Collage of Memories

Baat zara purani si hai. takriban 22 saal pehle bihar ke ek chhote se kasbe mein paida hue. thode bade hue to maa baap ne school mein dakhila karwane ka socha. kasbe mein school ki kami thi. fir bhi maa baap ne koi kasar na chhodi. jald hi humne khud ko ek school mein paya. aalam to yeh tha ki school ka bhi woh pehla hi baras tha, woh bhi kiraaye ke makaan mein. dono naye. dono ek dusre ka haath thaame aage badhe. school ne tarakki ki. hum bhi saath aage chal diye. dus baarah baras ke hue toh khud ko dosto se ghira paya. saath khelte, saath padhte. ghar mein bhi hamesha padhai ka mahaul tha. roz shaam haath pair dho kar padhne baith jaate. dil mein aage badhne ki chahat thi. aankon mein sapne they ki ek din kuchh badaa karenge. logo se suna karte they dilli shahar mein kaafi chamak-damak hai. sun kar dil mein ek chahat si jaag uthti thi.

14 saal humne ussi school ki aangan mein guzar diye. baarahwi pass kiya. number bhi theek se they. aankon mein sapne abhi bhi jawaan they. bade shahar ki baatein hum abhi tak bhool na paye they. magar pitaji se dil ki baat kahe bhi to kaise? maa se kahaa ki hume dilli ki college mein padhna hai. gharwale jaraa sahme. humare ghar mein shayad hi kisi ne bihar ke baahar kadam rakha tha. dilli to dur ki baat thi. fir bhi gharwalo ko kisi tarah manaya. tasalli di ki sab kuchh sambhal lenge. bhari mann se ma ne haami bhar di. doston ko bhi humne alvida keh diya. pitaji saath dilli aye. tez raftaar ki zindagi dekh kar pitaji ne humari or dekha. hum to apni hi duniya mein khoye they. naya shahar, naya josh tha.

Pitaji ko chhodne station aye. train chal padi. waapas jaate waqt pitaji ki aankhon mein humne aanson ki do boondein dekhi. hum iske aadi na they. isliye thoda dukh hua. bhaari mann se apne kamre mein waapas aye. magar aankhon ne fir se naye sapne sajaane ki tayyari kar li thi.

17 saal ki umar mein ek anjaan shahar mein akele ek nayi shuruaat ki. din beete. aaj dilli shahar mein aaye hue paanch saal se zyada ho chuke hain. na shahar raas aya, na shahar ki raunak. fir bhi jeeye ja rahe hain. is jaddojahat mein purane saathi kahin kho se gaye—kuchh humse aage nikal gaye, kuchh ko humne peechhe chhod diya—kabhi jaan kar kabhi anjaane mein. magar in sab se bekhabar hum khud mein hi guum hain. aage ka pata nahin par paanv chale ja rahe hain. ankhein andhere mein aaj bhi kuchh talaash rahi hai. dil mein aaj bhi kuchh paane ki hasrat hai, ek tamanna hai. bas raste anjaan se hain. awara ki tarah manzil ki bas ek jhalak paane ko betaab chale ja rahe hain. kabhi ahiste, kabhi tez par yeh kadam hain ki rukne ka naam hi nahin lete. bas ek ummeed hai ki manzil agle mod pe humara intezaar kar rahi hai. manzil mile na mile, ek baat is shahar ne zarur sikhaya hai ki bina thamey, bina ruke chalte jaane ko hi zindagi kehte hain....