Chapter – 19
Do-teen din nikal gaye the us pehle park wale din ke baad. Us cigarette ke baad maine sach mein mehnat ki thi. Subah uthte hi books khol li thi, raat tak padhta raha tha. Ammi bhi notice kar rahi thi — roz chai dete waqt muskurati thi aur bolti thi, “Beta, aaj chehra bahut fresh lag raha hai.” Abbu ne bhi ek din shaam ko aakar sirf sar pe haath fer diya tha aur bola tha, “Padhai kar raha hai na? Achha lag raha hai.”
Maine teen din mein poore do chapters complete kar liye the. Pehle wale chapter se comparison kiya toh lag raha tha ki concentration thodi si wapas aa gayi thi. Main khud ko motivate kar raha tha — “Bas aise hi continue karte raho, improvement maintain karna hai.” Raat ko sochte hue lagta tha ki shayad yeh raasta sahi hai.
Lekin teesre din shaam ko phir wahi purana pressure dheere-dheere wapas aa gaya. Dimag bhari hone laga tha. Books khule hue the lekin lines samajh nahi aa rahi thi. Dil mein bechaini badh rahi thi. Main ne kitab band ki aur bistar par let gaya. Phone haath mein tha.
Maine socha… bas ek call kar ke baat kar lu. Sirf 10-15 minute. Fir wapas padhunga.
Maine Chand ko call kar diya.
Ring jaate hi usne uthaya. Uski awaaz relaxed aur dostana thi,
“Arre Idris! Kya scene hai bhai? Teen din baad call kiya tune. Padhai chal rahi hai ki sab bhool gaya?”
Main ne halke se hans kar bola, “Padh raha tha yaar… do chapters complete kar liye. Ab thoda better feel ho raha hai. Maintain karne ki koshish kar raha hoon. Lekin aaj shaam ko dimag phir se heavy ho gaya. Socha baat kar lu.”
Chand ne halki si hansi di, “Achha hai yaar. Dekha? Thoda break lene se farak padta hai. Main abhi park ke paas hi hoon. 20 minute ke liye aa ja. Baith ke baat kar lenge.”
Main ne turant haan kar di, “Thik hai… aa raha hoon. Bas thodi der.”
Ammi ko bol diya ki main park ja raha hoon. Unhone sirf “Jaldi wapas aa ja beta” kaha.
Park pahunchte hi maine Chand ko bench par baitha dekha. Mujhe dekh kar woh muskuraya aur haath milaaya.
“Baith na. Kitna padh liya aaj?”
Hum baith gaye. Chand ne cigarette sulgaayi aur mujhe bhi di. Maine le li. Hum thodi der baatein karte rahe. Usne mera padhai ka scene poocha. Maine khushi se bata diya, “Do chapters complete kar liye yaar. Ab samajh aa raha hai. Maintain karne ki koshish kar raha hoon… bas yahi tension hai ki yeh improvement chala na jaaye.”
Chand ne sirf sar hilaya aur muskurate hue bola, “Bahut achha. Tu sahi direction mein ja raha hai.”
Tabhi uski nazar park ke walking track par gayi. Uski aankhein chamak uthi.
“Woh dekho…”
Maine uski taraf dekha. Ek curvy aurat tight sky-blue salwar suit mein dheere-dheere walk kar rahi thi. Uski gaand hilti hui thi, choochiyan salwar ke upar se saaf dikhti thi. Woh apne pati ke saath thi. Pati thaka hua lag raha tha.
Maine Chand se poocha, “Kaun hai woh bhabhi? Tu use jaanta hai kya?”
Chand ne dheere se muskuraya, aankh maari aur bola, “Haan yaar… Raziya Bhabhi. Mohalle ki randi hai woh. Pura area jaanta hai. Pati ko kuch pata nahi, lekin din bhar kisi na kisi ke saath masti karti rehti hai. Bahut hi forward aur easy hai.”
Mera muh khula reh gaya. Shock laga. “Kya? Mohalle ki… randi?”
Chand halke se hansa, “Arre haan bhai. Sach bol raha hoon. Tu naya hai is line mein, isliye nahi jaanta. Bahut maza deti hai… aur kabhi mana nahi karti.”
Mera dil zor se dhadakne laga.
Chand ne mujhe dekha aur seedha bola,
“Sun Idris… pehle tu ja. Uske pati ke paas ja aur bol ki ‘Uncle, aapko yahan se Sharma uncle ke ghar ka rasta pata hai? Main pehli baar aaya hoon, thoda dikhwa do na.’ Phir usko pakad ke 40-50 meter door le ja. Kisi tarah rok ke rakh. 10 minute chahiye mujhe.”
Maine shocked hokar bola, “Chand… main kya bolun? Yeh kaise…”
Chand ne mera shoulder pakad liya aur dheere se bola, “Arre tension mat le. Tu bas usko door le ja. Main Raziya ko ishara kar dunga aur park ke peeche wale public toilet ke pichhe le jaunga. Tu sirf pati ko rok. Ja ab.”
Maine mana karne ki koshish ki, lekin Chand ki aankhon mein wohi confident look tha. Woh already Raziya ki taraf signal de chuka tha.
Main pati ke paas pahunch gaya. Dil zor-zor se dhadak raha tha. Maine nervous awaaz mein bola,
“Uncle… sorry disturb kar raha hoon. Aapko yahan se Sharma uncle ke ghar ka rasta pata hai? Main pehli baar colony ke is hisse mein aaya hoon. Thoda dikhwa doge?”
Pati ne pareshan hokar dekha aur bola, “Sharma uncle? Haan beta, main dikha deta hoon. Chalo mere saath.”
Main ne uska haath pakad liya jaise dost bana ke aur usko opposite direction mein le chala — toilet block se bilkul door. Jaate hue main baar-baar baat bana raha tha, “Uncle yahan se right… nahi left… actually main bhi confirm nahi hoon.” Har 10 second mein main peeche mud ke dekh raha tha.
Maine dekha Chand ne Raziya ko ishara kiya. Raziya muskurate hue pati ki taraf ek nazar daal kar Chand ke saath park ke peeche wale public toilet ki taraf chali gayi.
Main pati ko aur door le ja raha tha. Dil mein sirf darr aur bechaini thi. Main baar-baar watch dekh raha tha aur pati ko rokne ke liye aur jhooth bol raha tha. Samay bahut slow chal raha tha.
Lagbhag 10-11 minute baad mera phone vibrate hua. Chand ka message: “Done. Wapas aa.”
Main pati ko wapas leke aaya. Raziya Bhabhi already wapas aa chuki thi.
Maine unko dekha toh mera dil ruk sa gaya.
Uska bright red lipstick pura smear ho chuka tha — neeche ka lip bahut zyada fade ho gaya tha aur upar wala thoda sa side mein phaila hua tha. Uske honth thode se swell aur chamakdar lag rahe the. Chehre pe paseena ki boondein chamak rahi thi, specially maathe aur gardan par. Dupatta abhi bhi thoda sa side mein tha aur usne jaldi se theek karne ki koshish ki thi. Salwar ke upar bhi halka sa pasina laga hua tha. Woh chalte waqt apne lips ko baar-baar chupchaap saaf kar rahi thi.
Aur Chand…
Uski pant ki chain abhi bhi khuli hui thi. Woh jaldi se upar ki taraf haath le gaya tha lekin maine dekh liya tha. Uska chehra bhi thoda laal tha aur saans tez chal rahi thi.
Pati ne kuch nahi notice kiya. Woh normal baat kar raha tha.
Chand mere paas aaya. Uske chehre pe wohi satisfied grin thi. Usne mera shoulder thappad maara aur halke se bola,
“Dekha? Kitna simple aur mazedaar hai. Bas 10 minute ka kaam. Tu bhi ek din try kar sakta hai… Raziya Bhabhi mohalle ki randi hai, agar main bolun toh tujhe bhi full chance de degi.”
Maine kuch nahi bola. Sirf sar hila diya. Muh sukha sa ho gaya tha.
Chand hans pada, “Koi tension nahi hai. Life ko thoda enjoy karna chahiye. Ab chal… ghar lautte hain.”
Raaste mein jaate hue usne casually bola, “Kal shaam daru theke pe chalte hain. Ek beer try kar. Bahut relief milega. Tension khatam ho jayegi.”
Main chup-chaap saath chal raha tha.