Roz ka mera raasta wahi tha—subah ki jaldi, shaam ki thakan. Usi raaste par ek store padta tha. Sheeshe ke andar roshni hoti, bahar sadak ka shor… aur us roshni ke beech ek ladki—hamesha seedhi khadi, hamesha "customer, customer" me uljhi hui.
Pehle bas kabhi kabhi nazar milti. Phir dheere-dheere baat hone lagi. Aur pata hi nahi chala kab woh ek anjaan chehra se meri roz ki aadat ban gayi.
Kabhi chai, kabhi coffee… aur beech me kuch pal, jahan hum dono bas insaan ban ke baat kar lete the—job title ke bina, uniform ke bina.
Dosti purani hui to baatein bhi sachchi ho gayi. Ek din maine dekha—uski aankhon me thakan thi, aur chehre par woh muskaan jo sirf "theek hoon" dikhane ke kaam aati hai.
Maine poocha, "Kya hua?"
Woh halki si saans leke boli, "Yaar… main khade-khade toot rahi hoon. Tangein itni dukhti hain… pure 8 ghante khade rehna padta hai. Samajh nahi aata kya karun."
Mujhe jaise kisi ne andar se jhatka de diya. Main kuch bolna chahta tha, par lafz nahi mile. Kyunki dard ka koi sahi jawab hota hi kahan hai?
Woh khud hi bol padi, "Company ka rule hai. Khade rehna hai. Bas tea, pani, lunch me thodi der baith sakte hain."
Maine store me dekha—baaki sales wale bhi khade the. Maine kaha, "Sab khade rehte hain… tu bhi to unhi me se hai."
Woh thoda sa muskurayi, par us muskaan me khushi nahi thi.
"Sab khade rehte hain… par sab ek jaise nahi hote. Kuch log chori-chori baith jaate hain jab koi dekh nahi raha hota. Main… main nahi baith pati."
"Tu bhi baith jaya kar," maine kaha, jaise ek chhota sa hal nikal aaya ho.
Woh turant boli, "Mujhse rule toda nahi jaata. Aur phir koi na koi aa ke tok deta hai—'khade ho jao.' Mujhe achcha nahi lagta. Baith bhi gayi to dimag me bas ek hi baat ghoomti rahegi—koi dekh na le… koi bol na de… koi bol na de…"
Phir woh ruk gayi. Jaise uske andar ka sawaal uske gale me atak gaya ho.
"Par… ye rule banaya hi kyun hai?" usne dheere se kaha. "Kisne banaya? Iska fayda kya hai?"
Us pal mujhe laga, woh mujhse nahi—duniya se pooch rahi hai.
Woh boli, "Maine google pe search kiya. Wahan likha tha—employee active rahe, service achchi de. Par sach bataun? Ye to hakk chheenna hai. Thode se paise aur majboori ke karan hum kuch bol nahi pate. Hamare yahan itne adhikar ki baat hoti hai… par baithne ka adhikar? Woh bhi chheen liya jaata hai."
Uski awaaz me gussa tha, par gusse se zyada… be-basi.
"Log bolenge—active rakhne ke liye hota hai. Par main khud bhugat rahi hoon. 8-9 ghante khade rehke koi active nahi hota… ulta body aur dimag dono thak jaate hain. Army me samajh aata hai, security guard me samajh aata hai… par sales me? Customer attend karte waqt khade ho, theek. Par bina matlab poora din?"
Woh ek pal ko chup hui. Phir boli, "Aur salary? Discipline army jaisa chahiye… par salary security guard se bhi kam. Kal ko kisi employee ko kuch ho gaya… to zimmedar kaun?"
Main uski baat sunta raha. Aur mere andar ek ajeeb si sharm utar aayi—kyunki main us dard ko dekh to sakta tha, par rok nahi sakta tha. Main uske saamne baitha tha, aur woh mere saamne khadi—jaise zindagi ne hum dono ko apni-apni jagah par baandh diya ho.
Us din ghar aate waqt raasta wahi tha… par nazar badal chuki thi. Ab jab bhi main us store ke paas se guzarta, mujhe sirf ek shop nahi dikhti—mujhe ek insaan dikhta hai, jo khade-khade apni majboori nibha raha hai.
Aur main ab bhi sochta hoon—meri dost ko main kya salah doon…
jisse uska dard kam ho, aur uski majboori aur badi na ho.
**Kyunki kuch log roz khade rehte hain…**
**par unke sapne, unki thakan, aur unka dard—kisi ko nazar nahi aata.**