Ghar ki zindagi bhi kya khoob zindagi hoti hai! Subah aankh khulti to maan ki aawaz aati: “Uth ja beta, sooraj sar par agaya hai!” Aur hum kambal mein aise chhup jaate jaise duniya ka sab se bada kaam neend hi ho. Kabhi maan ke haath ka makkhan, doodh aur dahi milta, kabhi gandam ki khushboo, kabhi keekar ke darakhton ki chhaaon, aur kabhi galiyon mein behte paani ke naale… sab kuch apna sa lagta tha.
Muhalle ki zindagi bhi kamaal thi. Kabhi hamsaaiyon ki ladaai sun kar maza aata, kabhi khud hi kisi se rooth jaate aur phir khud hi manwaane ke chakkar mein lag jaate. Kabhi koi hamein tahammul ka dars deta, to kabhi hum kisi ko mohabbat baantte phirte. Rishtedaaron ke saath hansi mazaq, chhoti chhoti baaton par qehqahe… yahi to humari duniya thi.
Magar phir ek din aaya jab hamein kaha gaya: “Ab tum madrase jaoge!”
Dil mein ajeeb si kaifiyat thi. Ek taraf maan ki god chhodne ka dukh, doosri taraf ek nai duniya ka shauq. Hum ne ghar ki dehleez ko dekha, maan ki aankhon mein aansu the, aur hum bhi andar hi andar kuch tootta mehsoos kar rahe the… magar chehre par bahaduri ka naqaab sajaaye hum rawana ho gaye.
Madrasa… woh jagah jahan pahunch kar laga ke hum kisi aur hi duniya mein aagaye hain. Shuru shuru mein to har cheez ajnabi lagti thi. Na maan ki aawaz, na woh galiyan, na woh naale, na woh jhagde! Bas khamoshi… aur kitaaben.
Magar aahista aahista hamein ehsaas hua ke yeh madrasa bhi kisi maan ki god se kam nahin. Yahan ustaad hamein aise samjhate jaise baap shafqat se samjhata hai, aur kabhi kabhi daant bhi aisi milti ke aankhon mein aansu aa jayen, magar dil phir bhi maan jaata.
Yahan bhi dost bane… aur phir wohi kahaniyan shuru! Kabhi kisi se jhagda, kabhi usi se hansi mazaq. Ek din ladaai, agle din dosti. Kabhi dil ka haal sunana, kabhi kisi ke dukh sunna. Yun lagta tha jaise hum ghar se door ho kar bhi ek naya ghar bana rahe hain.
Madrese ki zindagi ne hamein sirf kitaaben nahin sikhayeen, balke jeena bhi sikhaya. Sabr kya hota hai, mohabbat kaise baantte hain, badon ki izzat kaise karte hain, aur kamyabi ke liye mehnat kaise karte hain—yeh sab hamein yahin seekhne ko mila.
Kabhi kabhi raat ko maan ki yaad aati hai, aankhen bheeg jaati hain… magar phir dil khud ko samjhata hai ke hum ek acche maqsad ke liye yahan aaye hain.
Aaj hum hanste bhi hain, kabhi rote bhi hain, magar ek baat zaroor hai—
Hum ghar se nikle zaroor hain, magar sitara banne ke liye