philippines mein paagsangahan kasbe ke paas ke jharne bahot mashhoor hain. vahaan bahot-se paryatak aate rehte hain. usi kasbe mein mere pita nardo leron ek gareeb parivar mein pale-badhe the. unhonne sarkar aur police mein aur kaam ki jagah par bahot bhrashtachar dekha tha. is vajah se woh kadvahat se bhar gaye aur bahot gussail ho gaye.

hum aath bhaai-behen the aur hum sabko paalne ke liye maa aur pitaji ko kadi mehnat karni padti thi. woh pahadon par fasal ki dekhrekh ka kaam karte the aur kai-kai dinon tak ghar se door rehte the. aksar aisa hota tha ki mujhe aur mere bade bhaai rodelio ko khud apni dekhbhal karni padti thi. kai baar to hamein bhookhe pet sona padta tha. hamara bachpan khelkood mein kam, kaam mein zyada guzra. hammein se har bachche ko saat saal ki umra se hi ek khet mein kaam karna pada. hamein unchi pahadiyon par naariyal ka bhaari bojh uthakar le jaana hota tha. agar koi bojh uthana hamare bas ke baahar hota, to use khinchkar le jaane ke liye hamein majboor kiya jaata tha.

hamein pitaji ki bahot maar bhi khaani padti thi. woh maar to hum kisi tarah bardasht kar lete the, par maa ko maar khaate dekh hum tadap uthte the. hum pitaji ko rokne ki koshish karte the, par hamara koi zor nahin chalta tha. mainne aur rodelio ne soch liya tha ki jab hum bade honge, to pitaji ko jaan se maar daaleinge. mere man mein aata tha, kaash! mere pitaji aise hote jo mujhse pyar karte!

pitaji ki maar khaate-khaate main tang aa gaya tha. mujhe unse nafrat hone lagi thi. is vajah se jab main 14 saal ka hua, to mainne ghar chhod diya. kuch samay tak main sadkon par raha aur gaanja peene laga. fir kuch samay baad main naavik ka kaam karne laga, main paryatakon ko jharnon ke paas le jaaya karta tha.

kuch saal baad main manila ke ek vishvavidyalay mein padhne gaya. lekin mujhe shanivar-ravivar ko paagsangahan mein kaam karne aana padta tha, isliye padhai ke liye mere paas zyada samay nahin bachta tha. meri zindagi bas ek machine bankar reh gayi thi, mujhe kuch haasil nahin ho raha tha. ab to gaanja peene se bhi meri chinta kam nahin hoti thi. main doosre drugs lene laga, jaise methamphetamine, cocaine aur heroin. drugs lene ke saath-saath main anaitik kaam karne laga. mujhe apne chaaron taraf gareebee, naainsafi aur dukh-takleefon ke siva aur kuch nahin dikhta tha. mujhe lagta tha ki is sabke liye sarkar hi zimmedar hai, isliye mujhe sarkar se nafrat hone lagi. main kai baar ishvar se poochhta tha, “zindagi mein itni museebatein kyon hain?” mainne alag-alag dharmon mein iska javab dhoondhne ki koshish ki, par har kahin nirasha haath lagi. yah sab bhulane ke liye main aur zyada drugs lene laga.

san 1972 mein philippines ke vidyarthiyon ne sarkar ka virodh karne ke liye juloos nikale. main bhi ek juloos mein shaamil ho gaya. dekhte-hi-dekhte virodh karnevale hinsa par utar aaye. bahot-se logon ko giraftar kar liya gaya. fir kuch maheene baad desh mein vyavastha banaye rakhne ke liye jagah-jagah fauj tainat kar di gayi.

main fir se sadak par aa gaya. lekin is baar adhikariyon ke dar se, kyonki us virodh mein mera bhi haath tha. ab drugs ke liye paisa jutana mushkil ho gaya tha, isliye main chori karne laga. naubat yahaan tak aa gayi ki main ameer logon aur videshiyon ko apna jism bechne laga. mujhe is baat ki koi parvah nahin reh gayi ki main jeeun ya maroon.

isi dauran maa aur mera ek chhota bhaai yahova ke sakshiyon se bible ka adhyan karne lage. is baat se pitaji aag-baboola ho uthe, unhonne unki bible aur kitabein jala di. fir bhi maa aur bhaai ne sakshiyon se adhyan karna band nahin kiya. aakhirkar unhonne baptisma le liya aur sakshi ban gaye.

ek din ki baat hai, ek sakshi ne pitaji se baat ki aur unhein bible se bataya ki bahot jald aisa vakt aanevala hai, jab poori dharti par har kisi ko nyay milega. (bhajan 72:12-14) yah baat pitaji ko itni achhi lagi ki unhonne khud bible ki jaanch karne ka faisla kiya. bible se unhonne jaana ki ishvar dharti par ek aisi sarkar laayega, jo kisi se bhedbhav nahin karegi. unhein yah bhi pata chala ki ishvar patiyon aur pitaon se kya ummeed karta hai. (ifisiyon 5:28; 6:4) kuch hi samay baad woh aur mere sabhi bhaai-behen sakshi ban gaye. main ghar se door tha, isliye mujhe is baare mein koi khabar nahin thi.

san 1978 mein main australia jaakar rehne laga. haalaanki yah ek ameer desh hai aur yahaan kaafi shaanti-bhara maahaul hai, magar mujhe yahaan bhi sukoon nahin mila. mainne ab bhi sharab aur drugs lena nahin chhoda. usi saal ek din meri mulakat yahova ke sakshiyon se hui. unhonne bible se mujhe bataya ki jald hi dharti par kitni shaanti hogi. unki baatein mujhe achhi to lagin, par main unse baatcheet jaari rakhne se jhijhak raha tha.

iske kuch hi samay baad main kuch hafton ke liye vaapas philippines gaya. mere bhaai-behenon ne mujhe bataya ki pitaji ab pehle jaise nahin rahe, woh achhe insan ban gaye hain. iske liye unhonne bahot mehnat ki hai. lekin mere dil mein unke liye itni kadvahat bhari thi ki main unse koi baat nahin karna chahta tha.

meri chhoti behen ne mujhe bible se samjhaya ki kyon logon ke saath naainsafi hoti hai aur unki zindagi dukhon se bhari hai. yah dekhkar main dang reh gaya ki is naujavan ko zindagi ka zyada tajurba nahin hai, fir bhi iske paas mere savalon ke javab hain. mere australia lautne se pehle pitaji ne mujhe ek kitab di, jiska naam tha, aap prithvi par paradees mein sarvada jeevit reh sakte hain. * unhonne mujhse kaha, “yahaan-vahaan bhatakna chhod do. is kitab ko padho. ismein tumhein tumhare saare savalon ke javab mil jaayenge.” unhonne mujhse baar-baar kaha ki main australia jaakar yahova ke sakshiyon se miloon.

australia jaakar mainne pitaji ki salah maani aur yahova ke sakshiyon ko dhoondha. pata chala ki unka ek raaj-ghar brisbane shehar mein mere ghar ke paas hi hai. main sakshiyon se niyamit taur par bible ka adhyan karne laga. bible se mainne seekha ki bahot jald dharti par ishvar ki sarkar shaasan karegi, jismein kisi tarah ka bhrashtachar nahin hoga. is tarah ki bhavishyavaniyaan bible mein daaniyel ki kitab ke adhyay 7 aur yashayah ki kitab ke adhyay 9 mein di gayi hain. mainne yah bhi seekha ki hum firdaus mein yaani dharti par khoobsoorat maahaul mein zindagi ka maza leinge. main ishvar ko khush karna chahta tha, magar mujhe ehsas hua ki iske liye mujhe apne jazbaton par kaaboo rakhna hoga, drugs aur sharab chhodna hoga aur anaitik kaam band karne honge. mainne aisa hi kiya. jis ladki ke saath main reh raha tha, usse mainne naata tod diya aur apni buri aadatein chhod di. jab yahova par mera bharosa badhne laga, to mainne usse binti kee ki doosre badlav karne mein bhi woh meri madad kare.

dheere-dheere mujhe ehsas hua ki jo baatein main seekh raha hoon, unse sach mein ek insan ki kaayaplat ho sakti hai. bible batati hai ki agar aap mehnat karein, to aap “nayi shakhsiyat” dhaaran kar sakte hain. (kulussiyon 3:9, 10) jab mainne aisa karne ki koshish ki, to mujhe samajh mein aaya ki mere bhaai-behen pitaji ke baare mein jo bata rahe the, woh vaakai sach hai. ab unse gussa rehne aur nafrat karne ke bajay main sulah karna chahta tha. bachpan se mainne apne dil mein unke liye jo nafrat paali thi, woh nikaal di. aakhirkar mainne unhein maaf kar diya.

jab main javan tha, to aksar doosron ki dekha-dekhi aise kaam karta tha, jisse mujhe bahot nuksan hua. mere maamle mein bible ki yah baat ekdam sach saabit hui ki buri sangati achhi aadatein bigaad deti hai. (1 kurinthiyon 15:33) lekin ab mainne yahova ke sakshiyon ke beech bharosemand dost banaye hain aur unhonne achhe insan banne mein meri kaafi madad ki hai. unhin mein se ek yaani loretta meri achhi patni bani. ab hum donon milkar logon ko batate hain ki bible kaise unki madad kar sakti hai.

main bible ke liye bahot shukraguzar hoon. main kabhi soch bhi nahin sakta tha ki pitaji shaanti kaayam karnevale aur namra maseehi aur maa ke liye pyar karnevale pati baneinge. magar bible ne yah mumkin kar dikhaya. san 1987 mein main baptisma lekar yahova ka sakshi ban gaya. iske baad jab main pitaji se mila, to unhonne zindagi mein pehli baar mujhe gale lagaya!

pitaji ne maa ke saath milkar 35 se bhi zyada saalon tak logon ko bible se ek sunahre bhavishya ki aasha di. woh bahot mehantee aur parvah karnevale insan ho gaye the. unke baare mein sab yahi kehte hain ki woh hamesha logon ki madad ke liye aage aate the. un saalon ke dauran unke liye mere dil mein pyar aur aadar badhne laga tha. mujhe unka beta kehlane par garv hota tha! san 2016 mein unki maut ho gayi. lekin aaj jab main yaad karta hoon ki unhonne aur mainne bible ki shikshaon ki vajah se zindagi mein kitne bade-bade badlav kiye, to mujhe bahot khushi hoti hai. ab mere dil mein zara bhi nafrat nahin hai. main is baat ke liye bhi bahot ehsanmand hoon ki mujhe swarg mein rehnevale apne pita, parmeshvar yahova ko jaanne ka mauka mila. usne vaada kiya hai ki jin kaarnon se dharti par parivaron mein kalah hoti hai, un sabko woh jad se mita dega.