Ek baar ki baat hai, jab main 15 saal ka tha aur kaksha 10 mein padhne ke liye roz school jata tha. Mera school ek chhote se shehar ke kone mein tha, jahan bachche padhai ke saath-saath apni zindagi ke alag-alag anubhav bhi seekhte the. Main ek seedha-saadha ladka tha jo padhai mein theek-thaak tha aur hamesha shanti se rehna pasand karta tha.
Lekin meri zindagi mein ek aisa mod aaya jab meri dosti kuch aise ladkon se hui jo school ke sabse shararti aur badmash maane jaate the. Unhe sab log "backbenchers" kehte the. Woh hamesha class ke last bench par baithte, teacher ki baat kam sunte aur apni hi duniya mein mast rehte the. Shuru mein mujhe unse thoda darr lagta tha, lekin dheere-dheere meri unse baat hone lagi aur phir dosti ho gayi।
Woh log mere saath achchha vyavahar karte the. Agar koi mujhe pareshan karta ya kuch galat bolta, to woh turant uska jawab dete the. Mujhe lagta tha ki mere paas ab aise dost hain jo hamesha mera saath denge. Lekin main andar hi andar yeh bhi samajhta tha ki unka raasta sahi nahi hai।
Ek din ki baat hai, mere sabhi dost kisi kaaran school nahi aaye. Main akela hi class mein baitha tha. Tabhi ek ladka, jiska naam Shyam tha aur jisse meri pehle se thodi anban thi, mere paas aaya. Uske chehre par ghamand aur shararat dono saaf dikh rahe the।
Woh mere paas aakar bola, "Aaj tere dost nahi aaye? Ab kaun bachayega tujhe?"
Maine shanti se uski taraf dekha aur kaha, "Main kisi se ladna nahi chahta. Main bas padhai karne aaya hoon. Tum bhi theek se raho."
Woh hansne laga aur bola, "Bada shareef ban raha hai! Kal tak tere dost sabko dhamkate the aur aaj tu gyaan de raha hai?"
Maine phir bhi apna dhairya nahi khoya. Maine kaha, "Dekho, main sach mein sharafat se rehna chahta hoon. Tum bhi bina wajah jhagda mat karo."
Usne mujhe thoda dhakka dene ki koshish ki, lekin tabhi achanak mere dost wahan aa gaye. Jaise hi Shyam ne unhe dekha, uska chehra utar gaya aur woh turant wahan se bhaag gaya।
Mere dost mere paas aaye aur poochhne lage, "Kya hua? Woh yahan kya kar raha tha?"
Maine unhe sach bataya aur phir unhe samjhane ki koshish ki, "Yaar, tum log yeh sab ladai-jhagda chhod do. Aaj bach gaye, lekin kal kisi bade chakkar mein fas sakte ho."
Woh log hansne lage aur bole, "Tu tension mat le, hum sab sambhal lenge."
Samay beetta gaya aur sab kuch theek chal raha tha. Lekin ek din aisa aaya jab mere dost lagataar teen din tak school nahi aaye. Pehle din mujhe laga shayad koi kaam hoga, doosre din thodi chinta hui, aur teesre din main bahut pareshan ho gaya।
Aakhirkar main unke ghar gaya. Wahan jaakar jo pata chala, usne mujhe hila kar rakh diya. Unke parents ne bataya ki woh log police ke paas hain kyunki unhone Shyam ke saath maar-peet kar di thi।
Maine hairani se poochha, "Par unki umar to abhi kam hai, phir police kyun le gayi?"
Unhone kaha, "Haan, umar kam hai, isliye kuch din mein chhod diya jayega, lekin galti to galti hoti hai na beta."
Mujhe bahut bura laga. Main samajh gaya tha ki jo baat main unhe baar-baar samjha raha tha, wahi sach ho gayi।
Do-teen din baad jab mere dost wapas aaye, to unke chehre par pehle jaisi masti nahi thi. Woh chup-chaap the aur pehle se zyada serious lag rahe the।
Main unke paas gaya aur dheere se poochha, "Ab samajh mein aaya na ki ladai ka anjaam kya hota hai?"
Unhone sir jhuka kar kaha, "Haan, ab samajh gaye. Wahan jaakar pata chala ki chhoti si galti bhi kitni badi mushkil bana sakti hai."
Us din ke baad dheere-dheere unhone apni aadatein badalni shuru kar di. Woh class mein dhyan dene lage, teachers ki baat sunne lage aur bekaar ke jhagde se door rehne lage।
Mujhe un par garv hua. Mujhe laga ki agar kisi ko sahi samay par samjha diya jaye, to woh apni zindagi badal sakta hai।
Aaj jab main peeche mudkar dekhta hoon, to mujhe yeh kahani sirf ek yaad nahi lagti, balki ek seekh lagti hai. Dosti zaroori hai, lekin sahi aur galat ka farq samajhna usse bhi zyada zaroori hai।
Agar hum galat raaste par chalne wale doston ke saath rehkar bhi unhe sahi raasta dikha sakein, to wahi asli dosti hoti hai।
Moral (Seekh):
Zindagi mein hamesha shanti aur sachchai ka raasta chunein, kyunki gussa aur ladai hamesha nuksaan hi deti hai.