Chudail Ka Sabun

Main ne uski aankhon mein dekh kar bola, “Bimari ko gaali se nahi, saaf pani se roka jata hai.”

Woh chup ho gayi. Phir usne ek gehri saans li. “Meri maasi ke pair mein ghav hai. Woh bolti hai aapke paas aane se dar lagta hai. Par maine dekha… aapne us din uske bachhe ko bukhar mein paani pilaya tha.”

Main ne usko dekha. “Toh?”

“Woh theek ho gaya.”

“Bukhar utar gaya hoga.”

“Gaon wale bolte hain aapne nazar utaari.”

Main ne sabun ko apni hatheli mein dabaya. “Nazar utaarne se pehle haath dhona zaroori hota hai.”

Rupali ki hansi nikal gayi. Bahut halka sa, par asli. Jaise kisi ne uske andar ka dar thoda sa khol diya ho.

Woh phir mere paas aayi, is baar aur kareeb. “Aap sach mein sabun se kaam karti ho?”

“Sabun, namak, saaf pani, aur kabhi-kabhi haldi.”

“Phir aap chudail kyun ho?”

Mere haath ek pal ko ruk gaye.

“Rupali,” main dheere se boli, “jo aurat gaon ke niyam se alag ho, usko naam de dete hain. Taaki uski baat sunni na pade.”

Woh kuch der tak mujhe dekhti rahi. Phir boli, “Toh aap galat naam pe ho.”

Mera gala bhar aaya. Main ne us pal pehli baar mehsoos kiya ki koi mujhe sirf dekh nahi raha, samajh bhi raha hai.

Usne apni choti ko ungli mein lapet liya. “Meri maa kehti hai, aapke ghar ke paas jao mat.”

“Achha.”

“Par main gayi thi.”

Maine uski taraf dekha.

“Sirf door se,” woh jaldi se boli. “Mujhe laga aap andhere mein kisi se baat kar rahi ho.”

“Main akeli thi.”

“Par aap hans rahi thi.”

Main kuch nahi boli.

Rupali ne dheere se kaha, “Maine socha tha shayad aapke saath koi bura bhoot hai. Par aap toh bas… thaki hui lagti ho.”

Uski baat ne mujhe bhitar tak chhoo liya. Chudail bolne walon mein se kisi ne kabhi mujhe thaki hui nahi bola tha. Buri, khatarnak, ajeeb, pagal. Par thaki hui?

Woh sach mein mujhe dekh rahi thi.

“Jaa,” main boli, “warna ghar mein shor hoga.”

Woh ruk gayi. “Main kal aa sakti hoon?”

“Kyoon?”

“Seekhna hai.”

Main ne usko dekha. Phir door kahin se murgi ki awaaz aayi, aur nadi ka paani patthar se takraya.

“Kal mat aana,” main boli. “Kal Bora ka aadmi idhar aayega.”

Rupali ke chehre par chinta aa gayi. “Bora?”

“Usko meri shakal pasand nahi.”

“Par kyun?”

Main ne sabun ko dubara dabaya. “Kyunki aurat jab kuch jaane lagti hai, toh mard ko lagta hai woh unse tez ho gayi.”

Rupali ne kuch aur puchna chaha, par phir chup ho gayi. Jaate-jaate usne ek baar mud kar kaha, “Main kal phir dekhungi.”

Main ne sirf haan mein sar hila diya.

Jab woh chali gayi, toh hawa mein sabun ki ek halki gandh reh gayi. Paak, seedhi, aur kisi tarah jaan bachane wali.

Us din mujhe laga tha ki shayad gaon mein ek aur aankh khul gayi hai.

Mujhe nahi pata tha ki uske baad andhera aur gehra hone wala hai.

Bora Ka Faisla

Village head Bora ka ghar sabse bada tha. Uske darwaze ke saamne chamakdar mitti lagi rehti thi, jaise usne zameen ko bhi hukum de rakha ho ki uske pairon se chipak kar rahe. Bora paanch saal se gaon ka head tha, aur uski aadat thi har cheez ko apni izzat se jod dene ki.

Uske hisaab se gaon ka har achha ya bura haal uski marzi ka natija tha. Khet mein fasal achhi? Uski mehnat. Koi mar gaya? Kisi ne uski baat nahi maani. Bachha bimar? Koi kala jaadu. Aur agar koi aurat thoda zyada bolne lage, toh seedha uske ghar ke aas-paas kisi na kisi burai ka label chipka do.

Bora ne mujhe kabhi seedha ghar bulaya nahi tha. Woh bas apne aadmiyon ke through baat bhejta tha. Kabhi kheton mein, kabhi haat mein, kabhi chabootre pe. Uska paigham same hota: “Keki ko apna kaam band karna chahiye.”

Par main band nahi karti thi. Kyunki jo aurat dusri auraton ka dard dekh le, usko kaam band karne ko bola jaaye toh woh kaise maan le?

Phir gaon mein bimari phailne lagi.

Pehle bachhe the. Phir kuch budhe. Phir do teen auratein. Bukhar, ulti, pet dard, kamzori. Log apne ghar ke bahar ghabraye hue khade rehte. Nadi ka paani, jo pehle roz ka tha, ab khauf ban gaya. Kuch logon ne kaha kisi ne gaon ki boundary par kala kapda daala hai. Kisī ne kaha kisi ne peepal ke neeche haddi dabayi hai. Kisī ne kaha yeh Keki ka kaam hai, kyunki woh raat ko akeli chalti hai.

Bora ne ek sabha bulayi.

Main wahin nahi gayi. Main jaanti thi kya hoga. Par gaon se awaaz aa rahi thi, aur andar hi andar main uska bojh mehsoos kar rahi thi.

Rupali mere paas shaam ko bhaagti hui aayi. Uski saans phooli hui thi.

“Didi,” woh boli, “Bora ne sabke saamne aapka naam liya.”

Main ne bina dekhe poocha, “Kya bola?”

“Usne bola, bimari aapke ghar se aayi hai.”

Mera haath lota par jam gaya.

“Woh bol raha tha aap raat ko gaon ka chakkar lagati ho, aur jo aurat aapke paas jaati hai usko kuch ho jata hai.”

Main ne ek lambi saans li. “Aur log?”

“Log darr gaye hain.”

“Bora khush hoga.”

Rupali ne gusse mein pair patak diya. “Usne kaha hai kal subah aapko sabke saamne jawab dena hoga. Warna…”

“Warna?”

“Warna gaon se nikaal denge.”

Main chup ho gayi.

Rupali ke chehre par gussa aur bechaini saath-saath thi. “Aap kuch bolti kyun nahi?”

“Kyoonki jo bolta hai, gaon usko aur khol kar dekhne lagta hai.”

“Par galti aapki nahi hai!”

Maine uski taraf dekha. “Mujhe pata hai.”

Usne meri aankhon mein dekha. “Phir bhi chup? Aap dar rahi ho?”

Sach bolna mushkil tha. “Haan.”

Woh thoda sa narm pad gayi. “Kis se?”