lautate samay manoj ne kahaa thaa ki 'agalee baar cheree festival ke samay aanaa'.

ye maukaa paanch varsh baad 2003 men milaa, manoj aur hemaa is beech bhaarat vaapas laut chuke the, meraa kornel jvaain karanaa huaa, shaadee huyee, aur hamaare lambee draaiv karane ke kuchh mauke bane. is dafe ithaakaa se aath ghnte draaiv karate hue ham khaas cheree festival dekhane aprail ke maheene men gae.

cheree festival kaa itihaas kaafee dilachasp hai. ornaamental cheree ke ye ped 1900 se pahale amerikaa men naheen the. jaapaan se laute, amerikan toorist, akasar khile cheree ke pedon kee tasaveeren apane doston parichiton ko utsaah se dikhaaten. 1885 men amerikee patrakaar elijaa skidamor ne jaapaan men ornaamental khile cheree ke ped dekhe, to unhen in podhon ko amerikee raajadhaanee vaashingatan dee. see. laane kaa khyaal aayaa aur kaee varshon tak vo isakee muheem chalaatee raheen, aarmee ke bade afasaron, aur prabhaavashaalee logon se milatee raheen. is beech dipaartament aof egreekalchar ke botanist, plaant eksplorar, devid feyarachaaild ne ek hazaar cheree ke ped jaapaan se mngavaae, unhen apane nijee faarm men lagaayaa, aur skoolee bachchon ko unakee kalamen lagaane ke lie baantate rahe. ek aise hee kaaryakram men elijaa skidamor kee mulaakaat devid feyarachaaild se huyee. elijaa ne nae sire se dee. see. men badee snkhyaa men cheree ke ped laagane ke lie jarooree dhan jutaanaa shuroo kiyaa aur ek khat is sambandh men farst ledee helana teft ko bhee bhejaa, jinhonne is prastaav ko samarthan diyaa aur projekt shuroo huaa.

tokiyo shahar ke meyar yukio ozaakee ne jaapaan kee sadaasayataa ke bataur varsh 1910 men vaashingatan ke lie do hazaar cheree ke pedon kee pahalee khep bhejee. jaanch ke dauraan in pedon men kuchh keede aur nimetod paae gae, saare paudhe jalaane pade.

do varsh baad, tokiyo shahar ke prasidd jaapaanee kemist jokichee takaameene ke sahayog se teen hazaar svasth cheree ke pedon kee doosaree khep amerikaa pahunchee, jise vaashingatan dee. see. men taaidal besin ke chaaron taraf devid feyarachaaild kee dekharekh men ropaa gayaa. 1965 men 3800 cheree ke pedon kee doosaree khep jaapaan se pahunchee jise taaidal besin aur neshanal mol v maimoriyal paark men ronpaa gayaa.

ab lagabhag sau saal baad , har amerikee shahar ke laindaskep men ornaamental cheree ke ped dikhaten hain, aur lagataa hai jaise yaheen ke netiv hain ye ped. parantu vaashingatan dee. see . ke neshanal mol v maimoriyal paark men prasidd raashtrapatiyon ke smaarakon, kaipital bilding, vhaaeet haaus, laaibreree aof kongres, aur aur ek darjan se jyaadaa raastreey sngrahaalayon ke beechon-beech, vijaateey cheree ke foolon kee is kadar saghan, hataprabh karane vaalee maujoodagee vishesh hain.

basnt utsav ke teen din safed, gulaabee rngat ke foolon se lakadak cheree ke pedon ke beech, paanee men unakee chhaayaa dekhate, sngeet kee dhunon ke beech, kuchh nechural histree aur smith soniyan myoojiyams kee tahal karate beete, aur baaqee doosare myoojiyams aur aart gailaree dekhane kee laalasaa ke saath ham vaapas ithaakaa laut gayen ......

pensalveeniyaa kee maarch daayaree-2013

das baje nyooyork se stet kolej ke lie bas par savaar huyee, bas pahale hee aadhe ghnte let chalee, aadhe raste pahunchee to sno storm shuroo ho gayaa, jo fir agale 7 ghnton tak banaa rahaa. ek hee desh ke bheetar, paanch din ke bheetar, kisee doosaree duniyaa men, kisee dusare mausam men daakhil ho gayee hoon, ghar chhodate samay cheree aur plam ke pedon par fool khil gae the, aur aangan men daifodils aur bloo bels...

kachhue kee raftaar se gaadee chal rahee hai , kabhee-kabhee sirf das kimee prati ghnte kee raftaar se, mere peechhe kee seet par baithee aurata kaa kisee vakeel mitr ke saath peetsabarg milanaa tay thaa, ab milanaa snbhav naheen, agar milanaa snbhav huaa to, lautakar us mitr kaa ghar pahunchanaa asnbhav dikhataa hain. vo aurat peetsabarg men apane kisee parichit ke ghar raat men rahane kee gujaarish kar rahee hai. itane toofaan ke beech formal tarah kee gujaarish ke snvaad sunanaa dilachasp hai, ye bhee ki log kis tarah baraabar apane aas-paas dooriyon kaa bhoogol vyavasthit rakhaten hai, doston ko bhee tekan for graanted naheen leten. lekin fon kee baatacheet se dusare yaatree pak gae hain, aur use dheemen svar men baat karane ko kahane lage hain.

itanee barfabaaree ke samay bas se is raaste jaanaa pahalee baar huaa hai. yoon takareeban nau varsh tak, ithaakaa se jab bhee nyooyork, nyoojarsee yaa vaashingatan dee. see., jaanaa huaa, pensalveniyaa ke bade hisse se men draaeev karate hue kaee baar, alag alag mausam men, gujaranaa huaa. shuruaat ke saalon men, khaasakar disnbar -janavaree ke maheenon men aisaa bhee huyaa ki raat men draaiv karate hue jab bingahematan ke aas-paas pahunche to meelon tak itanee ghanee dhundh aur sirf dhundh milee ki apane aage kee gaadee kee mnd laal battee ke alaavaa kuchh n dikhaa, n sadak, n sadak ke daayen-baayen, n saamane se aatee koee kaar yaa trak, sirf gaharaa sletee aur kaalaa, jisake beech paanch se das kimee prati ghnte kee raftaar se ghnte bhar kaar chalaayee.

un dinon ke khauf kaa hee saayaa hogaa jo ab tak sapanon men mujhe fir gher letaa hai. sapane men aksar isee jaane pahachaane bhoogol men khud ko haaive par kaar chalaate hue paatee hoon, aur aankhe hain ki khulatee naheen, aakhon ko kholane kee kadee koshish chalatee rahatee hai, rukane kee koee suvidhaa naheen, gaadee ke stering par haath, andaaz se kaar chalaatee hoon, daree huyee ki ab kisee khadd men gire .., ab kisee trak se takaraae ...

ab us tarah se raat ke samay lambee draaiv bhee kitanee puraanee baat ho gayee hai, pichhale nau varshon se bachchon ke saath, kisee bhee soorat men raat men lambee draaiv khatm ho gayee. din men fir amooman dogune samay ke bajat ke saath draaiv kaa silasilaa banaa, beech men kisee paark men ruk gae, kisee restorent men ruk gae, matalab har ghnte do ghnte men rukane kee jo bhee jagahen hain, unakaa nakshaa dimaag men ban gayaa. baarish aur barfabaaree ke samay kahaan se bachanaa aur kidhar se nikal lenaa hai kaa bhee ganit banaa. fir jaise nyoojarsee se har teen-chaar maheene ek dafe bhaarateey grosaree ke lie jaanaa rahataa thaa, vaapas lautate hue pensalveniyaa ke baahar aautalet mol se kapadon kee khareed ke lie jaanaa bhee shaamil huaa . aoregan aane ke kuchh maheenon pahale ek dafe sesamee street jaanaa huaa, bade bete ko usakee kuchh yaad hai, chhotaa vaalaa sirf chaar maheene kaa thaa. vo kabhee kabhee sirf elmo, kukee monstar aadi kee foto dekhakar khush hotaa hai . bachchon ke lie shaayad ye sachamuch ke hee kerektar hai, mujhe hameshaa labaade ke bheetar bnd apanee jeeveekaa kee jugat men lage log dikhaten hain, maan aur baap jo bade vayask hain, unakaa bhee bachchon kee hee tarah unapar jhapat padane kaa ati utsaah hameshaa kuchh udaas karataa hai, bahut se baune logon ko is bahaane kaam milataa hai, sirf is vajah se bhee tasallee naheen hotee, satah kee chahal pahal ke neeche baazaar kee neenv par khadee duniyaa sachamuch bahut udaas karane vaalee duniyaa hai ...

bas yaatraa ke saadhe chaar ghnte aakhir men saat ghnton men tabdeel huee. bahan ke ghar pahunchee, paarking lot kee barf dekhakar vo din yaad aaye jab aayovaa men kaar ke enteenaa par riban baandh detee thee, kyoonki subah tak kaar barf se dhak jaatee thee, aur apanee kaar pahachaananaa mushkil hotaa thaa. ghar pahunchakar jholee-bhaat, bhaat-choorkaanee, aura chaulaaee kee bhujjee khaayee, fir aisee neend aayee, jaise apane maataa-pitaa ke ghar pahunchane par aatee hai. saare difenses, saaree satarkataa, chintaa, chetanaa pataa naheen kab jhar gayee, bhaaee bahanon ke ghar par bhee snbhavat: maataa-pitaa kee adrishya chhaayaa hotee hee hai. bahut dinon baad subah nau baje tak sotee rahee.....

yaatraa -10

man
bajataa ho, ekataaraa saa
tab kuchh din
maun ...maun ...maun
maun ke saath
ghoomanaa,
khaanaa,
sonaa,
dhoondhanaa,
khojanaa,
aur gum ho jaanaa

ek din
maun kee deharee par jaaganaa
uth jaanaa,
aur chal padanaa,
smritiyon men dhnsee aankh se
dekhanaa
din,
saath,
sapanaa,
sunanaa
bhoomeegat nadee kee hilor ,
jharate patton kaa gaan,
bhoolee bolee kee mithaas,
aur
fir laut aanaa ....

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