Part 1: Jab Sab Kuch Theek Chal Raha Tha… Aur Ek Din Sab Badal Gaya
Introduction
Kabhi-kabhi zindagi sirf ek din mein woh sab cheen leti hai, jise hum saalon se apni pehchaan samajhkar jee rahe hote hain.
Mere saath bhi kuch aisa hi hua.
Ek Monday ki subah main roz ki tarah office gaya tha. Mujhe bilkul andaaza nahi tha ki shaam tak mere paas na office hoga, na designation aur na hi woh bharosa jiske sahare main pichhle paanch saal se jee raha tha.
Us din mujhe laga tha ki meri sabse badi problem meri job ka chala jaana hai.
Lekin asli dard to uske baad shuru hua…
Jab Sab Kuch Bilkul Theek Lag Raha Tha
Mera naam Arjun hai.
Main Gurgaon ki ek private company mein Digital Marketing Manager tha. Pichhle paanch saalon mein maine us company ko sirf apna workplace nahi, balki apni pehchaan bana liya tha.
Salary achhi thi.
Har mahine EMI time par kat jaati thi.
Maa-Papa ko paise bhejna kabhi mushkil nahi laga.
Meri patni Neha aksar kehti,
“Ab lagta hai humari life dheere-dheere stable ho rahi hai.”
Weekend par kabhi family dinner, kabhi movie, kabhi bachchon ke saath park…
Zindagi kisi perfect film jaisi nahi thi, lekin itni buri bhi nahi thi ki shikayat ki jaaye.
Office mein juniors respect karte the.
Dost career advice maangte the.
Rishtedaar jab bhi milte, kehte,
“Arjun ne bahut achha settle kar liya hai.”
Sach kahun to dheere-dheere mujhe bhi lagne laga tha ki shayad ab buri cheezen meri zindagi mein dobara kabhi nahi aayengi.
Lekin zindagi ka ek ajeeb usool hai…
Jab insaan sabse zyada befikr ho jaata hai, tabhi woh uski sabse badi pariksha leti hai.
Woh Message Jo Aaj Bhi Yaad Hai
Us Monday ki subah sab kuch roz jaisa hi tha.
Office pahunchte hi security guard ne muskura kar kaha,
“Good Morning Sir.”
Main bhi muskura diya.
Laptop on kiya.
Coffee table par rakhi.
Mail check karna shuru hi kiya tha ki Microsoft Teams par notification aaya.
“Hi Arjun, can you please come to Meeting Room 3?”
Maine zyada dhyan nahi diya.
Socha koi quarterly review hoga ya naye campaign ki planning.
Lekin Meeting Room 3 ka darwaza kholte hi kuch ajeeb sa mehsoos hua.
Room mein HR baithi thi.
Saath mein Business Head bhi the.
Dono ke chehre par woh formal muskaan bhi nahi thi jo aam meetings mein hoti thi.
HR ne dheere se kaha,
“Please have a seat.”
Maine kursi kheenchkar baithte hi mehsoos kar liya tha ki kuch theek nahi hai.
Do second ki khamoshi ke baad HR boli,
“Arjun… company financial restructuring se guzar rahi hai.”
Main chup raha.
“Unfortunately… aaj aapka last working day hoga.”
Bas.
Uske baad jo kuch bhi bola gaya, uska aadha bhi mujhe yaad nahi.
Jaise kisi ne mere kaanon ki awaaz band kar di ho.
Mere saamne ek termination letter rakh diya gaya.
Maine sign karne ke liye pen uthaya.
Haath itna kaanp raha tha ki sign do baar galat ho gaya.
Paanch saal…
Sirf das minute mein khatam ho gaye.
Sabse Lambi Drive
Desk par lautkar maine apni family ki photo uthai.
Ek coffee mug.
Do diaries.
Ek pen stand.
Aur kuch chhoti-chhoti yaadein.
Sab kuch ek carton mein rakh diya.
Jab main lift mein khada tha, to har floor ka beep aisa lag raha tha jaise meri zindagi ka ek chapter khatam ho raha ho.
Ground floor par pahunchkar maine ek baar peeche mudkar office ko dekha.
Kal tak ye building meri pehchaan thi.
Aaj is building ko meri zarurat hi nahi thi.
Car mein baithkar maine engine start kiya.
Lekin gaadi chalane se pehle lagbhag das minute tak steering pakde baitha raha.
Dimaag mein sirf ek hi sawaal tha.
“Neha ko kaise bataunga?”
Ek Patni Jo Sirf Humsafar Nahi Thi
Ghar pahunchte hi Neha ne darwaza khola.
Mujhe dekhte hi hairaan hokar boli,
“Aaj itni jaldi?”
Main kuch nahi bol paaya.
Office ka carton neeche rakhkar seedha sofa par baith gaya.
Neha chupchaap mere saamne baith gayi.
Usne sirf itna poocha,
“Kya hua?”
Main kaafi der tak chup raha.
Phir dheere se bola,
“Neha… meri job chali gayi.”
Poore ghar mein ek ajeeb si khamoshi chha gayi.
Main uske chehre ko dekh raha tha.
Mujhe laga woh ghabra jaayegi.
Pareshan ho jaayegi.
Lekin usne mera haath pakda aur muskura kar boli,
“Bas itni si baat?”
Main hairaan reh gaya.
Woh boli,
“Job gayi hai Arjun…”
“Tumhara hunar nahi.”
“Hum dono milkar sambhal lenge.”
Us pal meri aankhon se aansu nikal aaye.
Us din mujhe samajh aaya…
Zindagi mein ek insaan bhi agar aap par yakeen karta ho, to aadhi ladai wahi jeet jaati hai.
Lekin Bahar Ki Duniya Alag Thi
Pehle do din bahut logon ke phone aaye.
“Koi baat nahi.”
“Sab theek ho jayega.”
“Kuch help chahiye ho to batana.”
Lekin dheere-dheere sab badalne laga.
Jin logon ke saath roz chai peeta tha…
Unke paas achanak waqt kam ho gaya.
WhatsApp par online dikhte the.
Lekin mera message padhkar bhi jawab nahi dete.
Ek purane dost ko maine khud phone kiya.
Usne kaha,
“Yaar abhi meeting mein hoon, baad mein baat karta hoon.”
Woh “baad mein” kabhi nahi aaya.
Ek rishtedaar ne poocha,
“Ab kya karoge?”
Doosre ne kaha,
“Isliye kehte hain ek hi income par depend mat karo.”
Shayad woh galat nahi the.
Lekin us waqt mujhe lecture nahi…
Sirf kisi apne ki zarurat thi.
Us raat main bahut der tak chhat par akela baitha raha.
Mujhe pehli baar mehsoos hua…
Job sirf paisa nahi deti.
Kabhi-kabhi woh insaan ka confidence bhi ban jaati hai.
Aur jab woh chali jaati hai…
To sirf salary nahi, andar ka bharosa bhi hil jaata hai.
Teen Mahine… Aur Sirf Rejections
Agle din se meri zindagi ka routine poori tarah badal gaya.
Subah uthte hi laptop kholna.
Naukri portals dekhna.
Resume update karna.
Companies ko apply karna.
Har notification dekhkar lagta…
Shayad interview call hoga.
Kabhi call aata bhi.
Main poori taiyaari karta.
Formal shirt pehenta.
Interview deta.
Aur phir wahi ek line sunne ko milti.
“We’ll get back to you.”
Lekin woh kabhi wapas nahi aaye.
Teen mahine aise hi nikal gaye.
Savings dheere-dheere khatam hone lagi.
Credit card ka bill saamne pada tha.
EMI ki date paas aa rahi thi.
Ek raat main dining table par baitha calculator se kharche jod raha tha.
Neha ne chupchaap chai ka cup mere paas rakh diya.
Hum dono ne ek doosre ki taraf dekha…
Lekin kuch nahi kaha.
Kabhi-kabhi khamoshi bhi aansuon se zyada dard bayaan kar deti hai.
Us raat mujhe pehli baar sach mein darr laga.
Job chali jaane ka nahi…
Apne parivaar ki umeedon par khara na utar paane ka.
Ek Shaam, Jo Sab Kuch Badalne Wali Thi
Agli shaam ghar ka mahaul aur apne khayalon ka bojh dono bahut bhaari lag rahe the.
Main bina kisi manzil ke ghar se nikal pada.
Chalte-chalte ek purane park tak pahunch gaya.
Shaam dhal rahi thi.
Bachche khel rahe the.
Kuch log jogging kar rahe the.
Lekin park ke ek kone mein ped ke neeche baithe ek buzurg meri nazar baar-baar apni taraf kheench rahe the.
Unke saamne purani kitaabon ka chhota sa dher laga tha.
Main bas unke paas jaakar ek bench par baith gaya.
Mujhe bilkul andaaza nahi tha…
Ki agle paanch minute meri poori zindagi ki disha badal denge.
(Part 2 Continues…)
