**Karz**
Raat mein, jab sab so rahe the, Rahul apne bistar par lete hue apni zindagi ke naye mod ke baare mein soch raha tha. Din bhar ki thakan aur mann mein bhare emotions ke saath, uski aankhein dheere-dheere bandh hone lagi. Neend ke jhalakein aate hi usne ek sapna dekha.
Sapne mein, ek mahila dikhayi di jo apne bachhe ke liye tadap rahi thi. Uska chehra pehchaan mein aaya – yeh Ragini thi. Uski aankhon mein dard aur bechaini thi. Woh apne bachhe ko apni baahon mein lene ke liye haath badha rahi thi, lekin bachha usse door ja raha tha. Ragini ke chehre par ek chinta aur majboori ka bhav tha. Usne zor se apne bachhe ko pukara, "Suraj! Mera bachha!"
Rahul ne sapne mein apne aap ko Ragini ke kareeb khada paya. Usne dekha ki Ragini ke aansu beh rahe the aur uski aankhon mein apne bachhe ko pane ki tadap thi. Rahul se ye dard dekha nahi gaya. Usne Ragini se kaha, "Main aapka ehsaan chukane ki koshish kar raha hoon. Main Suraj ka dhyan rakhunga."
Ragini ne Rahul ki taraf dekha aur uski aankhon mein shukriya ka ek bhav dikhayi diya. Usne kaha, "Mujhe pata hai tum Suraj ka acchi tarah se khayal rakhoge. Yeh meri antim iccha thi. Uska khayal rakhna, uski hifazat karna."
Rahul ne sir hilaya aur kaha, "Main aapko waada karta hoon ki main Suraj ka khayal rakhunga aur use kabhi akela mehsoos nahi hone dunga."
Sapne mein, Ragini ne apne aansu pochhe aur ek halki si muskurahat uske chehre par aayi. Usne Rahul ke haath ko chhua aur dheere se kaha, "Dhanyavaad, Rahul. Tumhe meri duaayein hamesha milengi."
Rahul ki neend toot gayi aur usne apne aap ko ghabrahat aur samvedna se bhara hua paaya. Usne Ragini ke sapne ko yaad kiya aur apne dil mein ek nayi pratigya li. Usne socha, "Mujhe Ragini ke ehsaan ka karz utarne ke liye Suraj aur Mohit ka dhyan rakhna hi hoga. Yeh meri zimmedari hai."
Us raat ke sapne ne Rahul ke dil aur dimaag mein Ragini aur uske bachhe ke prati apne farz ko aur majboot kar diya. Usne apne aap se vaada kiya ki woh hamesha Suraj aur Mohit ka saathi ban kar rahega aur unki zindagi mein khushiyon ko wapas lane ki koshish karega.
Wah raat ko, apne sapne ke baad, Rahul ko neend nahi aayi. Usne socha ki Suraj ko dekh aayega. Dheere se apne bistar se uthkar, woh Suraj ke kamre ki taraf gaya. Kamre ka darwaza halka sa khula tha aur andar se Suraj ki halki si awaaz aa rahi thi.
Rahul ne dekha ki Suraj apne bistar par leta hua tha, lekin uski needen thik nahi thi. Suraj apne maa ko bula raha tha, "Maa... Maa..." Uske chehre par chinta aur udaasi thi, aur uski aankhon se aansu beh rahe the.
Rahul ka dil pighal gaya. Usne dheere se Suraj ke bistar ke paas baithkar uska haath pakad liya. Suraj ne apne maa ko yaad karte hue kaha, "Maa, kaha ho aap? Mujhe aapki zaroorat hai."
Rahul ne Suraj ke sir par haath ferte hue kaha, "Suraj, main yahi hoon. Tumhare saath hoon. Tumhe kuch nahi hoga."
Suraj ne apne aansu pochhte hue Rahul ki taraf dekha aur apne chhoti si aawaz mein kaha, "Maa wapas nahi aayegi na?"
Rahul ke aankhon mein aansu aa gaye, lekin usne apne emotions ko sambhalte hue kaha, "Nahi, beta. Tumhari maa hamesha tumhare saath hai, tumhare dil mein. Lekin ab tumhe mere aur papa ke saath majboot banna hai."
Suraj ne Rahul ko kaske gale lagaya aur dheere dheere uski saansen shant hone lagi. Rahul ne apne dil mein ek aur pratigya le li – woh Suraj ko kabhi akela mehsoos nahi hone dega. Usne socha, "Yeh meri zimmedari hai. Ragini ka ehsaan main Suraj aur Mohit ka khayal rakhkar hi chuka sakta hoon."
Us raat, Rahul Suraj ke bistar ke paas baitha raha, jab tak Suraj ki saansen shant aur ek aaraam bhari neend mein tabdeel nahi ho gayi. Rahul ke mann mein ek nayi shakti aur pratigya thi – woh apne naye pariwar ko kabhi bhi dukh nahi hone dega.
