“Munshi Premchand’s Afsana ‘Boodhi Kaaki’ Maharashrtra State Board ke jamat haftam ke Urdu zaban aur ke nisab mein shamil hai.”
“Budhi Kaki” Munshi Premchand ka afsana hai jo Maharashtra State Board ke saathum jamaat ke Urdu zaban ke nisab mein shamil hai. Ye kahani us budhi aurat, jo Kaki ke naam se jaani jati hai, ki neglect aur jazbati tanhai ko beyan karta hai. Kaki ne apni property apne bhatije ko di thi ke umeed mein ke wo unka khayal rakhega. Kahani ke doraan unki zindagi ki sakht haqiqat samne aati hai, jahan unki basic zarooriyat jaise ke khaane ka munasib intezam bhi nahi hota, jab ke property se achi khasi aamdni hoti hai.
“Budha pa aksar bachpan ka door saani hota tha. Budhi Kaki mein zaiqe ke siwa koi hiss baqi na thi. Aankhein, haath, pair sab jawab de chuke the. Zameen par padi rehti thi aur jab ghar walay koi baat unki marzi ke khilaf karte, khane ka waqt tal jata ya miqdar kaafi na hoti ya bazar se koi cheez aati aur unhein na milti to rone lagti thi. Unke shohar ko mare huwe ek zamana guzar gaya tha.
Saat bethe jawan ho kar daga de gaye the aur ab ek bhatije ke siwa duniya mein unka koi na tha. Usi bhatije ke naam unhone sari jaidad likh di thi. Un hazrat ne likhate waqt to khaub lambe chourde waade kiye the lekin wo waade dalaalon ke sabz bagh the. Agar cha ye jaidad ki saalana aamdni dedh do sau rupe se kam na thi lekin Budhi Kaki ko pait bhar rokha danah bhi mushkil se milta tha.
Budh Ram ko kabhi kabhi apni be insafi ka ehsaas hota. Wo sochte ke is jaidad ki badolat mein is waqt bhala aadmi bana baitha hoon aur agar zabani tasalli se zarurat-e-haal mein kuch islaah ho sakti to unhein mutlaq darygh na hota lekin mazeed kharch ka khauf un ki neki ko dabaye rakhta tha. Is ke bar aks agar darwaze par koi bhala maanas baitha hota aur Budhi Kaki apna naghma-e-be hangam shuru kar deti to wo aag ho jate the aur ghar mein aakar unhein daant’te the. Ladke walad ka ye rang dekh kar Budhi Kaki ko aur bhi daq karte.
Sare ghar mein agar kisi ko Kaki se mohabbat thi wo Budh Ram ki choti ladki Ladli thi. Ladli apne dono bhaiyon ke khauf se apne hisse ki mithai ya chabeena Budhi Kaki ke paas baith kar khaya karti thi.
Raat ka waqt tha. Budh Ram ke darwaze par shehnai baj rahi thi. Aaj Budh Ram bade ladke Sukh Ram ka tilak aya hai. Ye usi ka jashan hai. Ghar mein mastoorat ga rahi thi aur Roopa mehmaano ki dawat ka saman karne mein masroof thi. Bhattiyon par kadhaoo chadhe hue the. Ek mein puriyan kachoriyan nikal rahi thi, doosre mein samose. Ek bade handay mein masale daar tarkari pak rahi thi. Ghee aur masale ki ishteha angaiz khushboo charon taraf phaili hui thi.
Budhi Kaki apni andheri kothri mein baithi hui thi. Ye laziz khushboo unhein be taab kar rahi thi. Unki chashm-e-khayal mein puriyon ki tasveer naachne lagi. Khoob laal laal phooli phooli naram naram hogi. Ek puri milti to zara haath mein le kar dekhti. Kyun na chal kar kadhaoo ke samne hi baithoon.
Is tarah faisla karke Budhi Kaki akron baith kar hathon ke bal khsakti hui bamushkil tamam chaukhat se utri aur dheere dheere rehngti hui kadhaoo ke paas ja baithi. Roopa is waqt ek sarasimigi ki haalat mein thi. Kabhi is kamre mein jati, kabhi us kamre mein. Kabhi kadhaoo ke paas, kabhi kothe par. Bechari akeli aurat charon taraf dorti dorti hairan ho rahi thi. Jhanjhlati thi, kadhti thi par gussa bahar nikalne ka mauqa na pata tha.
Isi kashmakash ke aalam mein us ne Budhi Kaki ko kadhaoo ke paas baithte dekha to jal gai. Gussa na ruk saka. Jaise mendak keechoo par jhaptata hai, usi tarah wo Budhi Kaki par jhapti aur unhein dono hathon se jhanjhor kar boli, “Aise pait mein aag lage. Pait hai ke aag ka kund. Kothri mein baithte kya dam ghutta tha. Abhi mehmaan ne nahi khaya. Devtaon ka bhog tak nahi laga. Tab tak sabar na ho saka. Aakar chhati par sawar ho gai. Bhala chahti ho to jakar kothri mein baitho. Jab ghar ke log lagenge to tumhein bhi me ga. Tum koi devi nahi ho ke chahe kisi ke munh mein pani tak na jaye lekin pehle tumhari pooja kare.”
Budhi Kaki ne sar na boli; chup chaap rengti hui wahan se apne kamre mein chali gai. Sadma aisa sakht tha ke dil o dimagh ki sari quwwaten us taraf ruju ho gai thi.
Khana tayar ho gaya. Aangan mein pattal padh gai. Mehmaan khane lage. Budhi Kaki apni kothri mein ja kar pachta rahi thi ke kya se kahan gai. Unhein Roopa par gussa nahi tha. Apni ujlat par afsos tha. Sach to hai, jab tak mehmaan khana chuke, ghar wale kaise khain ge. Mujh se itni der bhi na raha gaya. Ab jab tak koi bulane na aayega, na jaon gi.
Dil mein ye faisla karke wo khamoshi se bulave ka intezaar karne lagi. Unhein ek ek ghanta maloom hota tha. Ab pattal bichh gaye honge. Maloom hota hai log khane par baith gaye. Phir unhein laga ke bahut der ho gai hai. Kya itni der tak log kha hi rahe honge. Kisi ki bol chaal sunai nahi deti. Zaroor log khapi ke chale gaye. Mujhe koi bulane nahi aya. Roopa chidh gai hai, kya jane ke na bulaye. Sochti hoon ke aap hi aain gi. Koi mehmaan nahi ke bula kar laoon.
Budhi Kaki chalne ke liye tayar hui. Unhone dil mein tarah tarah ke mansoobe bandhe, “Pehle tarkari se puriyan khaoon gi, phir dahi aur shakar se. Kachoriyan raitay ke saath mazedar maloom hoti hain. Chahe koi bura mane ya bhala, main to maang maang kar khaoon gi.”
Budhi Kaki akron baith kar hathon ke bal khiskti hui aangan mein aai. Mehmaanon ki jamaat abhi baithi hui thi. Wo rengti hui unke beech mein ja pahunchi. Kai aadmi chonk kar uth khade huye, awazen aai, “Aray, ye kon burhiya hai?”
Pandit Budh Ram Kaki ko dekhte hi gusse se talmla gaye. Puriyon ka thaal liye khade the. Thaal ko zamein par patk diya aur jaise be reham sa ho kar apne kisi mufroor asami ko dekhte hi jhapt kar us ka teto liyata hai, usi tarah lapak kar unhon ne Budhi Kaki ke dono shane pakde aur ghaseet’te hue la kar andheri kothri mein dham se giradiya.
Mehmaanon ne khana khaya. Ghar walon ne khaya. Baje wale, dhobi chamar bhi kha chuke lekin Budhi Kaki ko kisi ne na poocha. Budh Ram aur Roopa dono hi unhein un ki be hayaai ki saza dene ka tasfiya kar chuke the. Un ke barhape par, be kasi par, fitoor-e-aqal par kisi ko taras nahi aata tha. Akeli Ladli un ke liye kadhi rahi thi.
Dono bar jab us ki maa aur baap ne Kaki ko be rehmi se ghaseeta to Ladli ka kalija baith kar rah gaya. Wo jhanjhla rahi thi ke ye log Kaki ko bahut si puriyan kyun nahi de dete. Wo Kaki ke paas ja kar unhein tasalli dena chahti thi lekin maa ke khauf se na jati thi. Us ne apne hisse ki puriyan na khai thi. Wo ye puriyan Kaki ke paas le jana chahti thi. Budhi Kaki meri awaz sunte hi uth baithain gi. Puriyan dekh kar kaisi khush hongi. Mujhe khoob pyar karein gi.
Raat ke gyarah baj chuke the. Roopa aangan mein padi so rahi thi. Ladli ke aankhon mein neend nahi thi. Kaki ko puriyan khilane ki khushi use sone na deti thi. Jab use yaqeen ho gaya ke amma’n ghaafil so rahi hain to wo chupke se uthi, pataari uthai aur Budhi Kaki ki kothri ke taraf chali.
Budhi Kaki ko mehaz itna yaad tha ke kisi ne mere shane pakde, phir unhein aisa maloom hua jaise koi pahar par udaya le jaata hai. Un ke pair baar baar pattharon se takraye. Tab kisi ne unhein pahar par se patk diya. Wo behosh ho gai.
Yakayak un ke kan mein awaz ai, “Kakian utho, main puriyan lai hoon.”
Kaki ne Ladli ki awaz pehchani. Chat pat uth baithi. Dono hathon se Ladli ko ttola aur usay god mein bitha liya. Ladli ne puriyan nikal kar di. Kaki ne poocha, “Kya tumhari amma’n ne di hain?”
Ladli ne fakhr se kaha, “Nahi, ye mere hisse ki hain.”
Kaki puriyan par toot parin. Paanch minute mein pataari khali ho gai. Ladli ne poocha, “Kaki pait bhar gaya?”
Jaise thodi si barish thandak ki jagah aur bhi garmi peda kar deti hai, usi tarah in chand puron ne Kaki ki ishteha aur hasrat ko aur bhi tez kar diya tha. Boli, “Nahi, beti ja ke amma’n se aur maang lao.”
Ladli ne kaha, “Amma’n soti hain. Jagaoon gi to maarein gi.”
Kaki ne pataari ko phir ttola. Us mein chand raize gire the. Unhein nikal kar kha gai. Bar bar hont chaat’ti thi. Chatkhare bharti thi. Yakayak Ladli se boli, “Mera haath pakad kar wahan le chalo jahan mehmaanon ne baith kar khana khaya tha.”
Ladli un ka mansha nah samajh saki. Us ne Kaki ka haath pakda aur unhein la kar jhoote pattalon ke paas bitha diya aur ghareeb bhoo’k ke maari burhiya pattalon se puriyon ke tukde chun chun kar khaane lagi. Dahi kitna lazeez tha. Salan kitna mazedaar, kachoriyan kitni saloni, samose kitne khasta aur narm!
Ain usi waqt Roopa ki aankh khuli. Usay maloom hua ke Ladli paas nahi hai. Chonki, chaar paai ke idhar udhar taakne lagi ke kahin larki neeche to nahi gir padi. Usay wahan nah paakar wo uth baithi to kya dekhti hai ke Ladli jhoote pattalon ke paas chup chaap khari hai aur Budhi Kaki pattalon par se puriyon ke tukde utha utha kar kha rahi hain.
Roopa ka kalija san se hogaya. Yeh woh nazarah tha jis se dekhne walon ke dil kaanp uthte hain. Dard aur khauf se us ki aankhein bhar aai. Us ko apni khud ghurzi aur be insafi aaj tak kabhi itni safai se nazar nahi aai thi. Haaye main kitni be reham hoon! Jis ki jaidad se mujhe do sau rupee saal ki aamdni ho rahi hai, us ki yeh dargat aur mere karan. Ae Ishwar! Mujh se bara bhari gunah hua hai. Mujhe maaf kardo.
Roopa ne charagh jalaya. Apne bhandaray ka darwaza khola aur ek thaali mein khane ki sab cheezen liye huye Budhi Kaki ki taraf chali.
“Kaki utho, khana khalo.” Roopa ne riqqat ameez lehje mein kaha, “Mujh se aaj badi bhool hui. Is ka bura nah manna. Parmatma se dua karo ke woh meri khata maaf karde.”
Bhoole bhale bachay ki tarah jo mithaiyan pa kar maar aur ghurkiyan sab bhool jata hai, Budhi Kaki baithi hui khana kha rahi thi. Un ke ek ek roi se sachi duaaien nikal rahi thi aur Roopa baithi yeh rohani nazarah dekh rahi thi.