'लोग आते गए कारवां बनता गया'

College se nikal kar jab main apne ghar ki taraf jaa rahi thi, toh chehre par ek ajeeb si muskaan thi. Waisi muskaan jaise February ki shaam ki halki dhoop , lnaram, pyari aur thodi der tikne wali. Shayad isliye bhi kyunki aaj kisi ne mujhe phool diye the.

Lekin asli muskaan toh tab aayi jab main roz ki tarah Vishwavidyalaya se metro pakad kar ghar laut rahi thi.

Waise mujhe general coach zyada pasand nahi aate. Par uss din mann hi nahi kiya women’s coach tak chal kar jaane ka. Upar se metro bhi aa chuki thi aur main pehle se hi pichhli bogie ke paas khadi thi. Socha  “itni door kaun chale?”

Haath mein wo chhote chhote baingani rang ke phool bade sundar lag rahe the. Main unke baare mein soch rahi thi — ghar jaakar kaunse guldaaste mein rakhungi, kaise sambhalungi ki murjhaye na, ya phir kisi kitab ke panne ke beech daba kar ek aur yaad bana lungi.

Itna hi socha tha ki coach achanak bharne laga. Samajh gayi , Kashmere Gate aa gaya hai.

Hamesha ki tarah log seat ke liye bhaage aur main hamesha ki tarah bas तमाशा dekhti rahi. Kuch der baad ek aunty ne seat “jeet” li. Darasal unke poore pariwar ne jeet li thi — koi kahin baitha tha, koi kahin. Unke haath mein ek nanha sa bachcha bhi tha. Shayad isi wajah se unhe seat milne mein baaki logon jitni mehnat nahi karni padi.

Maine socha, “roz ka hi toh hai,” aur phir ignore kar diya.

Tabhi ek chhote se haath ne mere phoolon ki taraf ishara kar diya. Uski aankhon mein waise chamak thi jaise maine phool uske haath mein rakh hi diye hon.

Maine mann hi mann socha “ab toh ignore karna mushkil hai.”

Maine poocha, “chahiye?”
Usne ishare mein haan kar diya.

Uski maa ne turant mana kar diya, bilkul waise jaise usse duniya ki har baat samajh aati ho. Jaise agar wo ishara kar de toh duniya ki saari jung ruk jaayein.

Khair.

Aakhir mein maine phool usse de hi diya. Aur usne turant unhe todna shuru kar diya. Tab samajh aaya — shayad phool ki kismat wahi thi. Kahaan sajne-sawarne ke khwaab, aur kahaan ek bachche ke haathon pyaar se kuchal diya jaana.

Phir naam poochne ka silsila shuru hua, aur gantavya ka bhi. Pata chala poora pariwar Delhi ghoomne aaya tha. Chandni Chowk dekhne ki unki utsukta dekh kar mujhe apni hi pehli baar wali Chandni Chowk yaad aa gayi.

Naamon, kaamon aur baaton ke beech unka station aa gaya. Tab maine ek photo lene ki ijazat maangi. Thodi hichkichahat thi unki maa ke chehre par, par shayad apne pati ki taraf dekh kar unhone aankhon hi aankhon mein haan keh di. Aur wahi haan mujhe tohfe mein mil gayi.

Wo photo abhi bhi mere gallery ke kisi kone mein rakhi hai — thodi edited, thodi raw.

Kabhi use kahin post kiya, toh uska title shayad yahi hoga:

“Log aate gaye, aur karwaan banta gaya.”

Logon ko shayad uss tasveer ka shirshak samajh na aaye, par uss pal ki kahani main hamesha samajh jaungi.

Cheers to the forgotten-named kid.
Agar pehle likh diya hota ye sab, toh shayad uska naam bhi yaad rakh leti.