Wo zeenon se utarte utarte thak gayi thi. Aakhri zeenon tak uski taangein kaanpne lagi thien. Kuch der phule saans ko bahaal karne ke liye wo zeenon per hi baith gayi. Yakayak uska mobile paigham ki tone ke saath baja toh usne uski chamakti screen nigaahon ke saamne ki.
Agle hi pal uski aankhein phail gayi thien. Apne account se hui saat hazaar ki taza transaction dekh kar uska dimaag bhak se udha tha. Agle hi pal usne daant pees kar phone per number dial kiya aur use kaan se lagaya.
"Ye kya hai, maa? Saat hazaar....! Aapko kya zarurat padh gayi itne paison ki?" Dusri jaanib jaise uska sawal sun kar saamay ne talqi se phone ko dekha tha.
"Meine ek bag liya hai. Umera zahid ki maa ke paas bhi ye limited edition hai. Agar usne liya hai toh mujhe bhi lena chahiye na. Log kya kahenge ke beti ke flop hote hi maa ne bazaaron ke bags per guzara karna shuru kar diya hai. Ye sab mein tumhare liye hi kar rahi hun, beta." Uska dil kiya zor se unpar chillaye. Idhar uske pass apne apartment ka kiraya dene ke paise pure nahi ho rahe the. Aur idhar uski maa ko aristocrat banne se fursat nahi thi.
Wo bebasi se phone ko lamhe bhar ke liye dekh kar reh gayi thi. Ye sab kya ho raha tha aakhir. Sab log aakhir uska dil rakhne ke liye use hi kyun kangaal kar rahe the. Pehle nazar amjad. Phir uski maa.
"Aapko andaza bhi hai ke wo saat hazaar abhi mere liye kis qadar ehem hain....! Aap itni laparwah kaise ho sakti hain apni beti ke masle se?" Wo unpar cheeqi thi.
"Ek bag lene se tum gareeb nahi ho jaogi." Wo bhi jawaban itni hi talqi se phenkaari. Saleena ko apna sar ghoomta hua mehsoos ho raha tha.
"Aapke paas aise qeemti bags ki bharmaar hai, maa. Meine aapko sab kuch le kar diya hai."
"Ek saal se tumne mujh per apna haath jaise tang rakha hua hai. Wo mein jaanti hun. Mera dam ghut ta hai gine chune paise lekar tum se. Aakhir kab khatam hoga tumhara ye flop actress ka drama?"
Use laga jaise uska dil doob raha hai. Wo chand pal kuch na boli thi.
"Ab aap....mere account se koi paise nahi nikalengi. Ye meri warning hai aapko." Wo sakhti se keh kar jaise hi uthi toh dusri jaanib sanaata chah gaya.
"Samajh gayin?"
"Bas aakhri dafa mujhe pachaas hazaar dedo." Uska dimaag ek baar phir bhak se udha tha. Usne beyakeeni se phone ko dekha.
"Aap pagal toh nahi hogayi hain kahin?"
"Saleena...maa ki majburi samjho beta."
"Pehle batayein. Aapko ye paise kyun chahiye?" Usne kamaal zabt se pucha tha.
"Wo. Tum naraz nahi ho na."
"Pehle batayein."
"Mujhe casino mein wo paise lautane hain." Zeene jaise uske sar per aa gire the. Casino! Uski maa phir se gambling (juwwa) khelne lagi thi! Wo jaise kuch bolne ki qaabil hi nahi rahi thi.
"Maa.....aap.....!" Use samajh nahi aaya ke kya kehna chahiye.
"Mein yahan kaam ke liye dar dar bhatak rahi hun, maa. Logon ki kadwi kaseeli baatein sun rahi hun taake kisi cheez ki kami na hone dun. Aur aap. Ye aap kya kar rahi hain mere saath? Koi paisa nahi milega aapko ab. Ek phuti kaudi bhi nahi." Usne agle hi pal phone kaan se hataya aur larazte kadmon se aage badh aayi. Uska rang safed ho raha tha. Darwaza khol kar usne jaise hi bahar kadam rakha toh reporters ka ek jam-e-gafir usper jhapta. Lights. Sawalat. Maa ki be hisi. Yuwal aur nazar amjad ki harkat. Umera zahid ke zeher ugalte tanz. Sab kuch jaise usper ek saath waarid hua tha.
"Aapk scandal abhi tak qabron mein kyun gardish kar raha hai? Kya aap ab bhi zubair and sons ke chote bete ke saath relationship mein hain?"
"Kya aapke baare mein tamaam allegations durust hain?"
"Kya ye sach hai ke aap court ke summon karne per bhi haazir nahi hui thien?"
"Kya aap waqai drugs ki trafficking mein zubair hassan ke bete ke saath malwus rahi thien?"
"Kuch kahein please." Reporters ka ek hajoom tha jo uske aas paas ubal raha tha. Uska saans rukne laga tha. Koi guard uski hifazat ke liye maujood nahi tha. Uske paas guard hire karne ke liye paise nahi the.
Reporters use chuh rahe the. Nazeba (inappropriate) sawalat kar rahe the. Wo safed padte chehre ke saath darmyan se nikalne ki koshish kar rahi thi lekin har koshish nadaarad. Wo bohot zyada the. Saleena akeli thi. Kya yahi hota hai flop actress ka muqaddar? Nazeba sawalat aur zu-ma'ani nazrein.
Yakayak koi us jam-e-gafir ko teer ki tarah chherta hua aage badha. Usne apne hath phaila kar saleena ke aas paas rakhe. Sab reporters uski aamad per yakdam hi peeche hue the. Wo surmayi aankhon wala, daraaz qad, bodyguard tha. Uske baazuon mein itni taqat thi ke wo kayi logon ko ek saath pare dhakel sakta tha. Aur usne yahi Kiya tha.
"Faasla rakh kar baat karein." Uski jhaad per reporters sharmindagi se peeche hue the. Saleena us naye chehre ko hairat se tak rahi thi. Surmayi aankhon wala uski jaanib ghooma. .
"Kya aap baat karengi?" Sargoshi mein usse pucha. Saleena ne sirf apna sar nafi mein hilaya tha. Ye ishara yasir ke liye kaafi tha. Usne tezi se reporters ko pare dhakela. Kayi ek dusre se takra kar zameen par jaa gire.
"Aap kon hai saleena ke..?" Kisi reporter ne haank lagayi toh usne sapaat aankhon se use dekha.
"Bodyguard."
Aur phir usi tezi ke saath saleena ko liye agency ke dakhili hall se bahar liye aage badh aaya.
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Wo darwaze apne peeche band karta hua bahar nikal aaya tha. Office se bhaari shay zameen par maare jaane ki awaaz bahar tak sunayi di thi. Julia ki secretary ne ander bhaagte hue usper ek afsardah nigaah daali thi. Julia ka ye liya diya sa bodyguard use shuru din se hi nahi pasand tha.
Wo haath mein maflar liye, aage badh aaya tha. Hall ke wo jaanib lifts ke saamne reporters jam-e-gafir maujood tha. Wo sab yakeenan ek saal ke baad, saleena ki achanak aamad per qaase chonke hue the. Aur ye toh tay tha ke ab wo usse sawalat puche bagair talne wale nahi the.
Yasir ko khamosh nigaahein lift se zeenon ke darwaze tak phailin. Wo yakeenan lift se nahi utaregi. Abhi usne chand kadam aage badhaye hi the ke zeenon ka darwaza khula aur saleena safed chehre ke saath bahar nikli. Lift ke saamne istadah jam-e-gafir uski jaanib tezi se lapka tha.
Wo nazar andaaz karke aage badhna chahta tha.
Usne haath mein qaid maflar ko puri tarah se mutthi mein jakde rakha tha. Ye uska masla nahi tha. Reporters ke sawalat uski samaat mein utare. Wo aur saleena ke ird gird maujood reporters ka jam-e-gafir ek saath hi dakhili darwaze ki jaanib badh rahe the. Usne ek nazar reporters ke darmyan barf chehre ke saath khadi, bachti bachati saleena ko dekha. Aur bas.
Saamne ki jaanib badhte uske kadam, agle hi pal is hujoom ke jaanib ghoome. Hujoom ko pare dhakel kar wo tezi se uske jaanib badha. Baaki ka kaam asaan tha. Kaam uska ma'amool tha. Use logon ko pare dhakelne mein maharat haasil thi. Lekin wo ek dafa saleena se puchna chahta tha. Agar wo reporters ke sawalat ka jawab dena chahti thi toh wo uske liye raah humwaar kar sakta tha. Lekin wo bohot satpatayi hui lag rahi thi. Makeup ki chadhi teh tale use saleena ka chehra had darja murda mehsoos hua tha. Us murde chehre ko dekh kar use lamhe bhar ke liye kuch bohot shidaat se yad aaya tha. Aur us yaad ke lapakte hi, uske haathon mein mazeed tezi aagayi thi.
Usne kayi reporters ko raaste se hataya aur uske liye raasta banata hua, use apni car tak lekar aaya. Reporters uski car ke darwaze tak sawalat kar rahe the. Usne peechla darwaza khola aur saleena ko ander bithaya. Phir front seat sambhal kar agle hi pal gadi tezi se bahar nikal laya.
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