Note: This document contains excerpts from the original essay, the entirety of which can be found here
Shaahi 1857 ke saath khatam hui, magar Dilli waaloṉ ki zabaan ka chaṭk͟haaraa aur shaah-k͟harchiyaan phir bhi na gaiṉ.
Zabaan ke chaṭk͟haare ka zikr aaya hai to is sheher-waaloṉ ke ek isee pehlu ko le leejie. Dilli waaloṉ ko achchhaa khaanaa aur tarah-tarah ke khaanoṉ ka shauq tha. Ye shauq unheiṉ virse meiṉ milaa thaa. Agle Dilli waaloṉ meiṉ shaayad hi koi aisaa ho jo baadshaah se bil-waastaa ya bilaa-waastaa waabastaa na ho. Baadshaah ki daulat meiṉ hissaa rasad sab ko pahunchta thaa. Meheṉgaai naam ko na thi. Rupaye paise ki taraf se faraaghat, be-fikree se kamaate the aur be-fikree se uṛaate the aur baatoṉ ki tarah khaane peene meiṉ bhi qila waaloṉ ki taqleed ki jaatee thi. Har qism ke khaane rikaab-daar aur baawarchiyoṉ se taiyaar karaae jaate the. Haft-hazaaree se lekar take ki auqat waale tak, har ek ko k͟hud bhi apne haath ka kamaal dikhaane ka shauq thaa. Aak͟hri baadshaah Bahaadur Shaah Zafr ne kai khaane ijaad kie jinmeṉ se mirchoṉ ka dalya aaj bhi Dilli waaloṉ ke gharoṉ meiṉ pakaayaa jaataa hai. Ghareeboṉ meiṉ ab bhi kisee-kisee ke haan Taahiree aisee paktee hai ke Biryaani us ke age hech hai. Kabhi un ke haan Muṉg Pulaaw ya Yak͟hani Pulaaw khaane ka ittifaq ho to ungliyaan hi chaatate rah jaaiye. Maash ki Daal aisee mazedaar ke koi aur lagaawan se laggaa nahiṉ khaate.
Gharoṉ ke ilaawaa baaz baazaaron ke dukaandaaroṉ ne kisee ek cheez meiṉ aisaa naam paayaa ke aaj tak un ki misaal di jaatee hai, masalan: Ghaṅṭe Waalaa Halwaai, Chiṛiyaa Waalaa Kabaabee, Sirkee Waaloṉ ka Kheeer Waalaa, Paae Waaloṉ ke Chachaa Kabaabee, Qaabil Attaar ke Kuche ka Halwaa Sohan Waalaa, Shaahguṅj ka Nawaab Qulfi Waalaa, Firaash k͟haane ka Shaabu Bhaṭiyaaraa, Laal Kunweiṉ ka Haajee Naanabaai aur Chaandani-Chauk ka Gaṅja Nihaari Waalaa. Ye wo naam haiṉ jo Dilli meiṉ zabaan-zad-e-aam the, warna shaayad hi koi muhallaa aisaa ho jis meiṉ in sab saude bechne waaloṉ ki dukaaneiṉ na hoṉ. Mashhur dukaandaaroṉ ke haan sauda-salaf saaf-sutharaa, nafis aur zaaiqe-daar hotaa hai. Pusht-haa-pusht se un ke haan yahi kaam hotaa chalaa aata hai. Un ke k͟haandaani nusk͟he un ke seenoṉ meiṉ mahfuz rahte haiṉ aur kaha jaataa hai ke har kaarobaar ki tarah in ke bhi chand bhed hote haiṉ. Awaam ke is nazariye ne itni shiddat ik͟htiyaar ki ke tarah-tarah ki riwaayateiṉ aur afwaaheiṉ shahar meiṉ phail gai theeṉ.
Chachaa Kabaabee gole ke kabaab aise banaate the ke saaraa shahar un par ṭuṭaa paṛtaa thaa. Paae waaloṉ ke ruk͟h Jaamaa Masjid ki seeṛiyoṉ ke pehlu meiṉ un ka ṭhiyaa thaa. Chachaa ke daadaa ke kabaab baadshaah ke dastar-k͟hwaan par jaayaa karte the. Shahar meiṉ mashhur thaa ke Chachaa ke daadaa jaise kabaab na to kisi ne banaae, aur na aiṉdaa banaaegaa. Un meiṉ kuchh aisaa salon-pan paayaa jaataa thaa ke khaane waalaa hoṉt chaatataa reh jaataa thaa. Humne aksar baṛe buṛoṉ se puchhaa ke aak͟hir in kabaaboṉ meiṉ aur un kabaaboṉ meiṉ farq kya hai? Wo kahte, “Miyaan bas chupke ho jaao. Kuchh kehne ka muqaam nahiṉ hai. ”
“Aak͟hir kuch to bataaye. ”
“Miyaan samjhe bhi ye salon-pan kaahe ka hotaa thaa?”
“Namak ka hotaa hogaa.”
“Unh. Amaaṉ aadmee ka gosht khilaataa thaa, aadmee ka. ”
“Aadmee ka gosht?”
“Aur nahiṉ to kyaa. Jab wo pakṛaa gayaa aur us ke ghar ki talaashi hui hai to saiṉkṛoṉ khopṛiyaan teh-k͟haane meiṉ se nikleeṉ. ”
“Aapne k͟hud dekhaa thaa?”
“k͟hud to nahiṉ dekhaa, albattaa kaan gunehgaar haiṉ. ”
“Rozaanaa aadmee ghaayab hote raheiṉ aur koi unheiṉ talaash na kare? ”
“Kyaa pataa chal saktaa hai? Aadmiyoṉ se duniyaa bharee paṛee hai. ”
“Magar khopṛiyaan aak͟hir tah-k͟haane meiṉ kyuṉ bhar rakhee theeṉ?”
“Oho bhai mujhe kyaa maalum?”
“Magar……. ”
“Agar-magar kuchh nahiṉ. Tumhaaree to aadat hi hujjat karne ki hai. ”
Naaraaz ho kar chale gae. Laahaula-walaa quwwat. Bhalaa ye bhi koi samajh meiṉ aane waalee baat hai? Afwaahoṉ ki devi baṛee bhayaanak hotee hai jo apni hazaaroṉ k͟haamosh latkee hui zabaanoṉ se hawaa meiṉ bis gholtee rahtee hai.
Asl meiṉ i’jzaa-e-tarkeebi ke sahi aur k͟haas tanaasub ki wajha se ek mak͟hsus zaaiqa paidaa ho jaataa hai. Phir taaw-bhaaw bhi baṛee ahmiyat rakhtaa hai. Bhalaa kheer aisee kaun see anokhee cheez hai? Ghar-ghar paktee hai magar Sirkee waaloṉ ki dukaan ke piyaaloṉ meiṉ kuchh aur hi mazaa hotaa thaa. Wohi dudh, chaawal aur shakkar ka amezaah hai, magar tanaasub aur taaw bhi to hai, ye maalum hotaa thaa ke daulat ki chaaṭ khaa rahe haiṉ.
Shaabu bhaṭiyaare ke haan ka shorbaa mashhur thaa. Un ka kehnaa ye thaa ke,
“Hamaare haan baadshaahi waqt ka shorbaa hai. ”
“Arey bhai baadshaahi waqt ka? ye kaise?”
“Ajee hazzat ye aise ke ham shorbe meiṉ se rozaanaa ek piyaalaa bachaa lete haiṉ aur agle din ke shorbe meiṉ milaa dete haiṉ. Ye dastur hamaare haan saat peeṛi se chalaa aa rahaa hai. Yun hamaaraa shorbaa shaahi zamaane se chalaa aata hai. ”
Haajee Naanbaai ke haan yun to shaadee-byaah ke liye k͟hameeree, kulche aur shirmaal tayaar kiye jaate aur aise mulaaim ke hoṉtoṉ se toṛ lo, magar un ka hunar dekhnaa ho to farmaaish kar ke pakwaa leejie. Roṭiyoṉ ke naam hi sun leejie:
Roghni roṭi, baree roṭi, qimaa bharee roṭi, besani roṭi, gaawdeedaa, gaaw zabaan, baaqar k͟haani, shirmaal, baadaam ki roṭi, piste ki roṭi, chaawal ki roṭi, gaajar ki roṭi, misree ki roṭi, ghausee roṭi, naan mumbaa, naan-e-gulzaar, naan qumaash, taaftaan, rawe ke paraathe, maide ke paraathe, gol, chaukor, tikone. Gharaz roṭi ki koi shakl aur tarkeeb aisee nahiṉ jo un ke tandur meiṉ taiyaar na ho saktee ho. Haajee Naanbaai ka zikr aaya to yaadash-bak͟hair miyaan Ganje Nihari waale yaad aa gae. Asal meiṉ nihari waale naanbaai hi hote haiṉ, bhatiyaare nahiṉ hote. Nihaari to jaaṛoṉ meiṉ khaai jaatee hai. Garmiyoṉ aur barsaat meiṉ nahiṉ khaai jaatee. K͟haalee dinoṉ meiṉ nihari waale apnaa tandur garam karte haiṉ aur roṭi pakaane par un ki guzar-auqat hotee hai. 1947 ke Dilli ujaṛne se pehle taqreeban har muhalle meiṉ ek nihari waalaa maujud thaa. Lekin ab se chaalis pachaas saal pehle sirf chaar nihari waale mashhur the. Unhoṉ ne shehar ke chaaroṉ khoṉt daab rakhe the. Ganje ki dukaan Chandni-Chowk meiṉ neel ke kaṭre ke paas thi aur shahar meiṉ us ki nihari sabse mashahur thi.
Dilli se baahar aksar log ye bhi nahiṉ jaante the ki nihari kya hotee hai. Baaz shehroṉ meiṉ ye lafz kuchh aur maanoṉ meiṉ mustaamil hai, masalan chaupaayoṉ ko, k͟hususan ghoṛoṉ ko taqwiyat dene ke liye ek gholuwaa pilaayaa jaataa hai jise nihari kehte haiṉ. Baaz jagah paayoṉ ko nihari kahaa jaataa hai. Dilli meiṉ ye ek k͟haas qism ka saalan hotaa thaa jo baṛe ehtimaam se taiyaar kiyaa jaataa thaa, aur baazaaroṉ meiṉ farok͟ht hotaa thaa. Is ke pakaane ka ek k͟haas tareeqa hai aur is ke pakaane waale bhi k͟haas hote haiṉ. Nihaari ko aaj se nahiṉ, atthara so sattawan ke pehle se Dilli ke musalmaanoṉ meiṉ baṛee ahmiyat haasil hai. Yun to ghar meiṉ bhi aur baahar bhi saiṉkṛoṉ qism ke qorme pakte haiṉ, magar nihari ek mak͟hsus qism ka qormaa hai jiska pakaanaa siwaaey nihari waaloṉ ke aur kisee ko nahiṉ aata.
Haan, to zikr thaa Ganje nihari waale ka. Dilli waaloṉ ke ilaawaa qurb-o-jawaar se bhi log un ki nihari khaane aaya karte the, k͟hususan Aligaṛh college ke laṛke itwaar ko dhaawaa bolaa karte the. Isee silsile meiṉ hameṉ bhi chund-baar Ganje sahib ki nihari se lutf-aṉdoz hone ka mauqa milaa. In ki dukaan gajar-dam khultee thi aur khulne se pehle gaahak maujud hote the. Kisee ke haath meiṉ pateelee, koi baadiyaa, koi naashtaa-daan sanbhaale sardee meiṉ sukaṛtaa, sun-sun kartaa ṭahal lagaa rahaa hai. Napee-tulee ek deg paktee aur haathoṉ-haath bik jaatee. Zaraa der se pahunche to miyaan Ganje ne maazarat ke lahje meiṉ kahaa, “Miyaan ab k͟haair se kal leejiegaa aur zaraa sawere aiye gaa. ”
Nihari ke masaaloṉ ka wazn aur pakaane ka tareeqa auroṉ ko bhi maalum hai magar wo haath aur nigaah jo ustaad Ganje ko mayassar thi wo kisee aur ko naseeb na hui. Aksar log k͟hud unse dariyaaft bhi karte the ke:
“Aak͟hir ustaad kyaa baat hai ki dusroṉ ke haath nihari meiṉ ye lazzat nahiṉ hotee?”
Wo hans kar keh diyaa karte the ke “Miyaan buzurgoṉ ki jutiyoṉ ka sadqaa aur Hazarat Sultaan ji ka faiz hai, warnaa maiṉ kya aur meri bisaat kyaa. ”
Ustaad Ganje ke kirdaar par raushani daalne se pahle zaruree hai ke kuch un ka saraapaa bhi bayaan kar diyaa jaae. “Ganje” ke naam se k͟hwaah-mak͟haah zehin meiṉ ek karaahat si paidaa hotee hai. Nafees mizaaj aur naazuk k͟hayaal log to ganje ke haath ka paani peenaa bhi gawaaraa nahiṉ kar sakte. Lekin ustaad ko sire se gaṅj ki beemaaree thi hi nahiṉ. Asal meiṉ un ki chandiyaa ke baal jhaṛ gae the aur ṭaaṉṭ saaf ho kar taamṛaa nikal aaya thaa, jiske teen taraf chaar uṉgal chauṛee baaloṉ ki ek jhaalar see thi.
Dilli ke chulbulee tabeeyat waale bhalaa kab chukne waale the. Ganje ki phabtee un par kasee aur ye kuch aisee jamee ki chipak kar rah gai. Gaṅdumee rung ka gol chehraa, k͟hash-k͟haashi daaṛi, baṛee-baṛee chamakadaar magar haleem ankheṉ, baa-wajud nihari-faroshi ke un ka libaas hameshaa saaf-sutharaa rahtaa thaa. Laṭṭhe ka sharai paajaamaa, nichaa kurtaa, kurte par bahut sufiyaanaa chheeṉṭ ki nim-aasteen, sar par saafa. Kasratee aur bharaa-bharaa badan, koi dekhe to samjhe ke baṛe k͟huraaṉṭ haiṉ. Baat-baat par kaaṭne ko dauṛte hoṉge, magar un ki tabeeat is ke bilkul bar-aks thi. Bil-umum naamee dukaanadaar baṛe bad-mizaaj aur ghuseel hote haiṉ, jaise Chachaa Kabaabee ke baṛe hath-chhat the aur maar peeṭ tak se nahiṉ chukte the. Ustaad Ganje baṛe k͟haleeq aur rakh-rakhaaw ke aadmee the. Ham ne kabhi nahiṉ sunaa ki unheṉ taaw aaya ho, ya kabhi un ke munh se koi naa-shaaistaa kalmaa niklaa ho. Har gaahak se, chaahe wo aane do aane ka ho, chaahe rupaye do rupaye ka, baṛee narmee se baat karte aur mustaqil gaahakoṉ ko to apnaa mehmaan samajhte the.
Ustaad Ganje ke kirdaar meiṉ sab se numaayaan cheez un ka hilm aur inkisaar thaa. Hazrat Nizaamauddeen Auliyaa se jinheṉ Dilli waale Sultaan ji kahte haiṉ, Ustaad Ganje ko baṛee aqidat thi, aur ye sultaan ji hi ka ruhaani tasarruf thaa ke ustaad ka dil-gudaaz ho gayaa thaa. Wo apni saaree kamai ghareeboṉ, miskeenoṉ aur muhtaajoṉ ki imdaad karne meiṉ sarf kar diyaa karte the.
Dukaan meiṉ beesiyoṉ pateeliyaan, degche aur bartan rakhe haiṉ. Kisee meiṉ do rupaye, kisee meiṉ rupayaa, kisee meiṉ baarah aane, kisee meiṉ aath aane paṛe haiṉ. Shauqin aur qadr-daan raat ko hi apne apne bartan de gae haiṉ ke subh ko maayus na honaa paṛe. Sabse pahle inhi bartanoṉ ki taraf ustaad ki tawajjoh hotee hai. Baṛee tezi aur phurtee se haath chalaate haiṉ, idhar gaahakoṉ ke ṭhaṭ ke ṭhaṭ lage haiṉ. Un ki aaraaish ka bhi unheiṉ k͟hayaal hai. Gaahak bhi jaante haiṉ ki jinke bartan pahle aa gae haiṉ, unheṉ nihari pahle milegi. Kisee baahar waale ne, jo yahaan ke qaede-qareene nahiṉ jaantaa, jaldee machaai to ustaad ne rasaan se kahaa, “abhi detaa hun. Jo pahle aaya hai use agar pehle na dungaa to shikaayat hogi. ”
Bartanoṉ ki len doree k͟hatm hui to gaahakoṉ ka bhugtaan shuru hua. Do rupaye se do paise tak ke k͟hareedaar maujud aur sabko hissaa rasad miltaa hai. Teen ghaṅte meiṉ ded do sau gaahakoṉ ko nihari dee aur deg sak͟hee ke dil ki tarah saaf ho gai. Ab jo koi aata hai to baṛee inkisaaree se kehte haiṉ, “miyaan muafi chaahataa hun. Miyaan ab kal dungaa, Allah ne chaahaa to. Allah k͟haair rakhe, kal khayegaa. ”
Subhaan-Allah, kyaa ik͟hlaaq thaa aur kaisee waza-daaree thi. Aag aur mirchoṉ ka kaam aur is qadar ṭhunnde aur meeṭhe! Dusroṉ ko dekhiye gaalee galauj, dhakkaa-mukkee aur lapaa-dugi ki naubat rahtee hai.
Ustaad Ganje ki nihari Dilli ke sab shurafa ke haan jaatee thi. Un ki saat pushteṉ isee Dilli meiṉ guzree theeṉ. Saaraa sheher un ko jaantaa thaa aur ye bhi Dilli ke daai bane hue the. Shahar abaadee aur shahar abaadee baad ke saare k͟haandaan aur un ke rudaar afraad unheiṉ azbar the. Kabhi mauj meiṉ hote to maze maze ki baateṉ bhi kar lete. “jee chaahataa hai ki deputy saahib ko ek din tohafaa nihari khilaaun. Allah ne chaahaa to ab ke wo nihari khilaaun gaa ke chille ke jaaṛoṉ meiṉ paseenaa aa jaae. “
“Haan miyaan to aapke liye kyaa bhejun?”
“Ustaad, cheh adamiyoṉ ke liye nihari, kamre par. ”
Bas is se ziyaadaa aapko kahne ki aur un ko sunne ki zarurat nahiṉ. Unheṉ maalum hai ke aapkee nihari ka kyaa lawaazimaa hotaa hai. Zaahir hai ki aapke saathee bhi aapke ham-mazaaq hi hoṉge. Fi-kas paaw bhar nihari ke aṉdaaze se unhoṉ ne nihari ek baṛe se baadiye meiṉ nikaalee. Ghee aadh paaw fi-kas ke hisaab se daagh karne angithi par rakh diyaa. Itne mein ghee taiyaar ho, unhoṉ ne cheh bheje toṛ saaf-suf kar nihari meiṉ daal diye aur baarah nalliyaan bhi us meiṉ jhaaṛ deeṉ. Upar se kaṛ kaṛaataa ghee daal, taanbe ke rikaabee se dhak diyaa. Laṛke ko awaaz dekar pehle ghoriyaan aur chamchaa upar bhejaa. Laṛke ne upar pahaunch kar khonti par se khajur ka baṛaa sa gol dastar-k͟hwaan beech meiṉ bichhaa diyaa aur us par ghoriyaan chun deeṉ. Phir lapak kar niche aaya aur nihari ka baadiyaa ehtiyaat se upar pahunchaa diyaa.
Leejie, Ustaad ne aapke dostoṉ ke liye ek k͟haas tohfaa bhejaa hai. Tandur meiṉ se garma-garm roṭiyaan nikaal kar ghee meiṉ daal diṉ aur roṭiyaan ghee pee kar aisee k͟hastaa aur mulaaim ho gai haiṉ jaise rui ke gaale. Waah-waah kyaa mizaaj-daani aur adaa-shanaasee hai jabhi to aaj tak Ganje nihari waale ko Dilli waale yaad karte haiṉ.
Ye to k͟haair ameeroṉ ke choṉchle haiṉ. Asal meiṉ nihari ghareeb ghurabaa ka man bhaataa khaajaa hai. Dastkaar, mazdur aur kaareegar subh-subh kaam par jaane se pehale chaar paise meiṉ apnaa pet bhar lete the. Do paise ki nihari aur do paise ki do roṭiyaan un ke din-bhar ke sahaare ko kaafee hoteeṉ. Ghar meiṉ al-as-sabah chaar paise meiṉ bhalaa kyaa taiyaar ho saktaa hai.
Saste aur baa-barkat samay the. Ek kamaataa das khaate the. Ab das kamaate haiṉ aur ek ko nahiṉ khilaa sakte. Wo waqt nahiṉ rahe. Miyaan Ganje nihari waale bhi guzree hui bahaaroṉ ki ek chaṭpaṭi daastaan ban kar rah gae. Sadaa rahe naam Allah ka.