Mumbai ki bheed bhari sadkon par har kisi ki apni ek kahani thi…Aur unhi kahaniyon me se ek kahani shuru hone wali thi Jaya ki.

Subah ke 7 baj rahe the…

“Jaya uth ja! School nahi jana kya?” Maa ki awaaz aayi.

Jaya ne kambal ke andar se hi bola,

“Bas 5 minute aur maa…”

“Tumhare ye 5 minute kabhi 5 minute nahi hote. Jaldi uth!”

Jaya ne aankhein kholi aur irritate hote hue boli,

“Subah-subah bhi shanti nahi mil sakti kya?”

Wo jaldi se ready hone lagi.

Bag uthate hue usne dekha ki uski maths ki notebook missing thi.

“Chhotu!”

Uski awaaz sunte hi uska chhota bhai room me aaya.

“Kya hua didi?”

“Meri maths ki notebook kaha hai?”

“Pata nahi…”

Jaya ne use ghoora.

“Jhoot mat bol. Kal raat tu hi le gaya tha na?”

“Didi maine bas thodi drawing banayi thi…”

“Drawing?”

Jaya ne notebook kholi aur uske last pages dekhe.

Jaya :- Seriously? Ye kya hai?

Chotu :- Didi bas thodi si drawing hi toh banayi hai…

Jaya :- Thodi si? Tujhe pata hai mera pura homework tha isme?

Tabhi uski chhoti behen waha aayi aur hasi.

“Phir se start ho gaya Jaya didi aur chhotu ka drama.”

Jaya ne use dekha.

Jaya :- Tum has rahi ho? Tum dono milke mera dimag kharab kar doge.

Chhotu muh bana kar bola,

“Didi aap hamesha gussa kyun karti ho?”

Jaya :-Kyuki tum dono meri jaan kha jaate ho.

Maa waha aayi aur boli,

“Jaya, chhota hai wo. Itna gussa mat kiya karo.”

Jaya ne muh banaya.

“Maa, hamesha mujhe hi kyun samajhna padta hai?”

Maa muskura di.

“Kyuki tum badi ho.”

Jaya kuch bolne wali thi ki uski nazar clock par gayi.

Uski aankhein badi ho gayi.

“Oh no!”

“Phir kya hua?” Maa ne pucha.

“Main late ho gayi!”

Wo jaldi-jaldi bag uthati hai.

“Breakfast toh kar le.”

“Time nahi hai maa, main school se aake kha lungi!”

Aur wo bina peeche dekhe ghar se nikal gayi.

Mumbai ki sadkon par chalte hue Jaya ka pura dhyan bas school pahunchne par tha.

Aaj waise hi uska mood kharab tha aur upar se late.

Wo itni gusse me thi ki use aas-paas kuch dikh hi nahi raha tha.

Aur tabhi…

HONK!!!

Ek tez awaaz ke saath Jaya ne samne dekha…

Ek truck bilkul uske paas aa chuka tha.

Isse pehle ki kuch hota, kisi ne uska haath zor se khincha aur use apni taraf kheench liya.

Jaya kuch seconds tak chup rahi…

Us ladke ka haath abhi bhi uska balance sambhalne ke liye uske paas tha.

Dono ki nazrein ek dusre se mili hui thi…

Ek pal ke liye jaise Mumbai ki bheed bhi ruk gayi ho.

Jaya ko samajh hi nahi aa raha tha ki wo kya bole.

Phir achanak use hosh aaya aur wo peeche hati.

“How dare you touch me?”

Ladka use dekhta raha, phir thoda irritate hote hue bola,

“Ohh madam… aapka dhyan kaha tha? Nazrein kisi gareeb ko daan kar di hai ya fast fast chalte hue dimag ghutno se ghis kr gir gya he ???

Jaya gusse me use dekhti hai.

“Excuse me? Main toh bas…”

Wo beech me hi bol pada,

“Khud ki jaan ki parwah nahi hai kya? Agar ek second aur late hota toh pata nahi kya hota!”

Jaya ne aankhein ghumayi.

“Datt toh aise rahe ho jaise mere baap ho.”

Wo ladka ek second ke liye chup ho gaya.

“Ho gaya? Ab main mar toh nahi gayi na? Zinda hu na. Aur mujhe late ho raha hai school ke liye.”

Wo bas use dekhta reh gaya…

Aur Jaya bina peeche dekhe waha se chali gayi

Kuch der baad…

St. Xavier’s School, Mumbai

Prayer ka time hone wala tha. Sare students apne bags rakh kar prayer hall me pahunch chuke the.

Jaya full speed me bhaagti hui andar aayi aur ek ladki ke peeche jaakar khadi ho gayi.

Wo ladki koi aur nahi, Jaya ki best friend Maahi thi.

Maahi ne use dekha.

“Jaya? Aaj itni late? Sab thik hai?”

Jaya ne saans sambhalte hue kaha,

“Long story…”

Maahi ne hairani se pucha,

“Koi naya kaand kiya kya?”

Jaya ne use ghoora.

“Very funny.”

Tabhi announcement hua,

“All students, please close your eyes. Prayer is about to begin.”

Sabne aankhein band kar li…

Lekin Jaya ke dimaag me baar-baar wahi ladka aa raha tha.

“Pata nahi kaun tha… itna gussa kar raha tha jaise duniya ka sabse responsible insaan wahi ho.”

Wo khud hi confuse ho gayi.