Sach bataun?
Agar us din main bas 5 minute ruk jaata… toh shayad meri zindagi ka raasta thoda alag hota.
Main tab sirf 10 saal ka tha. Na samajh thi, na zimmedaari ka ehsaas. Bas ek normal bachcha — school, cricket, chocolate aur mummy ki daant tak hi duniya seemit thi. Lekin ek chhoti si cheez ne meri soch ko hamesha ke liye badal diya.
Us din school mein unit test ka result mila tha. Maths.
Aur mujhe 100 mein se 23 aaye the.
Class ke bachche hass rahe the. Teacher ne naam leke daanta. Aur jab maine paper haath mein liya na… toh laga jaise poori duniya dekh rahi ho mujhe.
"Tu kab sudhrega?" – teacher ne seedha muh pe bola.
Mujhe zyada bura marks se nahi laga. Mujhe bura laga ki main "beizzati" feel kar raha tha.
Ghar aaya. Papa office se late aane wale the. Mummy kitchen mein thi. Main seedha apne kamre mein chala gaya. Paper ko school bag se nikala… aur kaafi der tak dekhte raha.
Phir mere dimaag mein ek khayal aaya.
Aisa khayal jo 10 saal ke bachche ko shayad nahi aana chahiye.
"Mummy ko kaise pata chalega agar main ye paper chhupa du?"
Us waqt laga — ye bas ek chhota sa jhoot hoga. Sab log jhoot bolte hain. Main bhi bol dunga.
Maine paper ko phaad diya. Chhote chhote tukde. Aur dustbin ke neeche daba diya.
Shaam ko mummy ne poocha, "Result mila kya?"
Maine aankhon mein aankhen daal ke bola, "Haan… 78 aaye."
Pata hai sabse ajeeb kya tha?
Unhone bina check kiye mujh par vishwas kar liya.
"Good beta, proud of you."
Wo "proud of you" shabd aaj bhi mere kaan mein goonjta hai.
Us raat main so nahi paaya. Dil ke andar ajeeb sa bojh tha. Par bachcha tha… 2 din mein sab normal ho gaya.
Lekin kahani yahin khatam nahi hui.
Teen din baad school se call aaya. Parent-teacher meeting.
Mummy papa dono gaye.
Aur jab teacher ne sach bataya… tab mujhe samajh aaya ki ek jhoot sirf ek jhoot nahi hota. Wo bharosa tod deta hai.
Ghar aake papa ne mujhe maara nahi. Bas ek line boli —
"Galti marks ki nahi thi. Galti sach chhupane ki thi."
Mummy chup thi. Unhone bas itna kaha —
"Hum tumhare saath hain… par jhoot ke saath nahi."
Us din mujhe pehli baar regret ka matlab samajh aaya.
Main 10 saal ka tha… par us din bachpana thoda kam ho gaya.
Lekin asli problem ye nahi thi ki maine jhoot bola.
Asli problem ye thi ki us din maine apne dimaag ko ye sikha diya ki "Situation se bachne ke liye sach chhupana easy hota hai."
Aur jab dimaag ek baar shortcut seekh leta hai na…
toh wo baar baar wahi raasta choose karta hai.
Mujhe nahi pata tha ki 10 saal ki wo chhoti si galti…
20 saal ki umar mein ek bahut badi galti ka base banne wali thi.
Aur wo galti sirf meri nahi thi…
Usme kisi aur ki zindagi bhi judi hui thi.
Aur jab tak mujhe samajh aaya…
tab tak kaafi der ho chuki thi.