Subah ke 9 baje the. Mumbai ke ek purane mohalla mein zindagi har roz ki tarah dhimi dhimi si chal rahi thi. Gully ke mod par ek choti si dukaan thi, jahan ek taraf plastic ke bottles ki thailiyan aur dusri taraf chips ke packet latak rahe the. Do auratein, ek peeli salwar suit mein aur dusri gahri gulabi saari mein, us choti si dukaan ke samne khadi thi – ek tasveer jaise ruki hui thi, lekin unki aankhon mein chalti kahaniyaan thi.
Pehli aurat ka naam tha Meena. Usne peela suit pehna tha, baalon ko khula chhoda tha, aur aankhon mein ek jazba tha – kuch kar dikhane ka. Meena asal mein Uttar Pradesh se Mumbai aayi thi 3 saal pehle, jab uske pati ne use chhod diya tha. Pehle din se hi usne thaan liya tha ke apni beti ki padhai kabhi nahi chhodega.
Dukaan ke paas khadi dusri aurat thi – Kusum. Ek samay tha jab Kusum bhi Meena jaise hi sapne le kar ayi thi Mumbai. Lekin waqt ne use thoda thakaa diya tha. Uski shaadi ek local doodh wale se hui thi, jo ab bimaar rehta tha. Wo roz subah aa kar yeh dukaan sambhalti thi, ek aadha chai aur biscuit ka order leti thi, aur zindagi ko thoda aur kheenchti thi.
Meena ne us din kuch zyada bolne ki himmat ki. “Didi, aap yahan kitne saal se ho?”
Kusum ne ek halki si muskaan ke saath jawab diya, “15 saal ho gaye, Meena. Har din bas ek naya imtihaan hota hai.”
“Par aapne himmat nahi haari,” Meena boli.
“Zindagi mein haarne ka waqt nahi milta, behen. Jab ghar sambhalna ho, toh aansuon ko bhi muskaan ke peeche chhupana padta hai,” Kusum ne jawab diya.
Us gully mein har dukaan, har kona, har insaan ek kahani ke tukde ki tarah tha. Peeche ek chaiwala thaa jo har kisi ki chai mein cheeni se zyada umeed daal deta. Ek taraf ek silai center tha jahan ladkiyaan naye kapde ke saath naye sapne bhi silti thi.
Meena ne ek naya iraada liya tha us din. Usne socha tha ki woh bhi ek choti si dukaan kholegi – ladies items ki. Usne apni beti ke liye savings chhupayi thi, lekin socha, "agar kuch karungi nahi toh yeh cycle kabhi todegi nahi."
Agle mahine Meena ne Kusum ke paas jaakar bola, “Didi, aapka stall ke paas ek kona khaali hai na? Kya main wahan apna chhota sa stall laga sakti hoon?”
Kusum ne uski aankhon mein ek spark dekha, kuch waise hi jaise kabhi uski aankhon mein tha. Usne bina kuch soche haan kar diya. “Laga le, Meena. Par ek shart hai – har din ek muskaan ke saath kholna.”
Meena ki dukaan ne dheere dheere gully mein rang bharna shuru kiya. Bachiyan, auratein uske paas hair clips, bangles aur bindi lene aane lagi. Har kisi ko sirf saman nahi milta tha – Meena ki kahani bhi milti thi. Ek aisi kahani jo unhe yaad dilati thi ke mushkilein akhir kab tak rahegi?
Kusum ab kabhi kabhi Meena ke stall ke paas baith kar uski madad karti thi. Do auratein – ek thodi thak chuki thi, ek nayi taqat le kar ayi thi – ab ek dusre ki muskaan ka hissa thi.
Zindagi ka ye kona ab sirf ek gully nahi tha – ye ek misaal ban gaya tha. Jahan har musibat, har choti dukaan, har chammach chai mein ek nayi subah chhupi thi.
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