Tuesday, December 31, 2013

James and Colly

(You may appreciate this post - if you may have read John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men")

Main NY main tha. Residency ke chakkar main aik hospital main observership ker raha tha. Hospital, 90's ke Bronx ke aik 'dangerous neighborhood' main tha. Andhera hote hi hum apartments ke andar rehte the. Hamare paRos main do bhai rehte the - James aur Collins. Woh rural Texas ke rehne wale the.... Maalum nahi kaun chota tha kaun bara.

James se pehli mulaqat bhi ajeeb alam se hui...... Aik roz hum hospital se wapas aaye to hamare apartment main neighborhood ke kuch larkoN ne ghus ke qabza ker liya tha. Hume kuch samjh na aaya. Hum police ke chakkar main nahi parna chahte the. Hospital wapas gaye. Wahan woh 'cardiothoracic surgeon' nazar aaye, jin ke saath hum 'observership' ker rahe the. Hume phir hospital main dekha to bare hairan huwe. James usi hospital main janitor tha. Woh James se khub waqif the. Kehne lage, James se keh do. James ko dekhte hi woh sab larke rafu chakkar ho gaye...........James ka qad 6'2'' hoga. jism kisi pehlwan (wrestler) ki tarah muscular tha. Aik dafa apartment ki aik tenant ne mujh se kaha tha: "Main aurat hun, magar agar, mard hoti to bhi james se piyar ker leti"! James ka dimag bhi bohat garam tha. Aate hi us ne neighborhood ke 2/4 'gang members' ki khub pitaaii ker di thi aur apni dhaak bitha di thi. Texas se aaya tha, is liye 'guns' ka bhi bara collection saath laya tha.........Usse darne ki yahi wajah bohat thi...

Collins - barkhilaf dimagi aur jismani tor pe kamzor tha. aur majzoobi batain kerta rehta. James uska bohat khayal rakhta. Hum use 'Colly' kehte the.

Colly mujh se bara 'attach' ho gaya. Usi ki wajah se kai shamaiN unke apartment pe guzri.....Ye 1993 ki baat hai. Jab Colly ko main ne pehli baar bataya ke main Pakistan se aaya hun to us ne kaha: "Main tumhare mulk pe american jahaz uRte dekhta hun, aur unse dhamake hote hain... boom boom.." (Aaj bhi jab drone ki khabrain parta hun to Colly yaad aata hai). Aik din main ne use Pakistan ka naqsa dikhaya to, us ne 'Skardu' pe ungli rakh ke kaha: "yahan jahaz utare ga" (? !).............Colly dhol ki thaap (Drum beats) sun ker pagal ho jata tha.....Aik din hum use upstate NY, kisi Arab festival main le gaye. Keffiyeh sir pe bandh ke dhol ki thap pe khub nacha...baar baar mujhe se kehta: "I Muslim, I Muslim"!

Aur phir aik din Colly bohat bimar ho gaya. Shadeed pneumonia tha!. ICU main ventilator pe chala gaya. James bara pareshan rehne laga.... Udhar Colly ki oxygen requirement barhti jaati, idhar James ki nabz doobti jaati.. Unhi dinoN aik sham James ne mere pehlu pe sir rakha aur bachhoN ki tarah bilak bilak ke rone laga.. Kehne laga: "Apna koi jub itna bimar ho to zindagi main har cheez bulke khud zindagi be-mani ho jaati hai". Woh itna roya ke main dar gaya ke kahiN ise kuch na ho jaaye.

Aur phir aahista aahista Colly theek ho gaya. James NY ki sardioN se dilbardashta ho ker phir rural Texas chala gaya. Suna ke, agle baras Colly ko phir pneumonia huwa - aur woh mar gaya.  Khuda hi jaanta hai James pe kiya beeti ho gi.

Aaj bhi jab hospital main pnemonia se koi maut hoti hai to apne pehlu main James ka sir mehsoos hota hai - aur thori der ke liye zindagi be-maani si ho jaati hai... 

Allah jane! bagair Colly ke ab James kesa hoga?


Note: Yesterday I wrote this post and today went to see masala bollywood flick with my kids, 'Dhoom 3'. They had little bit similar concept. Also, reminded me of great Hollywood work 'Rain Man' (here)

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