"Nahi kuchh khaas nahi. Main bataya na ke kaafi secretive thi vo. Ek do baar maine jaanna bhi chaha tha. Specially jab vo ye kehti thi that she will get married to that Raghu guy" Maya ne baat jaari rakhi.
"Married? That serious?" Main bola.
"Oh yeah, she was head over heels in love with that guy. Aksar kehti thi ke vo bhi use utna hi chahta hai aur dono shaadi kar lenge. Ek do baar uske yahi kehne par maine puchha ke vo ladka karta kya hai, kahan ka hai vagerah vagerah par vo har baar haskar taal deti thi. Aur tab tak main bhi uska nature samajh gayi thi toh phir main bhi zyada sawal jawab nahi karti thi"
"Kuchh aisa notice kiya ho aapne kabhi uske baare mein which you think was a little weird?"
"You mean related to Raghu?"
"Related to anything"
"Not something particular. Offhand toh mujhe 2 baatein hi yaad aati hain jo mujhe laga tha ke thodi ajeeb thi aur isse kabhi maine uske baare mein puchhna chaha bhi toh nahi puchha. Ek toh vo vaise hi baatein share nahi karti thi and then ye baatein mujhe thoda awkward bhi lagi toh phir main chup hi reh gayi ke kahin vo bura na maan jaaye"
"Kaun si baatein?" Main apne notepad mein saath saath jo baatein mujhe zaroori lag rahi thi likhta bhi ja raha tha.
"Pehli toh ye ke us ladke ka number uske cell mein saved nahi tha" Maya ne bataya.
"Matlab? Raghu ka number?"
"Yep, Raghu ka number"
"Saved nahi tha matlab?"
"Matlab ke kisi naam se saved nahi tha. Callaati thi toh bas number dikhai deta tha, koinaam nahi"
"Hmmm, thats weird" Maine sochte hue kaha.
"Exactly. Uska number ya toh Saanwli ko yaad raha hoga ya phir call list mein se hi nikalkar phone karti hogi."
"Aisa karne ki koi khaas vajah aapko lagi hokabhi koi?"
"I havent got the faintest clue. And ek baar maine usko ek address message kiya tha kahin se, baad mein mujhe us address ki zaroorat padi. Usne mujhe kaha ke main uske cell se le loon. Jab main uske message box mein gayi toh us ladke ke number se kayi saare messages Saanwli ke cell mein the par naam se nahi the, sirf number hi dikhai de raha tha"
"And how do you know ke ye us ladke ka hi number tha?"
"Ek do baar calls receive ki thi maine toh number dikh gaya tha. Uske number ke last3 digits 000 the toh isliye vo alag hi dikhai de jata tha"
"Do you remember that number?"
"No i am sorry. Bas itna yaad hai ke last mein teen zeroes the"
"Ok" Maine diary mein note banate hue kaha "Aur doosri baat?"
"Doosri baat ye ke i think vo kuchh galat logon ke saath mix up ho gayi thi beech mein. Its just a hunch you know, i cant say for sure" Vo thoda jhijhakti hui boli.
"What makes you say that?"
"Ek baar main shopping ke liye market mein ghoom rahi thi, akeli and then i saw Saanwli with a few girls"
"Girls from the hostel?"
"No, not from the hostel. Girls that i didnt know and i have no idea that how she knew them. She never mentioned them to me as well"
"Maybe her friends from work?"
"Oh no not at all" Maya ne fauran jawab diya "Pehli baat toh ye ke vo jahan kaam karti thi vahan main gayi hui thi, aur mera ek dost bhi vahan kaam karta tha so i knewthat those girls are not from there. Aur doosri baat vo ladkiyan thi bhi nahi aisi kahin office mein kaam karne wali lagen"
'Can you elaborate on that a little?" Maine kaha.
"Ab kaise bataoon" VO sochti hui boli "For example mere husband ko dekhiye"
Usne apne husband ki taraf ishara kiya .
"Suit boot mein well dressed, dekhke lagta hai ke padha likha insaan hai aur achhe ghar se hai. He has that civilized sa well behaved aadmi wala look"
"Oh come on" Uska husband embarass hota hua bola.
"I think she is right" Maine haskar jawab diya.
"Ab sochiye ke aap mere husband ko Mumbai ke kuchh mawali type ladkon ke saath dekhte hain, wouldnt that look a little weird to you?"
"Yes it would. So you saw her with some girls that did not fit the criteria of people she usually would hang out with?"
"Yes you are right. You know us type ki ladkiyan like ....."
"Like Bar Dancers? Mumbai Bar Girls?" Main samajh gaya tha ke use relate karne mein pareshani ho rahi thi isliye baat maine poori kar di.
"Yes" Vo fauran boli "Thats it. Bar Dancer type ladkiyan"
"Hmmm. Thats interesting indeed"
"And this was at the time when she was with Raghu?"
"Nahi ye usse pehle ki baat hai, jab vo office se raat ko 12-1 baje ke kareeb vaapisaati thi. And now since you mentioned Bar Dancer, mujhe ek teesri baat aur yaad aayi"
"And what is that?"
"Uske cell mein maine ek baar ek ladki ka number saved dekha tha jiska naam mujhethoda offbeat laga, kinda weird?"
"Ok. What was the name?"
"Soch rahi hoon." Vo dimag par zor daalti hui boli "Champa, pushpa, Basanti ...... "
Vo saare purani filmi style naam ginane lagi jo agar aaj ke zamane mein kisi ladki ke hon toh bechari ka mazak ban jaaye. Achanak vo chutki bajate huye boli.
"Bijli"
"Bijli?" Main chaunk pada.
"Yes, thats it. Bijli. Pehle toh mujhe laga ke shayad electricity office vagerah kahin ka number hai par ek baar maine use phone par us ladki se baat karte huye suna and she clearly said, Haan Bijli bol, tu kitne baje tak aa rahi hai. Thats when i knew ke ye Bijli asal mein kisi ladki ka naam hai"
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"Married? That serious?" Main bola.
"Oh yeah, she was head over heels in love with that guy. Aksar kehti thi ke vo bhi use utna hi chahta hai aur dono shaadi kar lenge. Ek do baar uske yahi kehne par maine puchha ke vo ladka karta kya hai, kahan ka hai vagerah vagerah par vo har baar haskar taal deti thi. Aur tab tak main bhi uska nature samajh gayi thi toh phir main bhi zyada sawal jawab nahi karti thi"
"Kuchh aisa notice kiya ho aapne kabhi uske baare mein which you think was a little weird?"
"You mean related to Raghu?"
"Related to anything"
"Not something particular. Offhand toh mujhe 2 baatein hi yaad aati hain jo mujhe laga tha ke thodi ajeeb thi aur isse kabhi maine uske baare mein puchhna chaha bhi toh nahi puchha. Ek toh vo vaise hi baatein share nahi karti thi and then ye baatein mujhe thoda awkward bhi lagi toh phir main chup hi reh gayi ke kahin vo bura na maan jaaye"
"Kaun si baatein?" Main apne notepad mein saath saath jo baatein mujhe zaroori lag rahi thi likhta bhi ja raha tha.
"Pehli toh ye ke us ladke ka number uske cell mein saved nahi tha" Maya ne bataya.
"Matlab? Raghu ka number?"
"Yep, Raghu ka number"
"Saved nahi tha matlab?"
"Matlab ke kisi naam se saved nahi tha. Callaati thi toh bas number dikhai deta tha, koinaam nahi"
"Hmmm, thats weird" Maine sochte hue kaha.
"Exactly. Uska number ya toh Saanwli ko yaad raha hoga ya phir call list mein se hi nikalkar phone karti hogi."
"Aisa karne ki koi khaas vajah aapko lagi hokabhi koi?"
"I havent got the faintest clue. And ek baar maine usko ek address message kiya tha kahin se, baad mein mujhe us address ki zaroorat padi. Usne mujhe kaha ke main uske cell se le loon. Jab main uske message box mein gayi toh us ladke ke number se kayi saare messages Saanwli ke cell mein the par naam se nahi the, sirf number hi dikhai de raha tha"
"And how do you know ke ye us ladke ka hi number tha?"
"Ek do baar calls receive ki thi maine toh number dikh gaya tha. Uske number ke last3 digits 000 the toh isliye vo alag hi dikhai de jata tha"
"Do you remember that number?"
"No i am sorry. Bas itna yaad hai ke last mein teen zeroes the"
"Ok" Maine diary mein note banate hue kaha "Aur doosri baat?"
"Doosri baat ye ke i think vo kuchh galat logon ke saath mix up ho gayi thi beech mein. Its just a hunch you know, i cant say for sure" Vo thoda jhijhakti hui boli.
"What makes you say that?"
"Ek baar main shopping ke liye market mein ghoom rahi thi, akeli and then i saw Saanwli with a few girls"
"Girls from the hostel?"
"No, not from the hostel. Girls that i didnt know and i have no idea that how she knew them. She never mentioned them to me as well"
"Maybe her friends from work?"
"Oh no not at all" Maya ne fauran jawab diya "Pehli baat toh ye ke vo jahan kaam karti thi vahan main gayi hui thi, aur mera ek dost bhi vahan kaam karta tha so i knewthat those girls are not from there. Aur doosri baat vo ladkiyan thi bhi nahi aisi kahin office mein kaam karne wali lagen"
'Can you elaborate on that a little?" Maine kaha.
"Ab kaise bataoon" VO sochti hui boli "For example mere husband ko dekhiye"
Usne apne husband ki taraf ishara kiya .
"Suit boot mein well dressed, dekhke lagta hai ke padha likha insaan hai aur achhe ghar se hai. He has that civilized sa well behaved aadmi wala look"
"Oh come on" Uska husband embarass hota hua bola.
"I think she is right" Maine haskar jawab diya.
"Ab sochiye ke aap mere husband ko Mumbai ke kuchh mawali type ladkon ke saath dekhte hain, wouldnt that look a little weird to you?"
"Yes it would. So you saw her with some girls that did not fit the criteria of people she usually would hang out with?"
"Yes you are right. You know us type ki ladkiyan like ....."
"Like Bar Dancers? Mumbai Bar Girls?" Main samajh gaya tha ke use relate karne mein pareshani ho rahi thi isliye baat maine poori kar di.
"Yes" Vo fauran boli "Thats it. Bar Dancer type ladkiyan"
"Hmmm. Thats interesting indeed"
"And this was at the time when she was with Raghu?"
"Nahi ye usse pehle ki baat hai, jab vo office se raat ko 12-1 baje ke kareeb vaapisaati thi. And now since you mentioned Bar Dancer, mujhe ek teesri baat aur yaad aayi"
"And what is that?"
"Uske cell mein maine ek baar ek ladki ka number saved dekha tha jiska naam mujhethoda offbeat laga, kinda weird?"
"Ok. What was the name?"
"Soch rahi hoon." Vo dimag par zor daalti hui boli "Champa, pushpa, Basanti ...... "
Vo saare purani filmi style naam ginane lagi jo agar aaj ke zamane mein kisi ladki ke hon toh bechari ka mazak ban jaaye. Achanak vo chutki bajate huye boli.
"Bijli"
"Bijli?" Main chaunk pada.
"Yes, thats it. Bijli. Pehle toh mujhe laga ke shayad electricity office vagerah kahin ka number hai par ek baar maine use phone par us ladki se baat karte huye suna and she clearly said, Haan Bijli bol, tu kitne baje tak aa rahi hai. Thats when i knew ke ye Bijli asal mein kisi ladki ka naam hai"
____________________________