Ganga Kinare Do Raaste

Woh argument loud tha, par usse zyada painful tha. Bua Kusum door khadi sab sun rahi thi aur apne mann mein aur ghee daal rahi thi. “Dekha bhaiya? Aaj kal ke bachche bas apni marzi chahte hain. Ghar ki izzat ka kya?” Unki awaaz mein support kam, suspicion zyada tha.

Shyamlal ji ne us din kuch aur nahi bola. Bas notebook ko almirah par rakh diya aur bahar chhat par chale gaye. Pari ne bhi kuch nahi kaha. Raat ko usne phir notes nikaale, par padhne ka mann hi nahi tha. Ek ek line blur ho rahi thi. Uske andar bas yahi chal raha tha—ab sab khatam. Ab dadaji kabhi nahi maanenge.

Agli subah Pandit Gopal ji ghar aaye. Woh Shyamlal ji ke purane ritual partner the—temple network ke har chhote bade gossip se waqif, par hamesha neutral face rakhne wale. Unhone chai ka cup liya, aur halka sa khans kar bole, “Mishra ji, ek baat bolun? Pari raat ko mandir ke notes se zyada kuch aur padh rahi thi, yeh mujhe pehle se pata tha.”

Shyamlal ji ne seedha unki taraf dekha. “Tumhe pata tha?”

Gopal ji ne kandhe uchkaaye. “Haan. Main ek do baar dekha tha. Coaching ke papers the. Meera ma’am ka naam bhi suna. Par maine socha, ladki hai, pressure mein hai. Bina wajah kyun bolun? Ghar ka bachcha hai, apna hi hai.”

Shyamlal ji ka expression hard se thoda crack hua, bas utna hi ki andar ki confusion dikh jaaye. Usi din Meera Ma’am bhi ghar aayi, kyunki Pari ne pehle hi unse kaha tha ki maybe aaj sach bolne ka din hai. Meera Ma’am ne respectfully pair chhuye, phir seedha baith kar boli, “Mishra ji, Pari ne jo padha hai, woh aapke ghar se bhaagne ke liye nahi. Woh apni life ko kaabil banane ke liye hai. Ghar aur padhai, dono ko woh seriously leti hai. Bas usne darr ke maare secret rakha.”

Shyamlal ji ne kuch der tak kuch nahi bola. Unke liye yeh sirf academic truth nahi tha. Yeh unke control ka crack tha. Unhone Pari ko dekha—woh ab bhi seedhi khadi thi, par uske face par woh old obedient mask nahi tha. Usme thakaan thi, honesty thi, aur ek aisi strength bhi jo unhone shayad pehli baar notice ki.

“Tumne mujhe bataya kyun nahi?” unhone dheere se poocha.

Pari ne saans li. “Kyuki mujhe laga aapko lagega main aapki izzat nahi karti. Aur kyunki mujhe khud bhi darr tha. Darr tha ki agar maine sapna bol diya, toh woh sapna aap tod denge.”

Yeh line sunke Shyamlal Mishra ji ke andar kuch bahut purana hil gaya. Unhe yaad aaya kaise unke father ne unse kabhi poocha hi nahi tha ki woh priest banna chahte hain ya nahi. Bas bola gaya tha—“yeh tumhara kaam hai.” Unhone kabhi uss system ko question nahi kiya, kyunki usse unki identity bani thi. Aur ab wohi pattern unke haath se Pari ke gale tak ja raha tha.

Us raat ghar mein koi loud apology nahi hui. Na hi koi filmi hug, na tears ka barrage. Bas ek heavy silence tha, jo pehle se thoda softer tha. Shyamlal ji ne next day subah Pari ke liye puja ka kaam baant diya, par saath hi yeh bhi bol diya, “Raat ko padhai ke liye do ghante alag rakh lo. Lekin ghar ka kaam bhi time par hoga.” Yeh unki language mein acceptance tha. Full surrender nahi, par ek door khulna zaroor tha.

Pari ne bhi us din pehli baar seedha bol diya, “Theek hai dadaji. Main dono sambhalungi. Par exam ke time par mujhe space chahiye hoga.” Uski voice mein ab guilt kam, clarity zyada thi. Woh ab chhupkar nahi padh rahi thi. Woh padh rahi thi, aur yeh baat usne respect ke saath own kar li thi.

Bua Kusum ne shuru mein mooh banaya, par kuch din baad jab unhone Pari ko subah mandir, dopahar notes, aur raat revision ke beech khud ko break tak diye bina kaam karte dekha, unka tone thoda change hua. Ek shaam unhone bas itna kaha, “Bahut thak jaati hogi.” Yeh unke liye almost apology jaisa tha. Pari ne bas smile ki. Kuch cheezein words mein nahi aati.

Pandit Gopal ji ne bhi kabhi uska secret kisi ko nahi bataya. Ulta kabhi-kabhi woh zyada der tak mandir mein ruk jaate, taaki Pari ko ek extra half hour mil jaaye. Community support ka yeh style loud nahi tha. Par yeh real tha.

Aur Shyamlal Mishra ji? Woh ab bhi traditional the. Ab bhi subah ganga snan karte, ab bhi mantra exactly correct chahiye hota, ab bhi puja ke dauran kisi bhi distraction se irritate ho jaate. Par unhone Pari ko pehle jaisa control karna kam kar diya. Kabhi-kabhi woh uski table par chai rakh kar bas bol dete, “Padh lo. Par khana mat skip karna.” Yeh sentence unki taraf se pyaar ka sabse practical version tha.

Pari ne bhi apni life ka mask dheere-dheere utaarna shuru kiya. Ghar mein sabko nahi, par apne dadaji ke saamne woh ab zyada honest thi. Kabhi mock test ka score dikhati, kabhi current affairs pe unse bahas kar leti, aur kabhi bas bol deti, “Aaj thoda kam padh paayi, mandir mein zyada kaam tha.” Shyamlal ji ab usse daantne se pehle sunte the. Yeh chhota change tha, par ghar ke mausam ke liye bahut bada.

Ek shaam Ganga aarti ke baad, jab aasman mein orange light fail rahi thi aur ghats par log dheere dheere disperse ho rahe the, Shyamlal ji aur Pari saath ghar laut rahe the. Raste mein unhone bina dekhe kaha, “Parampara ka matlab yeh nahi ki sab ek hi raaste par chalें. Shayad kabhi kabhi parampara ko bachane ke liye usse thoda sa badalna padta hai.”

Pari ne unki taraf dekha. Unke chehre par ab bhi wohi sakhti thi, par uske neeche acceptance ka ek naya layer tha. Pari ne bas “Haan dadaji” bola. Is baar us “haan” mein pehle jaisa dar nahi tha.