Update 78
Aaj raat hum sab ke liye ek bechain raat thi.
Main computer ke saamne baitha tha, ghar ki har cheez ko dekhta raha, neend toh door-door tak nahi thi. Drawer mein padi purani, expired cigarettes maine ek ke baad ek phoonk daali.
Raat ke waqt, jab chowkidar apna chakkar laga raha tha, usne mujhe office mein computer ke saamne baitha dekha. Usne socha main der raat tak kaam kar raha hoon. Mujhe do-chaar baar awaaz di, aur phir office mein dobara sannata chha gaya. Sirf mere earphones se aati awaaz goonj rahi thi.
Rita ne sab kuch samet liya tha aur living room ke sofa par chupchap baithi thi. Uske dono haath uske sides mein latak rahe the, aankhein saamne ki taraf dekhti hui, pata nahi kya soch rahi thi.
Is waqt uske chehre par koi bhaav nahi tha, jaise uski rooh hi udd chuki ho. Sirf washing machine ki goonjti awaaz sunai de rahi thi.
Bedroom mein Pitaji baar-baar karwatein badal rahe the. Kabhi-kabhi unhone living room ki taraf dekha, unka chehra chinta se bhara tha. Kabhi unki bhaunhein sikud jaati, kabhi woh dheemi aah bharte. Kai baar woh dheere se bed se utre, par jab darwaze ke handle par haath rakha, thodi der sochne ke baad wapas bed par laut aaye.
Shayad Pitaji ko itna bharosa nahi tha, woh Rita se baat karna chahte the, par unmein himmat nahi thi.
Chalis minute baad, Rita ne dhuli hui bedsheets aur chaddar nikali aur balcony ke clothesline par taang di.
Yeh sab karne ke baad, Rita ne living room ki lights band kar di aur humare shaadi ke kamre mein wapas chali gayi. Woh apne pairon ko samet kar bed par baithi, pata nahi kya soch rahi thi, kyunki uske chehre par koi bhaav nahi tha.
Ghar ke iss bejaan mahaul ko dekhkar, mujhe pata tha meri zimmedari kitni bhaari hai. Bahut saara “samaadhaan” ka kaam mujhe karna tha.
Dheere-dheere, Rita ne apna sir apne ghutno ke beech dabaya aur dheemi, be-awaaz si siskiyon mein ro padi. Uska jism aur kandhe thar-thar kaanpte rahe, sab kuch sun-saan ho gaya.
Mujhe nahi pata waqt kaise guzar gaya. Jab mujhe hosh aaya, toh subah ho chuki thi.
Naya din shuru ho gaya. Dhoop khidkiyon se office mein aane lagi.
Dhoop wahi thi, jo har roz hoti hai. Sab kuch wahi, jaise hamesha hota tha, par mere aur mere parivaar ke liye sab badal chuka tha. Hum wapas purane dinon mein nahi ja sakte the. Sab kuch dheere-dheere badal raha tha.
Subah chhe baje ke aaspaas, meri nazar abhi bhi computer par thi. Video raat bhar chalta raha. Rita aur Pitaji ka har ek bhaav maine dekha. Raat ke doosre pehar mein ghar bilkul shaant tha.
Rita apne ghutno ko samete bed par baithi rahi, raat bhar hili nahi. Sach mein nahi pata uske haath aur pair soone toh nahi pade.
Pitaji apne bedroom mein karwatein badalte rahe, kabhi-kabhi aah bharte.
Hum teeno ko shayad subah ka dar tha, kyunki subah aayi, toh iska matlab tha ki hum teeno ka saath hone ka waqt nazdeek aa raha tha. Shayad Rita aur Pitaji ko sabse zyada dar tha ki main ghar wapas aaunga.
Subah chhe-tis ke kareeb, Rita ne sabse pehle apna sir uthaya. Uske baal bikhre hue the, aankhein ro-ro kar laal aur sooji hui thi. Video mein saaf dikh raha tha ki uski aankhon mein khoon utar aaya tha.
Usne waqt dekha aur chupchap bed se utar gayi.
Chahe jo ho, jeevan toh chalta hi rahta hai.
Woh chupchap bathroom mein chali gayi aur tayyar hone lagi, makeup karne lagi.
Pehle ke dino mein, Rita hamesha khushi se nahati-dhoti, makeup karti, aur gaana gungunati hui nashta banati thi. Par aaj subah, Rita dheeme-dheeme tayyar hui, jaise uski body mein jaan hi nahi bachi thi, bilkul ek bimaar insaan ki tarah.
Mujhe pata tha, is waqt Rita ke dil-o-dimag dono par gehra sadma laga tha. Use ek mareez kehna galat nahi tha.
Tayyar hone ke baad, Rita apne thake hue chehre ke saath kaam par nikal gayi. Usne na toh nashta banaya, na hi Pitaji se baat ki. Aaj subah, Pitaji uski nazron mein jaise koi ajnabi ban gaye the.
Pitaji bhi saari raat nahi soye. Rita ke nahane-dhone ke baad, woh bhi usi tarah apne pair samet kar bed ke sahare baith gaye.
Woh baar-baar darwaze ki taraf dekhte. Kai baar unhone himmat jutayi, par Rita ka saamna karne ki himmat nahi hui.
Jab Rita ghar se nikal gayi, tab Pitaji darrte-darrte bed se utre aur nahane-dhone chale gaye.
Haan, Pitaji ne kal raat “bahut kuch haasil” kiya, par dil se dukhi hone wale sirf Rita hi nahi thi.
Pitaji ne jo chaha woh paa liya, par saath hi unhe iski badi keemat bhi chukani padegi.
Tayyar hone ke baad, Pitaji ne bhi apne liye nashta nahi banaya. Shayad unhe bhi kuch khaane ka man nahi tha. Woh living room ke sofa par baith gaye, humari family photo ko haath mein liye chupchap dekhte rahe.
Woh photo mein main, Rita, Raj, aur Pitaji—hum chaaron the.
Jab hawas sar par chadh jati hai, tab insaan apne parivaar aur zimmedari ke baare mein nahi sochta. Par jab Pitaji ne woh family photo dekhi, toh saari bhaavnaayein unke dil mein ubhar aayi. Aakhir mein, woh photo dekhte hue ro pade, unki aankhon se aansoon behne lage.
Saat-tis tak main office mein ruka. Company mein kaam shuru ho chuka tha. Maine ek lambi saans li. Chunki main pehle bhi aksar office mein der tak rukta tha, isliye mere paas wahan nahane-dhone ka samaan tha. Main bathroom mein gaya, tayyar hua, aur aaine mein apne aap ko dekha. Maine ek kadwi hasi hasi—meri aankhein bhi laal thi, khoon se bhari hui. Kal raat ne hum teeno ko tabah kar diya tha.
Haan, main bhi raat bhar nahi soya, par mujhe zara bhi neend nahi aa rahi thi. Jab company ka naya din shuru hua, maine apne aap ko kaam mein jhonk diya, par dimaag kahin nahi laga. Sara din mera dimaag khali raha.
Mujhe office se ghar jane ka dar tha, par saath hi main ghar jana bhi chahta tha. Kal ke waakiye ke baad, Rita mere dil mein aur bhi zyada jagah bana chuki thi.
Kal jab woh Pitaji ke saath chudai kar rahi thi, mujhe laga jaise woh mujhse door ja rahi hai. Us waqt ka dar aur dil ka dard maine pehle kabhi nahi mehsoos kiya tha. Kho dene ke baad hi cheez ki keemat samajh aati hai—yeh baat bilkul sach hai.
Kal raat ke baad, maine Rita ko nafrat nahi ki, balki woh mere dil mein aur bhi zyada ahem ho gayi.
Dopahar chaar baje, jab Rita ke office ka time khatam hota hai, maine kai baar socha ki use phone karoon. Par mujhe samajh nahi aaya ki usse kya baat karoon, isliye har baar maine phone rakh diya.
Mujhe Rita ki manasik halat par bharosa tha, par phir bhi thodi si chinta ho rahi thi.
Chaaron baje, jab kaam khatam hone laga, maine thodi der ke liye computer video dobara khola.
Rita abhi ghar nahi aayi thi. Pitaji ka mood thoda behtar lagne laga tha, par unka chehra abhi bhi thaka hua tha. Woh kitchen mein kaam kar rahe the.
Kitchen mein dekha toh laga aaj ka dinner kaafi shandaar hoga.
Pitaji badi mehnat se har ek dish bana rahe the. Kya woh is parivaar ke liye kuch bharpaayi karna chahte the?
Woh khana banate-banate baar-baar living room mein waqt dekhte. Unhe dar lag raha tha, par woh jaante the ki yeh tala nahi ja sakta. Aakhir mein unhe saamna karna hi padega.
Waqt dheere-dheere chaar-bees tak pahunch gaya. Aam taur par is waqt tak Rita ghar aa jati hai, par aaj woh abhi tak nahi aayi thi.
Kya kuch galat ho gaya? Mera dil dhadak utha. Main kaanpte haathon se phone uthane laga, Rita ko call karne ke liye.
Par mujhe himmat nahi hui. Mujhe dar tha, dar ki woh baat sach na ho jaye jisse main sabse zyada darta tha.
Aur das minute guzar gaye. Rita abhi bhi nahi aayi thi. Maine paseene se bhare haathon se phone ka lock khola, Rita ko call karne ke liye. Par abhi call lagaya nahi tha ki video mein darwaze ke khulne ki awaaz aayi.
Darwaza khula, aur Rita ka thaka hua chehra ghar mein dikhayi diya. Use ghar aate dekh maine lambi saans li aur phone band kar diya. Mere haathon ke talwe paseene se bheeg chuke the.
Darwaze ke khulne ki awaaz sunte hi, kitchen mein kaam kar rahe Pitaji ka jism ekdum se kaanp utha. Unka haath, jo sabzi kaat raha tha, ekdum se ruk gaya, aur unhone galti se apna haath bhi kaat liya hota.
Woh thodi der ke liye ruke, phir khana banane mein lag gaye. Unmein Rita ka saamna karne ki himmat nahi thi.
Rita ghar aayi, jootiyan badli aur living room ke sofa par baith gayi. Uska chehra safed pad chuka tha, aur usmein thodi si udasi thi.
Uski aankhein ab bhi thodi sooji hui thi, par itni nahi jitni subah thi. Shayad usne din mein eye-drops daale honge.
Sofa par baithne ke baad, usne apna handbag khola aur usmein se kuch cheezein nikali. Un cheezon par packing thi, isliye main samajh nahi paya woh kya thi.
Pitaji abhi bhi be-dhyan se kaam kar rahe the. Unke maathe par paseena aa chuka tha.
Waqt dheere-dheere guzar raha tha. Khana ban chuka tha, par Pitaji mein himmat nahi thi ki woh khana bahar le jayein.
Waqt aage badhta raha. Rita sofa par baithi rahi, seedha saamne dekhti hui, pata nahi kya soch rahi thi.
“Tum yahan aao,” Rita ki awaaz thandi aur bhaavna-heen thi, jaise usmein koi jaan nahi thi. Uska lehja itna thanda tha ki jaise sab kuch jam gaya ho. Ek din aur ek raat guzarne ke baad bhi, Rita ne Pitaji ko maaf karne ka koi sanket nahi diya.
Rita ki “hukum” sunte hi, Pitaji ko majbooran himmat jutani padi. Woh dheere-dheere living room mein aaye. Is dauraan unhone kabhi sar nahi uthaya, apne apron ko haathon se masalte rahe, aur unke maathe par thanda paseena badhta gaya.
Woh ek galti karne wale bacche ki tarah, darrte-darrte Rita ke saamne khade ho gaye.
“Apni nightdress utaar do,” Rita ke yeh shabd sunte hi Pitaji aur computer ke saamne baitha main, dono ki aankhein phat gayi. Yeh kya ho raha tha?
Kya Rita chahti thi ki mere ghar aane se pehle woh aur Pitaji ek baar aur chudai karein?
Nahi, yeh mumkin nahi tha. Rita ke vyavhaar se toh nahi lagta tha ki woh Pitaji ke saath chudai karna chahti thi. Shayad nahi, bilkul nahi.
Pitaji ko jaise yakeen nahi hua. Woh chupchap Rita ki taraf dekhne lage, unki aankhon mein hairaani aur asamanjas tha.
“Nightdress utaar do,” Rita ne dobara kaha, uski aankhein thandi aur nishchayi thi. Uski nazar aisi thi jaise agar Pitaji ne inkaar kiya, toh woh unhe kha jayegi.
Rita ki is thandi, bhaavna-heen nazar ke saamne, Pitaji ki aankhon mein dard aur hairaani thi. Unhe nahi pata tha Rita kya chahti thi, par chunki unhone Rita ke saath galat kiya tha, isliye unhone kaanpte haathon se apna apron
utara, phir dheere-dheere apni nightdress ke button khole aur use utaar diya. Pitaji ka nanga jism ab mere aur Rita ke saamne tha…