SHARVAN: THE MAN HE BECAME

Sharvan Singh...

Umar - 23 saal.

Shayad sab kuch usi raat shuru hua tha.

Raat ke 2:00 baj rahe the.

Poori Delhi mein zordaar baarish ho rahi thi. Tez hawayein aur bijli chamak rahi thi.

Street lights ki roshni mein ek gaadi aayi aur ek farmhouse par jaa ruki.

Farmhouse mein ek bhi light nahi jal rahi thi, bas farmhouse ke bahar watchman tha.

Farmhouse mein ek ghoda bandha hua tha.

Us gaadi mein se ek aadmi utarta hai jo bohot zyada nashe mein tha. Utarte hi woh gir jata hai. Uska black coat dhool aur khoon se bhar chuka tha.

White shirt par laal dhabbe saaf dikh rahe the.

Dono haath khoon se sane hue the.

Woh aadmi uthkar apne ghode ke paas jata hai, uski saansen kaanp rahi thi.

Usne dheere se apni mutthi kholi...

Khoon uski ungliyon se tapak kar zameen par gira.

Ek aansu uske gaal se behta hua usi khoon mein ja mila.

Woh aadmi revolver nikalta hai aur apne sir pe rakh leta hai. Uski aankhon se aansu ruk nahi rahe the...

Phir uske honton se sirf ek naam nikla...

"...Kyun?"

“9 saal pehle…”

School mein Class 6 se Class 12 tak ke bachche…

School mein ladai-jhagde, cigarette peena aur badmashi wahan aam baat thi.

Class 10th ke bachche, jinke is saal boards the, woh padhai se zyada apni junior classes ko bully karte the.

Aur kuch badmash bachche toh teachers tak ko dhamka dete the.

Class 7th ke students bohot zyada shor macha rahe the, ulti-seedhi harkatein karte aur maa-behen ki gaaliyan dete. Bag phenkna, kisi bhi ek ladke ko jacket udaa kar peetna... aur woh bachche is cheez ko mazak ka naam dete the.

School padhai se zyada badmashi ke liye mashhoor tha.

Corridor mein do ladke lad rahe the.

Ek senior junior ka bag kheench raha tha.

Canteen ke paas cigarette ka dhuaan tha.

Kisi ne chillaya...

"School ke bahar mil!"

Isi shor ke beech...

Last bench par sirf ek 13 saal ka ladka chupchaap baitha tha—SHARVAN SINGH.

Sharvan ke haath kaanp rahe the aur woh apne vicharon mein khoya hua tha.

Woh apni copy ke last page pe pen se ajeeb-o-ghareeb cheezein bana raha tha—kuch talwar, kuch ninja, kuch alag-alag cheezein jo usko khud nahi pata tha ki aakhir mein kya bana raha hai.

Pen ki nib copy par dheere-dheere chal rahi thi.

Lekin usne ek baar bhi sir utha kar kisi ko nahi dekha. Woh shaant baitha hua apne aap mein magan tha.

Woh class mein sabhi students se alag shaant aur chupchaap tha.

Woh na toh kisi se baat karta aur na hi kisi se baat karne ki koshish karta.

Bas apni ghadi ki taraf dekhta rehta tha ki ghar kab jaun. Shayad usko school pasand nahi tha.

Woh chahta tha ki kab main is jail se niklun. Woh school uske liye ek saza jaisa tha. Ghanti bajne ka intezaar hi uski roz ki aadat ban chuki thi.

Use school kabhi pasand nahi aaya. Aur school...? School ke liye woh sirf "pagal ladka" tha. Koi uske paas nahi jata tha aur na koi baat karta tha, bas sab usko pagal bolte aur samajhte the.

Kayi bachchon ne Sharvan ko akele mein apne aap se budbudate dekha tha.

Ghanti bajti hai... "Trinnnn..."

Sharvan smile karta hai.

Bag uthata hai aur bina kisi se baat kiye gate ki taraf chal deta hai.

School se bahar nikal kar woh dekhta hai bachche cigarettes peey rahe hain aur kisi ek bachche ko group bana kar peet rahe hain. Saath hi kuch badmash ladke bahar se aaye hue the jo gundagardi kar rahe the.

Sharvan sab ko ignore karke seedha apne ghar chala jata hai.

Ghar ka darwaza khulte hi kitchen se khane ki khushboo aa rahi thi.

"Aa gaya mera chhota beta?" Maa ne muskurate hue poocha.

Sharvan seedha kitchen mein gaya aur maa ko peeche se hug kar liya.

Hall mein Papa newspaper padh rahe the.

Upar se Komal didi chillayi...

"Sharvan! Mera charger phir le gaya na?"

Ghar bada nahi tha. Karol Bagh ki ek purani gali mein do kamron ka makan tha. Deewaron par purana paint tha, furniture bhi saalon purana tha, lekin us ghar mein kami sirf paison ki thi... pyaar ki nahi.

Sabse badi thi Komal didi, jo Sharvan ko maa ki tarah daantti bhi thi aur pyaar bhi karti thi.

Uske baad Priya didi thi. Woh hasi-mazaak karti rehti thi aur Sharvan Priya didi ko bohot pareshan karta tha, par Sharvan sabse zyada close Priya didi ke hi tha.

Phir bada bhai Naveen tha, jo Sharvan ke saath wrestling karta, bed pe khelta aur Sharvan ko pareshan bhi karta. Naveen har cheez mein bohot zyada intelligent tha, Sharvan se 5 saal bada tha aur gali mein Naveen ke kaafi dost the jo usko bohot maante the. Naveen ki wajah se Sharvan ko respect bhi milti thi aur bohot kuch seekhne ko milta tha. Kabhi homework mein madad karta, toh kabhi gali mein cricket khila deta.

Aur sabse chhota tha Sharvan—Ghar ka laadla. Bohot zyada shararti aur ziddi, aur sabse zyada mummy ko pyaar karne wala.

Sharvan ka parivaar ek aam middle-class family tha. Papa government employee the, jo subah office aur shaam ghar ki zimmedari sambhalte the. Maa ghar sambhalti thi. Ghar mein kul chaar bhai-behen the. Sab apni-apni padhai, naukri aur zimmedariyon mein vyast rehte the.

Sharvan gate se bahar nikalta hai...

Door se awaaz aati hai...

"OYE SHARVANNNN... IDHAR AA BE!"

Uske chehre par ek halki si muskaan aayi.

Aur woh awaaz ki taraf mudta hai…

— End of Chapter One —