" Mama. Baba bohot bimaar hain. Mein bohot akela aur dara hua hun. Baba chal nahi sakte. Baba ab kabhi nahi uth sakte, mama. Kya aap mujhe sun rahi hain?" Hospital ke counter per rakhe phone ka ek sira kaan se lagaye, uski hatheliyon mein paseena aa chuka tha. Gyarah saala ek bacha bheegi aankhein liye, roondhi awaaz liye keh raha tha.
"Mama." Usne ek baar phir kaha. Raabta munqata ho chuka tha. Wo takleef se tang hota seena liye, wahin khada raha. Phone ko sakhti se thaame. Girte aansuon ke saath.
Use yaad tha ke hospital ka wo thanda farsh, uske barahna kadmon tale kis qadar sard mehsoos ho raha tha. Use is sard farsh ki thandak aaj tak apni zaat ke ander khubti hui mehsoos ho rahi thi.
Usne aahista se lambi taar wala phone rakh diya. Reception ke paar maujood ladki ne bohot dukh se us chote bacche ko dekha tha. Use yaad tha. Jab wo baba ke hospital Wale kamre ki jaanib badh raha tha tab uski taangein kaano rahi thi. Wo is hospital ke thande wajood mein aahistagi se barf banta jaa raha tha.
Un dino ki khaufnaak tanhai ne Yasir alam ka peecha kabhi nahi choda tha. Dada aur dadi hajj ki adayegi ke liye Saudia gaye hue the. Uski maa apni blockbuster film ke liye newyork ke aasman tale shooting per maujood thi. Aur wo hospital ke us thande kamre mein. Apne baap ke laghaar wajood ke saath bilkul tanha tha.
Usne haath aage badha kar baba ke haath ko chua.
Wo haath zindagi se khaali tha.
Kamre ke darwaze per maujood gol sheeshe se bas yahi dikhai deta tha. Ke ek chota sa ladka apne baap se kuch keh raha tha.
Uske garm aansu apne baap ke thande haathon per gir rahe the.
Shayad wo unse keh raha tha ke wo. Unhein bacha lega.
Wo unhein apni maa ki tarah kabhi tanha nahi karega.
Haan wo yahi karega.
Usne yahi Kiya tha.
Usne girte aansuon ke saath apne baap ko us raat bohot si kahaniyan sunayi thi.
Aisi kahaniyan.
Jin mein maut haar jaati hai aur zindagi jeet jaati hai.
Kohr braaati us siyaah raat tale. Yasir alam ne pehli dafa apni maa se nafrat mehsoos ki thi.
Shadeed nafrat.
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Wo un dono ko club ki zehreeli roshniyon se bacha kar bahar le aaya tha. Sultana jaan bujh kar taxi mein aayi thi taake Yasir use apne saath car mein wapas le jaa sake. Albatta saleena ke taxi mein aane ki wajah uski car ki kharabi thi. Usne bagair kuch kahe aage badh kar apni gaadi ka pichla darwaza khola. Sultana ne gehra saans liya aur phir ander jaa baithi. Saleena albatta uski jaanib ghoomi thi.
"Guard. Mein khud chali jaungi." Uski rangat safed aur aankhein Khushk thien. Lekin wo phir bhi aasaab per qaabu paaye, usse keh rahi thi. Yasir ki thandi aankhon ne lamhe bhar ke liye use dekha. Aur phir usne agle hi pal use kalai se pakad kar ander bithaya. Wo uske sakht chehre ko dekh kar jaise koi muzaahmat (resistance) nahi kar paayi. Gaadi tezi se bahar reverse karte hue wo un dono ko un makrooh galiyon se nikaal laaya tha. Car mein tanaav se bharpoor Khamoshi phaili thi. Yasir Patthar chehra liye drive kar raha tha. Sultana sanjeeda chehre ke saath khidki se bahar dekh rahi thi. Gaahe bagaahe wo saath baithi saleena per ek na pasandeeda nigaah bhi daal leti thi. Us ladki ki wajah se aaj ka saara laaiha amal bekaar jaa chuka tha. Uska mood sakht kharab hua tha. Saleena ka chehra safed aur dhadkan ma'amool se zyada badhi hui thi. Pichle waqye ka asar ab tak uske uper maujood tha.
Kayi pehron ki drive ke baad Yasir ab sultana ke bangle ke saamne car rok raha tha. Usne use apni car se utarne tak ke liye nahi kaha. Uske lab yun band the goya qayamat tak bolne ka iraada na rakhte hon.
"Ye sab yahin hai. Meri aur tumhari mulakaat. Tum mujhse phir milne aaoge. Agar nahi aaye toh mein phir yahi karungi. Hazaar aise tareeqe istemaal karungi jo tumhe nagawaar guzrenge. Aur tum mujhe bachane hamesha chale aaoge. Kyunke tum begairat nahi ho. Yahi baat tumhe hamesha meri taraf kheench laayegi. Aaj ki mulaqaat toh qair zeher ho hi gayi hai." Ek nagawar nigaah saleena per daal kar wo car ka darwaza kholti bahar nikal gayi thi. Uske nikalte hi Yasir ne car aage badha di thi. Ab uska ruq saleena ke apartment ki jaanib tha.
Ek waqt tha jab wo use beech sadak par utaar kar chala gaya tha. Aur ek ye waqt tha ke jab wo uske mana karne per bhi use uske ghar tak chodne aaya tha. Apartment aa chuka toh wo apni jaanib ka darwaza kholta bahar nikla. Phir pichli nashast ka darwaza khola toh saleena Khamoshi se bahar nikal aayi. Lamhe bhar ke liye mohtaat nigaahon se Yasir ka chehra dekha. Wahan ab sirf gehri Khamoshi chayi hui thi.
Agle hi pal usne apne purse se ek safed rumaal nikala aur phir jhijhakti hue, jhuk kar uska zaqmi haath thaama. Ab wo narmi se safed rumaal uski hatheli ke gird baandh rahi thi. Yasir ne use nahi roka. Naahi use jhidka. Naahi apna haath uski giraft se nikaalne ki koshish ki.
"Kis ne bulaya tha wahan per tumhein?" Sanjeedgi se pucha toh uska chalta haath lamhe bhar ko thehra. Labon per zabaan pher kar usne chehra uthate hue use dekha tha.
"Yuwal ne kaha tha ke ek director ne mere lead role ke mutaliq baat ki hai. Usne kaha tha ke agar uska secretary mujhse raabta kare toh mein mana nahi karun. Lekin mere saath scam hogaya. Aise scam actress ke saath hote rehte hain. Nothing serious." Aakhir mein qafeef sa muskurayi toh Yasir uski muskurahat per hairaan hue bagair nahi reh saka. Wo us sab ke baad kaise muskura sakti thi? Wo us sab ke baad bhi itni musbat (positive) kyun thi? Balke us sab ke baad itni musbat kaise thi?
Usne aahistagi se uska haath chod diya tha.
"Aaj ke liye. Bohot shukriya." Itna kaha aur saath se nikal gayi. Wo aahistagi se uski jaanib palta. Bilkul Khamosh nigaahon se use jaata hua dekhta raha. Apartment ki jalti roshniyon ke bahar, dakhili darwaze per wo ek pal ke liye thehri thi. Darwaze ke saath ek aurat apne nau maulood (new born) bache ko seene se lagaye, thand se bachane ki koshish mein buri tarah nakaam ho rahi thi. Wo aage badhne ke bajaye tezi se us aurat tak badh aayi thi. Ab wo jhuk kar usse kuch keh bhi rahi thi. Chehre per fikrmandi aur lehje mein narmi liye wo us aurat se yahan aise baithne ki wajah puch rahi thi shayad.
Wo use dekhe gaya. Agle hi pal wo tezi se aage badhi phir kayi lamhaat baad jab wo wapas aayi toh uske haath mein ek teh shuda kambal maujood tha. Apartment ke ander aise logon ka dakhila mamnu tha. Ab wo us aurat ke uper kambal khol kar daal rahi thi. Saath hi wo kuch khane ki ashya (goods) le aayi thi. Kuch lamhaat us aurat se baat karne ke baad wo ander ki jaanib badh gayi thi. Yasir ko uski chaal mein thakan mehsoos hui thi. Gehri aur na khatam hone wali thakan.
Wo use jaata hua dekhta raha. Bilkul khamoshi se.
Saleena mazhar ke liye uska sakht dil jaane kyun lamhe ke hazaaron hisse mein pighal sa gaya tha. Agle hi pal wo car mein baitha aur phir aage badh gaya.
Uska ruq agency ki jaanib tha.
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