"Kaun hai ye?"Usne photo mere haath se lekar gaur se dekhte hue kaha.
"Koi hai jo is waqt lapata hai aur main dhoondhne ki koshish kar raha hoon"Maine jawab diya.
"Girlfriend?"
"Client"
"Achha haan, bhool gayi thi main. Yahi toh karte hain aap, logon ko dhoondhne ka kaam"
"Exactly"Maine haste hue kaha"Any chance ke ise kahin dekha hai aapne?"
"Shakal kuchh jaani pehchani lag toh rahi hai par nahi, meri pehchan mein se koi nahi hai"Vo photo mujhe vaapis dete hue boli"Vaise aapko aisa kyun lagta hai ke main ise jaanti houngi?"
"Kyunki mujhe lagta hai ke ye shayad Sharafat Bhai ke bar mein kaam karti thi"
"Arrey haan"Uske chehre par achanak ek chamak si aayi"Photo dikhana vaapis zara"
Maine photo phir uski taraf badha diya.
"Yaad aaya"Vo photo phir gaur se dekhti hui boli"Tabhi main sochun ke shakal jaani pehchani kyun lag rahi thi. Kya naam tha iska ....."
Vo sar par haath rakh kar sochne lagi toh maine ek ke liye socha ke naam bataoon par phir chup ho gaya.
"Saloni"Vo ekdam se boli"Saloni naam tha iska. Udhar Sharafat bhai ke Genie wale Bar mein waitress thi kuchh arsa pehle tak"
"Saloni?"Maine hairani se uski taraf dekhta hua bola"Are you sure?"
"Haan pakka. Bahut raade wali ladki thi ye. Ek pal ke liye main pehchan nahi paayi par ab yaad aa gaya. Bada rada hua tha iske pichhe"
"Matlab?"
"Sahi toh mujhe bhi nahi pata"Usne photo phir mujhe pakda di"Par kaam zaroor karti thi ye vahan"
"Aur kuchh bata sakti ho iske baare mein mujhe?"Maine thoda dabaav dala.
"Kyun bataoon?"Vo chehakti hui boli.
Tabhi waiter hamara order lekar aa gaya aur table par rakhne laga. Ham dono kuchh der ke liye chup hokar beth gaye.
"Zahir baat hai ke ye jo koi bhi hai, aap ise dhoondhna chahte hain toh agar ye mil gayi toh ismein aapka fayda. Jo ise aapke zariye dhoondhna chah rahe hain unka bhi fayda. Par main agar munh kholun toh ismein mera kya fayda?"
"Kya chahiye?"Maine khana shuru karte hue kaha.
"Tum"
Vo bebaak bol padi toh mujhe jawab dete na bana. Main aise hi kisi jawab ki ummeed bhi kar raha tha par golmol tarike se, is tarah nahi.
Main chup chap usse nazar chura kar khana khane laga.
"Mazak kar rahi hoon"Thodi der baad vo hasti hui boli"Aapke liye toh jaan bhi haazir hai Sharma ji. Puchhiye kya jaanna chahte hain"
"Kuchh bhi"Usne baat palat di toh meri jaan mein jaan aayi,"Ya vo sab kuchh jo tum jaanti ho"
"Zyada toh main bhi nahi jaanti"Usne batana shuru kiya"Asal mein toh vo Bar mein hue lafde se pehle main jaanti bhi nahi thi ke ye kaun hai, bas dekha tha udhar kai baar. Us lafde ke baat pata chala ke iska naam Saloni tha"
Ye baat mare halak se neeche nahi utar rahi thi. Vo kyun vahan apni behen ke naam se kaam kar rahi thi?
"Aur?"Maine puchha.
"Maine bhi sab suna hi hai bas. Kehte hain ke kaafi oonche sapne rakhti thi. Bar mein waitress thi aur sidha Sharafat Bhai par haath daalne ki koshish kar rahi thi. Phir ek baar suna hai ke sharab ke nashe mein Sharafat Bhai ne iske saath shayad kuchh zor zabardasti kari jiska shayad ise bura lag gaya, kyun ye toh mujhe bhi samajh nahi aaya. Matlab jab chahti hi thi Sharafat Bhai ko phasana toh unke haath lagane ka kya bura maanna. Khair, isne Sharafat Bhai ko thappad maar diya. Isse pehle ke baat aage badhti, vahan Bar mein koi tha jo ise bacha le gaya"
"Kaun?"
"Ye koi nahi janta. Par suna hai ke isse pehle Sharafat Bhai kuchh keh ya kar paate, vahin bethe sharab pi rahe aadmiyon mein se kisi ne uthkar unke sar pe bandook laga di aur usi ke zor par is ladki ko vahan se nikal le gaya"
"Phir?"
"Phir bas itna hi. Yahi suna hai. Sharafat Bhai ne saaf hidayat de di thi ke us raat Bar mein jo hua, uske baare mein koi kisi se baat nahi karega"
"Kyun?"
"Ab yaar kaun chahega ke log baat karte phiren ke Sharafat Bhai jaise aadmi ko kisi ladki ne thappad maara, phir kisi ne une sar pe bandook rakh di aur ladki ko unki naak ke niche se nikal le gaya?"
"Haan baat toh sahi hai"
Uske baat main aur vo idhar udhar ki baaten karte rahe. Isse zyada mujhe usse kuchh aur information nahi mil saki. Usse main mila ye sochkar tha ke shayad kuchh sawalon ke jawab mil saken par usne jo information di thi usse aur ulta aur sawal khade ho gaye the.
Sabse bada sawal ye tha ke Saanwli apni behen ka naam kyun isemaal kar rahi thi. Ye baat samajh aati thi ke vo aise Bar mein apne asli naam se kaam nahi karna chahti thi isliye apna kuchh aur naam rakh liya par jo baat samajh nahi aa rahi thi vo ye thi ke apni behen ka naam hi kyun? Ye sach tha ke yahan Saloni ko yahan koi nahi janta tha par aam taur par log apne kisi sage sambandhi ka naam aise istemaal nahi karte, khaas taur se unka jo itna zyada kareebi ho.
Khana khane ke baad main Bijli ko uske ghar tak chhodna chahta tha par usne saaf inkaar kar diya. Vo ek taxi lekar chali gayi aur main vaapis apni car mein aa betha. Cell nikal kar dekha toh ek message tha aur ek missed call thi.
Dono hi Geetanjali Thakkar ke the. Maine message open kiya.
"Call me back. I think i know the girl you are looking for"
Ye kahani mein ek naya mod tha jo apne aap aa gaya tha aur jiski main ummeed bhi nahi kar raha tha. Geetanjali Thakkar ko maine Saanwli ke baare mein pata karne ko kaha zaroor tha par mujhe ummeed nahi thi ke vo kuchh bata sakegi aur yahi vajah bhi thi ke maine dobara usse kabhi puchhne ki zaroorat nahi samjhi thi.
Maine uska number milaya. Cell switched off tha. Uske landline par call kiya toh busy tone hi jaati rahi. Maine ghadi ki taraf dekha, 9.30 PM.
Ghar jaane ka irada badal kar maine utsukta-vash Geetanjali ke ghar ki taraf gaadi mod di.
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Wow. Mujhe ab bhi yehi lag raha shuru se ke saloni hi sanwli hai. Kahin saloni koyi game to nahin khel rahi Adi k sath? Bijli ne itni keemti information de diya hai an Thakkar kia khabar degi dekhte hein.