Mitti, Nadi Aur Ek Chhoti Si Boat

Subah ka waqt tha aur river-island gaon mein har cheez apni hi dhun mein chal rahi thi. Bamboo ki khat-khat, chulhe se uthta dhuaan, aur door se aati nadi ki halki si sarsarahat—sab milkar aisa lag raha tha jaise poora gaon saans le raha ho. Daadi Bina apne aangan mein baithi thi, ek haath se bamboo ko pakde hue aur doosre haath se uski surface ko dheere-dheere check kar rahi thi. Riku unke saath baitha tha, chhote se chaku se ropes kaat raha tha aur kabhi daadi ko dekh leta, kabhi us boat ko jo un dono ke beech ek sapne ki tarah nikal rahi thi.

“Daadi, yeh bamboo seedha hai na?” Riku ne poocha.

Daadi ne aankh utha ke dekha, phir ek bamboo ko thok kar boli, “Seedha? Arre, seedha toh insaan ka niyat hota hai. Bamboo toh kaam ka hona chahiye.”

Riku hans diya. Usko daadi ke aise jawab bahut pasand the. Woh 68 saal ki thi, par unke haath aise kaam karte the jaise kisi ne unhe nadi, mitti aur lakdi se baat karna sikha diya ho. Gaon ke log unse salaah lene aate the—kab paani badhega, kaunsi fasal bach jayegi, kis ghar ki chhat pe aur bamboo lagana chahiye. Daadi Bina kam bolti thi, par jo bolti thi, woh seedha dil mein lagta tha.

Aaj woh dono ek chhoti bamboo boat bana rahe the. Waise toh gaon mein boat banana koi nayi baat nahi thi, lekin daadi ke liye yeh boat sirf boat nahi thi. Yeh family ki purani aadat thi. Flood season aate hi har saal koi na koi cheez repair hoti, koi na koi nayi rope bandhi jaati, aur daadi ke haath se bani boat hamesha ready rehti. Riku ko lagta tha yeh sab ek adventure jaisa hai—thoda sa kaam, thoda sa mazaak, aur daadi ke saath time.

“Riku, rope tight kar,” daadi ne kaha.

“Ho gaya daadi. Aur tight karun?”

“Zyada tight mat kar. Rope bhi aadmi ki tarah hoti hai. Bahut dabaoge toh toot jayegi.”

Riku ne seedha unki taraf dekha. “Daadi, aap ko har cheez ka example mil jaata hai?”

“Milta nahi hai,” daadi boli, “jeena padta hai.”

Riku ne phir se kaam mein dhyaan laga diya. Usko ye moments bahut pyare lagte the—jab daadi ka gussa bhi pyaar jaisa lagta, aur unki chhoti si smile poore din ko halka kar deti. Lekin us subah hawa mein kuch alag tha. Nadi ka flow normal se thoda tez tha. Door kuch log aapas mein flood ki baat kar rahe the, par gaon mein aise rumours roz ke the. Daadi ne unki baat ignore kar di.

“Pehle boat taiyaar kar lo,” unhone kaha, “baaki river dekhenge.”

Riku ne sir hila diya, jaise yeh sab bilkul simple ho.

Shaam hote-hote simple kuch bhi nahi raha.

Pehle radio par warning aayi. Phir pados ke ghar ke loudspeaker se awaaz ghoonji. “Paani ka level tezi se badh raha hai. Sab log high ground shelter ki taraf ready rahen. Zaroori samaan le kar nikalne ki taiyari karein.”

Gaon mein ekdum se woh silence aa gaya jo sirf danger ke waqt aata hai. Log idhar-udhar bhaagne lage. Koi bakri sambhal raha tha, koi rice sack utha raha tha, koi bachchon ko bulaa raha tha. Nadi, jo subah tak bas saathi lag rahi thi, ab ajeeb si khaufnaak lagne lagi thi.

Ghar ke andar Mina already khadi thi. Woh 38 ki thi, self-help group mein kaam karti thi aur ghar sambhalne mein bhi uska koi jawab nahi tha. Uske chehre pe panic nahi tha, bas woh practical tension jo sirf un logon ke chehre pe hoti hai jo andar se tootne ka time hi nahi paate.

“Amma,” Mina ne daadi ko dekhte hi kaha, “abhi nikalna padega. Main shelter ki list mein naam likhwa deti hoon. Bachchon ke papers, paise, medicine—sab ready karo.”

Daadi ne seedha jawab diya, “Nahi.”

Mina ne ek gehri saans li. “Amma, abhi bahas ka time nahi hai.”

“Bahas nahi kar rahi hoon,” daadi boli, “yeh ghar hai. Yeh zameen hai.”

Riku jo ab tak chup khada tha, usne pehli baar daadi ko aise dekha. Unki awaaz hard thi, par aankhon mein kuch aur tha—jaise andar hi andar koi purana dar hil raha ho.

Mina ne dheere se kaha, “Zameen se pehle log important hain.”

Daadi ka chehra sakht ho gaya. “Zameen ke bina log kaise rahenge? Teen generation se yahin toh hain hum.”

Riku ne beech mein bolne ki himmat ki. “Daadi, agar paani zyada aa gaya toh?”

“Tab dekh lenge,” daadi ne kaha.

“Par agar ghar toot gaya toh?”

Daadi ne uski taraf dekha, aur Riku ko pehli baar laga ki unki aankhon mein gussa nahi, bas thakaan hai. “Ghar toot bhi jaaye, toh mitti humari hai.”

Riku ko samajh nahi aaya. Usko laga daadi zidd kar rahi hain. Usko laga daadi ko family se zyada zameen ki padi hai. Woh chhota tha, par us waqt uska dil bahut tez dhadak raha tha. “Aapko humari tension hi nahi hai kya?” usne bol diya.

Room mein ekdum se hawa jam gayi.

Daadi ne kuch der kuch nahi kaha. Phir unhone bas itna bola, “Tension hai isliye toh ruk rahi hoon.”

Riku ko laga unhone uski baat ka jawab nahi diya. Mina ne uske kandhe par haath rakha aur dhire se boli, “Tu andar ja, apna school bag aur kapde nikaal.”

Lekin Riku hil nahi paaya. Uska gussa aur darr ek saath nikal rahe the. Daadi kitchen ke corner mein rakhe ek purane bamboo box ki taraf badh gayin. Woh box unke liye bahut important tha—par us waqt kisi ne dhyaan nahi diya.

Bahar nadi ka noise aur badh gaya. Paani ke splash ki awaaz ab door nahi lag rahi thi. Ghar ke neeche ki mitti geeli ho rahi thi. Mina ne phir se kaha, “Amma, please. Abhi.”

Daadi ne box khola.