Naqaabposh Saas

Purane mohalle ke us do-kamre ke makan ki chhat par jab main shaam ko sukhte hue kapde utaarne jaati, toh neeche gali me khelte bachhon ki aawazein aati thi. Par mere andar ek aisi khamoshi thi jo mujhe har din ghut rahi thi. Log kehte hain ki middle-class gharon me rishte bohot gehre hote hain, par koi ye nahi batata ki agar saas ke armaan toot jayein, toh wo ghar ki bahu ke liye usi ghar ko dozeqh bana sakti hai.

Aaj main aapko apni kahani batane ja rahi hu—taaki aap jaan sakein ki 'Naqaabposh Saas' ka asli chehra kaisa hota hai.

Meri aur Aakash ki shaadi ko ek saal hua tha. Aakash ek private company me choti si job karta tha, aur main ek simple housewife. Hamari love marriage hui thi. Lekin Aakash ki maa—Kausalya Devi—ke liye main unke sapnon ki qaatil thi. Unki khwahish thi ki Aakash ki shaadi unki ameer saheli ki beti, Neha se ho, taaki bada dahej mile aur unka roab badhe. Par Aakash ne meri wajah se unka rishta thukra diya tha.

Maa ji ne mujhe kabhi munh par kuch nahi kaha. Unka badla lene ka tareeka alag tha—chupchaap, zeherila aur dimaag se khelne wala.

Roz subah jab Aakash tiffin lekar naukri par nikalta, Maa ji uske liye chai ka cup laati aur uske sar par haath ferte hue meethi aawaz me kehti:

"Aakash beta, dekha Neha ko? Kal hi uske papa uske liye nayi gadi laaye hain. Agar wahan baat pakki hoti toh aaj tujhe is tapi dhoop me bus ke dhakke nahi khane padte... Par khair, teri pasand hai, ab toh jo hai sehna hi padega."

Ye shabd Aakash ke dimaag me roopaye aur izzat ki kami ka zeher gholte the. Aakash shuru me chup rehta, par roz-roz ye sunkar uske andar ek gundha hua chidchidapan aane laga.

Dusri taraf, rasoi me jab main unke liye rotiyan sek rahi hoti, toh wo paas aakar sahanubhuti jatate hue kehti:

"Aakash aajkal bohot pareshan rehta hai, Sunita. Jab se shaadi hui hai, uspar kharche ka bohot bojh hai. Neha ka phone aaya tha kal, wo toh Aakash ki bohot chinta kar rahi thi... Kahin aisa na ho ki Aakash ko lage ki usne tujhse shaadi karke galti kar di."

Unhone hum dono ke beech baat karne ka rasta hi band kar diya. Agar hamare beech kisi choti baat par behas hoti, toh Maa ji turant Aakash ko apne kamre me bulakar dahi-chini khilati aur kehti ki wo hamesha uske saath hain. Aakash ko lagta ki uski maa hi uski sabse badi hamdard hai, jabki wo hamare beech ki deewar ko aur pakka kar rahi thi.

Dheere-dheere, hamare chote se kamre me wo purana pyaar aur sukoon gaayab ho gaya.

Phir aaya unka Masterstroke.

Teej ka tyohar tha. Ghar me mohalle ki aurtein aayi hui thi. Neha aur uski maa ko bhi Maa ji ne khaskar bulaya tha. Neha mehenge gehne aur saree pehenkar aayi thi, jabki main ek sadharan si saree me unki khidmati me lagi thi.

Mauka dekhkar, Maa ji ne mere bedroom ke almarah se mere sone ke kangan (jo mere papa ne apni mehnat ki kamai se दिए थे) nikaal liye aur use Neha ke handbag me daal diya.

Thodi der baad, Maa ji ne pure ghar me hungama macha diya:

"Hay ram! Mera sona gaayab ho gaya! Sunita, tune mere kangan kahan chupa diye? Neha beta, zara apna bag dekhna, kahin isne galti se wahan toh nahi rakh diya?"

Neha ne apna bag khola aur usme se kangan nikal aaye. Neha ki maa ne turant taana mara:

"Arrey Kausalya, ye toh tumhari bahu ke papa ka diya hua saaman lagta hai... lagta hai apne maayke walon ko dene ke liye Chori ka natak racha ja raha tha!"

Mohalle walon ke samne Aakash ka chehra sharm aur gusse se laal ho gaya. Usne apni maa ke ansoo dekhe, Neha ke tana shahi chehre ko dekha, aur phir meri taraf. Us pal mujhe dikha ki Aakash ki aankhon me mere liye ratti bhar bhi vishwas nahi bacha tha.

"Tu itni gir sakti hai Sunita?" Aakash chilla utha. "Maa sahi kehti thi, tu is ghar ke layak hi nahi hai!"

Main poori tarah toot gayi. Par tabhi meri nazar Maa ji par padi—wo ek kone me khadi hokar apni saree ke pallu se muh chupa rahi thi, par unki aankhon me ek jeet ki thandi, krur chamak thi. Unhe laga unka plan kamyab ho gaya aur aaj Aakash mujhe ghar se nikal dega.

Usi pal mere andar ki bebas housewife mar gayi, aur ek shaktishali aurat ne janam liya.

Maine rone ya roopaye ki safai dene ke bajaye ek gehri saans li. Main muskuraayi—ek aisi muskaan jisne Maa ji aur Neha ke chehre ka rang uda diya.

"Aapko lagta hai Saas ji, ki aapka ye sasta natak jeet gaya?" maine bahut shant aur buland aawaz me kaha.

Maine apne chote se phone ka screen unlock kiya aur ek audio recording play kar di. Ye recording aawaz ke saath pure kamre me goonjne lagi.

Do din pehle ki recording thi, jab Maa ji aur Neha rasoi ke peeche aangan me baat kar rahi thi:

Recording: "Neha beta, bas Teej ke din ka intezar kar. Main us Sunita ke baap ke diye kangan tere bag me rakhungi aur ilzam uspar laga dungi. Aakash use dhakke maarkar nikal dega, aur phir teri shaadi mere bete se pakki!"

Ye recording mere us purane button wale phone ki thi, jise maine Maa ji par shakk hone ke baad almari ke upar 'Auto-Call/Voice Recorder' on karke chupa diya tha.

Pure ghar me sannata chaa gaya. Mohalle ki aurtein ek-dusre ka muh dekhne lagi.

Aakash ke pairon tale zameen khisak gayi. Uski maa ka wo 'masoom aur lachhar' naqaab ek jhatke me utar kar choor-choor ho chuka tha. Uske samne sach tha ki uski maa devi nahi, balki uske pyaar aur uski izzat ki sabse badi dushman thi.

Aakash kaanpte haathon se apni maa se peeche hata. "Maa... tumne mere pyaar ko, meri gareebi ko ek khilona bana diya? Sirf paise aur dahej ke liye?"

Maa ji aur Neha hakki-bakki hokar ek-dusre ko dekhne lagi. Unka banaya pura zeherila qila raakh ban chuka tha.

Aakash rote hue mere samne haath jodne laga, "Sunita... mujhe maaf kar do! Main apni maa ke moh me andha ho gaya tha..."

Lekin maine apna haath peeche kheench liya.

"Maafi kis baat ki Aakash?" maine apna chota sa jhola uthaya. "Zeher tumhari maa ne diya tha, lekin us zeher ko bina soche-samjhe peeya tumne tha. Jo mard apni maa ke jhoothe ahsaas aur apni patni ke sach me farq na samajh sake, wo kisi ka saathi banne ke laayak nahi hota. Aaj tumne meri izzat par shakk kiya, kal kuch aur karoge."

Maine apna suitcase uthaya, Aakash aur uski maa ke bikhar chuke ahankaar ko peeche chhoda, aur bina piche mude us chote se makan se hamesha ke liye bahar nikal gayi.

Aaj jab main apni mehnat se ek chote se ghar me akele rehti hu, toh mujhe Aakash ko khone ka gam nahi hota... mujhe khushi hoti hai ki main us zeherile jaal se apna swabhiman bachakar sahi-salamat bahar nikal aayi.