Sach hote Khwaab

Saanjh

'Logon ki soch kabhi kabhi mann ko jhakjhod hi deti hai!', Randheer remarked in the tanga. We were heading to office.
'Sach mein!', I said thoughtfully. 'Kya kisiko behkana itna asaan hai? Itne ahem faisle lete waqt aankhon par aisa parda kaise ho sakta hai?'
'Pata nahi Amrit! Meri toh samajh se pare hai ye!', he said with a sigh. 'Ye dobaara shaadi ka chalan ya toh intehaayi ameer khandaanon mein hai aaj bhi ya fir gaon ke logon mein. Shayad yahi do aise hisse hai samaaj ke jinki soch badalna sabse mushkil hai. Gaon mein mardon ki baat taalna jaise paap hi hota hai. Aur raaes aadmiyon ko lagta hai duniya unki mutthi hai! Unhe unke gharwaale na samjhaate hai na rokte, kisi aur ki baat ka kya asar ho unpar!'
'Dobara shaadi ke khilaaf koi kanoon kyun nahi hai?!', I exclaimed after a moment. 'Kuch pradeshon mein toh yeh gairkanooni ho hi gaya hai, poore desh mein kyun nahi?'
'Harbir Sahab bata rahe the ki shaadiyon ke kanooni dayre mein laane ki baat toh hai par kayi sansthaaon se bohot virodh hai iske khilaaf. Umeed hai kuch saalon mein ye kanoon bhi jald hi haqeeqat bane.', he responded.

'Amrit!', he suddenly turned to me. 'Kyun na aap is par ek article likhein?'
I thought for a while. 'Haan Randheer! Main zaroor likhungi! Harbir Chachiji se poochhungi is baare mein.'
He nodded in agreement.

*

We reached office. It was quite early for him. Only the journalists, writers and columnists had arrived so far. The reporters were out for news-hunting. They'd be arriving any moment. As he was already here, I wouldn't be able to tidy and arrange his cabin too. Duh!
Nevertheless, Randheer went to his cabin and I headed straight for Harbir Chachaji's cabin upstairs and knocked at the open door.
'Arey Amrit! Aao baitho!', he said politely.
'Satsriakaal Chachaji!'

'Satsriakal Satsriakaal!', he greeted me back as I took a seat in front of him.
'Mainu aaj ke article ke baare mein poochhna tha', I asked.
'Batao?', he asked, skimming through pages before him.
'Aaj main 'bahuvivaah' ke upar article likhu?'
'Hmm.. khayaal toh acha hai Amrit.', he said looking up. 'Par zara do din thehar jao. Sab taraf tyohaar ka mahaul hai. Is baare mein lekh likhkar hum sarkaar se darkhaast hi karenge ki sakht kadam uthaaye jaayein aur koi kanoon laaya jaaye. Saath hi unlogon ki kade shabdon mein neenda karenge jo iski himayat karte hai. Par hume nahi pata ki aam log, khaaskar Hindu Mahasabha aur baaki sansthaayein isse kis tarah lengi. Ek baar Holi nikal jaaye, phir chhaap denge ye lekh!', he explained.
I thought for a while and with a courteous nod, I took my leave.

Though I had agreed to what he said, I was restless. I couldn't fathom the fact that someone could willingly agree to such a proposal. What was it that made her say yes to the proposal. Does deep-down every woman considers herself inferior to men, irrespective of how they have been brought up? Or was she so taken with the fact that a charming man had proposed to her, that she decided to overlook the fact that he was married. Or was it vanity that she would change his wayward ways? How can a life-partner be shared with someone else?! Or maybe these men and women don't consider each other life partners. To men, women were like some trophy to be won. To women, men were some masters to be kept appeased and satisfied. Partners? Never.
Sometimes I thought, were my beliefs too naïve or the people around me were blatantly insensible. My fingertips were prickling. I wanted to do something about it. I wanted to talk sense into someone.
Preoccupied, I entered my cabin and moved over to my desk. There was a bouquet of coral peonies as placed on my desk with a note.
'Khayaalon ka sailaab aata hai, par kaabu uspar hume kalam se paana hai'

I took in a deep breath and calmed down a bit.
Not the first instance but I was blessed to have fallen in love with someone who took care of me, who took care of my mind, who took care of my heart.

I decided to go and check him once. If this was bothering me so much, I'm sure he too would be brooding about it.
I went downstairs, but after a thought, stopped and peeked from behind the wall beside the staircase. Resting his face upon his knuckles, Randheer was in deep thought. After a while, he lounged back on his chair, bringing his hand to his forehead. Just as I had thought.
Moreover, he had nothing to do for over an hour now and him being him, these thoughts would keep gnawing at him.
I made my way to his cabin.
'Randheer?', I craned my neck.
He looked up and his face warmed into a smile. I placed my hands on his desk.
 'Harbir Sahab se baat hui? Aap likhengi is par article?', he asked eagerly.
'Ji Randheer, baat hui unse. Unhone article likhne ke liye haan toh ki hai par kaha hai ki holi ke baad hi isse chhaapenge. Voh nahi chaahte ki tyohaar ke mahual par iska koi bura asar ho '
'Hmm', he said thoughtfully. 'Unki baat bhi galat nahi hai'
'Maine kuch socha hai!', I said boisterously. 'Kyun na main is par ek kahaani likhu? Mera matlab hai, issi waqea se milta julta hi par naayika ke kirdaar mein kuch badlaav. Bahuvivaah koi nayi baat, koi naya mudda toh nahi hai, kayi log kayi baar is par behes kar chuke hain aur iske liye kaanoon ki maang ho hi rahi hai. Kahaani article se behtar nahi hogi?'
He straightened up with a new burst of energy and exclaimed, 'Brilliant!
Agar koi baat seedha logon ke dil tak pohonchaani ho toh use ek alag andaaz mein pesh kiya jaana chaiye! Ladkiyon ko samajhna chaahiye ki agar aisa koi prastaav aaye toh haan karne ke saath saath na karne ka bhi poora haq hai unhe! Unki zindagi unki khud ki hai, toh uski zimmedaari bhi unki khudki hai. Bina soche samjhe liye gaye faisle zindagiyaan barbaad kar dete hain. Aur ye baat samjhaane ka tareeka, aapki kahaani se behtar kya ho sakta hai Amrit!'
I nodded enthusiastically. 'Par-' I stopped for a second. 'Aise pehli baar hoga ki meri kahaani mein koi nayak na ho...', I said unsurely.
'Amrit!', he said reassuringly. 'Isse ek nayi shuruaat samajhiye! Logon ke mann mein ye baat utaarne ki, ki ladkiyaan sirf apne liye bhi faisle le sakti hain.Vo sirf kisi mard ko nahi, khudko bhi sabse upar rakh sakti hain. Waqt lagaga, ek baar mein toh koi is baat ko kubool hi na kare. Par ek baar suni hui baat, padhi hui baat bhi kahin na kahin mann mein ghar jaati hai. Logon ko sochne ka mauka toh mile ki haan, ye bhi mumkin hai!'
I looked at him, took in a deep determined breath and nodded.
He got up enthusiastically, 'Ab aap yaahan khadi mat rahiye, jaldi jaiye aur likhiye!!', he said, literally shooing me out of his cabin.
'Haan haan main jaa rahi hoon. Par aap bhi upar chaliye!', I responded.
'Ji?'
'Ji! Aap library mein jaiye, aur koi achi si kitaab padh lijiye! Waqt dekhkar neeche aa jaiyega! Yahaan baithe rahe toh yahi khayaal aapko sataate rahenge!', I said authoritatively.
'Yeh bhi thik hai!', he said with a smile.
'Toh fir aap jaiye, mujhe zara kaam hai niche'
He looked at me for a moment and then said, 'Acha thik hai. Par aap is par jaldi kaam shuru kijiyega!'
'Ji ji!'
Consequently he went upstairs.
Looking at him disappear up the stairs, I heaved a sigh of relief and turned back to his cabin and looked around. This messy place needed to be cleared immediately.


*