"Bye Papa…"
"Exam achhe se dena, beta."
"Okay…"
Main school ki taraf badh gayi…
Exam ke baad…
"Papa…!"
"Kaise gaya tumhara exam?"
"Achha… lekin kuch questions samajh nahi aaye the,
toh ma'am ne samjha diya…"
"Achha…"
Main Papa ko apne aur apni dost ke plan ke baare me nahi bata sakti thi…
ki humne jaan-bujh kar achhe marks na lane ka socha tha.
**Result ka din…**
"Jaldi aao, Muskan…"
"Good morning ma'am…"
"Yeh lijiye Muskan ka result…
is baar iska result achha nahi aaya."
"Muskan, kya hua beta?
tumne toh sab kuch achhe se kiya tha na?"
Main shaant, khamosh khadi rahi…
"Yeh class me bhi bahut kam bolti hai…"
ma'am ne kaha.
"Haan… yeh ghar me bhi zyada baat nahi bolti…"
Papa ne bhi kaha.
Mam ne samjaye hue kha -
"Achha…
yeh mid-term exam tha,
lekin next time final year ke exams honge."
"Haan ji…" - papa
"Aapne ise kaun se school me bhejne ka socha hai?" - Mam ne pucha
"Abhi humne kuch socha nahi hai…"
"Achha, koi baat nahi…"
"Achha ma'am, hum chalte hain… dhanyawaad."
"Thank you ma'am…" - mai
Udaasi bhara chehra liye,
main Papa ke saath ghar laut ayi…
"Mumma…"
"Kya hua? Kaisa aaya result?"
"Ma'am ne kaha hai ki is baar iske marks achhe nahi hain…"
Papa ne kaha.
"Arey koi baat nahi, Muskan…
agli baar aur mehnat karna…"
Mumma ne pyaar se samjhaya.
Papa thoda serious hoke bole —
"Muskan, agar tumhare marks achhe nahi aaye,
toh tumhara admission nahi ho payega…
aur phir hum tumhe aage nahi padha payenge…"
Main chup chaap khadi sab sun rahi thi…
Mere mann me sirf ek hi baat chal rahi thi —
"Agar main achhe marks laaun… toh hum alag ho jayenge…
aur agar na laaun… toh shayad main padh bhi na paun…"
Mujhe samajh hi nahi aa raha tha…
ab main kya karun…"
"Us waqt main itni nadaan thi…
ki mujhe ye samajh hi nahi aata tha
ki marks kitne zaroori hote hain.
Meri bas ek hi chhoti si ichchha thi —
apni dost ke saath rehna.
Halaanki mere marks itne bhi bure nahi aaye the
ki mera admission na ho pata…
lekin phir bhi,
sabne mujhse sirf ek hi baat kahi —
"Achhe marks lao…"
Aur main…
bas ye samajhne ki koshish kar rahi thi
ki aakhir sahi kya hai…"