Gaon ke bahar ek bahut purana ped khada tha. Itna purana ki gaon ke sabse buzurg log bhi kehte the ki jab woh chhote the tab bhi yeh ped yahin khada tha.
Us ped ki jadein zameen ke andar bahut gehri tak faili hui thi aur uski badi-badi shaakhein aasman ko chhuti hui lagti thi. Garmiyon mein gaon ke log uski thandi chhaya mein baithkar aaram karte the.
Barish ke samay jab boondein uske patton par girti thi to awaaz bahut sukoon dene wali hoti thi.
Lekin us ped ke baare mein ek ajeeb baat bhi mashhoor thi.
Gaon ke log kehte the ki yeh ped kabhi-kabhi bolta hai.
Halaanki kisi ne usse seedha bolte hue nahi suna tha. Log sochte the ki shayad hawa ki awaaz hi ped ki awaaz lagti hai. Isliye dheere-dheere logon ne is baat ko sirf ek purani kahani samajh liya.
Lekin gaon mein ek ladka tha — Aarav.
Aarav bahut hi curious tha. Use naye sawal puchhna aur har cheez ko samajhna pasand tha.
Ek din school se ghar aate waqt woh usi purane ped ke paas ruk gaya.
Us din aas-paas bilkul shanti thi. Na hawa chal rahi thi aur na hi koi wahan tha. Aarav ped ke neeche baith gaya.
Usne upar dekha aur dheere se bola,
"Log kehte hain tum bol sakte ho… kya yeh sach hai?"
Kuch der tak bilkul sannata raha.
Aarav halka sa muskura kar bola,
"Lagta hai yeh sirf kahani hi hai."
Tabhi patton mein halki si sar-sarahat hui.
Aur phir ek dheemi aur gehri awaaz aayi…
"Sab kahani jhoot nahi hoti…"
Aarav ka dil tez dhadakne laga.
Usne jaldi se idhar-udhar dekha. Wahan koi nahi tha.
Phir usne ped ki taraf dekha.
Ped ki chaal mein do jagah aisi thi jo aankhon jaisi lag rahi thi… aur neeche ek halki si line thi jo muh jaisi lag rahi thi.
Aarav dara hua tha, lekin phir bhi usne pucha,
"Tum… sach mein bol rahe ho?"
Ped ne dheere se jawab diya,
"Haan… lekin main har kisi se baat nahi karta."
"Kyoon?" Aarav ne pucha.
Ped bola,
"Kyuki har koi sunna nahi chahta."
Aarav ne phir pucha,
"To tum mujhse kyoon baat kar rahe ho?"
Ped ne kaha,
"Kyuki tum sawal puchte ho… aur jo sawal puchta hai wahi sach samajh sakta hai."
Aarav ab bilkul excited ho gaya tha.
Usne pucha,
"Tum kitne purane ho?"
Ped bola,
"Main itna purana hoon ki maine is gaon ko bante hue dekha hai."
Aarav hairan reh gaya.
"Sach?"
"Haan," ped bola,
"jab yahan sirf mitti aur kheton ke alawa kuch nahi tha… tab bhi main yahin tha."
Aarav ne phir ek aur sawal pucha,
"Kya tum future bhi jaante ho?"
Ped kuch der tak chup raha.
Phir dheere se bola,
"Future hamesha badalta rehta hai…"
"Matlab?" Aarav ne pucha.
Ped bola,
"Agar log sahi faisla lein to future achha hota hai… aur agar galat faisla lein to sab kuch badal sakta hai."
Aarav thoda serious ho gaya.
"Hamare gaon ke saath kuch bura hone wala hai kya?"
Ped ne dheere se kaha,
"Ho sakta hai…"
Aarav ka dil phir tez dhadakne laga.
"Kya hone wala hai?"
Ped bola,
"Jald hi kuch log yahan aayenge… aur woh is jagah ko badalna chahenge."
"Kaise badalna?"
Ped ne jawab diya,
"Woh ped kaat kar yahan badi-badi buildings banana chahenge."
Aarav ne turant kaha,
"Main aisa nahi hone dunga!"
Ped halka sa muskuraaya.
"Kaise?"
Aarav ne kaha,
"Mujhe abhi nahi pata… lekin main koshish zaroor karunga."
Ped ne dheere se kaha,
"Bas yahi himmat sabse zaroori hoti hai."
Tabhi door se Aarav ki maa ki awaaz aayi,
"Aarav! Kahan ho?"
Aarav khada ho gaya.
"Main kal phir aunga," usne ped se kaha.
Ped ne jawab diya,
"Main yahin rahunga… jaise hamesha rehta hoon."
Aarav ghar ki taraf chal diya.
Lekin uske dimaag mein ek hi baat ghoom rahi thi —
Kya sach mein koi log aakar gaon ke ped kaatne wale hain?
Aur agar aisa hua…
to kya main unhe rok paunga?
Us raat Aarav ko neend bahut der se aayi.
Uske dimaag mein baar-baar wahi baat ghoom rahi thi — bolne wala ped.
Kya sach mein ped usse baat kar raha tha? Ya phir woh sirf uski imagination thi?
Aarav ne apni aankhen band ki, lekin usse baar-baar ped ki awaaz yaad aa rahi thi।
"Future hamesha badalta rehta hai…"
Aur phir usse yaad aaya — ped ne kaha tha ki kuch log gaon mein aane wale hain jo ped kaatna chahte hain।
Aarav ka dil phir se tez dhadakne laga।
"Main aisa nahi hone dunga…"
usne dheere se khud se kaha।
Subah jab Aarav ki aankh khuli to suraj ki roshni khidki se andar aa rahi thi।
Uski maa kitchen mein nashta bana rahi thi।
"Aarav, jaldi uth jao!" maa ne awaaz lagayi।
"School ke liye late ho jaoge!"
Aarav jaldi se uth gaya, lekin aaj uska dhyan school mein bilkul nahi lag रहा था।
Uske dimaag mein sirf ek hi baat thi —
aaj school ke baad woh phir ped ke paas jayega।
School mein teacher padha rahe the, lekin Aarav khidki ke bahar dekh raha tha।
Uska dost Rohan uske paas baitha tha।
Rohan ne dheere se pucha,
"Tu itna chup kyun hai aaj?"
Aarav thoda rukkar bola,
"Kal main gaon ke bahar wale purane ped ke paas gaya tha…"
Rohan turant bola,
"Arre wahi bhoot wala ped?"
Aarav ne sir hila kar mana kiya।
"Nahi… woh bhoot wala nahi hai… woh bolta hai।"
Rohan zor se hans pada।
"Pagal ho gaya hai kya? Ped bhi kahin bolte hain?"
Aarav ne kuch nahi kaha।
Usse pata tha agar woh kisi ko sach batayega to koi uski baat par vishwas nahi karega।
School khatam hote hi Aarav seedha gaon ke bahar ki taraf daud pada।
Aaj hawa halki-halki chal rahi thi।
Ped ke patte dheere-dheere hil rahe the।
Aarav ped ke paas pahunchkar ruk gaya।
"Main aa gaya," usne dheere se kaha।
Kuch pal tak koi awaaz nahi aayi।
Phir patton mein halki si sar-sarahat hui।
Aur phir wahi gehri awaaz aayi —
"Main jaanta tha tum wapas aaoge…"
Aarav muskura diya।
"Tumhe kaise pata?"
Ped bola,
"Jo log sach jaanना chahte hain… woh hamesha wapas aate hain।"
Aarav ped ke neeche baith gaya।
"Aaj main tumse bahut saare sawal poochunga," Aarav bola।
Ped ne halka sa hansa।
"Poocho।"
Aarav ne sabse pehla sawal pucha —
"Tum bol kaise sakte ho?"
Ped kuch der tak chup raha।
Phir usne dheere se kaha,
"Main ek aam ped nahi hoon…"
Aarav ki aankhen badi ho gayi।
"Matlab?"
Ped bola,
"Bahut saal pehle… jab yeh gaon bhi nahi tha… tab yahan ek bada jungle hua karta tha।"
Aarav dhyan se sun raha tha।
"Us jungle mein hazaaron ped the… aur har ped mein ek prakriti ki shakti hoti thi।"
"Prakriti ki shakti?" Aarav ne pucha।
"Haan," ped bola,
"lekin dheere-dheere log jungle kaatne lage… aur sab ped khatam ho gaye।"
Aarav ne aas-paas dekha।
Ab sach mein gaon के आस-पास बहुत कम पेड़ थे।
Ped ne aage kaha,
"Main us jungle ka aakhri purana ped hoon…"
Aarav kuch der tak chup raha।
"Isliye tum bol sakte ho?"
Ped ne kaha,
"Haan… aur isliye mujhe sab kuch dekhna padta hai।"
Aarav ne dheere se pucha,
"Tumne kitni cheezein dekhi hain?"
Ped ne kaha,
"Bahut kuch…
maine logon ko ghar banate dekha…
bachchon ko yahan khelte dekha…
aur kai baar insano ko galti karte bhi dekha।"
Aarav ne pucha,
"Kaunsi galti?"
Ped ki awaaz thodi udaas ho gayi।
"Prakriti ko bhool jana…"
Hawa thodi tez chalne lagi।
Patte zor-zor se hilने लगे।
Ped ne phir kaha,
"Insaan aksar sochta hai ki woh sabse powerful hai…
lekin woh bhool jata hai ki uski zindagi bhi prakriti par hi depend karti hai।"
Aarav ne sir jhuka kar socha।
Phir usne pucha,
"Jo log yahan aane wale hain… woh kab aayenge?"
Ped ne jawab diya,
"Bahut jaldi…"
"Kitni jaldi?"
Ped ne kaha,
"Shayad kuch hi din mein।"
Aarav ka dil phir se ghabra gaya।
"Phir to hume jaldi kuch karna padega!"
Ped ne kaha,
"Sabse pehle tumhe sach samajhna hoga…"
"Kaunsa sach?"
Ped ne dheere se kaha,
"Is gaon ko bachane ke liye sirf ek bachcha kaafi nahi hoga…"
Aarav ne turant pucha,
"Phir kya karna hoga?"
Ped bola,
"Tumhe dusron ko bhi samjhana hoga…
ki ped sirf lakdi nahi hote…
woh zindagi dete hain।"
Aarav ne aas-paas dekha।
Hawa mein patte hil rahe the…
panchhiyon ki awaaz aa rahi thi।
Usne socha — अगर यह सब नहीं रहेगा तो गाँव कैसा लगेगा?
Aarav ne zor se kaha,
"Main sabko bataunga!"
Ped ne pucha,
"Lekin agar koi tumhari baat par vishwas nahi kare to?"
Aarav thoda chup ho gaya।
"Phir bhi main koshish karunga," usne kaha।
Ped ne dheere se kaha,
"Yahi sabse badi himmat hoti hai…"
Tabhi achanak door se ek ajeeb awaaz aayi।
गाड़ियों की आवाज़।
Aarav ne mudkar dekha।
Gaon ki taraf se do badi jeeps aa rahi thi।
Ped ne dheere se kaha,
"Lagta hai… woh log aa gaye।"
Aarav ka dil zor se dhadakne laga।
"Kaun log?"
Ped ne jawab diya —
"Jo is jagah ko badalna chahte hain…"
Aarav ne jeeps ki taraf dekha।
Unme kuch aadmi baithe the।
Unke haath mein kagaz aur maps the।
Aarav ko ek ajeeb sa darr mehsoos hua।
Usne dheere se ped ki taraf dekha aur bola —
"Ab kya hoga?"
Ped ki awaaz bahut shaant thi।
"Ab tumhari kahani shuru hoti hai…