Subah ke 5:45 baj rahe hain.
Dilli abhi aadhi soyi hui hai.
Kuch log jogging kar rahe hain,
kuch night duty se wapas ja rahe hain,
aur kuch log…
jaise har din, bina kisi noise ke, kaam par lag chuke hain.
Shehar ke ek kone mein,
jahan Google Maps sirf ek naam likhta hai — Landfill Site,
wahan asal mein khada hai
Delhi ka sabse bada pahad.
Par yeh pahad mitti ka nahi hai.
Yeh bana hai plastic se,
toote sapno se,
aur un cheezon se
jo log apni zindagi se nikal kar
bina soche samjhe yahan fek dete hain.
Is pahad par har din zindagi chalti hai.
Bina rukhe.
Bina break ke.
Ramesh – Age 27
Ramesh roz subah 4 baje uthta hai.
Alarm nahi lagata.
Zarurat hi nahi padti.
Uska kamra chhota hai,
tin ki chhat,
ek purani si charpai,
aur ek photo jo deewar par tape se chipki hui hai —
maa, baap aur chhoti behen.
Gaon Bihar mein hai.
Wahan zameen kam thi,
aur sapne zyada.
Ramesh Delhi aaya tha
"kuch banne" ke liye.
Socha tha factory mein kaam karega,
ya kisi company mein helper lag jaayega.
Par Delhi sirf sapne nahi maangti,
proof bhi maangti hai.
Degree.
Reference.
Experience.
Ramesh ke paas sirf ek cheez thi —
mehnat.
Aaj Ramesh
kude ke pahad par kaam karta hai.
Pahad Jo Roz Badhta Hai
Subah 6 baje se hi
trucks aana shuru ho jaate hain.
Ek ke baad ek.
Horn bajta hai,
gate khulta hai,
aur shehar ka kachra
seedha is pahad par girta hai.
Plastic ke packet,
used diapers,
toote sheeshe,
purane kapde,
kabhi kabhi medical waste bhi.
Ramesh gloves pehenta hai,
mask lagata hai,
aur kaam shuru karta hai.
Uska kaam hai
plastic alag karna,
metal dhoondhna,
jo thoda sa paisa de sake.
Par is pahad par
sirf kachra nahi hota.
Kabhi ek school bag milta hai.
Blue color ka.
Andar ek tuta hua lunch box
aur ek notebook.
Notebook ke first page par likha hota hai —
"Aman, Class 4th"
Ramesh ruk jaata hai.
Sirf do second ke liye.
Sochta hai —
Aman school ja raha hoga,
ya shayad jaata tha.
Phir agla truck aa jaata hai.
Zindagi rukne nahi deti.
Sunita – Age 32
Sunita bhi isi pahad par kaam karti hai.
Do bachchon ki maa hai.
Uska pati pehle construction site par kaam karta tha.
Ek din accident hua.
Ab ghar par rehta hai.
Sunita ke liye
yeh pahad choice nahi hai.
Majboori hai.
Roz jab woh kachre ke beech khadi hoti hai,
toh usse sirf smell nahi aati,
usse logon ki beparwahi dikhti hai.
"Log kehte hain Delhi modern ho gayi hai,"
woh kehti hai,
"par kachra abhi bhi
fek ke bhool jaate hain."
Kabhi kabhi Sunita ko
sealed food packets mil jaate hain.
Expiry thodi door hoti hai.
Woh unhe alag rakh leti hai.
Shaam ko bachchon ke liye.
Yeh shehar waste karta hai,
aur kuch log
usi waste se zinda rehte hain.
Pahad Ke Upar Se Dilli
Ek din Ramesh
pahad ke top par chadh jaata hai.
Neeche poori Delhi dikhti hai.
Metro lines.
Flyovers.
High-rise buildings.
Mall ke glass walls.
Sab kuch shiny.
Sab kuch fast.
Aur uske pairon ke neeche —
kooda.
Tab Ramesh ko ek baat samajh aati hai:
Delhi upar se chamakti hai,
par neeche se sambhali jaati hai.
Jo log AC rooms mein baith kar
"clean India" ki baat karte hain,
unka kachra
yahin aa kar rukta hai.
Fire, Smoke Aur Khauf
Garmi ke mahine mein
yeh pahad sirf badhta nahi,
jalta bhi hai.
Kabhi kabhi methane gas se
aag lag jaati hai.
Smoke itna thick hota hai
ki aankhen jalne lagti hain.
Saans lena mushkil ho jaata hai.
Par kaam rukta nahi.
Kyuki agar kaam ruka,
toh paisa ruka.
Aur paisa ruka,
toh zindagi.
Ramesh ke ek dost
pichle saal isi aag mein mar gaye the.
Naam tha Mohan.
Age 22.
Aaj bhi jab hawa tez chalti hai
aur smell badh jaati hai,
Ramesh ko Mohan yaad aa jaata hai.
Shehar Aur Zimmedari
Delhi har roz
hazaaron ton kachra paida karti hai.
Log naya phone lete hain,
purana fek dete hain.
Kapde fashion ke hisaab se badalte hain.
Plastic ka use ek baar,
soch zero baar.
Aur phir kehte hain —
"Government kuch karti kyun nahi?"
Par sach yeh hai —
yeh pahad
sirf system ki galti se nahi bana.
Yeh bana hai
har us aadat se
jo hum change nahi karte.
Ek Sawal Jo Jawab Nahi Maangta
Kabhi kabhi Ramesh sochta hai—
Agar ek din
yeh kude ka pahad khatam ho gaya,
toh kya Delhi sach mein saaf ho jaayegi?
Ya bas
shehar ke kisi aur kone mein
ek naya pahad ug aayega?