Sehar e Roshni by Sirraha
Episode 26
Sabhi bachhe boredom aur curiosity ke beech apni-apni line mein khade the. Sabko bas is baat ka intezar tha ki aaj Principal Sir konsi special announcement karne wale hain. Garmi aur dhoop ki wajah se assembly mein khada har ek bachha be-dhaal ho raha tha.
Sehar, Zoya ke aage khadi thi aur Zoya ne apna sar Sehar ke kandhe par tikaya hua tha.
Tabhi Principal Sir ne mic sambhalte hue kaha
”Attention, everyone!”
Aur ek second pehle tak jo bedhaal aur thake hue bachhe khade the, wo ekdam alert position mein aa gaye.
”Good morning, everyone… I know aap sab garmi mein pareshan hain, lekin aaj jo baat main aapko batane wala hoon, I am sure aap sab bohot khush honge.”
Unke in alfazon ne har bachhe ke dil mein curiosity aur zyada badha di.
”Jaisa ki aap sab jaante hain, har saal hum class ke toppers ko Head Boy aur Head Girl ke liye select karte hain… Toh is saal bhi hamare school mein candidate ka selection hoga.”
Wo thoda ruke, toh peeche se ek bachhe ne oonchi aawaz mein pooch hi liya
”Sir! Yeh toh har saal ki tarah normal hi hoga, toh ismein special kya hai?”
”Patience, my son! Patience…” Principal Sir ne muskurate hue use toka. “Haan, toh selection toh is saal bhi honge, lekin is baar tareeqa thoda alag hoga…”
Bachhon ke beech ek halki si sar-garmi phail gayi. Zoya ne peeche se Sehar ke shoulder par halka sa tap kiya, “Suno Sehar… is baar shayad direct selection nahi, balki
campaigns aur elections honge!”
Principal Sir ne aage announce kiya
”Is baar poora school voting karega! Har candidate ko apni campaign chalane ke liye ek hafte ka waqt milega, aur mujhe umeed hai ki aap log ek behtar leader chunenge.”
Poori assembly taaliyon ki aawaz se goonj uthi!
”Har class se do candidates—ek Head Boy aur ek Head Girl ke liye chune jayenge. Class 11th aur Class 12th ke jitne bhi sections hain, yeh election unke beech hoga. Ab candidates choose karna bhi aapke haath mein hai. Teachers aur students aapas mein decide kar lein aur naam mere office mein 4th period tak pahuncha dein. Thank you!”
Aur ek dafa phir poori assembly mein taaliyon ka shor ho utha.
Assembly khatam hone ke baad sab apni-apni class mein jaate hue aapas mein baatein kar rahe the ki aakhir kaun banega leader! Lekin Sehar ko is sab mein koi interest nahi tha. Wo khamoshi se chalti ja rahi thi.
Class mein aakar wo Zoya ke bagal mein baith gayi. Lekin uska dhyan wahan nahi tha… uske dimaag mein abhi tak kal raat Noor se hui baatein hi goonj rahi thi.
Class mein teacher ke daakhil hote hi sabhi bachhe apni-apni seats par khade ho gaye.
”Good morning, students! You may sit down now.”
Sabke baithte hi teacher ne apna saman desk par rakha aur muskurate hue poocha, “Toh phir… socha aap sabne? Kise chunna hai?”
Teacher ke is sawal par class mein ek baar phir se khus-phus shuru ho gayi aur poora kamra shor se bhar gaya.
”Class, SILENCE!” Teacher ne thoda sakht aawaz mein kaha, phir shor thama toh boli, “I think aap logo ne abhi tak
decide nahi kiya hai, toh chaliye saath milkar hi karte hain.”
”Okay, ma’am!” Bachon ne ek aawaz mein kaha.
”Toh aap sab mein se wo bachhe hand raise karein jo interested hain.”
Kuch bachon ne hichkichate hue apne haath ooper uthaye. Sehar abhi khamosh baithi hi thi ki Zoya ne aage badh kar Sehar ka haath pakda aur zabardasti ooper utha diya!
Sehar ekdam se chaunki aur Zoya ko ‘Yeh kya kar rahi ho?!’ Wali nazron se dekha .
Dusri taraf ladko mein bhi kam hungama nahi tha. Ayaan pehle toh mana kar raha tha, lekin Rohan aur Sameer ne use zabardasti force karke election ke liye raazi kar hi liya.
Teacher ki nazar pehle ladko ki taraf gayi, “Umm… yes, you Ayaan! Idhar aao.”
Ayaan apni seat se utha aur shaane se chalta hua ma’am ke bagal mein ja khada hua.
Phir girls ki taraf dekhte hue ma’am ki nazar Sehar par ja tiki, jo abhi bhi aakhon hi aakhon mein Zoya ko mana karne ki na-kaam koshish kar rahi thi.
”Yes, you Sehar… idhar aao beta.”
Sehar ek baar phir chaunk gayi. Phir ek gehri aah bharte hue, dheere se uthi aur ma’am ki doosri side ja kar khadi ho gayi.
”Mujhe yeh do bachhe kafi decent lagte hain… Aap sabki kya raay hai?” Ma’am ne poori class se poocha.
Class mein ek baar phir aapas mein charcha shuru ho gayi aur shor badhne laga.
”Class… silence!” Ma’am ne board par chalk se tap karte hue kaha. “Aap sab ek kaam karein, jo log in dono ke favormein hain, wo hand raise karke voting karenge. Okay?”
”Yes, ma’am!”
”Toh pehle, Ayaan ke liye kitne bachhe raazi hain?”
Class ke zyada-tar haath Ayaan ke haq mein uth gaye. Rohan aur Sameer dono to shayad haath utha kar chillane ka soch rhe the.
”Okay, hands down. Ab Sehar ke liye kaun-kaun raazi hai?”
Aur Sehar ke liye bhi haath uthane wale bachon ki taadad baqiyon se kahin zyada thi. Zoya toh apni jagah khadi ho kar taaliyan bajane hi wali thi.
”Okay! Toh yeh decide hota hai ki aapki class se Ayaan Mirza aur Sehar Khanam elections mein khade honge,” Teacher ne announce kiya. “Okay beta, aap dono apne naam ki slip Principal Office mein pahuncha dena. Now go to your seats.”
Short break ke dauran office mein dono ke naam jama ho chuke the… aur ab baari thi poore 1 hafte ke Campaign & High Voltage Dramas ki!
Last period chal raha tha. Sehar aur Ayaan dono apna-apna sar haathon par tikaye thake-haare baithe the. Unke samne baidhe wo chaar log pichle do periods se na jaane kitne hi panne phaad-phaad kar phenk chuke the! Har taraf kaghazon ke tukde bikhre hue the.
”Yaar! Yeh line kaisii hai?”
Sameer ne poori khushi aur excitement ke saath apni likhi hui line sabko padh kar batayi
”Sehar aur Ayaan ko vote do!
Opposition ka muh tod do!”
”O bhai! Yeh koi gundey-mawalian wala election nahi hai, shareef logon wala hai… Thoda toh khayal kar!” Rohan ne
nafi mein sar hilate hue, apna maatha pakad liya.
Slogan sun kar Sehar ne Zoya ki taraf “Bas karo yaar yeh drama!” wali nazron se dekha. Magar Zoya ne use teerchhi nazron se ghoora aur chupchap apne kaam mein lag gayi.
Aakhir-kar chutti ki bell baj gayi, lekin abhi tak unke slogans taiyar nahi hue the.
Ayaan apni seat se utha, Sameer ke kandhe par haath rakha aur un chaaron ko dekhte hue bola
”Tumse na ho payega…”
Aur itna keh kar wo apna bag tangta hua aage nikal gaya.
Peeche Sehar ne bhi Zoya ka haath pakda aur dheere se boli
”Jitna drama tum logo ne abhi do ghanton mein kiya hai na, itna toh Ekta Kapoor ke char-char seasons mein bhi nahi hota!”
Aur wo bhi Ayaan ke peeche class se bahar chali gayi.
Peeche wo chaaron khade ek doosre ki shaqal dekhne lage.
”Bhalai ka toh zamana hi nahi hai… Madad karne jao toh aise taunt maar ke chale jaate hain!” Sahil ne apna bag uthaya aur muft ka ghussa dikhate hue class ke bahar nikal gaya.
Ab bache wo teen ….Zoya, Rohan aur Sameer.
Ek doosre ki taraf dekhte-dekhte wo teeno ekdam se hans pade!
”Bhai! Kya slogan banaya tha tune… ‘Sehar aur Ayaan ko vote do, opposition ka muh tod do!'” Zoya ne hanste-hanste apne haathon se taali bajate hue kaha.
”Aur tumhara wala wo… ‘Sehar aur Ayaan best hain, baaki sab time waste hain!'” Rohan ne Zoya ka likha hua slogan yaad dilakar uska mazaak udaya.
Aur bhai, tera toh bilkul hi alag tha…”
Garam chai mein thanda paani, jeet hamari hai purani… Vote do Sehar aur Ayaan ko, warna khatam tumhari kahani!”
Teeno hante-hanste corridor se bahar nikal gaye. Unka yeh ajeeb-o-ghareeb drama bhale hi Sehar aur Ayaan ko na jita paye lekin un sab ki zindagi me yaadgar lamhe zarur chodh ke jaega .
(Aur shayd jita bhi jaye!)
to be continued…
To be continued.