Jab mene likhna seekha

“Lekhni ek kala hai—aur humne hamesha maana hai ki yeh mamooli logon ke bas ki baat nahi hoti. Isme sir khapana padhta hai, dhyaan lagana padhta hai, aur kabhi-kabhi samaj ko aaina bhi dikhana padta hai.

Isi gehri soch ke saath ek din humne faisla kiya ki yeh mushkil zimmedari ab apne kandhon par li jaye.

Pehla kadam bahut soch-samajh kar uthaya gaya—ek achhi si diary khareedi gayi. Likha baad me bhi ja sakta tha, lekin lekhak jesa mehsoos karna zyada zaruri tha.

Bas phir kya tha—qalam utha liya aur sochne lage ki sabse bada mudda kya hona chahiye. Desh peeche ja raha hai, gareebi badh rahi hai; socha kyun na ghurbat par likha jaye.

Lekin jaldi hi samajh aa gaya ki kahani likhna utna mushkil nahi hota jitna kahani dhoondhna. Kai din nikal gaye isi talash me. Aur tab tak ek aur mushkil khadi ho chuki thi—duniya ko pata chal gaya tha ki hum lekhak hain.

Ab haalat yeh thi ki likhne se zyada likhne ki umeed bhaari pad rahi thi. Jis gareebi par likhne ka iraada tha, woh bhi jaise humse bach kar chalne lagi. Shayad use bhi darr tha ki kahin hum use shabdon me qaid na kar dein.

Aur hum the ki ab tak pehla jumla hi taiyar kar rahe the.

Ab to un logon ne bhi rai dena shuru kar di thi jo kitabein padhte tak nahi the. Koi kehta, ‘Kahaniyan har jagah hoti hain, bas dhoondhne ki zarurat hoti hai,’ jaise kahaniyan subah-subah doodh ke saath darwaze par aa jaati hon.

Koi mashwara deta ki kahani zyada badi na ho—log padhte nahi. Chhoti likhiye. Jaise hum sirf unki padhne ki aadat ke hisaab se likhne baithe hon. Ek ne toh yeh bhi bata diya ki agar shuddh zubaan me likhenge toh jaldi chhap jayega, aur mumkin hai award bhi mil jaye.

Ek khaas dost, jo MA Bengali kar raha tha, usne bade yaqeen ke saath kaha—‘Sharat Chandra ko padho, gareebi par bahut achha likhte hain.’

Ab kaise batate ki humein kisi aur ki kahani nahi, apni likhni hai. Aur agar Sharat Chandra ko hi padhna hai, toh kya pehle Bengali seekhein? Itna waqt kahan tha?

Waise bhi, ab haalat yeh thi ki hum poore mashre me lekhak ke taur par mashhoor ho chuke the. Padhna ab ek tarah ki kamzori lagne laga tha—jaise asli kaam toh likhna hi ho. Aur likhna… abhi bhi shuru nahi hua tha.”

“Ab dimaag khali karne ke baare me socha gaya. Kehte hain naya vichar tabhi janam leta hai jab dimaag khali ho. Lekin kambakht jitna use khali karne ki koshish karte, utna hi zyada bharne lagta.

Kabhi college ke imtihaan yaad aa jaate, kabhi mehbooba ki chai. Ab likhne ke chakkar me rishte thodi na tode ja sakte the.

Isliye faisla kiya gaya ki isi bhare hue dimaag ke saath hi likha jayega. Aakhir upar wala malik hai—aur shayad woh bhi dekhna chahta hoga ki bina soche likhne wala lekhak kaisa lagta hai.”

Tab humne socha ki unwaan kya rakha jaye. Mozu toh kab ka badal chuka tha—ghareebi se seedha ling-bhed tak ka safar tai ho gaya tha.

Chaar-paanch naam soche hi the ki phir rai milne lagi. Ek ne kaha, pehli kahani behad bhavnapurn honi chahiye. Humein yeh baat turant pasand aa gayi—kyunki bhavnaayein likhna, sochne se zyada aasaan lagta hai.

Isliye humne kinnar samaj ko chun liya.

Hamare MA wale dost ne phir salah di—‘pehle kahani likh lo, phir shirshak dena.’ Uski har rai ki tarah yeh bhi kuch ajeeb hi lagi. Bhala shirshak ke bina koi kahani kaise likh sakta hai?

Uski is betuki baat ko nazarandaz karte hue humne turant unwaan tai kar liya—

“Traffic Signal.”

Ab bas kahani likhni baaki thi.

“Mahina bhar beet gaya, aur hum sirf do lafz hi likh paye—wo bhi angrezi ke, jinka theek se Hindi anuvad tak maloom nahi tha. Aise me kahani likhna toh door ki baat thi.

Lekin shirshak… shirshak lajawab tha. Itna lajawab ki use badalne ka sawaal hi paida nahi hota tha. Isliye faisla kiya gaya ki kahani ko hi shirshak ke hisaab se badla jayega.

Ab dikkat yeh thi ki ‘Traffic Signal’ me kaunsa signal chunna chahiye. Sheher chhota toh tha nahi. Socha koi bhi ek chun lete hain—lekin yeh ‘koi bhi ek’ chunne me hi ek aur mahina nikal gaya.

Humein har cheez mushkil lag rahi thi—lekhni ke liye diary kaunsi ho, mozu kya ho, shirshak kya rakhein, aur kaunsi batti chunni jaye.

Ajeeb baat yeh thi ki kahani likhne ke alawa sab kuch mushkil lag raha tha. Kahani toh kabhi bhi likhi ja sakti thi.

Par likhi nhi gyi