Mera naam Parul hai…
Main apne husband Viren ke saath Delhi mein rehti hoon. Pehle main ek IT company mein job karti thi. Life normal thi… dreams the, apni pehchaan thi. Lekin phir mera beta hua… aur uske baad sab kuch badal gaya.
Mera beta bachpan se hi bahut bimar rehta tha. Raaton ki neend, din ka chain… sab uski dekhbhaal mein chala gaya. Meri maa kuch din ke liye aayi thi, par woh bhi kitna rukti… unhe jaana hi pada. Aur phir main akeli reh gayi — ek chhote bachche aur apni zimmedariyon ke saath.
Uski tabiyat ki wajah se mujhe apni job chhodni padi. Maine socha tha kuch time ki baat hai… par dheere-dheere woh “kuch time” meri zindagi ban gaya.
Aaj mera beta 9th class mein hai… ab uske paas mere liye waqt nahi hai. Husband office se aate hain… par unka waqt phone par ya ghar walon se baat karne mein nikal jata hai. Kab humne last time baith kar dil se baat ki thi… ya hasi-mazaak kiya tha… mujhe yaad hi nahi. Shayad kabhi kiya hi nahi.
Aaj mere paas sirf ek cheez hai… “akelapan”.
Job ab mujhse ho nahi paayegi… itna gap aa chuka hai. Aur kuch naya shuru karne ki himmat bhi nahi hoti.
Jab main sasuraal jaati hoon… toh poora din bas kitchen mein hi nikal jata hai. Koi meri thakaan nahi dekhta… bas kaam hi dikhta hai. Kabhi kuch keh dete hain, kabhi kuch… aur main chup-chaap sab sun leti hoon.
Ek baar maine himmat karke kaha ki mujhe apne mayke jaana hai… toh saas ne kaha,
“Abhi kaise jaa sakti ho? Meri betiyaan aane wali hain… khana kaun banayega? Saal mein ek hi baar toh aati hain.”
Unki baat sun kar meri aankhon mein aansu aa gaye…
Par maine kuch nahi kaha. Chup-chaap apna kaam kiya… aur summer break ke baad wapas aa gayi.
Lekin iss baar kuch badal chuka tha…
Maine apne husband se kaha,
“Main aapke ghar tabhi jaungi jab aap mujhe mere ghar jaane doge.”
Viren mujhe dekhte reh gaye…
Kyuki aaj tak maine kabhi apne liye awaaz nahi uthayi thi. Yeh pehli baar tha jab maine khud ke liye stand liya tha.
Unhone dheere se kaha,
“Theek hai… aisa hi hoga. Par batao… mera ghar tumhara nahi hai?”
Main muskuraayi… par uss muskurahat mein saalon ka dard tha.
Maine unse poocha,
“Kya mera ghar aapka hai?
Kya main is ghar ki beti toh door… bahu bhi hoon?”
Room mein ek gehri khamoshi chha gayi…
Shayad pehli baar unhone meri baat sirf suni nahi… mehsoos bhi ki.
Us din ke baad sab kuch ekdum se nahi badla…
Par haan, ek chhoti si shuruaat zaroor hui.
Viren ab kabhi-kabhi mere paas baithte hain… bina phone ke.
Kabhi puchte hain, “Tum theek ho?”
Aur main pehli baar kehti hoon, “Ab thodi si hoon…”
Maine bhi dheere-dheere khud ko dobara pehchanna shuru kiya.
Chhote steps liye… online kuch seekhna shuru kiya… apne liye thoda waqt nikalna shuru kiya.
Aaj bhi sab perfect nahi hai…
Par ab main khamosh nahi hoon.
Ab main sirf kisi ki wife ya mother nahi…
Main “Parul” bhi hoon…
Aur ab maine khud ko khona band kar diya hai.
