Main har saal Jagadhatri Mela dekhne Baripada jata hoon. Ek saal aisa hua ki Jagadhatri Mela ki date aur hamare semester exam ki date dono nikal chuki thi. Jis din mela tha, usi din subah main aur mera ek dost hostel se mela dekhne ke liye nikle.
Humein train se Bhubaneswar se Balasore tak jana tha aur wahan se ek local train pakadkar seedha Baripada jana tha, jahan mela ho raha tha. Hum Bhubaneswar station par train ka wait kar rahe the. Jab train aayi, to usmein bahut zyada bheed thi. Lekin hamare paas koi doosra option nahi tha. Agar hum us train se nahi jaate, to Balasore se Baripada jane wali local train miss ho jaati. Upar se usi din Santali cultural program bhi tha, jise hum kisi bhi haal mein miss nahi karna chahte the. Isliye majboori mein hum us bheed-bhari train mein chadh gaye.
Us din train mein itni zyada bheed thi ki maine apni life mein pehli baar aisa experience kiya tha. Hum dono jahan khade the, wahan se hilna bhi mushkil tha. Na hum ek kadam aage ja sakte the aur na hi peeche. Train poori tarah se bhari hui thi. Log train ke toilet tak mein ghuskar ja rahe the. Aap soch sakte hain ki train mein kitni zyada bheed rahi hogi.
Aisi hi bheed mein khade-khade hum Balasore pahunch gaye. Wahan se humne seedha local train pakdi aur Baripada ke liye nikal gaye. Aakhirkar hum bilkul usi jagah pahunch gaye jahan cultural program ho raha tha. Hum shaam lagbhag 5 baje wahan pahunch gaye.
Ek to subah se itni bheed mein train mein khade the aur uske baad program dekhne ke liye wahan bhi khade rehna pad raha tha. Itni der tak khade rehne ke baad main poori tarah thak chuka tha. Program mein discipline maintain karne aur kisi bhi tarah ki problem na ho, isliye jagah-jagah bahut saare police wale bhi maujood the. Mere paas hi ek police wala chair par baitha hua tha. Jab woh chair se utha, to maine usse poocha, “Kya main baith sakta hoon?”
Usne kaha, “Haan.”
Main turant us chair par baith gaya. Itni der ke baad baithne par mujhe thoda achha laga.
Phir us police wale ne mujhse poocha, “Kahan se aaye ho?”
Maine kaha, “Bhubaneswar se aaye hain. Lekin hamara ghar idhar hi hai. Hum college se aaye hain.”
Police wale ne kaha, “Tum itni door se yahan mela dekhne aaye ho? Tumhare paas mein to Cuttack mein Bali Jatra ho raha hai na. Usko chhodkar itni door kyun aaye?”
Maine kaha, “Udhar to hum har saal dekhte hain, isliye is baar idhar aa gaye. Aur yahan Santali cultural program bhi hai, isliye bhi aaye hain.”
Maine ye to keh diya ki hum Cuttack ki Bali Jatra har saal dekhte hain, lekin asal mein main ek baar bhi Bali Jatra dekhne nahi gaya tha. Baripada ka Jagadhatri Mela aur Cuttack ki Bali Jatra lagbhag ek hi samay par hoti hai. Lekin main hamesha Jagadhatri Mela hi dekhne jata hoon, kyunki yahan Santali cultural program hota hai, jo mujhe bahut pasand hai. Main chahe kahin bhi rahun, agar Jagadhatri Mela mein Santali cultural program ho raha ho, to main use dekhne zaroor aa jata hoon.
Sabse interesting baat ye thi ki jis din hum mela dekhkar wapas laute, uske agle hi din hamara semester exam tha. Phir bhi hum exam ki padhai chhodkar mela dekhne aa gaye the. Mela se wapas aane ke baad hum raat ko hostel aaye aur seedha so gaye. Agle din bina kisi preparation ke exam dene chale gaye.
Sach kahun to dar lag raha tha ki kahin back na lag jaye. Lekin kismat achhi thi—exam achha gaya aur hum pass bhi ho gaye. Aaj bhi jab us din ko yaad karta hoon, to lagta hai ki woh Jagadhatri Mela ka safar sirf mela dekhne ka safar nahi tha, balki ek aisi yaad thi jo shayad main kabhi nahi bhool paunga.
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