Us raat maine pehli baar apne sapno ko khud se door jaate dekha… aur main bas chup thi…"
"Mujhe nahi pata tha… ek 'haan' meri puri zindagi ko barbaad kar degi"
Us din subah sab kuch normal lag raha tha…
Par pata nahi kyun dil bahut bechain tha. Jaise kuch galat hone wala ho… ya shayad kuch aisa jo meri puri zindagi badal de.
Maa kitchen me thi, jaldi-jaldi kaam kar rahi thi. Bartano ki awaaz, chulhe ki aag, aur unki aankhon me ek ajeeb si ghabrahat… sab kuch alag lag raha tha.
Maa… kya hua?" maine dheere se poocha.
Unhone bas itna kaha—
"Aaj ladke wale aa rahe hain…"
Mere haath se glass girte-girte bach gaya.
"Par Maa… maine to kaha tha na… main abhi shaadi nahi karna chahti…" meri awaaz halki si kaanp rahi thi.
Maa ne meri taraf dekha… unki aankhon me aansu the, par unhone chhupa liya.
"Beta… har cheez humare haath me nahi hoti…"
Bas itna hi… aur meri duniya hil gayi.
Main apne kamre me chali gayi. Deewar par lage hue certificates ko dekha… school me first aana, teacher ki tarif, sapne… sab kuchmeri aankhon ke saamne ghoomne laga.
"Mujhe kuch banna hai…" maine dheere se khud se kaha.
"Main sirf ek zimmedari nahi hoon…"
Par us din… shayad kisi ne meri awaaz suni hi nahi.
Dopehar tak ghar me taiyaari ho gayi thi.
Mujhe ek simple sa suit pehna diya gaya… jisme main khud ko pehchan hi nahi pa rahi thi.
Maa ne mera dupatta theek kiya… aur halki si muskaan ke saath kaha—
"Bahut sundar lag rahi ho…"
Par unki muskaan ke peeche chhupa dard main clearly dekh sakti thi.
Thodi der baad…
wo log aa gaye.
Ghar me sab log has rahe the, baatein kar rahe the…
par mujhe har awaaz dheemi aur bojh si lag rahi thi.
Maine chhup kar ek baar us ladke ko dekha…
Wo seedha-saadha sa tha. Na zyada has raha tha, na hi zyada bol raha tha. Bas chup-chaap baitha hua tha… jaise wo bhi is sab me utna hi uncomfortable ho jitni main thi.
"Ladki ko bulao…" kisi ne kaha.
Mera dil zor-zor se dhadakne laga
Main dheere-dheere chal kar sabke saamne gayi. Sabki nazrein mujh par thi… jaise main koi insaan nahi, ek decision hoon.
"Baitho beta…" kisi aunty ne kaha.
Main baith gayi… par meri aankhen neeche thi.
Thodi der baad us ladke ki maa boli—
"Dono ko thodi der baat karne do…"
Mujhe uske saath ek alag kamre me bhej diya gaya.
Room me sirf hum dono the…
Aur ek ajeeb si khamoshi.
Main khadi thi… wo bhi.
Phir usne hi silence todha—
Tum baith jao…"
Main dheere se bed ke kone par baith gayi.
Kuch seconds tak koi kuch nahi bola.
Phir usne seedha poocha—
"Tumhe ye shaadi pasand hai?"
Mera dil zor se dhadka.
Yahi wo sawaal tha… jiska jawab meri puri zindagi decide karne wala tha.
Mera mann chilla raha tha—
"NA! Mujhe nahi karni shaadi… mujhe apne sapne poore karne hain…"
Par meri awaaz… mere dil tak hi simat kar reh gayi.
Maine dheere se kaha—
"Jo aap sabko theek lage…"
Usne meri aankhon me dekha…
Aur pehli baar mujhe laga… jaise wo meri baat samajh gaya ho.
Par usne kuch nahi kaha.
Bas ek halki si muskaan di…
jo sach me muskaan nahi thi.
Thodi der baad hum dono bahar aa gaye.
Sab log eagerly wait kar rahe the.
"Ladki pasand hai?" kisi ne poocha.
Usne sir hila diya—
"Haan…"
Sab khush ho gaye.
Aur main…
andar se bilkul toot chuki thi.
Shaam tak rishta pakka ho gaya.
Maa ne mujhe gale lagaya…
"Sab theek ho jayega beta…"
Par mujhe pata tha…
sab theek nahi hoga.
Us raat main so nahi paayi.
Main chhat par chali gayi. Aasman me taare chamak rahe the…
waise hi jaise mere sapne kabhi chamka karte the.
"Maine 'na' kyun nahi bola…" maine khud se poocha.
Aansu apne aap nikal aaye.
Agla din…
sab kuch fast-forward jaise chal raha tha.
Phone calls, rishtedaar, planning aur main sirf ek silent character ban chuki thi apni hi zindagi me.
Tabhi achanak mera phone baja.
Unknown number…
Maine uthaya—
"Hello?"
Doosri taraf se awaaz aayi—
"Main… wo ladka bol raha hoon…"
Mera dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
"Tumse ek zaroori baat karni thi…"
Maine haan kaha.
Usne kuch seconds chup reh kar kaha—
"Main bhi ye shaadi nahi karna chahta…"
Main shock me thi.
"Par maine 'haan' isliye bola… kyunki mere paas bhi koi choice nahi thi…"
Meri aankhon me aansu aa gaye.
Pehli baar laga…
main akeli nahi hoon.
"Par ek baat aur hai…" usne dheere se kaha।
"Jo shayad tumhe pata honi chahiye…"
Mera dil phir se tez dhadakne laga।
"Main kisi aur se pyaar karta hoon…"
Jaise kisi ne mere pairon tale zameen kheench li ho।
Main kuch bol hi nahi paayi।
"Main tumhe dhokha nahi dena chahta…"
"Isliye sach bata raha hoon…"
Room me khamoshi chha gayi।
Mere paas ab do raste the—
Ya to sab chup-chaap seh loon…
Ya phir is baar 'NA' bolne ki himmat karun…
"Us din maine decide kar liya… main 'NA' bolungi… chahe kuch bhi ho."
Kya main is baar 'NA' bol paungi?
Ya phir ek aur baar… apni zindagi ke saamne haar maan jaungi?
Aap hote meri jagah… kya 'NA' bol paate? Comment me zaroor batana aur vote karna na bhoolna
"Aage kya hoga… jaanne ke liye next chapter zaroor padhein "