Dophar ke waqt malini kheton ke bich bani kachi sadak se hote hue chalti jaa rahi thi. Vo chahti to kisi sawari mein baith kar jaa sakti thi lekin use kehton mein chalna jada pasand tha. Kareeb adha ghanta se jada chalne ke baad vo wahan aa khadi hui jis jagah jane ke liye vo haweli se nikli thi. Usne darwaje par dastak di aur kuch samay baad ek aurat ne darwaja khola.
" ji " malini ko dekh vo boli.
" hume madanlalji se milna hai, kehna haweli se thakurain ayi hai "
" haweli se.. " vo thoda chaunki aur phir usne andar ane ka rasta de diya " aap baithye hum bulate hai " malini ko keh kar vo chali gayi. Malini baithi nahi balki hall mein bani deewaron ki chitrkari dekhne lagi. Haweli bhi ek waqt kuch isi tarah chamaka karti thi par aaj wahan sirf khamoshi ke alawa kuch nahi tha.
" to aap hai malini ji " apna naam sun malini ne us disha mein dekha jis taraf se awaz ayi thi. Usi ke umar-daraz ka ek admi malini ke samne khada tha.
" aap madanlal? "
" baithye " jawab dene ke vajaye usne baitne ka ishara kiya. Malini uske kehne anusar wahan ja baithi " thakurain ke liye chai ka prabhand kijeye " usne awaz laga ke kaha.
" chai rehne dijeye, hume madanlal ji se milna hai "
" unse to aap nahi mil sakti "
" wajah? "
" unka dehant to salon pehle ho gaya " jawab sun malini chaunk padi. Mukesh ke anusar usne madanlal se mulakat ki thi aur sirf usne hi nahi balki sabhi kisano ne.
" hume jaan kar afsos hua, to phir aap "
" hum unke bete vikrant "
" apke pitaji ki mrityu kab hui "
" kuch 6 saal pehle " vikrant ke jawab dene ke baad malini soch mein padh gayi. Ya to samne baitha shaks use jhooth keh raha hai ya fir ye ek itefak hai, kyun ki itne hi waqt pehle bikram bhi lapata hue the.
" hmm "
" kya hum apke ane ki wajah ko jaan sakte hai " vikrant ne sawal kiya aur table par naukrani chai rakh kar chali gayi.
" ane ki wajah to madanlalji se milne ki thi lekin ab vo nahi rahe to sawal bhi shayad puchna lazmi nahi raha "
" hume apke ane ki behad khushi hui, kafi naam suna hai apka aur apki haweli ka " chai ka cup utahte hue vikrant bola.
" suna hi hoga, unki zameenon ka hi to kha rahe hai " malini ka kehna aur vikrant ki nazar uppar uthna. Dono ek dusre ki ankhon mein dekhte rahe aur fir vikrant muskura pada.
" jaisa suna tha kuch usi tarah ki hai aap "
" shayad aap bhi " malini apni jagah se khadi hoti use pehle ek mahila hall mein bethar dakhil hui. Lehange choli mein, jewar sath ladhe hue balon ko kandhon ke ek taraf khula rakhe jise dekh malini ko apni jawani ke kuch din yaad aa gaye jo ab fike padh chuke the. Vo mahila bhi behad khubsurat thi, bilkul malini ko takar deti hui par malini ka dhayan uski khubsurti par nahi tha balki uske chehre par tha jaise koi jana pehchana chehra samne aya ho.
" vikrant apne hume bataya nahi ghar par mehman aye hai " usne malini ki aaur dekhte hue kaha.
" mira ye hai haweli ki thakurain malini ji "
" haweli? thakur chandraprakash wali? "
" ji han wahi "
" humne bahut suna hai maliniji apki haweli ke kisse, baithiye na khadi kyun hai " mira ke kehte hi malini vapis baith gayi. Aaj se pehle na to kabhi usne in dono shaks ko dekha tha na hi malum kiya tha. Haweli ki char diwari mein apna jeevan katne ke baad aaj use malum ho chala tha ki bahar ki dunia mein kuch log aise hai jo use vakif hai lekin vo nahi.
" lagta hai aap humse jada haweli ke bare mein janti hai " malini ki baat par mira muskurai.
" keh sakte hain, vikrant haweli ki kafi batein bataya karte the "
" inka koi gehra rishta raha hoga haweli se " malini ne tikhe suar mein jawab diya.
" wahi rishta hai jo apne abhi kuch der pehle bataya " vikrant bola
" hum kuch samjhe nahi "
" zameen se roti khane wala kissa " vikrant muskuraya aur malini ko samajh aya ki baton mein vo use maat de gaya.
" maaf kijyega hume apse ye janna hai ki haweli se apne uski zameen kyun churai ? " malini ne ab sidha sawal kiya.
" churana thoda bhari shabd hai malini ji " vikrant piche hote hue baitha aur mira ke chehre se muskan chali gayi.
" to aap us shabd ko kya kehna chahenge ki jo chiz haweli ki thi aaj us zameen par aap kabza kiye baithe hai "
" hum to naukar admi hai maliniji, salon se wahi kar rahe hai "
" salon se aap dhire-dhire haweli ke thakuron ki ankh mein dhool to nahi jhonk rahe ? " malini ki is baat ne mahol ko thoda bhari bana diya. Usne chai ka cup uthaya aur chai pine lagi. Usne baat jaan kar kahi kyun ki uske pass kuch sach tha jo shayad vikrant ke pas nahi tha ya phir vo chupa raha tha.
" malik apse milne pradhan sahab aye hai, humne unhe piche wale kamre mein baitha diya hai vo " naukrani pura bolti hi vikrant ne ishare se rok diya.
" unse kaho hum aa rahe hai " vikrant bol kar ek pal chup hua " aap hamari mehman hai maliniji, abhi thoda kaam aa gaya varna apse baat-cheet puri hoti, jo shayad fir kabhi hogi. Abhi ke liye maffi aur izazt chahenge " vikrant khada hua " mira itni dur se ayi hai thakurain, inhe apna mehal dikhaye bina mat jane dijeyega " vikrant ne hath jode aur wahan se chala gaya.
" lagta hai haweli ke man mein hum logon ke liye ber jada hai " mira ka andaz usi tarah shant tha.
" fal tabhi khatte malum hote hain jab unhe chakha jata hai. Mithe keh kar bechne ka dharam to hum insan ka bachpan se hi hai "
" baat to aap bahut acha kar leti hai, aiye hum apko apna mehal dikha de " mira apni jagah se khadi hui to malini ne bhi mana nahi kiya. Vo jo janna chahti thi uska andaza use ho chala tha. Kuch raaz haweli ke bahar bhi maujud the. Mira ne malini ko pura mehal dikhaya, itna alishan bana hua tha ki ek pal ko malini bhi usme kho gayi. Tab uski nazar ek jagah jakar ruki ek tasveer jise usne abhi tak kahin nahi dekha tha.
" ye kaun hai ? "
" kamal hai jinhe aap khojte hue ayi hai unhe hi nahi pehchanti "
" madanlal ji "
" ji, yahi hai " mira ke jawab dene ke baad malini ka shaq yakeen mein badal gaya. Us tasveer ke shaks ko usne apni zindagi mein sirf ek baar dekha tha lekin us waqt use malum nahi tha ki yahi madanlal hai. Uski shadi ki agli subah vo kitchen mein thi jab use bahar kisi ke chillane ki awaz sunai di jise dekhne vo bahar dehlez par aa khadi hui.
" thakur sahab aap "
" tum hume mat sikhao ki kaam kaise karwaya jata hai "
" maaf kijyega thakur sahab lekin hamari wajah se hi kaam ho bhi raha hai warna "
" bas, abhi tumhari ye aukad nahi hai ki humse unchi awaz mein baat karo "
" hum apse unchi awaz mein nahi balki sachai batane ki kosish kar rahe hain, aap mandir ke piche kuch bhi acha nahi kar rahe hain "
" humne tumhe apni zameen ke liye rakha hai na ki mashwara ke liye, ainda agar tumhare khilaf hume koi bhi shikhayat mili to us din tumhara is gaon mein akhri din hoga "
" aap mere begair barbadi ki taraf badhenge thakur sahab, chalta hun " malini ne us insan ko jatte hue dekha, wahan uske alawa bikram bhi maujud tha aur sath mein..
" maliniji " mira ne malini ko soch se bahar kiya.
" hume ab chalna chahie " malini ne mira ki koi pratkriya nahi dekhi aur bina kuch kahe mehal se nikal gayi. Mehal se bahar ane ke baad vo tab tak sochti rahi jab tak uski nazar samne ati gadi par na padi. Gadi theek mehal ke aage akar ruki. Usme se ek ladka bahar nikla jiske sar par patti bandhi hui thi. Usne ek dafa malini ki taraf dekha aur fir mehal ki taraf badh gaya. Malini ko malum ho chala tha ki yahan kuch aise sawal maujud hai jiska taluk sidhe haweli se juda hai. Kuch raaz haweli mein nahi balki haweli ke bahar bhi hai. Malini sochti hui wahan se chal padi.
Kheton mein badhte hue malini apni usi jagah jaa rahi thi jahan vo aksar ranjeet se mila karti thi. Aksar vo pahunch jati thi lekin aaj vo dur jhadiyun ke piche se hi ranjeet ko dekh paa rahi thi. Aaj vo har baar ki tarah aram se nahi baitha tha balki idhar-udhar bechaini se ghum raha tha.
" ranjeet " malini wahan pahunchte hue boli.
" thakurain, mei ab apke liye us mandir mein kaam nahi kar sakta " ranjeet ka ye andaz usne pehle kabhi nahi dekha tha. Uski ankhein puri tarah se lal ho gayi thi jaise vo puri raat soya hi na ho.
" tum kuch pareshan lag rahe ho, kya tumhe "
" kankal mila hai thakurain, vo mandir sach mein shrapit hai "