Dost bola, jinn match bata deta hai

Pandrah saal ho gaye mujhe satta khelte hue. Jab shuru hua tab main sattrah-atharah saal ka tha aur meri pehli naukri saat sau pachaas rupay mahine ki thi, gali gali ghoom ke recharge ke coupon bechne wali. Mohalle mein ek bada bhai tha, umar mein mujhse bahut bada. Usne ek din kaha, match par lagata hai kya. Pehla hi match aakhri ball tak gaya, meri team haar gayi, main samajh raha tha teen hazaar doob gaye - aur usne dono taraf laga rakha tha, mere haath mein do hazaar aa gaye. Us ek din ne mere dimaag mein baithha diya ki yeh khel mere bas ka hai.

Uske ek dost ka dawa tha ki use ek jinn dikhta hai, aur wahi jinn use match ki report deta hai. Aaj yeh likhte hue hasi aati hai. Us waqt hasi nahi aayi thi. Juari waise bhi andhvishwasi hota hai - jeet gaye to jagah sahi thi, haar gaye to kisi ke phone ne panauti kar di. Main saalon us report par paisa lagata raha. Jab tak parda khula, tab tak main is cheez mein pak chuka tha.

Kamaya maine kam nahi. Ek waqt aisa aaya ki ghar ban chuka tha, upar ek rupay ka karza nahi tha aur pachaas lakh ke aas paas saaf paisa mere paas tha. Woh bhi match par chala gaya. Poore safar mein lagbhag tees lakh maine udaye. Sona uske alawa - behen ki shaadi ki ek chain maine chupke bech di thi, phir maa ka sona, aur aakhir mein biwi ka, jab woh saat mahine ki pregnant thi. Wahan pakda gaya.

Ek din maine sabko ek kamre mein bithaya - maa, biwi, behnein - aur ek list nikaal ke rakh di. Har cheez ka hisaab. Chaar lakh ka sona main kha chuka tha. Biwi paise par nahi royi. Usne sirf itna kaha ki godbharai ke liye do cheezein bacha leta to achha rehta.

Us se pehle mahino tak main nadi ke kinare khada rehta tha aur sochta tha ki kood jaun. Ek raat maine phone par search kiya tha ki haare hue aadmi khud ko khatam kaise karte hain. Insurance ka hisaab bhi lagaya tha, ki main na rahun to kam se kam ghar ka karza to chuk jayega.

Aaj ek mahina hua hai, maine kuch nahi khela. Wahi nadi ke kinare ab sirf baith ke sunta hoon. Do kilo wazan wapas aa gaya hai, neend aane lagi hai. Karza jaise ka waisa hai - bazaar mein bara lakh, ek bookie ka alag. Tees hazaar mahina, do saal, yeh hisaab banaya hai. Ek mahina koi badi baat nahi hoti, yeh mujhe pata hai.