platfrom ke ek kone mein

pade ek bench per baitha

mai apne train ka intezaar kar raha tha

june ka mahina, umas bhari garmi

surya ki kiranein apne raah mein aati

har vastu har prani ko jhulsa rahi thin

shareer ka har ang apne aap mein

ek jharna sa bana huaa tha

mai apne dedh bitte by dedh bitte ke rumaal se

kabhi paseene ponchta to kabhi

khud ko hawa karta

platform per aate jaate logon ko dekh kar

garmi bhulane ka nirarthak prayaas..

anavarat jaari tha

kahin se yun hi chalte firte

do bhikhari bachche mere saamne aa baithe

apne hisse ki mehnat poori kar

ek doosre ko ched rahe the

man behla rahe the

ladki, takreeban dus-baarah ki umar

adhnangi , bikhare baal gandagi se bhare

ladka, chaar saal ka

shareer per bas ek chaddi

unke paas kuch ek gotiyaan

kuch sikke aur ek rumaal ke aakaar ka kapda tha

bas in sabke beech hi dono mast the

" didi, garmi lage hai"

" garmi hai to naa lagegi kaa?"

aur vo hans padi

apne bhai ko ched kar

fir uski roni surat dekh use fuslaya

" ek chota kapda hota to maze karati tujhe"

uski baat dil ko kahin bhed gayi

ichcha hui, aakhir aisa kya maze karayegi ye ladki chotu ko ek kapde se?

vashibhoot sa mai utha

aur us ladki ke peeche vale paan ki dukaan se paan li

paise chukaate huve apna rumaal vahin gira diya

aise ki un bhikhari bachchon ki nazar mein

aa jaye mera rumaal

aur vapas apne bench per jaa baitha

fir maine intezaar kiya

aakhir bachcha utha

aur rumaal utha kar le ayaa

ladki ki aanhon mein mano

surya ki si chamak aa gayi ho

usne purane kapde ko zameen per bichaya

us per mere rumaal ko faila diya

aur dono ke do kono ko aapas mein baandh diya

dono kapde aapas mein

do siron se bandh gaye

ladki ne dono bandhe kono ke beech

bane jagah mein

bachche ka sir dal diya

pahle kapde ne aage se

aur rumaal ne peeche se

bachche ke shareer ka ang dhank diya

ladki boli "ab garmi kam lage hai?"

bachche ne haan mein sir hila diya

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