Narrow gali thi, jahan waqt jaise ruk sa gaya tha. Din ke do baje honge, lekin gali mein ek ajeeb si khamoshi thi. Chhat se latakte purane bulbs, peeli diwar par chhipki hui mitti, aur ek thaka sa scooter – sab kuch jaise kisi kahani ka hissa tha jo abhi tak kisi ne suna nahi.
Gali ke ek chhote stall ke paas khadi thi Shanta. Kaale saree mein, aankhon mein thodi thakan, lekin chehre par ek ajeeb si shanti. Har roz ki tarah, aaj bhi woh apne stall ke pole ka sahara lekar khadi thi, lekin andar se kuch to badal raha tha. Har aadmi ke chehre ko padne wali Shanta aaj khud ke chehre ko samajhne ki koshish kar rahi thi.
Shanta ke peeche ki diwar par ek dusri aurat, Sudha, aankhon mein chinta le kar khadi thi. Aur ek teesri aurat, Neha, kuch sochti hui, shayad ek paan chabati ya koi chhoti baat ko lekar muskurati hui, us gali se guzar rahi thi. Teen auratein, ek hi frame mein, lekin teeno ki kahaniyaan alag thi.
Shanta, is gali mein naye nahi thi. Pichhle 12 saal se woh yahin apne stall par kuch snacks bechti thi. Pahle uska pati bhi saath hota tha, lekin ek din bina kuch kahe chhod gaya. Log kehte hain kisi aur ke saath bhaag gaya. Shanta ne na roka, na baddua di. Sirf ek baar raat ko stall bandh karte waqt bola tha, “Jisne jaana hai, jaane do. Par main nahi jaungi.” Tab se woh har din wahi khadi hoti thi, usi tarah, usi jagah, lekin har din apne liye ek chhoti jeet le kar.
Sudha, jo uske stall ke peeche vali chhoti bench par roz baithti thi, school teacher thi. Retired ho chuki thi, lekin ab bhi roz subah uth kar wahi routine follow karti – tayaar hona, chashma pehnna, aur us bench par baithkar gali ke logo ko dekhna. Uski zindagi mein kisi ka intezaar tha, lekin kabhi kisi se bola nahi. Shanta jaanti thi woh kiski rah dekh rahi thi – uska beta, jo 5 saal pehle naukri ke liye Dubai gaya tha, aur phir kabhi laut ke nahi aaya.
Neha, jo roz subah aur shaam is gali se guzarti thi, ek boutique mein kaam karti thi. Har waqt phone par ya kisi soch mein hoti thi. Kabhi haste hue, kabhi gusse mein. Par aaj kuch alag tha. Aaj usne stall ke paas ruk kar Shanta se poocha, “Aaj kuch naya hai, aunty?”
Shanta ne ek halke se muskaan ke saath bola, “Naya to roz hota hai, bas dekhne wali nazar chahiye.”
Neha hansi, aur bola, “Sahi kaha.”
Itni si baat mein bhi ek dosti ki shuruaat ho gayi. Neha ne bataya ki aaj uska interview hai ek naye fashion house mein. Nervous thi, lekin Shanta ki muskaan ne uska confidence badha diya.
Shanta ne use ek laddoo diya – “Yeh kha le, subah se kuch khaya nahi na?”
Neha ne kaha, “Aapko kaise pata?”
Shanta boli, “Jo roz dikhte hain, unka haal samajh mein aa hi jaata hai.”
Us laddoo ke saath Neha gayi, aur shaam ko jab waapas aayi, uske chehre par khushi thi. “Job mil gaya!” – Usne khushi se chillaaya.
Sudha ne pehli baar muskura ke bola, “Kya baat hai.”
Gali mein pehli baar us din zyada roshni mehsoos hui, jab bulbs ab bhi bujhe hue the. Shanta, Sudha aur Neha – teeno ek frame mein nahi, ek rishta mein aa chuki thi. Ek rishta jo kisi rishte ka mohataaj nahi, sirf samajhne, mehsoos karne aur saath dene se banta hai.
Agle din subah, gali mein wahi chhoti stall, wahi peela dabba, aur wahi kaala saree mein Shanta – lekin uski aankhon mein ab ek naya ujala tha.
Kisi ne sach hi kaha hai, bade shehron ki sabse chhoti galiyon mein sabse gehri kahaniyaan hoti hain. Aur kabhi kabhi, bina kuch badle bhi sab kuch badal jaata hai.
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