Chudail Ka Sabun

Maine khidki ke bahar andhere ki taraf dekha. “Is baat se ki agar main sach bol doon, toh bhi koi nahi maanega. Aur agar maan bhi liya, toh phir unhe saalon se kiye hue zulm ka hisaab dena padega.”

Rupali ne dheere se poocha, “Aap sach mein chudail nahi ho na?”

Main ek pal ko uski taraf dekhti rahi. Phir kaha, “Main bas ek aurat hoon jo thoda sa aur jaanti hai.”

Rupali ne aankhon mein aansu liye sar hila diya. “Kal main aapke saath jaungi.”

“Mat ja.”

“Jaungi.”

“Rupali—”

“Main darungi,” woh boli, “par jaungi.”

Main ne usko roka nahi. Kabhi-kabhi kisi aurat ka apne khauf ke saath khada hona hi kisi dusri aurat ka jeetna hota hai.

Us raat main ne sabun ka tukda haath mein liya. Uski gandh bahut halki thi, par mujhe maa ki yaad dila rahi thi. Mujhe uski woh baat yaad aayi—sach nanga hota hai.

Mujhe laga tha main sach ko dho kar gaon tak le ja paungi. Par Bora jaise log sach se nahi, naam se jeete hain.

Aur mera naam hi unke liye khatarnak tha.

Doctor Ki Baat

Agli subah gaon ke school ke paas ek gaadi aayi. Usmein se Doctor Anwesha utari.

Woh mujhse bilkul alag lagti thi—seedhe kadam, saaf kurta, kandhe par stethoscope, aur aankhon mein woh thakaan jo shehar ke doctoron mein hoti hai, par uske andar koi arrogance nahi thi. Usne gaon ko dekha, phir logon ko, phir un bachhon ko jo peepal ke paas khade the aur usse is tarah dekh rahe the jaise koi nayi cheez aasman se utar aayi ho.

Bora uske paas hi tha. Uski muskurahat banaavat wali thi.

“Doctor saab,” woh bola, “gaon mein ek aurat hai. Bahut badnaam. Jhaad-phook karti hai. Bimari faila di usne.”

Anwesha ne seedha poocha, “Us aurat ka naam?”

Bora ne meri taraf ishara kiya.

Main thodi door khadi thi. Mere saath Rupali bhi thi, aur uske haath mein ek purana kapda tha, jaise woh kuch pakad kar khadi rehna chahti ho.

Anwesha meri taraf aayi. Mujhe laga shayad woh bhi mujhe dekhkar wahi sab soch legi jo sab sochte hain. Par usne pehle mere haath dekhe. Phir meri dibiya. Phir mere ghar ke paas rakhe saaf kapde.

“Tum hi Keki ho?” usne poocha.

“Ji.”

“Bora bol raha hai tum bimari ka source ho.”

Main ne uski aankhon mein dekha. “Aur tum kya bolti ho?”

Usne jawab dene se pehle ek baar gaon ko dekha. “Main bolti hoon pehle patients ko dekho, phir ilzaam.”

Bora ke chehre ka rang badal gaya. “Doctor saab, aap samajh nahi rahi. Yeh aurat—”

“Main samajh rahi hoon,” Anwesha ne uski baat kaat di. “Main samajh rahi hoon ki jab gaon mein infection failta hai, log kisi ek aurat pe saara bojh daal dete hain. Safai, paani, sanitation, period hygiene, zakhm ki dekhbhaal—yeh sab ignore karte hain. Phir ek aurat ko chudail bol dete hain.”

Gaon mein khamoshi chha gayi.

Bora ne khisiya kar kaha, “Doctor saab, aapko iske chakkar mein nahi padna chahiye.”

Anwesha ne mujhe ishara kiya. “Isko kitne log bina dawa ke theek karne aate hain?”

Main ne dheere se kaha, “Bahut.”

“Kitni baar yeh unko sabun, saaf pani, aur ghar ki safai ke baare mein batati hai?”

Rupali ne turant bola, “Bahut baar.”

Bora ne gusse se dekha. “Tum chhup raho.”

Anwesha ne uski taraf dekha hi nahi. “Aur kitni baar isne kisi ko paisa liye bina madad ki?”

Main ne jawab nahi diya.

Woh meri taraf mud kar boli, “Keki, tum jo karti ho, woh mujhe jaadu nahi lagta. Mujhe public health lagta hai. Local knowledge. Community care.”

Main ne pehli baar kisi doctor ko yeh sab mere liye bolte suna tha. Mere gale mein kuch atak gaya.

Bora hansi jaisa kuch kiya. “Doctor saab, yeh aurat bahut chalak hai. Mard ka dimaag kharab karti hai, auraton ko bahkati hai.”

Anwesha ka chehra sakht ho gaya. “Aur aap? Aap kya karte hain?”

Bora ne palat kar dekha. “Main gaon ka head hoon.”

“Tab toh aapko sabse pehle yeh pata hona chahiye ki epidemic mein scapegoat dhoondna leadership nahi hota.”

Usne pehli baar usko seedha challenge kiya tha. Gaon wale ek dusre ko dekhne lage. Kuch ke chehre mein darr, kuch mein nayi ummeed.

Anwesha ne apna bag khola. “Mujhe do cheezein chahiye. Saaf pani ka source aur sabse zyada affected gharon ki list.”

Bora ne mudkar gaon walon ko dekha, jaise woh soch raha ho ki is doctor ko kaise roke.

Tab Rupali aage aayi.

Mere dil ne ek dhadkan rok li.

Rupali Ka Gawah

Rupali ka gala sukha hua tha, phir bhi woh mere aur Bora ke beech aa kar khadi ho gayi.

“Main bolungi,” usne kaha.

Bora ne aankhen phaad kar dekha. “Tu? Ghar ja.”

“Main nahi jaungi.”

“Rupali—” uski maa piche se boli, ghabra ke.

Rupali ne peeth seedhi ki. “Main ne Keki ko dekha hai.”

Bora ka chehra aur sakht ho gaya. “Kya dekha hai?”

“Woh jo sab karte ho, woh nahi karti. Woh logon ko sabun deti hai. Saaf kapde deti hai. Bukhar mein pani pilati hai. Auraton ko batati hai ki zakhm ko band mat rakho. Ghar mein jo ganda paani jama hota hai, uske baare mein bolti hai.”

Kisi ne saans li. Kisī ne “arey” jaisa kuch kaha.

Rupali ka haath kaanp raha tha, par awaaz saaf thi. “Meri maasi ko aap sab ne chudail kaha tha kyunki uske pair mein ghaav tha. Keki ne usse ghav dhone ko kaha. Uske baad bukhar utar gaya.”

Bora ne daant pees diye. “Yeh bachchi kya jaanti hai?”

Rupali ne seedha kaha, “Main jaanti hoon ki aap sach se darte ho.”

Gaon mein ek murmur phaila. Itni choti ladki aur itni seedhi baat.

Main uski taraf dekhti reh gayi. Woh meri taraf nahi dekh rahi thi. Jaise agar woh mujhe dekhegi, toh himmat toot jayegi.