Chaand ki raat mein sasur ji ka prasad

Mera naam Aakriti hai, umar 28 saal. Main Rampur gaon ki bahu hu. Mere pati shehar mein job karte hai aur is karwa chauth pe bhi nahi aa sake. Ghar mein sirf main, sasur-sasu maa aur sasur ji rehte hai. Sasur ji (55 saal) gaon ke sabse izzat waale aadmi hai – lambi height, moti moochen, strong body aur ek gehri awaaz jo dil ko chhoo jati hai. Gaon mein log unko “Sarpanch ji” kehte hai aur har mushkil mein unki salaah lete hai.

Karwa chauth ka din tha. Subah se maine nirjala vrat shuru kar diya tha. Maine ek sundar laal georgette saree pehni thi. Blouse tight tha, choochiyon ka ubhaar saaf dikh raha tha aur dupatta thoda dheela tha. Maine mehandi lagayi thi, bindi lagayi thi, kaajal lagaya tha aur mangalsutra ko ache se sajaya tha.

Aaj main bahut pavitra aur sundar lag rahi thi. Lekin andar se dil bahut bhaari hua tha.
Pati ke bina ye pehla karwa chauth tha. Raat ko chaand dekh kar vrat todne ka sapna bahut din se dekhti thi, lekin aaj wo sapna adhoora lag raha tha. Main chhat par rangoli bana rahi thi aur aankhon mein aansu aa rahe the. Sasur ji ne mujhe dekha aur dheere se paas aa gaye.

“Bahu… aaj vrat hai. Tu bahut pavitra aur sundar lag rahi hai,” sasur ji ne gehri awaaz mein kaha.