#afsaane

Afsaane by Ameya Bondre – Book Review

Author: Ameya Bondre

Genre: Short stories

Paperback: 208 pages

Publisher: Blue Rose Publishers; 1 edition (27 December 2019)

Language: English

BLURB as on Goodreads

A sky-blue paper bird glued to a mirror. A handmade book on music to be gifted. A pair of mud-brown teacups without handles. A shelf to hoard dying memories. A little home tucked away in a remote village. A haunting voice after…

Asghar aksar apne aap ko parwaano se tashbeeh deta. Ik aisa parwaana jo ke sooraj ki parastish karta hai. Uray jaaye uray jaaye lekin jitna bhi urta roshni utni hi door nazar aati.

Kabhi kabhi thak haar ke Asghar kehta, angoor khattay hain.

Magar kabhi woh apne heere ko paa leta. Woh usse chhoota, tatolta, choomta, galay se lagata. Phir aahista aahista uski us heere se girift khatam hoti jaati. Jismaani haisiyat kho ke woh heera bas hawa mein latka ik rango ka majmooa ban jaata. Woh rang bhi phir dheere se hawa mein tehleel ho jaate.Saath hi ba-awaz-e-buland ik qehqaha lagta aur ik rowbdaar awaaz aati.

" Aye Qazzaq! nahi haasil kiya tu ne apna khazaana. Tera safar abhi baaqi hai, tera safar abhi baaqi hai!"

Asghar apne aap ko kosta, samjhaata ke bekaar hai yeh heera. Teri haqeeqat se iska koi raabta nahi. Woh nazrein uthaata aur cheerti hoyi roshni uski aankho pe parti. Kuch ghor karne pe ufuq pe ik heere numa cheez dikhti. Asghar ka dil tilmila uthta.

Mujhe yaad hai woh din, maine pehli dafa koi three piece suit pehna tha. Khud bhi acha lag raha tha jaise ik hi lamhe mein koi CEO ban gaya hoon. Sirf main hi woh nahi tha jo samajh raha tha ke main CEO ban gaya hoon, jab main bahar nikla toh kuch aise log jo mujhe nahi jaante the woh mujhse aise hi mile ke waqayi koi bara shakhs chalta howa aa raha ho. Kayi ke saamne se guzra toh bas dekh ke hi salaam kar diya. Mera bhi seena chorha ho gaya, izzat mil rahi hai bhayi! Izzat, ehteraam kisko acha nahi lagta? 

  Lekin phir ik qissa aisa howa ke mujhe pata chala ke yeh izzat toh bas in 'kapro' mein jarri hoyi hai. Meri aadat dheele, khule dhule kapre pehenne ki hai aur mere woh khule dhule kapray ab thore puraane se ho gaye hain rang halka hogaya hai aur amooman main unhein pehente waqt stree nahi karta. Ab yeh mera hulya tha, bina stree ke puraane se dikhne wale kapray maine pehne hoye the aur main dukaan gaya. Cheezein khaareedte kisi ne peeche se mere kandhe pe ik ungli rakhi. Jis se mujhe yeh ishara mila ke mujhe kisi ko jagah deni hai. Main mura, jagah di, aur woh banda aisi shakal banate hoye mere saath se guzra jaise usse koi sarhi hoyi sabzi sungha di ho. Maine apne girebaan mein munh daal ke soongha, badboo toh nahi aa rahi thi. Phir kyun woh aisi shakal bana ke guzra? Main samajh gaya, yeh rawwayya aapko in kapro ke saath muft milta hai. 

  Suit pehno toh salaam thokein, puraane kapre toh naak charhaaye log guzrein? Maine ik lamha ruk ke socha toh ehsaas howa main bhi shayad unse zyada mukhtalif nahi hoon, ke shayad main bhi logon ke darjay unke kapro se banata hoon. Kapray jin ki saakht kabhi kapaas hoti hai, kabhi woh kapray insaan ke rang ban jaate hain, kabhi unki qomiyat, kabhi unki jins, rang, mazhab. Kia main un logon ko, unki asal shakhsiyat se nahi jaanch sakta? Kia unki soorat, rang dhang unki seerat se zyada ehmiyat rakhti hai? Nahi...

  Seerat na ho toh arz o rukhsaar sab ghalat