Uljhe Dor (The Mehrotras book 1)

38. Prof. Narayan ka Dehant

  "Maine jo samaan mangwane bola tha wo layi?" Maan Shaivi se kitchen mein puchhti hai jab dono akele hote hain.

  "Order kar di thi. Aaj jakar order le bhi aaungi."

  "Mujhe bhi saath le jana." Shaivi dar jaati hai. Inhe kyun saath chalna hai? Agar inhe pata chal gaya ki maine apne liye bhi liya hai to inhe shak ho jayega mujhpar. "Raaste mein ghar drop kar dena. Mujhe apna car and aur bhi kuchh cheezein lena hai." Shaivi rahat ki saas leti hai.

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  Sab naashta karne ke liye dining table par aate hain. Dadi head of the table ki jagah par baithti hain. "Main aaj ghar ke mandir gayi to dekhi ki kisine pehle se hi aarti kar diya hai."

  "Haan, Dadi ji, hamne kiya tha. Hamein aadat hai har din nahane ke baad puja karne ki. Aur aaj pehli rasoi bhi thi, to hamne socha ham aashirwaad le lein."

  "Mera man khush ho gaya yeh dekhkar. Warna aaj ke din kam log milte hai tumhari umar ke jinhe puja-paath karna pasand ho."

  "Dadi, hamne pehli rasoi ke liye parathe banaye hain, aloo ke aur pyaaj ke."

  "Lekin saari bahu se meetha banane ko kaha gaya tha na?" Sonia puchhti hai. "To tumne nashta kyun banaya?"

  "Maa ji, hamein laga ki meetha to Maan aur Shaivi bhi banayenge, to hamne nashta bana diya. Hamare yahan pehli rasoi mein bahu pura ek wakt ka khana banati hai. Hamein yahi neeyam aur rasm pata hai. Shaadi hamari marji ke anusaar to nahi hua, lekin ham apne parampara aur sanskar nibhana chahenge aur unhe aage badhana chahenge."

  "Main samajh sakti hoon," Dadi kehti hai, jo Sonia ko pasand nahi aata hai, "Tumhari apni shaadi ko lekar armaan honge, sapne dekha hoga. Hamare yahan kaam karne aayi aur yahin phas gayi. Apni marji se shaadi bhi nahi ho saki tumhari. Lekin apne sanakar aur parampara ko nibhane se koi nahi rokne wala hai tumhe. Jab tak kisi ko hani na pohoche, tumne jo dekha hai, jo seekha hai, tum waise kar sakti ho."

  "Par Mummy ji, hamare family ke parampara aur sanskar ka kya? Unhe kaun aage badhayega?"

  "Tumhari do bahuein aur hain, Maya."

  "Aur agar un dono ko bhi apni pasand ka karna hua to, Mummy ji?" Maya puchhti hai.

  "Shaivi ki baat ho to jayaz hai. Uski shaadi majboori mein hui aur dono ab alag bhi nahi ho sakte hain. Agar use apne parampara nibhana hua to galat kya hai? Rahi baat Maan ki, to us bacchi ke ghar ke aur hamare ghar ke parampara ek hi jaise hain."

  "Aur agar Maan ne kaha use in sab mein interest nahi hai tab kya karenge?"

  "Maya, yeh sab insaan ke andar se aana chaahiye. Agar koi majburi mein, aadhe man se kare to iska koi matlab nahi hai. Neeyam-rivaaj, sab ek pariwaar ko jod ke rakhne ke liye hota hai, lekin agar yeh ek pariwaar ko todne lage to kya fayeda aisi rivajon ka?"

  "To kya iski Maa ne ise yeh nahi sikhaya ki ek ladki wahi parampara nibhati hai jo uske sasural mein nibhayi jaati hai? Yeh sanskar nahi mile ise?"

  "Maaf kar dijiyega, Chhoti Maa ji, ham agli baar se bina puchhe kuchh nahi karenge. Hamara uddesh aapko naraj karna bilkul nahi tha. Hamein to bas laga ki ghar mein ghar ke log khana banaye to apnapan aata hai, ek judaav aata hai. Bananewala jis pyaar aur khushi se banata hai apnon ke, uska swaad alag hota hai jo kisi dusre ke banane se nahi aa sakta, chaahe wo kitna hi achha kyun na banaye. Is liye hamne nashta bana diya. Kabhi kisi ko khane ka man nahi bhi ho to banane wale ka soch kar koi khana nahi thukrayega. Ek alag bhaawna hota hai sabka khana ke prati. Ham to balki yeh bhi soch rahe the ki aaj se khana banane mein ham madad kar denge, agar aapki ijazat ho to."

  "Yeh sab karne ki koi jaroorat nahi hai. In sab cheezon ke liye hamare paas staff hai," Sonia kehti hai. "Achha nahi lagega bade ghar ki bahu ghar ke kaam kare. Agar tumhe kaam karna hai to main Anshuman se baat karti hoon, wahan tumhare purane kaam jaisa kuchh mil jayega."