Sardi ki aik thand bhari raat thi. Raheel aag ke paas baitha chai pee raha tha jab achanak darwazay par dastak hui. Hairani se, woh utha aur darwaza khola. Ek dubla patla, budha aadmi, jo aik phata purana chadar lapetay hue tha, dahanay par khara tha, thand se kaanp raha tha.
Raheel ne bina sochay samjhay usay andar bula liya. “Aap andar aa jayein, bahar bohat sardi hai,” Raheel ne naram lahje mein kaha. Budha aadmi kuch dair ke liye jhijhaka, magar phir dheere dheere ander chal diya.
Jaisay hi budha aadmi aag ke paas baitha, us ka chehra roshan hogaya. “Shukriya beta,” us ne kamzor awaaz mein kaha. Raheel ne dekha ke aadmi bohat thaka hua aur bhooka lag raha tha. Bina poochay, Raheel kitchen gaya aur garam soup ka aik pyala laaya.
“Yeh lein, kuch garam khaa lein,” Raheel ne meharbani se kaha. Budha aadmi aahista aahista khaane laga, us ke haath kanp rahay thay jab us ne chamach uthaya.
Jaisay jaisay waqt guzarta gaya, budha aadmi bolna shuru hua. “Main ek musafir hoon, apna ghar aur parivaar chhod kar yeh duniya dekhnay nikla tha. Magar ab zindagi ne thaka diya hai,” us ne afsos bhari awaaz mein kaha.
Raheel ne chup chaap suna, us budhay ke liye apne dil mein dard mehsoos kar raha tha. Us ne dekha ke aadmi bohat si mushkilat se guzra tha, magar ab bhi us mein kuch raaz chupay hue thay.
“Ap ka naam kya hai?” Raheel ne poocha, jab usay shaque hua.
Budha aadmi kuch dair ke liye ruka aur halka sa muskuraya. “Naam ka kya hai, beta. Naam sirf duniya ko dikhane ke liye hota hai. Aaj hoon, kal nahi hoonga. Bas itna samajh lo ke main bhi ek waqt mein tumhari tarah tha, ek jawaan jo duniya ko badalna chahta tha.”
Raheel ko budhay aadmi se ek ajeeb lagao mehsoos hone laga, jaise us ne apni zindagi mein pehle usay jaana ho. “Aap kab tak yahan rukiyein gay?” Raheel ne poocha, ye sochtay hue ke kya budhay aadmi ke paas koi aur jagah hai.
“Jitni der zinda hoon, tab tak,” budha aadmi ne ajeeb andaaz mein jawab diya. Raheel ko samajh nahi aayi, magar us ne mazeed sawal na poochna behtar samjha. Woh aur baat cheet karte rahe, phir budha aadmi bola ke usay aaram karna hai.
Agli subah jab Raheel utha, to us ne dekha ke budha aadmi chala gaya tha. Ghar mein us ka koi nishan nahi tha. Hairan hokar, Raheel bahar usay dhoondhnay gaya magar sirf barf par qadmon ke nishan thay jo sadak tak pohanch kar gaayab hogaye.
Yeh aisa tha jaise woh budha aadmi kabhi tha hi nahi.
Raheel thand bhari subah ke hawa mein khara sochta raha ke yeh sab kya tha. Woh budha aadmi kaun tha? Kyun aaya aur kahan chala gaya? Yeh sawalat us ke zehan mein chalte rahe, magar usay kabhi inka jawab nahi mila.
Aur is tarah, Raheel apni rozmarra ki zindagi mein wapas chala gaya, magar har sardi ki raat, woh aag ke paas baithta, intezaar karta—shayad kabhi woh raaz bhara budha aadmi wapas aa jaye.
Ibrat: Kabhi kabhi zindagi mein ajnabi log miltay hain jo humari madad nahi chahte, balkay humay kuch sikhane ke liye aatay hain.