Diary ke Last Page par
Maa ki purani diary mili — almaari ke peeche. 1992 ki. Brown cover, yellow pages, Papa ki photo chipki hui first page par. Puri diary — daily routine. "Aaj sabzi li — 20 rupaye." "Aaj Pinky ko bukhar." "Aaj bijli nahi aayi — 6 ghante." Boring? Haan. Par last page — last page alag thi. Kisi aur ink se likhi thi. Saaf, sundar, sochi-samjhi. Jaise last page ke liye puri zindagi wait kiya ho. "Mere Rajesh ko, Tum yeh diary kabhi nahi padhoge — kyunki tumhe Hindi mein padhne ka patience nahi hai. Isliye main yahan likh rahi hoon — safely. Tumse shaadi ko 8 saal ho gaye. 8 saal mein tumne mujhe kabhi 'I love you' nahi kaha. Main jaanti hoon — tumhari generation nahi kehti. Meri bhi nahi. Par tum karte ho. Mujhe pata hai. Jab tum raat ko sote ho aur bedsheet meri taraf khench lete ho — woh pyaar hai. Jab tum market se 'aise hi' ek extra dupatta le aate ho — 'sale tha' bolke — woh pyaar hai. Jab Pinky beemar hoti hai aur tum poori raat jaagke uske sar par haath rakhte ho — woh pyaar hai. Usse bhi — mujhse bhi. Jab tum meri daal mein namak zyada hone par kuch nahi bolte — jab ki tumhe kam namak pasand hai — woh pyaar hai. Aur jab tum subah chai ka pehla cup mujhe dete ho — khud baad mein peete ho — woh pyaar hai jo kisi bhi 'I love you' se bada hai. Rajesh — agar tum yeh kabhi padho (nahi padhoge) — toh jaano: Main bhi tumse bahut pyaar karti hoon. Bahut bahut. Itna ki 8 saal ke daily expenses ke baad bhi — last page tumhare liye bachaya. Tumhari, Suman" --- Maine yeh page Papa ko dikhaya. Papa ne padha. Slowly. Chasma upar karke. Haath kaanpe. "Yeh..." Papa ruke. "Yeh tumhari Maa ne likha?" "Haan." Papa ne diary band ki. Seene se lagayi. Aankhein bheegi. "Usne kaha tha ki main Hindi mein nahi padhta. Sahi kaha tha." Papa hanse — rote hue. "Ab padh lo, Papa. Puri diary." "Puri padhunga. Har page. Har shabd." Aur Papa ne padhi — 1992 ki puri diary. Sabzi ke rate, bijli ki complaints, Pinky ka bukhar — sab. Rote hue padhi. Hanste hue padhi. Kyunki ab har boring entry mein bhi — Maa ki awaaz thi. Aur last page mein — woh sab kuch jo dono ne kabhi nahi kaha. Kuch pyaar — diaries ke last page par milta hai. 30 saal baad.