Mera bachpan kisi purani kahani ki kitaab jaisa tha—har panne par ek naya rang, ek nayi khushboo, aur ek nayi shararat. Subah ka suraj jaise hi angan mein jhankta, maa ki awaaz ke saath meri neend khulti: "Utho, school nahi jaana kya?" Lekin sach kahun, toh school se zyada mera mann galiyon mein bhatakne, mitti se khelne aur doston ke saath hasi-mazaak mein lagta tha me aur bagal ke logo se daat kahane me aati thi.
Hamare ghar ke saamne ek bada sa neem ka ped tha. Uski thandi chhaav mere bachpan ki sabse pyaari jagah thi. Wahin hum apne sapne bunte, kabhi raja bante, kabhi chor-sipahi khelte. Har shaam woh ped humari kahaniyon ka gawaah banta, jaise use sab yaad rehta ho ki ham sab uske pass hi khelenge.
Maa ke haath ka khana mere bachpan ka sabse bada sukh tha. Kitnabhi khud se kha lu par maa ke hath se ek nivale se hi pet bharta tha.Garam roti par makhan lagate hue woh pyaar se kehti, "Zyada bhaagna mat, thak jaogi." Lekin bachpan kabhi thakta hai kya? Hum toh hawa se tez daudte the, jaise duniya jeet leni ho aur use din aur sukoon milta jis din tej hava ho aur ham sab bache usme plastic ki teli se ko uda the the.
Barsaat ke din toh jaise kisi jadoo se kam nahi hote the. Mitti ki khushboo, bheege hue kapde, aur paani mein chhap-chhap karte hue humari hasi—sab kuch ek sapne jaisa lagta. Maa ki daant bhi us din kuch zyada hi meethi lagti thi, jab woh kehti, "Beemar pad jaoge to dawai bhi nhi dungi par bimar padhne par maa hi sab se jada kheyal rakhti thi. Aur hum chupke se phir se baarish mein bhaag jaate.
School ke din bhi apni jagah khaas the. Class mein baith kar khidki se bahar dekhna, teacher ki awaaz se zyada pankhe ki ghunghru jaisi awaaz sunna, aur lunch break ka intezaar karna—ye sab meri rooh ka hissa ban chuka hai. Dost mere liye sirf saathi nahi, meri chhoti si duniya the jis duniya me ham bahut khush the.
Jaise-jaise samay aage badha, bachpan dheere-dheere haathon se phisalne laga. Neem ka ped ab bhi wahan hai, lekin uske neeche khelne wale bachche badal gaye. Galiyan ab bhi wahi hain, par unmein goonjti hasi meri nahi rahi.
Kabhi-kabhi main raat ko akeli baith kar sochti hoon—kya bachpan waapas aa sakta hai? Shayad nahi. Lekin uski yaadein, uski khushboo, aur uski masoomiyat mere andar hamesha zinda rahegi.
Mera bachpan ek kahani nahi, ek ehsaas hai—jo kabhi khatam nahi hota, bas waqt ke saath aur gehra ho jaata hai.