Beta kagaz haath mein liye poore ghar mein daud pada.
"Maa… Maa!"
Uski awaaz deewaron se takra kar laut aayi,
lekin maa kahin nazar nahi aayi.
Dil ghabra gaya.
Usne bahar kadam rakha hi tha
ke peeche se ek pehchaani si awaaz aayi—
"Itni tez awaaz kyun de raha hai?"
Beta palat kar dekhta hai…
maa pados ke aangan se chali aa rahi thi,
haath mein mithai ka dabba,
chehre par wahi sukoon bhari muskurahat.
Beta bhag kar maa se lipat gaya.
"Maa… aap theek ho na?
Yeh kagaz… yeh likha hua…"
Maa hans padi.
"Pagal beta,"
"woh toh bas ek chhota sa imtihaan tha."
Maa ne pyaar se samjhaya,
"Main bas yeh dekhna chahti thi
ke tu ab apni zindagi khud sambhal sakta hai ya nahi.
Maa kahin jaa nahi rahi…
maa toh hamesha tere saath hai."
Beta ki aankhon se aansu beh nikle.
Is baar darr ke nahi,
sukoon ke.
Maa ne uska matha chooma aur kaha,
"Ab tu sirf mera beta nahi,
ek zimmedaar insaan ban chuka hai.
Aur maa ko isse badi khushi aur kya chahiye?"
Us pal beta samajh gaya—
maa ka saath sirf paas rehna nahi hota,
maa ka saath hota hai
andar se mazboot bana dena…
— Kahani yahin poori hoti hai,
lekin maa aur bete ka rishta
kabhi khatam nahi hota. 🤍