After spending some time with the members of the Orphanage… HM was sitting on the terrace and looking at the stars… Maybe trying to find her Abba… A cup of coffee appeared in front of her… the aroma instantly relaxing her… She took the cup and smiled at Zubair, “Thank you”. “Kya baat hai Ma’am… aap yaha akeli kyu baithi hai??” She looked at him…
Zubair… no surname… Age maybe similar to HM’s. He had grown up in some Madrasah in Agra… Intelligent, smart yet sensitive. He could have achieved huge success if he had worked for some MNC. But he chose to dedicate his life to children like him. Mahipal Singh had met him when he visited Agra… He was instantly impressed by his zeal to strive for the society. He invited Zubair to Lucknow and had handed over the reins of the Orphanage to him.
“Itni formality ki jarurat nahi hai… Aap hume Haseena bula sakte hai…” HM said. “Jaisa aap kahe Haseena…” Z replied with a smile. “Waise aap janti hai… ajnabee se dil ki baat share karna aasan hota hai…” Haseena gave him a quizzical look. “Itni duniya toh humne bhi dekhi hai… Aap thik nahi hai… Kuch hai aapke dil mei jo aapko pareshan kar raha hai… Batane se dard halka ho jata hai… Agar aap comfortable hai toh bataiye… hum sunn rahe hai…” HM was silent. He was right… she needed to pour things out, empty her heart… She hadn’t been able to do it with her closed ones… maybe she could do it with him. When she didn’t speak, he stood up to leave. “I hope aapko subah late honeki permission hai… kyunki waqt lag sakta hai…” HM said. Z smiled “Puri raat le lijiye… kaam ka kya hai… woh toh hota rahega…” HM started… from when first she met AS to what transpired few hours ago… With every word, she emptied her heart. She let all her pain, anguish and frustration to freely flow out. She felt lighter… her calmness returning. They didn’t realise when it was past midnight.
“Thank you… itna koi kisi apne ke liye bhi nahi karta…” she could only say that. “Thank you aapko… jo aapne hume is kabil samjha… Aur rahi baat aapno ki… toh bhale hi koi aaj se pehle aapse mila na ho… lekin yaha sabhi aapko apna samajhte hai…” HM was touched… She looked at her watch and was surprised… “Itni der ho gayi… waqt ka pata hi nahi chala… Hum abhi chalte hai” “Itni raat ko mat jaiye… aaj yahi ruk jaiye… subah hote hi nikal jaiyega…” Z said. HM thought that would be the right thing to do. Z gave her a spare room… after freshening up she lied down on the bed… all the crying and talking had tired her out… she fell asleep hoping for a better tomorrow… She didn’t notice her cell phone had switched off…
KS’s morning had started with Ammi’s call, “Beta, Haseena aapke saath hai kya?? Uska phone nahi lag raha.” KS rubbed her eyes and said, “MS humare saath kyu hongi Ammi??” “Haseena kal raat ghar nahi aayi… aur uska phone bhi switched off aa raha hai… toh hume laga kisi case ke silsile mei tum dono kahi gaye honge…” Ammi said worriedly. “Lekin MS toh thane se time se nikal gayi thi…” KS said. “Haye Allah, kaha chali gayi ye ladki…??” KS understood that Ammi had started panicking. “Aap chinta mat kariye Ammi… Hum pata lagate hai na… Ho sakta hai MS dobara thane gayi ho kisi kaam se… Hum abhi jate hai thane aur aapko waha se direct MS se baat karvate hai… thik hai na… tabhi tak aap jyada tension nahi lijiyega…” With that she jumped out of the bed and called Santu and Cheeta to MPT. They didn’t find HM in MPT… KS had assured Ammi but now she was worried too. “Santu jaldi se MS ke phone ka location trace karo…” she ordered… KS was shocked when SS told her MS’s last location was AS’s house. Hence her she was demanding answers from her Anu bhaiyya…
“Sir, kya aapne MS ko yaha bulaya tha??” “Ji nahi…” AS replied. “Amma agar aapne unhe yaha nahi bulaya toh MS yaha aayi kahe thi… Humare palle hi nahi pad raha kuch…” “Humne Haseena ko yaha bulaya tha…” said Maa who had just come to the living room… “Maa aapne?? Parantu kyu??” AS was shocked… “Chachiji aapne?? Lekin kahe??” KS enquired. “Maafi mangne ke liye…” Maa replied. “Ka??? Kis baat ka mafi??” KS asked. “Parso Anu ne unse badtamezi se baat ki thi… Bina kuch bole Haseena chali gayi thi… Hume acha nahi laga… isiliye maafi mangna chahte the.” AS was feeling guilty now… without knowing the reason for her visit he had rebuked her. He blamed her… accused of something very nasty… Guilt was being replaced by fear now… where was she…??
“Kaha ja sakti hai HM…??” AS said to himself. “Anu… Kal aap dono ke beech fir behas hui?? Humne dekha lekin kuch sunai nahi diya…” Maa said… “Sir… Kya kaha aapne MS se??” KS asked angrily… Had he not hurt her enough already?? AS was silent… “Hum kuch puch rahe aapse Sirrr…” KS said stressing the ‘sir’ word… she hadn’t called him bhaiyya since the truth was out. “Aap humare saath chaliye KS… Hum aapko sab bata denge…” AS dragged KS outside… KS angrily shrugged his hand off when they reached her car… “Ka challah hai ye…?? Aap pehle humko bataiye ke ka hua kal?? Hum bata rahe hai aapko… agar humara dimaag kharab hua na toh…” “Batate hai…” AS told her everything that transpired between him and HM. KS was angry beyond measure… Had he not been her brother, she would have beaten him black and blue… “Aap… aap se toh baat karna hi bekar hai… Humko abhi bas MS ko dhundna hai… Prarthna kijiye MS thik ho… unhe kuch hua na toh hum khud nahi jante hum kya kar baithenge” KS threatened. “Abhi in sab ka samay nahi hai… hume jald se jald Haseena ji ko dhundna hoga…” AS said. “Amma lekin kaise…?? Unke jeep ka radio bhi trace nahi ho raha…” AS was thinking hard… “Ek kaam karte hai… unke niwas pe chalte hai… dekhte hai kuch suraag milta hai kya??” KS also agreed.
“Beta aap dono yaha?? Haseena kaha hai??” Ammi asked. “Ammi woh…” KS couldn’t complete her sentence. “Ammi is waqt hum aapko kuch nahi bata sakte… Hume aapse kuch sawal puchne hai…” AS said. “Kya hua hai??” Ammi asked worriedly. “Ammi aap ghabraiye mat… yaha baithiye… Behna pani dijiye jara…” AS said while making Ammi sit on the couch. “Ammi kya aisi koi jagah hai… jaha Haseena ji jaati hai jab who pareshaan hoti hai?? Ya dukhi hoti hai??” AS asked. “Anubhav beta… Haseena kabhi aisa nahi karti… chahe jitna bhi pareshan ho… seedhe ghar aati hai…” AS had noticed Ammi had not addressed him as ‘Damaad ji’. “Lekin Haseena pareshan kyu hai?? Ab toh usne sab kuch bata diya hume… toh pareshani kaisi??” Ammi said… “Ek min… kya bata diya MS ne aapko??” KS asked. “Yahi ke Genda ko pakdne ke liye usne aur Anubhav beta ne shaadi ka natak kiya tha…” AS was shocked… “Kab bataya unhone aapko?” He asked. “Jis din hum market mei mile the aapse… ussi din shamko bata diya tha… Woh hum heart patient hai na… isiliye batane se darr rahi thi…” Ammi replied… The earth had slipped below his feet… She was protecting her ailing mother from a shock… He had slouched with the overbearing guilt…
