Iske bad mere sone ki vyavastha, ek dusre kamre me kar di gayi.

Us samay mujhe itni samajh to thi nahi ki, mai papa aur chhoti maa ke ek sath sone
ka kuch matlab samajh pata. Mujhe us raat akele jara bhi nind nahi aayi.

Mujhe kuch bhi samajh me nahi aa raha tha. Mujhe aisa lag raha tha, jaise ki meri maa ki maut ke sath hi, meri khushiyan bhi khatam ho gayi ho. Mai
saari raat apni mari huyi maa ko yaad karke, rota raha aur mujhe pahle din hi, apni nayi maa se nafrat ho gayi.

Raat ko rote rote kab meri nind lag gayi, mujhe pata hi nahi chala. Subah subah meri nind papa ki aawaj se khuli. Papa mujhe nind se jaga rahe the.
Meri nind khuli to papa kane lage.

Papa bole “punnu jaldi se uth jao, nahi to school ke liye der ho jayegi.”

Maine aankh khol kar dekha to, nayi maa bhi papa ke sath khadi muskura rahi thi. Unhe hansta hua dekh kar, mai man hi man jal raha tha.

Mai bina kuch bole, fresh hone chala gaya. Nahane ke bad mujhe roj ki tarah, mere ghar me kaam karne wali chanda mausi ne taiyar kiya aur fir mai
school chala gaya.

School me bhi mai sare samay udas raha. Mujhe udas dekh kar, mere dost mehul ne mujhse kaha.

Mehul bola “suna hai tere papa, tere liye nayi maa laye hai.”

Mai bola “haan yaar, laye to hai, par nayi maa jara bhi achi nahi hai. Aate hi usne mujhe papa ke kamre se bahar nikal diya. Kal pahli bar mai akele
soya.”

Ye kahte kahte mai ro pada. Mehul mujhe chup karata raha aur fir mujhe samjhate huye kahne laga.

Mehul bola “dekh punnu, sauteli maa bahut gandi hoti hai.”

Mehul meri hi umar ka tha. Lekin mere andar uski jitni samajh nahi thi. Maine uski is baat ko sunkar, bade hi bholepan se us se kaha.

Mai bola “ye sauteli maa kya hota hai.”

Meri is baat ke jabab me, mehul ne kisi bade bujurg ki tarah mujhe samjhate huye kaha.

Mehul bola “jab kisi ki maa mar jati hai aur uske papa jo nayi maa late hai, use sauteli maa kahte hai.”

Mehul ki baat sunkar, mere man ki utsukta bad gayi. Maine us se sawal karte huye kaha.

Mai bola “tujhe kaise pata ki sauteli maa gandi hoti hai.”

Mehul bola “mere pados me ek ramu naam ka ladka rahta hai. Uski bhi sauteli maa hai. Uski sauteli maa ne uska school chhudwa diya hai aur us se
ghar ka saara kaam karwati hai. Apne bachchon ko to khub acha acha khana deti hai, par ramu ko bacha hua khana deti hai aur kabhi kabhi to use
bhukha bhi rakhti hai.”

Mai bola “kya ramu ke papa sauteli maa ko aisa karne se nahi rokte.”

Mehul bola “pahle to rokte the, par jab se sauteli maa ke bachche huye hai. Tab se vo un bachchon ko pyar karne lage aur ramu ko apni maa aur bhai
bahno ke sath mil kar na rahne ke liye gussa karne lage hai. Bechara ramu bilkul akela ho gaya. Tab uske nana ramu ko apne sath le gaye. Ab ramu
apne nana ke sath hi rahta hai.”

Ramu ke uske nana ke sath jane ki baat sunkar, na jane kyo mujhe bahut khushi huyi aur maine mehul se kaha.

Mai bola “kya ab ramu apne nana ke yaha khush hai.”

Mehul bola “nahi yaar, wo bechara to waha bhi khush nahi hai. Waha uske nana nani ke sath uske 3 mama aur mami bhi rahte hai. Uski mamiyan bhi
use pareshan karti hai. Bas fark itna hai ki, uske nana nani use bahut pyar karte hai. Isliye wo waha se wapas aana nahi chahta hai.”

Mehul ki baat sunkar mujhe bahut nirasha huyi aur kuch sauteli maa ke naam se dar bhi lagne laga. Maine apne isi dar ko mehul ke samne jahir karte
huye kaha.

Mai bola “yaar ab mai kya karu. Meri nayi maa bhi to sauteli maa hai. Kya wo bhi mujhe ramu ki tarah dukh degi.”

Mujhe pareshan dekh kar mehul ne mujhe dilasa dete huye kaha.

Mehul bola “yaar tu dukhi mat ho. Mai kuch na kuch rasta dud nikaluga.”