Ghana jungle, oonche pahad, behti hawa, chehakte parinde aur un sabke beech vo shaant jheel ka kinara. Thehra hua pani jaise khud mein hi ek aalishan aaina sa ban gaya ho jis mein aas paas ki har shai apna aks dekh rahi ho. Vo seena taane khade pahad jaise khud apna aks pani mein dekh kar khud par garv mehsoos karte hon. Vo oonce hare ped, vo hari ghaas jaise khud ko is aaine mein dekh apni hi khoobsurati par khud hi ithla rahe hon. Vo hawa ke jhonke jaise pani ko chhu kar usmei lehra utha ek chheed chhad si kar rahe hon.
Aur in sabke beech Jheel ke is aur Tripod par laga mera camera aur uske view-finder mein jhankta main. Is mausam mein is jheel ke aas paas kaafi alag alag kism ke parinde aa jaate hain aur mausam khatam hone tak phir apne safar par kisi aur disha mein nikal jaate hain. Is saal in sab parindo ke saath ek parinda aur bhi aaya tha is jheel par, main.
Main, ek wildlife photographer. Shehar ke bhaag duad bhari tez zindagi se bahar aakar ghane jungle ke beech aise shaant mahaul aur is shaant mahaul mein rehne wale janwaron ki tasveer nikalna jiska pesha tha.
Par us pal camera ke view-finder par apna chehra lagaye meri nazar na toh aas paas ke khoobsurat nazaron par thi, na kisi udte parinde par aur na hi jheel kinare pani pine aaye kisi junglee janwar par. Main toh dekh raha tha jheel ke us paar khade khuda ki banaye us masoom chehre ko.
Shakal soorat aur pehnave se vo yahan aas paas rehne wale kisi aadivasi qabeele ki hi lag rahi thi. Ek bahut hi aam si ladki jiske chehre par na toh bepanah husn ka noor tha aur na hi kisi make-up ki banavat. Halka saanwla rang, bikhre baal, gatha hua badan aur uspar purane se kapde. Vo ek vaisi hi ladki thi jo roz-marra ki zindagi mein bazar, sadkon aur mohalle mein dikhai deti hain aur jinhen palat kar dekhne wale bahut kam hote hain. Par na jaane kyun jab maine use us waqt vahan dekha toh apne camera se apni nazar hata nahi saka. Lens ko ghuma kar maine poora zoom kiya aur focus uske chehre par kiya.
Jaane kya baat thi us chehre mein ke vo behad aam sa hokar bhi behad khoobsurat tha. Jaane kya baat thi un khoyi khoyi aankhon mein ke nazar na milne par bhi meri nazar unse ulajh kar reh gayi. Main janta tha ke jheel ke us paar se vo mujhe yahan dekh nahi sakti aur agar shayad mere paas camera na hota ya is waqt main poora zoom na kiye hota toh shayad main bhi use na dekh pata.
Vo kuchh pal tak pani ke paas khadi aas paas dekhti rahi, jaise bharosa kar rahi ho ke us waqt vahan uske siwa aur koi maujood nahi. Phir usne aage badhkar apne haath mein pakde kuchh kapde ek patthar par rakh diye phir jheel ke pani mein apna paon dubaya, shayad pani ki thandak ka ehsaas karne ke liye. Aur phir bahut masoomiyat se usna apna paon vaapis khincha, apne kandhe ko ek jhatka diya aur khud hi akeli khadi muskurat uthi.
Aur phir vo jiska shayad mujhe pehle se hi andesha bhi tha. Ek nazar usne phir se aas paas ghumayi aur ek ek karke apna libaas utarna shuru kiya. Maine fauran view-finder se apni nazar hatayi aur camera se apna chehre door kar liye. Main dil mein janta tha ke ye galat hai. Nazar utha kar maine us paar dekha toh ab pedon, pattharon aur ghaas ke beech bina camera ke vo nazar nahi aa rahi thi. Uske khyaal ko dimag se jhatak kar maine apni ek notebook uthayi jismein un parindo ka zikr tha jo mujhe is waqt yahan mil sakte the par dil mera dhyaan toh jaise us ladki mein atak kar reh gaya tha.
Halanki vo mujhe ab nazar nahi aa rahi thi par main janta tha ke vo jheele ke us paar hai ab bhi, be-parda, be-libaas. Mere dil ki dhadkan tez ho chali par is khyaal se nahi ke main use be-perehan dekhna chahta tha. Nahi, mera dil toh us chehre ki masoomiyat mein ulajh kar reh gaya tha. Main toh us chehre ko dekhna chahta tha, phir dekhna chahta tha aur dekhte rehna chahta tha.
Notebook phir neeche rakh kar maine nazar phir view-finder se lagayi aur haan, vo vahin thi.
Par meri nazar na toh uske be-parda jism ki taraf gayi aur na hi koi khyaal galat dimag mein aaya. Mere camera ka focus ab bhi sirf uske chehre par hi tha. Vo chehre jo thande pani ka ehsaas apne jism par karte hue kabhi ithlata tha, kabhi muskurata tha, kabhi hasta tha aur kabhi thandak se sihar uthta tha.
Na jaane kitna waqt guzra aur na jaane aur kitna waqt guzarta agar mera dhyaan us aadmi ki aawaz se na toota hota.
"Aey, kya kar raha hai idhar?"
Main palta. Vo 5 the aur unka libaas bhi aadivai qabeelon ke jaisa hi tha.
"Hamara aurat log udhar nahata hai, unka tasveer nikalta hai?"
Isse pehle ke main kuchh keh pata, usne aage badh kar mera girebaan pakad liya.
"Nahi nahi, aapko galat lag raha hai main toh bas ....." Meri baat poori nahi hone di gayi.
Un aakhri lamhon mein bhi meri nazar jheel ke us paar hi thi. Shareer mein kayi jagah se khoon beh chala tha par khyaal mein abhi bhi vahi masoom chehra tha.
"Mar gaya kya?" Mere kaano mein aawaz aayi.
"Mara nahi hai toh mar jaayega, uthake pani mein phenk ise aur iska camera bhi "
THE END
Aur in sabke beech Jheel ke is aur Tripod par laga mera camera aur uske view-finder mein jhankta main. Is mausam mein is jheel ke aas paas kaafi alag alag kism ke parinde aa jaate hain aur mausam khatam hone tak phir apne safar par kisi aur disha mein nikal jaate hain. Is saal in sab parindo ke saath ek parinda aur bhi aaya tha is jheel par, main.
Main, ek wildlife photographer. Shehar ke bhaag duad bhari tez zindagi se bahar aakar ghane jungle ke beech aise shaant mahaul aur is shaant mahaul mein rehne wale janwaron ki tasveer nikalna jiska pesha tha.
Par us pal camera ke view-finder par apna chehra lagaye meri nazar na toh aas paas ke khoobsurat nazaron par thi, na kisi udte parinde par aur na hi jheel kinare pani pine aaye kisi junglee janwar par. Main toh dekh raha tha jheel ke us paar khade khuda ki banaye us masoom chehre ko.
Shakal soorat aur pehnave se vo yahan aas paas rehne wale kisi aadivasi qabeele ki hi lag rahi thi. Ek bahut hi aam si ladki jiske chehre par na toh bepanah husn ka noor tha aur na hi kisi make-up ki banavat. Halka saanwla rang, bikhre baal, gatha hua badan aur uspar purane se kapde. Vo ek vaisi hi ladki thi jo roz-marra ki zindagi mein bazar, sadkon aur mohalle mein dikhai deti hain aur jinhen palat kar dekhne wale bahut kam hote hain. Par na jaane kyun jab maine use us waqt vahan dekha toh apne camera se apni nazar hata nahi saka. Lens ko ghuma kar maine poora zoom kiya aur focus uske chehre par kiya.
Jaane kya baat thi us chehre mein ke vo behad aam sa hokar bhi behad khoobsurat tha. Jaane kya baat thi un khoyi khoyi aankhon mein ke nazar na milne par bhi meri nazar unse ulajh kar reh gayi. Main janta tha ke jheel ke us paar se vo mujhe yahan dekh nahi sakti aur agar shayad mere paas camera na hota ya is waqt main poora zoom na kiye hota toh shayad main bhi use na dekh pata.
Vo kuchh pal tak pani ke paas khadi aas paas dekhti rahi, jaise bharosa kar rahi ho ke us waqt vahan uske siwa aur koi maujood nahi. Phir usne aage badhkar apne haath mein pakde kuchh kapde ek patthar par rakh diye phir jheel ke pani mein apna paon dubaya, shayad pani ki thandak ka ehsaas karne ke liye. Aur phir bahut masoomiyat se usna apna paon vaapis khincha, apne kandhe ko ek jhatka diya aur khud hi akeli khadi muskurat uthi.
Aur phir vo jiska shayad mujhe pehle se hi andesha bhi tha. Ek nazar usne phir se aas paas ghumayi aur ek ek karke apna libaas utarna shuru kiya. Maine fauran view-finder se apni nazar hatayi aur camera se apna chehre door kar liye. Main dil mein janta tha ke ye galat hai. Nazar utha kar maine us paar dekha toh ab pedon, pattharon aur ghaas ke beech bina camera ke vo nazar nahi aa rahi thi. Uske khyaal ko dimag se jhatak kar maine apni ek notebook uthayi jismein un parindo ka zikr tha jo mujhe is waqt yahan mil sakte the par dil mera dhyaan toh jaise us ladki mein atak kar reh gaya tha.
Halanki vo mujhe ab nazar nahi aa rahi thi par main janta tha ke vo jheele ke us paar hai ab bhi, be-parda, be-libaas. Mere dil ki dhadkan tez ho chali par is khyaal se nahi ke main use be-perehan dekhna chahta tha. Nahi, mera dil toh us chehre ki masoomiyat mein ulajh kar reh gaya tha. Main toh us chehre ko dekhna chahta tha, phir dekhna chahta tha aur dekhte rehna chahta tha.
Notebook phir neeche rakh kar maine nazar phir view-finder se lagayi aur haan, vo vahin thi.
Par meri nazar na toh uske be-parda jism ki taraf gayi aur na hi koi khyaal galat dimag mein aaya. Mere camera ka focus ab bhi sirf uske chehre par hi tha. Vo chehre jo thande pani ka ehsaas apne jism par karte hue kabhi ithlata tha, kabhi muskurata tha, kabhi hasta tha aur kabhi thandak se sihar uthta tha.
Na jaane kitna waqt guzra aur na jaane aur kitna waqt guzarta agar mera dhyaan us aadmi ki aawaz se na toota hota.
"Aey, kya kar raha hai idhar?"
Main palta. Vo 5 the aur unka libaas bhi aadivai qabeelon ke jaisa hi tha.
"Hamara aurat log udhar nahata hai, unka tasveer nikalta hai?"
Isse pehle ke main kuchh keh pata, usne aage badh kar mera girebaan pakad liya.
"Nahi nahi, aapko galat lag raha hai main toh bas ....." Meri baat poori nahi hone di gayi.
Un aakhri lamhon mein bhi meri nazar jheel ke us paar hi thi. Shareer mein kayi jagah se khoon beh chala tha par khyaal mein abhi bhi vahi masoom chehra tha.
"Mar gaya kya?" Mere kaano mein aawaz aayi.
"Mara nahi hai toh mar jaayega, uthake pani mein phenk ise aur iska camera bhi "
THE END
