Uss din mujhe ghar lautne mein der ho gayi thi.

Aur maa ko diya hua mera vaada bhi toot chuka tha.

Sach kahun toh...

Ghar lautte waqt baarish se zyada mujhe maa ka saamna karne se darr lag raha tha.

Main cycle tez chala rahi thi.

Lekin hawa bhi ajeeb thi uss shaam.

Samandar mere baaye taraf tha.

Aur uske paar dhalta hua suraj.

Paani par padi hui uski sunehri roshni aisi lag rahi thi jaise kisi ne poore samandar par pighla hua sona bicha diya ho.

Kabhi kabhi lagta hai...

Shaam ka waqt duniya ka sabse imaandaar waqt hota hai.

Na poora din.

Na poori raat.

Jaise duniya khud bhi kuch der ke liye ruk kar saans leti ho.

Jab main ghar pahunchi, tab tak andhera utarne laga tha.

Jaise hi hall mein kadam rakha—

Maa turant meri taraf aayi.

"Aurelia, tum itni der se kahan thi beta?"

"Itni tez baarish mein bahar kya kar rahi thi?"

"Pata hai main kitni pareshan ho gayi thi?"

"Rumian bhi darr gayi thi."

Mujhe sach mein bura lag raha tha.

"Don't worry, mama."

"Main theek hoon."

"Bas baarish ki wajah se ek jagah rukna pad gaya."

"Isiliye der ho gayi."

"Warna mujhe bhi apna promise todna accha nahi lagta."

Maa ne dheere se meri bheegi hui zulfon ko chhua.

Kabhi kabhi maa ka pyaar insaan ko aur zyada guilty mehsoos karwa deta hai.

"Chalo, dinner kar lo."

"Nahi mama."

"Main bahut thak gayi hoon."

"Aaj seedha sona chahti hoon."

"Aisa nahi bolte beta."

"Bhukhe pet nahi sona chahiye."

Lekin uss waqt meri thakaan bhook se badi thi.

"Good night, mama."

Aur main seedhi apne kamre mein chali gayi.

Bed par let-te hi laga jaise poore din ki thakaan dheere dheere pighalne lagi ho.

Jaise main kai saalon se nahi soyi thi.

Aur phir...

Pata hi nahi chala kab neend aa gayi.

---

Agli subah jab meri aankhen khuli—

Toh mera dil lagbhag ruk hi gaya.

Main bahut der tak soti reh gayi thi.

Aur iska matlab sirf ek hi tha.

Musibat.

Badi wali.

Main jaldi jaldi taiyar hui aur bhaag kar neeche hall mein pahunchi.

Aur wahan...

Mere saamne baithe the piano teacher.

Hamare ghar ke sabse strict insaan.

Sach kahun toh unka chehra dekhkar hi aadmi apni galti yaad kar le.

Lekin phir bhi...

Jo dhun woh piano par bajate the, usse sunkar lagta tha ki duniya mein sundarta ab bhi zinda hai.

Kabhi kabhi main sochti hoon—

Jo vyakti itni sundar dhun baja sakta hai...

Woh itna khadoos kaise ho sakta hai?

Jaise hi main baithi—

Unhone ghadi dekhi.

Aur shaant awaaz mein bole—

"Miss Evermont."

"Aap teen minute late hain."

Mera dil doob gaya.

Phir woh bole—

"Punishment ke roop mein, kal jo dhun maine aapko sikhayi thi, use teen ghante tak bina ruke bajaiye."

"Koi galti nahi."

"Koi bahana nahi."

"Aur agar dhun bhool gayin..."

"Toh lesson ka samay aur badh jayega."

"Phir shayad aapko bahar jaane ka samay bhi na mile."

Mujhe ek saath gussa bhi aa raha tha.

Aur darr bhi lag raha tha.

Lekin mere paas choice hi kahan thi?

Unhone do baar taali bajayi.

"Begin."

Sach kahun—

Piano ko chhune se pehle hi mere haath kaamp rahe the.

Lekin maine bajana shuru kiya.

Ek ghanta.

Do ghante.

Teen ghante.

Har note ke saath mujhe sirf ek hi darr tha—

Kahin galti na ho jaaye.

Aur jab teen ghante khatam hue...

Pata hai unhone mujhse kya kaha?

"Punishment poori ho gayi."

"Lekin maza nahi aaya."

"Aur sudhaar ki zarurat hai."

"Kal phir se teen ghante."

Us waqt mera sach mein rone ka mann kar raha tha.

Lekin...

Kya karein?

Shayad yahi meri zindagi thi.

Aur meri chhoti behen Rumian ki bhi.

Uske baad aaye Asteric language teacher.

Phir Lumerian language teacher.

Aur phir...

Violin teacher.

Us waqt tak main bas ek hi baat soch rahi thi—

Ya toh main yahan se bhaag jaun.

Ya phir koi mujhe yahan se bhaga kar le jaaye.

Lekin violin teacher alag the.

Bahut alag.

Woh dheere bolte the.

Muskurakar baat karte the.

Unke aas-paas rehkar lagta tha ki galti karna duniya ka ant nahi hai.

Unhone poocha—

"Aaj aapka mood kaisa hai, Miss Evermont?"

"Aaj accha nahi hai."

"Main bas lessons khatam karke bahar jaana chahti hoon."

"Bahar jaana pasand hai aapko?"

Meri aankhen chamak uthi.

"Haan."

"Bahut zyada."

"Main pahadon par jaana chahti hoon."

Aur phir mujhe turant ehsaas hua.

Oops.

Maine zyada bol diya.

Shayad mujhe pahadon wali baat nahi batani chahiye thi.

Lekin woh bas muskuraye.

"Accha."

"Ab sochiye ki aap un pahadon par khadi hain."

"Hawa chal rahi hai."

"Aur jo aap mehsoos karti hain..."

"Usse mehsoos karke ye dhun bajaiye."

Maine koshish ki.

Utna accha nahi baja paayi.

Lekin unhone kaha—

"Bahut accha."

"Aise hi practice karti rahiye."

"Aapko seekhne mein zyada samay nahi lagega."

Unki tareef sunkar pehli baar laga ki shayad main itni buri bhi nahi hoon.

Shaam hone lagi thi.

Aur hamesha ki tarah main apni cycle lekar bahar nikal gayi.

Lekin uss din...

Mera mann apna roz wala raasta chhod kar kisi aur taraf mudne laga.

Usi raaste ki taraf.

Jahan ek baarish bhari shaam mein maine ek knight aur ek princess ki kahani suni thi.

Aur kuch der baad...

Main uss ghar ke saamne khadi thi.

Door se.

Bas dekh rahi thi.

Ghar shaant tha.

Jaise wahan koi rehta hi na ho.

Pata nahi maine aisa kyun kiya.

Main wapas mud gayi.

Isliye nahi ki mujhe wahan jaana pasand nahi tha.

Balki isliye...

Kyuki mujhe khud par thodi si sharm aa rahi thi.

Lekin phir...

Hawaon mein ek dhun gunjne lagi.

Ek bahut hi pyari dhun.

Itni pyari...

Ki usse nazarandaz karna mushkil tha.

Main bina soche samjhe uss dhun ki taraf chalne lagi.

Jaise dhun mujhe bula rahi ho.

Aur jaise jaise main aage badhti gayi...

Dhun aur saaf hoti gayi.

Phir maine dekha.

Golden fields ke saamne kuch naujawan baithe the.

Kuch tree stumps par.

Kuch ghaas par.

Koi guitar baja raha tha.

Koi ga raha tha.

Aur un sab ke beech...

Ek aadmi ek bade pathar par baitha hua tha.

Jaise woh dhun baja nahi raha tha...

Usme jee raha tha.

Evelyn Hale.

Mujhe ye tak nahi pata tha...

Ki woh guitar bajata bhi hai.