The Incomplete Prajakta
Pankaj had always kept one part of himself hidden.
At six feet tall and slim, he looked like an ordinary young man to everyone around him. No one who saw him from the outside could easily guess the secret he carefully kept to himself.
Whenever he was alone in his room, however, Pankaj allowed himself to become the person he secretly imagined.
That afternoon, after making sure he was completely alone, Pankaj opened his cupboard and quietly took out the clothes and accessories he had been keeping hidden. A saree, a few pieces of jewellery, some makeup, and other small accessories were arranged carefully in front of the mirror.
He looked at them for a moment, then smiled.
Slowly, Pankaj began dressing himself.
Once the saree was properly arranged, he added the accessories and applied makeup with careful attention. He stood in front of the mirror and looked at his reflection.
For those few moments, Pankaj did not think about what anyone else might say.
He simply felt happy.
He adjusted the saree, looked at himself from different angles, and tried different girly poses in front of the mirror. Sometimes he smiled softly at his reflection; sometimes he tilted his head and posed like a woman taking a picture.
The room became his little private world.
Then suddenly, he heard footsteps outside.
His happiness instantly turned into panic.
“Mom!”
Pankaj quickly looked toward the door.
He had only seconds.
He hurriedly removed the accessories, wiped away the makeup, and took off the saree. He changed back into his usual male clothes and put everything away as quickly as possible.
By the time his mother entered the room, Pankaj was standing there as if nothing unusual had happened.
His mother looked at him.
“Pankaj, what are you doing?”
Pankaj tried to keep his expression completely normal.
“Nothing, Mom.”
She looked at him for another moment before continuing with what she had come to say.
Pankaj simply nodded.
Inside, however, the happiness he had felt only moments earlier was still there, hidden beneath the version of himself he showed to the world.
The mirror still reflected the same six-foot-tall young man.
But the person Pankaj had been when he was alone was something nobody around him had seen yet.
The Incomplete Prajakta
Pankaj apni maa ke paas aakar unki godi mein sir rakhkar let jaata hai. Uske chehre par sukoon tha, aur kuch der ke liye woh bilkul bachche ki tarah apni maa ke kareeb rehna chahta tha.
Pankaj: “Hey Mom, kaise ho?”
Pankaj apni maa ki godi mein sote hue pyaar se bolta hai.
Mom: “Aaj yaad aayi hai meri? Pura din aise hi shaant rehta hai aur kaam pe dhyan deta rehta. Kabhi apne maa ke saath bhi baat kiya kar.”
Maa ki baat sunkar Pankaj halka sa muskurata hai.
Pankaj: “Mom, aapse baat hi toh kar raha hoon. Aap mere sar pe maalish kar do na. Sar bahut dard ho raha hai.”
Uski maa use dekhti hai aur pyaar se kehti hai,
Mom: “Haan, kar deti hoon. Jaake tel leke aa.”
Pankaj uthkar tel le aata hai aur phir dobara maa ke paas baith jaata hai.
Uski maa tel lekar Pankaj ke sar ki maalish karna shuru kar deti hai. Ungliyon se dheere-dheere uske baalon mein tel lagate hue woh uske sar ko pyaar se dabaati hai.
Kuch der baad maa uske baalon ko sambhalte hue unki choti banane lagti hai.
Pankaj chupchaap aankhen band karke maa ke paas baitha rehta hai. Usse us pal mein ek alag hi sukoon mehsoos ho raha tha.
The Incomplete Prajakta
Pankaj ko maa ka uske baalon mein tel lagana aur choti banana andar hi andar accha lag raha tha. Us pal mein use ek ajeeb sa sukoon mil raha tha. Phir bhi, apni asli khushi chhupate hue usne maa se kaha,
Pankaj: “Maa, yeh kya? Meri baalon ki choti kyun bana rahi ho? Main ladki thodi hoon.”
Maa ne uski baat sunkar halka sa muskurate hue kaha,
Mom: “Haan, pata hai mujhe. Tu ladki nahi hai. Lekin agar aaj meri beti hoti, toh main uske sar par aise hi choti banati. Samjha?”
Pankaj kuch der chup raha. Phir usne thodi himmat dikhate hue dheere se kaha,
Pankaj: “Agar aapko beti chahiye toh... aap mujhe kabhi-kabhi ladkiyon ke kapde pehna sakti hai.”
Maa ne turant mazaak mein use daant diya.
Mom: “Daant teri! Tu koi ladki thodi hai!”
Itna kehkar maa hansne lagi. Phir mazaak mein hi boli,
Mom: “Tu mere liye achhi si bahu le aa. Main uski choti bana diya karungi. Woh bhi toh meri beti hi hogi na?”
Pankaj ne bhi muskurate hue jawab diya,
Pankaj: “Haan.”
Usne himmat toh dikhayi thi, lekin uski woh chhoti si koshish kaamyaab nahi ho paayi.
Phir kuch din aise hi beet gaye.
Pankaj apni zindagi mein wapas wahi normal routine mein rehne laga. Office, ghar aur roz ke kaam. Lekin uske mann ke kisi kone mein woh chhoti si baat ab bhi zinda thi.
Phir ek din Sunday tha.
Pankaj ko office se chutti thi. Ghar par woh apni maa ke saath hi tha. Garmi bhi bahut thi. Aise hi pata nahi kya sochkar Pankaj ne apni maa ki nighty pehen li aur kitchen mein chala gaya.
Uski maa ne jaise hi use dekha, woh hansne lagi.
Mom: “Yeh kya pehna hai? Utaar isse! Tu ladka hai!”
Maa haste hue usse dekhti rahi.
Pankaj ne bilkul casually kaha,
Pankaj: “Maa, bahut garmi hai. Pehenne do mujhe.”
Maa ne use dekha, phir hanskar kaha,
Mom: “Theek hai.”
Pankaj ke chehre par halki si khushi aa gayi.
Woh wahi nighty pehne apni maa ki kitchen mein help karne laga. Kabhi sabzi laata, kabhi kitchen ka koi kaam kar deta. Maa bhi apne kaam mein lagi rahi aur dono ke beech woh pal bilkul mazaak aur apnapan se bhara hua tha.
Pankaj ke liye woh ek chhota sa pal tha, lekin uske liye us pal ki khushi bahut badi thi.
Kuch din baad Pankaj ne phir ek baar himmat dikhayi.
Is baar woh apni maa ke liye ek nayi saree lekar ghar aaya.
Maa saree dekhkar bahut khush hui.
Pankaj ne mazaak-mazaak mein saree ko apne kandhe par rakha aur apni maa ke saamne usse waise dikhane laga jaise koi salesman kapda dikhata hai.
Uski maa hansne lagi.
Phir maa ne use saree pehenna sikhana shuru kar diya.
Maa ne mazaak mein usse shirt ke upar hi saree pehna di. Saree ko sambhala, uski pleats banayi aur use theek se set karne lagi.
Us pal Pankaj bilkul chup tha.
Maa ne uski saree theek ki, uski pleats banayi aur achanak mazaak mein kaha,
Mom: “Prajakta, tum bahut khoobsurat lag rahi ho!”
Yeh sunkar maa khud hi hansne lagi.
Pankaj bhi sharma gaya.
Usne dheere se saree ka pallu apne sar par odha aur mazaak mein maa ki taraf dekhkar kaha,
Pankaj: “Haan maa ji!”
Maa zor se hansne lagi.
Pankaj bhi sharmaate hue hans pada.
Woh bas mazaak tha.
Kuch palon ka mazaak.
Kuch palon ki khushi.
Kuch palon ke liye Pankaj ne apne andar chhupi Prajakta ko mehsoos kiya.
Kabhi maa ki choti banate waqt, kabhi nighty pehenkar kitchen mein khade hokar, kabhi saree ki pleats sambhalte waqt.
Har baar Prajakta thodi der ke liye bahar aayi.
Lekin woh kabhi poori tarah se saamne nahi aa saki.
Pankaj ki zindagi mein Prajakta bas kuch chhote-chhote palon mein jee paayi.
Woh pal sach the.
Khushi bhi sach thi.
Lekin Prajakta...
Prajakta kabhi poori nahi ho saki.
The End.
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