Gulzar - The Genius...Excerpts from Sunset Point

Dholak ki thaap dur daraaz ke muhallo tak sunaai di…jab use khabar mili toh who bhi pahucha! Khirkiyo, darwaazo se jhaak jhaak kar uski nazar pakadne ki koshish karta raha. Mehendi saji dulhan tak pahuchna mumkin nahi tha…Ek saheli dulhan ke liye chay ki pyali lekar ayi…usne toh mangi nahi thi…saheli ki ankh ne jhapak kar kaha – “Peelo…cup mein paigham bhi hai!”

Cup ki teh mein usne angoothi rakh kar bhej di thi! Angoothi hotho se peeli aur ungli me pehen li…saheli ki mehndi likhe hatheli par usne likh kar bhej diya – “ Usi sunset par milna, jo pull par mila tha!”

Lekin sandes pahucha nahi – who jaa chuka tha! Pal bhar me sab badal gaya…aur kuch bhi nahi badla…joh badla tha…who toh guzar gaya…

Har roz jab suraj horob hota…who usi pull par khadi uska intezaar karti. Lekin who nahi aya. Ek baar fir zindagi ka haath uske ungliyo se chhootne laga…Sunset ke rang bhi kitne kachhe hote hai!

Suraj doobta doobte garam koyle ki tarha doob gaya…aur bujh gaya! Who ghar se bhaag ayi thi…us rishte se bachne ke liye jo bin chahe uske daaman se bandha ja raha tha. Usne sandesa bheja toh tha – us pull par milne ke liye jo do kinaroko jorta hai.

Hawa jab kohre ko hilora deti toh pura pull jhoom jataa…zindagi ke dono sire choo leta – ibteda aur inteha – shuruwat aur aakhir! Isi jagah se unke rishte ki ibteda hui thi…maazi se ek awaz ahista ahista uske kareeb aa rahi thi…

Who abhi tak pull par khadi thi…

Ateet se aati hui hasi aur awaaz bahut durr nahi lagi ! Aisi hi laga jaise awaaz abhi tak beeti nahi…shayad kohra mein haath baraye toh chhu bhi le use. Ghari dekhi…second ki sui apne pehre par parade kar rahi thi! Aur abhi tak uske aane ki koi khabar nahi thi! Raat mein shadaf aa gaya the…crack aa gaya tha!

Aadhi raat kat chuki thi…Who raat bhi aisi hi kati thi…ekkiswe manzil par ek ghoomte hue restaurant me…shayad Toronto me tha…wo do hi the aur…

Ghari dekhi thi toh usne apna haath rakh diya tha us par. Kitna bara haath tha uska! Uski dono kalaiya usme bandh ho jaya karti thi…lock ho jaati thi! Apne bojhal ankhon se usne dekha tha uski taraf…aur uski ankhon ki awaz sunaai di thi…“Tumhari ankhon ka rang bhi toh aasmani hai!”

Na paro se ure,na pairo par chale...uski muskurahat ne itna hi kaha tha - “Baahon me utha lo mujhe...mujhse chala nahi jaata” Us raat baahon ki ek sangin deewar mein...do saase kuch you uljhi thi ke bas ek hi saans sunaai di thi...