School Ke Din – Friendship Story

12th class ke wo din aaj bhi yaad aate hain. Na padhai ki tension itni samajh aati thi, na future ka darr… bas dosti hi sab kuch lagti thi.

Meri aur Rahul ki dosti 6th class se thi, lekin 12th tak aate-aate hum itne close ho gaye the ki poora school hume ek saath hi jaanta tha. Agar koi mujhe dhoondhta, to pehle Rahul ko dekhta… aur agar Rahul nahi dikhta, to log samajh jaate ki main bhi kahin aas-paas hi hoon.

Hum dono hamesha ek hi bench par baithte the. Teachers bhi tang aa chuke the hume alag karte-karte. Ek baar maths sir ne hume alag bitha diya tha, lekin 10 minute baad hi Rahul ne paper ka chhota sa tukda pheka jisme likha tha,
“Bhai bore ho raha hoon.”

Main hans pada, aur sir ne pakad liya. Us din dono ko class ke bahar khada rehna pada… lekin sach kahun to wo bhi mazedaar hi tha.

Lunch time hamara favorite time hota tha. Rahul hamesha aloo ke parathe lata tha aur main maggi ya sandwich. Hum dono apna tiffin exchange karke khate the. Kabhi-kabhi to poora group milkar ek hi tiffin khatam kar deta tha.

Exam ke time par hum dono bahut bade padhaku ban jaate the… ya kam se kam dikhawa to aisa hi karte the. Library me baithkar padhne ka plan hota, lekin aadha time baatein karte nikal jata.
Rahul hamesha kehta,
“Bhai tension mat le, ek din pehle sab ho jayega.”
Aur ajeeb baat ye thi ki har baar ho bhi jata tha.

School ka last saal tha, isliye har chhoti cheez special lagti thi. Last sports day, last annual function, last class test… sab kuch “last” ho raha tha.

Ek din farewell ki announcement hui. Tab pehli baar laga ki sach me school khatam hone wala hai.

Farewell wale din sab achhe kapde pehen kar aaye the. Rahul suit pehen kar aaya tha aur main use dekhkar hansne laga.
Maine kaha,
“Bhai tu to hero lag raha hai!”
Wo bola,
“Tu bhi kam nahi lag raha… bas thoda aur lamba hota to achha rehta.”

Us din humne bahut photos liye. Har photo me hum dono saath hi the. Lekin hasi ke peeche ek ajeeb si udaasi bhi thi… kyunki hum dono jaante the ki ab sab badalne wala hai.

Aakhri din jab school khatam hua, sab ek dusre ki shirt par sign kar rahe the. Rahul ne meri shirt par likha:
“Bhai kabhi bhoolna mat… school ke din wapas nahi aate.”

Maine bhi uski shirt par likha:
“Jahan bhi rahega, bhai hi rahega.”

Gate ke bahar nikalte waqt hum dono kuch der chup khade rahe. Roz ki tarah “kal milte hain” kehne ka mann tha… lekin pata tha ki kal ab waisa nahi hoga.

Rahul ne jaate jaate bas itna kaha,
“Contact me rehna.”

Maine kaha,
“Hamesha.”

Aaj itne saal baad bhi jab school ke din yaad aate hain, to sabse pehle Rahul yaad aata hai. Wo dosti, wo hasi, wo tiffin share karna… shayad zindagi me dobara kabhi nahi milta.

Sach hi to hai…
School ke dost aur school ke din, dono hi bahut khaas hote hain.