Police station ke tehqeeqati kamre mein ajeeb si khamoshi thi. Bilkul aisi Khamoshi jo kisi vaccum numa kamre mein hoti hai. Jahan kisi awaaz ka gumaan nahi hota. Tehqeeqati kamre mein ek adad bulb sar per jhul raha tha. Tehqeeqat mukammal ki jaa chuki thien. Uski shave kaafi had tak badhi hui thi. Haatho aur pairon mein hathkadiyon ke bajaye use kisi yarghamal jaanwar ki manand zanjeeron mein jakda gaya tha. Phir do hatte khatte se ahelkaar ander aaye aur use kheench kar khada kiya. Phir use kisi jaanwar ki manand apne saath bahar ki jaanib ghaseeta.
Saboot bohot wazay the. Unse inkaar karna sarasar bewakoofi thi. Lekin wo phir bhi aitraaf nahi kar raha tha. Ab uska case jaane kitni dahaaiyon (decades) tak chalna tha. Uske baarsokh ameer baap ne bade bade difa wakla'a ko uske liye hire kiya tha. Lekin sab kahin ander jaante the ke uska case bilkul bhi mazboot nahi tha. Aaj use mustaqil jail mein bhijwaya jaa raha tha. Aise qaidiyon ke darmyan ke jin ki shaklein dekh kar bhi insaan ko qay ho jaya karti thi. Unke saath rehna mazaak nahi tha.
Uska saans har guzarte pal ke saath khushk hua jaa raha tha.
Detectives aur police ahelkaar uske dayein bayein. Ek qataar mein aistadah the. Ye sab wo log the Jo uske case ke charge mein the. Qataar ke bilkul aakhri sire per armaan khada tha. Uske saath hi saahir maujood tha. Bilkul sapaat chehra liye. Sher kadam kadam chalta aage badh raha tha. Uske chehre par yasir ki maar ke nishan ab tak maujood the. Qataar ke aakhri sire per wo lamhe bhar ko ruka tha. Phir ek nigaah pher kar saahir ki jaanib dekha.
"Qaid Mubarak ho, Sher hassan. Ek lambe arse ki jahannumi qaid. Mubarak ho." Usne kaha. Lehja dehek raha tha. Armaan ne bhi use unhin nazron se dekha.
"Hum is baat ko yakeeni banayenge ke tum azaadi ka suraj kabhi na dekh sako. Sick aadmi!"
Armaan ke kehne per sher halka sa muskuraya tha. Phir uske saamne apne zanjeeron mein jakde haath uthaye. Yun goya use dikha raha ho.
"Mere baap ne mujhe pandra saal ek kamre mein band rakha tha, armaan sir. Jab mein bahar nikla toh jaanwar ban gaya tha. Ab Jahan jaa raha hun wahan mujhse bade jaanwar honge. Lekin mein unke saath rehna seekh lunga. Kyunke insaan bohot zaalim maqlooq hai. Wo jahannum mein zinda rehna bhi seekh leta hai. Wo uski jalti bhatti ke liye apne jism aur zehen ko aadi kar leta hai. Qudrat insaan ko mehez ek kaam sikhati hai, sir." Wo thehra tha. Phir halki si sard awaaz mein bola. "Aur wo hai zinda rehna!"
Usi pal ahelkaar ne use bahar ki jaanib dhakela toh sahar (dawn of the day) toot gaya. Armaan ka saans taish se dhonkni ki manand chal raha tha. Saahir khud bhi gehre gehre saans leta khud ko normal kar raha tha. Wo jin aankhon ke saath aakhri baat bol kar gaya tha. Wo baat reedh ki haddi ko khauf se chatqa gayi thi. Uske jaate hi ahelkaaron ne ek dusre ke kandhe thapke the. Wo unki din raat ki mehnat ka samar tha. Saahir ne bhi armaan ke kandhe par haath rakha tha.
Usne aankhein band kin aur phir khud ko normal karne laga.
Ahelkaar ab meeting room ki jaanib badh rahe the. Abhi is case per ek taweel behes baaki thi. Kis ko kya saboot kab aur kaise mile? Kisne case ko solve karne mein ehem kirdaar ada kiya. Sab kuch. Wo bhi sab ke saath meeting room ki jaanib badh gaya tha. Saahir ko dakhile ki ijazat nahi thi toh wo bahar chala aaya. Uska ruq agency ki jaanib tha. Ek uljhi hui taweel gatthi sulajh gayi thi. Lekin us suljhi gatthi ke aakhri sire per kitni takleef thi.
Usne gehra saans liya aur aage badh gaya. Ek safar tamaam hua tha.
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Pure bees din baad use discharge kar diya gaya tha.
Wo haneefa ke saath ghar chali aayi. Chalne phirne ki dushwari khaasi kam ho gayi thi. Wo ba asaani kaam kar sakti thi. Wo pehle se behtar ho gayi thi. Sehatiyaab ho gayi thi. Wo maghrib ek waqt ghar pohonche the. Lounge ki battiyan gul thien. Haneefa ne aage badh kar battiyan roshan ki toh ghar jaise qumqumon ki chamak mein naha gaya. Lekin wo use dekh kar nahi chonki thi.
