Gaon ki kahaniyun mein koi sach chupa hua hai, pura to nahi lekin kuch to hai aur vo insan usi kahani ka fayda utha raha hai tabhi vo hamari har chiz ko janta hai. Humse wafik hai aur uska sirf haweli se rishta juda hai na ki madanlal se, agar aisa hota to vo unke bete Devend ke uppar hamla nahi karta lekin kyun? kyun fansana chahta hai vo hume? Kya wajah hai uske piche? Hum use aur mauke nahi de sakte warna daroga ji ke pas kuch na kuch hath jarur lag jayega, hume har waqt savdhani se kaam lena hoga isliye rajendra ki batayi hui baat mein behad savdhani baratni hogi kyun ki agar vo sach mein kisi ka kankal hai to uske piche wahan hone ki wajah bhi jarur rahi hogi. Malini sawalon mein fansi hui karwat badal rahi thi aur tab use apne bachpan ki vo yaad ayi jise vo bachpan mein hi bhool jana chahti thi.
Jab se usne apni sabse pyari saheli ko ek ger mard ke sath sambhog karte dekha tha uske baad se usne uske sath ana jana chhod diya tha. Us hadse ko ek mahina guzar chuka tha aur shalu bhi shuruwati kuch dino mein to use milne ayi lekin vo nahi mili jiske baad shalu ne bhi ek din ana band kar diya. Malini ne bhi soch liya tha ki vo aisi ladki se kabhi bhi baat nahi karegi jo aise ghinhone kaam karti hai. Vo school se sidhe apne ghar ki aaur badh rahi thi aur tab usne apne ghar ke bahar kuch logon ki bheed zama dekhi. Bheed ke pas pahunch kar jab usne logon ko hataya aur apne ghar ke samne ayi to uske kandhe se uska basta chhut gaya.
" rani.. " malini cheekh padi. Uski maa rani ke mrit sharir ko apni goad mein liye roo rahi thi. " maa ye kya hua rani ko, rani uth.. rani " malini use uthane ki kosish karne lagi. " bapu aap to bolo rani ko vo apki sunegi, apse to darti hi hai " usne apne baap se kaha jo ek kone mein khade hokar deewar ka sahara liye apna sar peet raha tha. " maa tu to kuch bol, kya hua rani ko vo uth kyun nahi rahi " malini ne rani ka chehra sehlaya, vo andar hi andar samajh chuki thi ki rani uski behen use chhod kar jaa chuki hai par vo abhi tak samajh nahi paa rahi thi ki achanak se kaise hua? Apni behen ke khone ka use bahut gehra aghat hua tha. Usne kisi se kuch nahi pucha ki kaise hua kyun hua, vo bas ye janti thi ki uski behen ne uska sath chhod diya tha. Sara waqt vo ab apne ghar hi rehne lagi aur usi dauran use malum hua jab log akar uske baap se puchte tha, rani ki maut dum ghut jane se hui. Rani us waqt ghar mein akeli thi aur use adhmari halat mein dekhne wali pehli maa hi thi jahan uske sath chulhe par dhuain uth raha tha. Rani roz hi khana banati thi par us din use kya galti hui ki vo chulhe ka dhuain na rok payi aur vo uski chati mein ghus gaya aur dum ghutne ki wajah se uski maut ho gayi.
Hafta beet gaya, malini ko apni zindagi aage badhani hi thi, us din vo ghar ke chulhe par khana bana rahi thi, chulha bhuj gaya to vo usmein funk mar kar use jalane lagi aur usi ke chalte uske baal chehre par ane lage. Usne chulha chhoda aur apne baal bandhne lagi aur bandhte waqt uski naar chulhe ke piche padi jahan abhi tak uski nazar nahi gayi thi. Chulhe ke piche uske balon mein lagani wali clip padi thi jise usne uthaya aur balon mein laga liya. Baal sahi karke vo phir chulha funk kar use garam karne lagi aur usi dauran use kuch yaad aya. Usne chulha chhoda aur apne balon mein lagai clip bahar nikal kar use dekhne lagi.
" ye clip to humne shalu ko di thi " vo sochne lagi " han ache se yaad hai hume us din shiksha ghar mein li thi aur fir uske baad humne wapis to li nahi thi " vo abhi is baat ko soch hi rahi thi ki uske dimag mein us din wali baat ghum gayi " vo randi rani keh rahi thi tu sheher jaa raha hai " malini ke hath paun fulh gaye. Us din apni behen ka naam uske muh se sunna aur fir wahi clip jo usne use di thi uska uske ghar mein chulhe ke piche milna aur rani ki maut chulhe ke dhuain uthne se hona. Usne sabhi batein ek sath jod di aur apne ghar se bhagti hui kheton mein daud padi.
" bapu, bapu.. "
" kya hua chori kyun chila rahi hai " malini ko hafta hua apne pas atta dekh shyamlal bol utha.
" bapu vo rani " malini ke ansu nikal aye. " vo rani ko kisi ne mara hai bapu "
" mara hai? ye tu kya bol rahi hai chori " shyamlal ne hal wahin chhod diya. Apne bapu ke sawal par malinii ne apni soch bata di jiske baad uska bapu, maa aur gaon ke kuch log ikhata hokar rani ke ghar pahunch gaye aur wahan hallah kar diya.
" isi ki beti ne mara hai meri chori ko, bahar nikal chori ko apni "
" shyamlal tu kaisi baat kar raha hai, bhala meri beti kyun maregi teri beti ko tujhe kuch galat femi hui hai "
" mujhe galat femi hui hai to use saaf kar de, bahar bula apni beti ko " gaon walon ne shyamlal ki baat ka smarthan kiya. Malini bhi apni saheli ka chehra dekhna chahti thi use puchna chahti thi ki usne aisa kyun kiya.
" nikal baar sali chinnal ko " shyamlal chillaya to raghu bhi shant na raha.
" meri beti ko chinnal bolta hai tu ye bata ki tujhe kisne bataya ki shalu ne hi teri beti ko mara hai "
" han bhai shaymlal, raghu ki ye baat bhi sahi hai tune hum sabko ye to batya hi nahi ki tujhe kahan se malum hua ye sab " sawal sarpanch ki taraf se aya.
" meri chori ne bataya, malini bol, bata sabko " shyamlal ne malini ka hath hilate hue kaha. Apne bapu ko batana alag baat thi lekin pure gaon ke samne batana alag baat. Par usne himmat karke apni baat rakhi par rani aur us ladke ke sambhog ke bare mein nahi bataya vo baat usne apne bapu se bhi nahi kahi thi.
" itni si baat se kahan malum hota hai ki meri chori ne mara hai " raghu turant bola apne bachav mein.
" par bitiya keh rahi hai to juth to bolegi na, tu apni beti ko bula le aur mamla abhi khatam kar de " sarpanch ki baat sun kar raghu kabhi gaon walon ko dekhta to kabhi apni patni ko jo apni kut-tiya ke darwaje par khadi thi.
" vo hum nahi bula sakte " raghu ne behad dhime swar mein kaha.
" nahi bula sakte kyun? sarpanchji dekha apne, mene kaha tha apse ki iski hi beti ne mara hai aur ye use chupa raha hai, mei to kehta hun iski kut-tiya tod dete hai vo khud ba khud bahar aa jayegi " shyamlal bhaukla gaya tha.
" ha todo, tod do lekin tab bhi meri beti bahar nahi ayegi kyun ki vo ek hafte pehle hi kahin bhag gayi " raghu ne akhir bol hi diya jo vo sabse chupana chahta tha.
" bhag gayi? " sabhi kusar fusar mein lag gaye.
" kahan bhag gayi bhai raghu? "
" vo sapranch ji, gaon chhod kar bhag gayi, humne bahut khoja lekin vo hume na mili "
" iska matlab usi ne khoon kiya hai hamari bitiya ka isliye bhag gayi vo, kyun bhaion sahi keh raha hun na mei " shyamlal ki baat par samarthan kiya. " mei kehta hun is admi ka dana pani band kar do, ye ek khuni ka baap hai " fir sabne uski baat ka samarthan kiya to raghu aur uski patni ne sarpanch ke paun pakad liye.
" hume kuch nahi pata sarpanch ji, hum sach kehte hain aur shalu ne aisa kiya hai uska bhi pakka nahi hai kisi ne aisa hote nahi dekha, hume gaon se mat katto, hum kahan jayenge, mar jayenge, humne to badnam hone se bachne ke liye hi apni beti ki khabar kisi ko na di. Hume nahi pata rani kahan hai, hume nahi pata " sarpanch ki nazar uspar aur uski biwi par thi jo uska paun pakde roo rahe the.
" dekh bhai, kaam to galat hua hai aur shyamlal bhi galat nahi keh raha hai, teri beti agar bhagi hai to jarur uske piche koi baat hogi par shyamlal baat raghu ki bhi theek hai agar inhe pata hota to ye log yahan gaon mein na reh rahe hote apni badnami karane ke liye. Agar inhe pata hota to shalu ke bare mein ye bata hi dete, agar kisi ko pata hai ki shalu kahan hai to wahi teri madad kar sakta hai "
" hume pata hai ki kaun bata sakta hai shalu ke bare mein " malini sarpanch ke chup hote hi boli aur uske baad sabhi malini ke sath chal diye jahan usne rani ko chudai karte hue dekha tha us ladke ke sath jo wahin kahin rehta hoga aur agar vo nahi gaya hoga to wahin milega. Jate hue malini ki nazar samne padi jahan ajit khada tha aur use hi dekh raha tha. Par us jagah par jane ke baad na hi vo ladka kabhi mila aur na hi uske bare mein kabhi pata chala. Malini ne sabko bas itna bataya ki usne shalu ko us ladke ke sath dekha hai baat karte hue par koi bhi nahi bata paya ki vo ladka kaun hai aur kahan rehta hai, khud malini ko bhi ache se us ladke ki shakal yaad nahi thi. Uski behen ka kissa ek raaz ban kar reh gaya tha kyun ki na hi kabhi shalu mili aur na hi kabhi ye malum chal paya ki us din aisa kya hua tha jisme usne uski behen ki jaan le li thi.
Karwat badalte hue malini ki nazar photo par ja ruki jo usne wahin rakhi hui thi. Photo ki yaad ate hi use uske piche likhi batein yaad aa gayi. Use abhi tak vishwas nahi ho raha tha ki ye batein bikram ne kahi hai kyun ki bikram likh padh hi nahi sakta tha isliye to uski shadi use hui thi kyun ki chandraprakash ko apne bete ke liye ek padi likhi biwi chahie thi. Malini pareshan ho gayi thi use vo din yaad aa raha tha jahan uski shadi haweli mein tay hui thi. Bechaini mein vo uth khadi hui aur ek dafa usne manju ki aaur dekha, vo gehri nind mein lag rahi thi. Malini apne kamre se bahar nikli, uske hath mein ek torch maujud thi. Usne torch ki madad se band kamre ka tala khola aur uske andar ghus gayi.
Raat be raat use ab apne sawalon ka jawab chahie tha, kuch batein use bahut pareshan kar rahi thi jisme sabse hairan har dene wali baat wo jagah thi, vo sidiyan jo niche ki aaur jaa rahi thi jo isi kamre se hokar guzarti thi vo ab kamre mein maujud hi nahi thi. Usne almari kholi wahi almari jahan casette pade the usme usne dubara dhunda par kuch nahi mila. Usne dusri almari kholi jo ab khali padi thi. Drawer tak khali pade the, eka-ek use yaad aya ki us almari ke niche wala drawer par tala laga tha aur jab usne khola tha vo khali nikla tha. Ye baat use us waqt bhi ajeeb lagi thi ki jo drawer khali hai use band karne ki kya jarurat.
Usne wahi drawer wapis khola aur torch ki roshni mein usne ek baar fir dekha lekin vo pichli baar ki tarah is baar bhi khali hi tha. Usne apna hath andar dala aur hath se tatolne lagi taki koi dabi ya chipi hui vastu ka anuman laga sake lekin aisa kuch nahi mila. use laga vo bewajah hi apna waqt jaya kar rahi hai, use photo ke piche likhi kavita ka matlab samjhna hoga, agar vo kavita vakai bikram ne likhi hai to jarur iske piche kisi aur ka hath hai aur agar usne nahi likhi to fir kisne likhi aur bikram ka naam kyun dala? Kya us insan ko ye nahi malum tha ki bikram ko likhna nahi ata? Vo drawer band kar hi rahi thi ki drawer andar nahi gaya shayad jada bahar ki taraf khol diya tha usne ache se dekhne ke liye yahi soch kar usne drawer ko pura bahar nikala aur phir andar dalne lagi. Usi mein uski nazar ek jagah ja tiki, usne drawer bahar nikala aur ek taraf rakh diya. Torch utha kar usne lakdi ke fatte par dekha. Hole dekh use samjhne mein der nahi lagi, vo chabi apne sath layi thi jo use casette ke cover mein mili thi. Usne chabi hole mein dali aur vo uske andar ghusti gayi fir ek jakar ruk gayi, bilkul utni hi gehrai thi us hole ki jitni ki chabi aage se sidhi thi. Usne chabi ghumai aur vo ghumi jiske sath ek shor hua aur vo uth khadi hui. Awaz samne se hi ayi thi, yani us almari se, usne roshni ko usi taraf rakha aur almari ke pichle hisse par hath rakha jise mehsus karte hi vo samajh gayi ki wo khula hua hai, usne jaise hi dhakka diya vo almari ka pichla hissa darwaje ki tarah
yeh toh yahan bhi aa tapka... yaani ki inhi logo ne haweli aur uske jameeno ko lut ke woh mehal banaya...
