Hello mera naam Thomas hai lekin pyar se log mujhe 'Tom' ya 'Tommy' kehkar bulate hai. Mujhe kayi baar bura lagta hai kyuki 'Tommy' to kisi doggy ka naam hota hai. Lekin chalo koi baat nahi mujhe shayad bura nahi manna chahiye. Akhir wo sab mujhse itna pyar bhi to karte hai. Aur kare bhi kyu na mai itna chota jo hu aur natkhat bhi.
Hamara ghar 2 floor ka hai jisme mera aur mom-dad ka room ground floor par hai aur meri sister ka aur ek guest room upper floor par hai. Ek basement bhi hai jaha sirf purana samaan pada hua hai.
Aaj ki subah bhi roj ki tarah hi kafi sundar hai. Hamara ghar shehar ke bahar ek aisi colony mai hai jaha har taraf hariyali hai. Yaha par sunrise aur senset ka nazara bahut hi sundar hota hai isliye mai kabhi bhi use miss nahi karta. Aaj bhi subah jaldi uthkar mai apne garden mai aa gaya hu aur jaise-jaise suraj ki lalima badhti jaa rahi hai mere andar bhi jaise kayi sare musical instruments ek sath baj rahe hai. Aisa pata nahI kyu hota hai jabki mai to roj hi suraj ko ugte aur girte dekhta hu.
"Newspaperrrr...." ye awaaj kaano mai padte hi mai garden se bhagkar seedha main-gate par aaya to dekha hauker hamara newspaper dekar bagal wale Sharma ji ke ghar ke bahar khada hai aur apne bag se newspaper nikal raha hai.
Khair mujhe kya karna maine apna newspaper uthaya aur seedha jakar papa ki god mai daal diya aur unhe 'Good Morning' kaha. Har baar ki tarah unhone mere sir par hath fera aur 'Good Morning Tom' kaha. Mujhe unka ye andaaz bada ajeeb lagta hai kyuki unke kehne ke tarike se aisa lagta hai jaise maine nahi balki unhone mujhe pehle wish kiya hai. Papa hi nahi balki sabhi mere sath aisa hi karte hai lekin aisa sochna shayad mera bachpana hi hai.
Ye papa ka roj ka routine hai. Mujhe newspaper mai kuch bhi interesting nazar nahi aata mai itna chota jo hu lekin unka to din hi newspaper ke bina shuru nahi hota aur wo hamesha mujhe hi paper laane ko kehte hai.
Paper hath mai lekar unhone apne glasses lagaye aur front page par koi khabar padne lage. Mai wahi unke bagal mai sofe par hi baitha tha. Jab unki nazar mujh par padi to unhone pyar se mere sir par phir hath fera aur mom ko awaaj lagayi, "Marthaaaaa..... meri tea kaha hai?? Aur Tommy ka breakfastttt???"
Andar kitchen se martha yani meri mom ne kaha, "Robert... kabhi to kitchen mai meri help kar diya karo.. jab dekho tab bas order bajate rehte ho.."
"Yesss... from tomorrow.. promise.." paper mai wapas nazar gadakar unhone kaha. Ye to na jaane papa ne kitni baar kaha tha magar unka tomorrow aaj tak nahi aaya.
Thodi hi dair mai mom badbadate huye papa ki tea lekar aayi.
"Tum aur tumhara tomorrow.. kabhi aaya hai jo ab aayega.. ye lo apni tea.."
Mom cup rakhkar jaane hi wali thi ki papa unse bole, "are ye news dekho.. kal raat ko Chandra ke yaha robbery huyi hai.. they even prang his wife.. see... front page par aaya hai.."
"Ohh God!! May her soul rest in peace.. char ghar ki doori par itna bada crime ho gaya aur hume paper se pata chal raha hai.." papa ke hath se paper lekar mom ne kaha aur phir wo news padne lagi.
"Kal unke yaha robbery huyi hai.. future mai hamare yaha bhi ho sakti hai.. we should do something robert..." poori news padne ke baad mom ne kaha.
"You don't worry.. jab tak hamare paas...." papa apni baat poori keh paate maria ki awaaj unhe sunayi di.
"Mom.... Dad... I am leaving.. breakfast college mai kar lungi.." Dono ke gaal par ek-ek kiss karte huye usne kaha.
Maria yani meri one and only sister. Wo mujhse kafi badi hai aur abhi B.Com ke sath Chartered Accountancy ka course kar rahi hai. Uske jaisi sunder aur cute face wali ladki is poori colony mai koi nahi hai aur colony ke bahar mai kabhi gaya hi nahi tha. Wo mujhse 15 saal badi hai aur hum dono ki umra mai itna difference shayad isliye hai kyuki mai adopted hu. Mummy-Papa ke maria ke baad koi bacha nahi hua isliye shayad saalo tak intejar karne ke baad unhone mujhe adopt kar liya. Waise na hi mom-dad ne aur na hi Maria ne kabhi mujhe ye ehsaas hone diya ki mai adopted hu. Wo sabhi mujh se bahut jyada pyar karte hai.
"No way darling.. you will not leave without having breakfast... chup-chap kitchen mai chalo.. Tom tum bhi chalo.." mom ne maria ko pyar se daat-te huye kaha aur wapas kitchen ki taraf badh gayi.
"Come Tom.." Maria kabhi mom ki baat nahi taalti isliye bina koi argue kiye wo mujhe sath lekar unke peeche-peeche chalne lagi.
Hamari morning roj aisi hi hoti hai aur phir poora din ghar par hi rehna padta hai isliye bahut boriyat mehsoos hoti hai. Lekin har evening around 6 ko mere sath 'Sweetie' khelne aa jati hai to meri saari boriyat khatam ho jaati hai. Sweetie Chandra family ki bhi adopted bacha hai aur meri hi umra ki hai. Lekin aaj wo nahi aayi. Wajah mai janta tha aur wo thi ki uski mom yani Mrs Chandra ki kal huyi death. Sweetie ko bhi adopt kiya gaya tha kyuki Chandra family ke koi bacha nahi tha. Mai uska intezar karta raha halaki mai janta tha ki ab wo shayad kabhi nahi aayegi.
Sunset ke baad mai garden se wapas ghar ke andar aa gaya. Aaj bina sweetie ke bilkul bhi achha nahi lag raha tha.
Around 8 Chandra uncle hamare ghar aaye aur unke sath sweetie bhi thi. Mai bahut khush ho gaya lekin Chandra uncle kafi dukhi lag rahe the isliye mai unke paas nahi gaya. Unhone wahi gate par hi papa se thodi dair baat ki aur phir sweetie ko wahi papa ke paas chhod kar chale gaye. Mujhe bada strange laga isliye unke jaane ke turant baad hi mai gate par aa gaya. Isse pehle mai kuch kehta papa bol pade, "Sweetie kuch din hamare sath rahegi.. are you happy tom.."
Ab mujhe kya matlab ki Chandra uncle kyu dukhi the ya unhone sweetie ko yaha kyu chhoda, mere liye to yahi baat mayne rakhti hai ki sweetie kuch din hamare sath rahegi.
Sweetie kafi pareshan lag rahi thi shayad apni mom ki death ke kaaran. Khair hum log andar aa gaye aur within one hour sweetie phir se normal ho gayi. Hum dono hall mai baithe khel rahe the aur wahi sofe par baithe mom dad aapas mai baatein kar rahe the.
"Yess.. they brutally prang her.. they first fucked her and then decapitated her with a long lancet.. Mr Chandra was so lucky that he survived.. sweetie to bechari kuch kar hi nahi paayi.. they locked her in bathroom.." papa ne mom se kaha.
"Ohhh!! How cruel they were.. police ne catch bhi nahi kiya un logo ko abhi tak.." mom ne chinta ke sath kaha.
"Sweetie ka man nahi lag raha tha Mrs Chandra ke bina.. to maine hi Mr Chandra se kehkar kuch din ke liye sweetie ko apne yaha rok liya.. Thomas ke sath rahegi to sab theek ho jayega.." papa ne hum dono ki taraf dekhte huye kaha.
Phir yu hi kuch dair tak wo dono aapas mai baat karte rahe aur phir thodi hi dair mai dinner time ho gaya.
Dinner mai aaj hamare sath sweetie bhi thi. Kisi ko fark pada ho ya na pada ho lekin mujhe bahut achha lag raha tha. Shayad isliye bhi ki hum dono ne ek hi plate mai ek sath hi khana khaya. Mom ne aisa ya to isliye kiya tha ki sweetie ko achha lagega ya shayad isliye kyuki meri baaki saari rang-birangi plates meri shaitaniyo ke kaaran toot chuki thi aur ye last hi bachi thi.
Around 10 sabhi ne 'Good Night' kaha aur aadat ke anusar sabhi ne aise jataya jaise maine nahi unhone mujhe pehle 'Good Night' kaha hai.
"Ye log aisa kyu karte hai jaise maine nahi balki inhone mujhe pehle wish kiya hai.." sabke apne-apne room mai jaane ke baad maine sweetie se kaha. Sweetie ab mere hi room mai rehne wali thi.
"Aisa hi mere mom-dad bhi karte hai.." sweetie ne kaha lekin mom ka jikra aate hi wo phir udaas ho gayi aur rone lagi.
Maine use dilasa diya to usne rote-rote kaha, "Is duniya mai kewal tum hi mujhe samajhte ho.. my pain.. my loneliness.. baaki koi mujhe nahi samajhta.."
Uski baat sunkar mai bhi udaas ho gaya. Mujhe bhi aisa hi lagta tha halaki meri family mujhse bahut pyar karti thi lekin kabhi-kabhi mujhe bhi aisa hi lagta tha ki wo mujhe samajhte nahi hai.
Raat ko kareeb 2 baje mujhe halki si khat-pat sunayi di jaise koi door open kar raha hai. Mai aur sweetie turant uth gaye aur dekhne ke liye ki kya ho raha hai hum darwaze tak gaye. Isse pehle ki mai gate ko dhakelta ek anzaan shaks ne gate halka sa khola aur phir hum dono ko dekhkar gate wapas band kar diya aur bahar se lock kar diya.
"Ye kaun tha?? Lagta hai robbers ghus aaye hai hamare yaha bhi.." maine darte huye sweetie se kaha.
"Tom.... yahi wo robber tha jo kal hamare yaha ghusa tha.. iske sath iske do saathi bhi the.." sweetie ne ghabrate huye kaha.
Hum dono is waqt bilkul chipke huye the. Lekin abhi in sab baato ke liye time nahi tha kyuki agar ye wahi log the to mujhe jaldi hi kuch karna hoga warna ye log meri family ko bhi nuksaan pahucha sakte hai. Wo log hamare gate ke bahar hi phusphusa rahe the Jo hume theek se sunayi nahi de raha tha lekin ye tay tha ki aaj ki raat kuch na kuch bura jaroor hone wala hai. Sweetie mujhse alag nahi hona chahti thi lekin mujhe to kuch karna hi tha isliye maine jabardasti use khud se alag kiya aur darwaza kholne ki koshish karne laga lekin meri height kam hone ke kaaran mai handle tak pahuch hi nahi paa raha tha.
10 minute ho chuke the lekin koi raasta nahi mil raha tha ki achanak pehle mom ki aur phir Maria ki tej aur dardnak cheekhein mere kaano mai padi.
"Ohhh God!!! Ab to mujhe kuch karna hi hoga.." mai khud se badbadaya aur tabhi meri nazar ek khidki par gayi jo thodi khuli huyi thi lekin wo bhi kaafi oochi thi. Maine paas rakhi ek chair khidki ki taraf khiskayi aur us par chadkar khidki tak pahuch gaya. Kuch hi seconds mai maine wo khidki poori khol li aur phir mai aur sweetie dono hi uske jariye bahar aa gaye. Mera khidki ghar ki backside par khulti thi to mai aur sweetie waha se ghoomte huye front gate par aaye to paaya ki wo open tha.
Hum dono andar ghuse to samne ka nazara dekh kar meri rooh kaap gayi. Mom-dad ke room ke bahar dad ki sar-kati laash padi thi aur unka kata hua sir unse kuch door pada tha. Dad ke sir ki aankhe poori khuli huyi thi aur hamari or hi dekh rahi thi. Dad ko shayad koi mauka hi nahi diya unhone.
Ghar bilkul sunsaan malum pad raha tha aur kisi ka kahi koi nishan nahi tha.
