Chhota sa bachcha. Pyaara sa. Laal rang ki t-shirt aur safed rang ki nikkar pehne hue. Uske papa ne bulaya to dus foot doori par khada ho gaya.
“Akshit. Aao beta, aa kar bhaiya se baat karo.”
Dheere se bina kisi jaldi ke sarakta hua aaya. Thoda uchhal kar mere saamne rakhi hui kursi par baith gaya. Phir ek taang doosri ke upar rakh li aur hath kursi ki baju par. Sar neeche jhukae hue.
Uske papa us se aankhein milane ki koshish mein thoda jhuk kar bole, “Beta, bhaiya bahut intelligent hain. Inse baatein karo. Aapko achhi achhi baatein bataenge.” Phir meri taraf dekh kar bole, “Iski mummy iske mama ke ghar gayi hui hai. Main chai le kar aata hun. Tab tak tum zara is se baat kar ke dekho.”
Kya baat kar ke dekhun? Bechare bachche ke liye museebat hoti hai ye pal. Mujhe yaad hai jab mere pitaji mujhe hoshiyar aur safal bhaiya aur uncles se achhi shiksha, prerna aur gyaan lene ko kehte the.
“Kitne saal ke ho tum?” Maine poochha to aise chounk gaya, jaise use kisi soch ke samudra se bahar kheench liya gaya ho.
“9 saal ka”
“School jate ho?”
“Haan, jata hun.”
“Kya naam hai aapke school ka?”
“St. Xavier’s.”
“Very good. Kaunsi class mein ho aap?”
“Fourth class mein.”
Main janta tha ye sab sawal jo chhote bachchon se baat karne ke liye hote hain. Mujhe nahi pata ki ye sawal kyun hote hain. Socha jae to meri in sawalon mein koi dilchaspi bhi nahi hai. Kya farq padta hai uske school ke naam se, ya is se ki wah 9 saal ka hai ya 10 saal ka. Lekin bas hain ye sawal. Jane maine kahan se seekhe. Ye sawal poochhne ke liye zyada sochna nahi padta. Agla sawal ati avashyak hai – bade ho kar kya banoge? Par ye sawaal zubaan par aane tak main khud ko rok liya, aur chupchap use dekhne laga. Wah kuchh der gardan jhukae shaant baitha raha; phir meri taraf dekha.
“Bhaiya, aapko ek baat bataun?” Wah pehli baar khud se kuchh bola.
“Haan haan, batao.” Maine utsukta ke sath kaha.
“Kal Discovery channel par bata rahe the ki chaand par paani hai aur badi badi chattanein bhi.”
“Achha!” Maine muskurate hue hairani ke sath kaha. Rozmarra ki shor-gul se bhari yatharthvadi duniya se kahin door kuchh alag. ek bachche ke komal chit mein machalte hue masoom bhav jo wah mere saamne vyakt kar raha tha. Shayad mujh mein use kuchh achha laga hoga.
“Haan. Wahan par paani hai. Main bataun ki maine kya socha...kya karna chahiye.”
“Haan, batao na.....ki kya karna chahiye.”
“Wahan par na...bahut sare plants aur carbon-dioxide le jao. paani to pehle se hai hi. phir we apna khana bana lenge, aur Oxygen de denge. Sahi ho jaega.”
Maine vismay bhari nigahon se use dekha. Shayad is baat mein koi kami ho ki kyun aisa nahi kiya ja sakta, lekin yeh itna saral bhi nahi tha ki ise hansi mein udaya ja sake. Khud to main janta bhi nahi tha ki kyun aisa sambhav nahi hai. “Hmmm....sahi keh rahe ho aap.”
“Bhaiya, mujhe jaldi se bada hona hai.”
“Achha! Aisa kyun?”
“Main bada ho jaunga tabhi to kuchh kar paunga na. Par tab tak ye scientist mere sare idea chori kar lenge.”
Ek chhote se bachche ko is tarah ki chinta hona kuchh vinodpoorn sa laga; Aur sath hi bahut achha bhi. Uske chehre par aisi gambheerta thi jaise ki sachmuch uske dimaag par is baat ka kitna bojh ho.
Tabhi uske papa chai le kar aa gaye. Chai mez par rakhte hue bole,
“To beta, kya laga aapko baat kar ke?”
Pata nahi Kya lagna chahiye tha. Maine kaha, “Achha laga Uncle.”
“Mera matlab ki kya laga aapko; ye kuchh kar lega life mein ya nahi?”
“Haan uncle, kyun nahi! Qafi intelligent hai ye to.”
Apni ummeed ke anusar jawab pa kar unke chehre par santushti ki ek badi muskaan phail gayi.
“Hmmm...school mein bhi top karta hai. Socha hua hai maine to; Bada hone par ise IIT phir uske baad IIM karvaenge, ya phir IAS.”
Kash we us se bhi pooch lete ki wah kya sochta hai, kya karna chahta hai bada ho kar.
“Uncle, aap ise IISc, IIST ya MIT – Chennai ke liye bhi try karva sakte hain.”
“Achha! Uska kya scope hai?”
“Uncle, space research ya scientific research ke liye ye qafi achche institutes hain. Wahan jaega to – “
“Are beta, kya rakha hai research-visarch mein! Poori zindagi nikal jati hai. Hamare ek mitr the, wo kar rahe the. Aadmi apne parivar tak ke liye kuchh nahi kar pata. Yun hi paglon ki tarah lage rehte hain raat-din. Itna intelligent hai ye abhi se, aage bhi hamara poora dhyan rahega, to jab IAS kar sakta hai to phir wahi kyun na kare? Samaj mein jo rutba IAS ka hai wo kisi aur job mein thode na hai.”
“Par aap to IIT aur uske baad IIM – “
“Haan wahi, graduation to chahiye hi hoti hai IAS ke liye. Waise to mujhe is par yaqeen hai ki ye kar hi lega par just in case, IAS nahi ho pata hai to us mein bhi achha scope hai.”
Kis cheez ka scope hai? Haan, Main janta hun, kyunki mujhe bahut baar mere pitaji ne, pitaji ke doston ne, rishtedaaron ne alag-alag waqt par mujhe iske bare mein bataya hai. Kuchh logon ko main janta bhi hun.
IIM se nikal kar log sabun, tel, cream bechne wali American companies mein, MNC mein, munshi ban kar laakhon rupya kamate hain. Software par plan banate hain. Plan software banata hai, par software we chalate hain. Ya American bank ke international travel card bechne ki plan bana kar achha package lete hain. Mechanical engineer computer ki company mein naukri kar bahar ki companies ki website etc ko theek-thaak chalane ke liye sasti majdoori pradaan karte hain, jise outsourcing kehte hain. Computer program likhte hain. Kamaal ki baat ye hai ki kabhi kabhi koi badi samasya atak jae aur client company aapko apne wahan bula le to ek-do saal videsh jane ka mauka bhi mil jata hai. Aapke bahut sare dost ban jate hain. Aap facebook par ‘Shit!’ bhi likho to 200 log like karte hain. Isliye nahi ki aap videsh mein ho ya aapke paas paisa hai; nahi nahi, isliye ki we aapke sachche dost ban gae hain; sab aapko bahut chahte hain.
IAS ban jao to door ke rishtedar bhi aapko apna saga batate hain. Aapki laal batti ki gaadi ko izzat dete hain, mera matlab aapko bhi. Haan, unke mann mein aapke liye sachcha pyaar aur izzat hoti hai; aap IAS na bhi hote to bhi aisa hi pyaar milta. Koi aapki power ke peechhe, aapse koi kaam nikalvane ke liye aisa nahi kar raha. Aur haan, ‘imaandar’ IAS bhi ho to bhi maheene ke 4-5 lakh rupya to log use bina maange uske hathon mein de jate hain. Aakhir 1.5 lakh rupya to SSC ke grade 2 officer kama lete hain. IAS ko rehne ke liye quarter bhi milta hai. Do saal ki paid study leave, sarkar ke kharche par padhai ke liye do saal America raho aur tankhvaah bhi milegi. Waise bhi qafi chhutiyan hoti hain. Kaam bhi koi khaas nahi hota. Achha kaam hai. Zyada workload nahi hai.
Use convent school mein padha rahe hain. Fees bharte hain, tuition lagva rakhe hain. Agar wo intelligent banta hai to kya we us intelligence ka fayda nahi uthaenge? Dher sara paisa aur status – aur chahiye hi kya aadmi ko? Chaand par ped ugane se kya hoga! Bachcha hai na; abhi samajhta nahi hai.
