"अरे भैया! जगह दो यार, ट्रैन ना हुआ कुंभ का मेला हो गया, हटिये ज़रा "
With endless similar dialogues fighting and panting through the ruckus of a train I came to my seat, it felt like the peak of Everest.
but wait..someones sleeping on the peak...
"ओ भाई मेरी सीट है, उठो चलो, वैसे भी दिल्ली आ गया, यहाँ तो अच्छे अच्छे उठ जाते हैं "
A sleeping beauty who had conquered my seat had to forcefully get up and smile at me while cursing me from within, to destroy his dreams of traveling with comfort.
After about an hour of adjustments and window peeping, my berth was intruded by a family. A big family. It was like a vegetable soup, with the following contents:
A big couple ( grand parents )
The young couple (parents) and
The teenagers.
They had a lot of luggage, Dada ji carried a big bag and was really struggling with it, dadi said "let me help" but male ego doesn't get old. Teenager carried a small bag too but technology in the other hand was way too heavy and required way too much attention than a panting Dada ji.
They all somehow managed to grab seats and luggage was placed
Teens jumped on to their seats.
Parents sat with content and
Old ones sat holding their knees...
Dadi said to one of the teens "मुन्ना पानी की बोतल निकाल दे, प्यास लग रही है "
Munna who had worked so hard with the luggage was tired and of course, chatting took way too much effort, so declined the request saying, "मम्मी से मांग लो ना प्लीज "
The poor old lady was defeated by a 'please' and now turned with hope to her bahu, who was trying to hide her wrinkles using makeup, bahu said, "माजी! देखिये आपके पास ही तो है बैग, ले लीजिये उसी में से, प्लीज ". And 'Please!' won again. Dadi knew the bag was close enough but she also knew that bending down to the bag, stretching the arm and tensing the knee required effort, throat craved for water but age refused. "छोड़ो बाद में ही पी लुंगी!". None of the ears cared.
Dadaji took the bottle out, after struggling through the contents of the bag and his shivering hands..
Teens sunk into chatting, dad went busily attending calls, mom with make up and the old couple craved for attention. I knew they wanted someone to talk to, dadiji was sweet enough and asked me where I was from and where I was heading to, she told me how difficult it is to travel in trains and offered me laddoos.The entire journey the mom-dad slept, the teens did thumb exercise on the phone and the old couple talked to me, dadiji said something that struck me hard and I quote
"बेटा ज़िन्दगी में चाहे जितना आगे भड़ जाओ, जितनी तरक्की कर लो, जितना पैसा कमा लो, जब बुढ़ापे की लाठी पड़ती है तो यही ज़िन्दगी नरक बन जाती है, अकेलापन सहारा बन जाता है जब अपने साथ छोड़ देते हैं, अब हमें ही देख लो, जायदात बेटे की देख रेख में है , घर बहु की देख रेख में है, पोते हमारी देख रेख में हैं पर हम इनसे एक नज़र को तरस जाते हैं.
अब भूख लगे तो किस्से कहें जब प्यास ने नीयत परख ली है". She smiled and continued, "
ज़िन्दगी में कुछ ऐसा करो की कभी किसी पर निर्भर न रहना पड़े और जो तुम पर निर्भर करे उसे कभी रोना न पड़े."
Munna intruded..."दादी भूख लग रही है जोर से "
And the lady with a meek little face...said."आजा बेटा मैं खिला दूँ "
Dada ji continued talking to me and said..."तुम जवान हो, नया नया खून है, आगे बहुत जिम्मेदारियां आएँगी, बहुत पैसा आएगा, लेकिन भूढ़े होते माँ बाप का ध्यान कर लेना! दुआ लगेगी।
हमारे पिताजी कहते थे :
"आज बुढापा अपना बोझा, कल तेरा भी होगा
ये दुनिया का चक्र है प्यारे आज जो तेरा हो चला है कल तेरा न होगा।
करले पिता की चाकरी, तू उठा ले माँ का बोझा
ये दुनिया का चक्कर है प्यारे, कल तू भी बुड्ढ़ा होगा।
तू बच्चे की देख रेख में माँ बाप भुला न देना,
ये दुनिया का चक्र है प्यारे,आज जो नीयम सीख रहा है उन्हें कल भुला न देना
अभी ज़िन्दगी हरी भरी है अभी तू ज़िंदा होगा
कल, सांस चलेगी जैसे तैसे, तू फिरभी मुर्दा होगा"
Hahaha he laughed.
His laugh mocked relief, his eyes shouted pain. I was in utter dilemma and just wanted to talk to my own parents, who i believe must have the same fear for their old age.
The next morning I called my mom and dad, who asked, " बेटा! कुछ खाया क्या?"
