THE SCAR I BORN WITH CHAPTER-2 (Someone Knows My Scar)

Ek mahine tak hamne Rihan ke baare mein baat nahi ki.

Na main.

Na Hazel.

Dono ke andar ek ajeeb sa darr baith gaya tha.

Storage room ki taraf dekhne tak se ajeeb lagta tha.

Ghar par bhi hamne kisi ko kuch nahi bataya.

Na Mom ko.

Na Dad ko.

Na Hazel ne apne ghar mein.

Lekin problem yeh thi ki baat na karne se cheezein khatam nahi hui.

Mere sapne aana band nahi hue.

Balki aur ajeeb hote gaye.

Ab main us lambi corridor mein nahi tha.

Ab main ek bahut bade andhere kamre mein khada hota tha.

Kamre ke beech mein ek lohe ka pinjra tha.

Bahut bada.

Aur us pinjre ke andar...

Ek kaali parchai.

Uska koi chehra nahi tha.

Koi aankhen nahi.

Bas andhera.

Lekin phir bhi mujhe mehsoos hota tha ki woh mujhe dekh rahi hai.

Har sapne mein.

Har baar.

Aur jab bhi main uske paas jaane ki koshish karta...

Main jag jaata.

Pasine mein bheega hua.

Mujhe samajh nahi aa raha tha ki yeh sab kya tha.

Aur Hazel ko itna sab kaise pata tha.

7 June 2021

Aaj Sunday tha.

Main aur Hazel park mein khel rahe the.

Mom bhi saath aayi thi.

Hazel apne uncle ke saath aayi thi.

Mausam achha tha.

Kaafi din baad mujhe lag raha tha ki sab normal hai.

Hum dono ghaas par baith kar "ghar-ghar" khel rahe the.

Hazel ne apna toy kitchen set nikala hua tha.

Plastic ka chulha.

Plastic ke bartan.

Plastic ki sabziyan.

Aur hum dono duniya ke sabse serious chef bane hue the.

"Main office se aa gaya."

maine thakne ki acting karte hue kaha.

Hazel ne haath kamar par rakha.

"Khana ban raha hai. Haath muh dho lo."

"Ji madam."

Hum dono hans pade.

Phir Hazel ne ek chhoti si plastic kadhai uthayi.

"Nirbhay, zara namak dena."

Main chup ho gaya.

Hazel bhi.

Do second ke liye.

Usne dheere se meri taraf dekha.

"Sorry."

Main hansa.

"Koi baat nahi."

"Nahi... matlab..."

"Arre Hazel, hota hai."

Usne sir hilaya.

"Reyansh, namak dena."

Maine usse namak ka dabba de diya.

Baat wahi khatam ho gayi.

Ya kam se kam mujhe laga ki khatam ho gayi.

Lekin pata nahi kyun...

"Nirbhay" naam mere dimaag mein atak gaya.

Maine yeh naam pehle kabhi nahi suna tha.

Shaam hone lagi.

Hazel apne uncle ke saath chali gayi.

Main Mom ke saath clinic chala gaya.

Clinic mera favourite place nahi tha.

Lekin ghar par akela rehne se behtar tha.

Main reception ke paas baitha drawing bana raha tha jab darwaza khula.

Ek aadmi andar aaya.

Lamba.

Patla.

Aur bahut ajeeb.

Uski daadhi bikhri hui thi.

Baal uljhe hue.

Aur uski English...

Bahut kharab thi.

"Doctor... available?"

Reception wali didi ne sir hilaya.

"Please wait."

Main us aadmi ko dekh raha tha.

Usne bhi mujhe dekha.

Seedha meri aankhon mein.

Phir...

Uski nazar mere scar par gayi.

Aur woh jam sa gaya.

Bilkul waise hi jaise Dad jam gaye the jab main paida hua tha.

Mere pet mein ajeeb sa ehsaas hua.

Woh dheere dheere meri taraf aaya.

Main kursi se uth gaya.

"Tumhara naam?"

Uski English toot-ti phoot-ti thi.

"Reyansh."

Uska chehra safed pad gaya.

Jaise usne koi bhoot dekh liya ho.

"Nahi..."

woh dheere se bola.

"Nahi ho sakta..."

Main kuch samajh nahi paaya.

Tabhi Mom bahar aayi.

"Mr. Drovek?"

Aadmi turant normal ho gaya.

Jaise usne kuch kaha hi na ho.

Aur Mom ke cabin mein chala gaya.

Lekin jaane se pehle...

Usne ek baar phir mujhe dekha.

Seedha mere scar ko.

Aur uski aankhon mein darr tha.

Sach wala darr.

Us raat mujhe neend nahi aayi.

3 July 2021

School ka din kharab tha.

Bahut kharab.

Sab kuch subah se hi ulta chal raha tha.

Hazel ka mood bhi theek nahi tha.

Mera bhi nahi.

Aur class ke kuch bachche hamesha ki tarah pareshan kar rahe the.

Lunch break mein main aur Hazel apni usual jagah baithe the.

Tabhi wahi ladka aa gaya jo mujhe monster kehta rehta tha.

"Dekho."

usne apne doston se kaha.

"Monster aur uski girlfriend."

Main turant khada ho gaya.

"Chup reh."

Woh hansne laga.

"Varna kya karega?"

Main kuch bolta usse pehle...

CHATAAK!

Pura playground chup ho gaya.

Hazel ne us ladke ko thappad maar diya tha.

Seedha.

Sabke saamne.

Ladka shock mein tha.

Main bhi.

Hazel bhi shayad.

"Tujhe sharam nahi aati?"

Hazel gusse mein boli.

"Humne tera kya bigaada hai?"

Ladke ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.

Aur woh seedha teacher ke paas bhaag gaya.

Dus minute baad.

Main aur Hazel principal office ke bahar khade the.

Punishment.

Dono ko.

Teacher ne humein poore period khade rakha.

Main chup tha.

Hazel bhi.

Lekin uske chehre par guilt nahi tha.

Sirf gussa tha.

School khatam hua.

Main ghar pahucha.

Aur tab samjha ki din abhi aur kharab hona baaki tha.

Ghar ka darwaza khula tha.

Andar ajeeb si khamoshi thi.

Main living room mein gaya.

Mom sofa par baithi thi.

Unki aankhen laal thi.

Jaise woh royi ho.

"Maa?"

Maine dheere se poocha.

Unhone muskurane ki koshish ki.

Lekin kar nahi paayi.

"Dad kahan hain?"

Mom chup rahi.

Mere dil ki dhadkan tez ho gayi.

"Maa?"

Is baar unki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.

"Woh chale gaye."

"Maine kya?"

"Kuch din ke liye."

Kuch din.

Lekin unki awaaz sun kar lag nahi raha tha ki baat itni simple hai.

Main dheere se apne kamre mein chala gaya.

Us raat.

Neend phir der se aayi.

Aur jab aayi...

Main phir us corridor mein tha.

Lekin is baar.

Main akela nahi tha.

Door ke paas ek aur ladka khada tha.

Rihan nahi.

Koi aur.

Usne dheere se meri taraf dekha.

Jaise woh mujhe pehchanta ho.

Jaise woh bahut der se mera intezaar kar raha ho.

Main uski taraf badha.

"Tum kaun ho?"

Usne jawab nahi diya.

Bas halka sa muskuraya.

Aur phir...

Mere peeche kahin se ek zor ki awaaz aayi.

DHAAAM!

Jaise kisi ne lohe ke pinjre ko poori taqat se hila diya ho.

Corridor ki lights ek saath jhilmilane lagi.

Ek baar.

Do baar.

Teen baar.

Aur phir...

Andhera.

Poora andhera.

Us andhere mein mujhe sirf ek phusphusahat sunai di.

Bahut dheemi.

Bahut thandi.

"Usse mat dhoondo..."

"Woh abhi tayyar nahi hai."

Main kuch samajh paata usse pehle...

Meri aankh khul gayi.

Aur pata nahi kyun...

Mujhe lag raha tha ki sapne wala ladka...

Mujhe pehchanta tha.

Mujhse zyada.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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