Chapter 16
When It All Made Sense
[Last Chapter]
Chipku ki baat ne mera dimag ghuma diya tha. Samajh nahi aa raha tha ke kya karun aur kaise karun. Sab raaste ek ek karke band hote ja rahe the. Khud main ek murder case mein phasa hua tha, doosre ka ilzaam mere sar pe aane mein bas ek do din ki hi deri thi aur jis raaste main kadam badhata tha, vo rasta band kar diya jata tha. Jab bhi ummeed ki koi kiran nazar aati, vo mere us tak pahunchne se pehle hi bujha di jaati thi.
Chipku ke mutaabik us waqt Bar mein 100 se uper log the aur Bijli dance floor par khadi nach rahi thi. Har koi apne mein magan tha. Koi sharab ke ghoonth bhar raha tha, koi patte khelne mein busy tha aur koi betha nach rahi ladkiyon ke aadhe nange jism ghoor raha tha. Tabhi achanak Bijli nachti nachti gir padi. Kuchh pal ke liye toh kisi ko kuchh samajh nahi aaya. Saath khadi ladkiyon ne use uthane ki koshish ki toh tab sar se beh raha khoon nazar aaya aur unhone cheekh maar di. Paas khade bouncers fauran dance floor ki taraf badhe aur tab tak aas paas bethe kuchh log bhi Bijli ke shareer se beh rahe khoon ko dekh chuke the toh vo bhi uthkar dance floor ki taraf aaye.
Bar mein koi dhamake ki aawaz nahi goonji thi. Music baj raha tha par itna tez nahi tha ke goli ki aawaz ko daba jaaye. Aur vaise bhi vahan bethe aadhe se zyada aise the jo log goli bhi pehchante the aur goli ki aawaz bhi. Goli chale aur unke kaan us aawaz ko na pehchane ya kisi dhamake ki aawaz samajhkar nazar andaaz kar dein aisa ho nahi sakta tha. Aakhir mein nateeja yahi nikla tha ke goli jisne bhi chalayi thi, silencer laga kar chalayi thi.
Halanki is khoon se mera koi lena dena nahi tha par jo bhi ho raha tha, us kahani ki main ek bahut importane kadi tha. Ya yun keh lijiye ke jo bhi ho raha tha, bahut had tak meri vajah se hi ho raha tha.Bijli se meri jaan pehchan thi ye kaafi logon ko malum tha, uske marne se kuchh ghante pehle hi maine usse baat ki thi aur jahan tak meri soch ka parinda udaan bharta tha vahan tak mujhe yahi lag raha tha ke kaam ye bhi Raghuvanshi ka hi tha. Isliye koi hairat ki baat nahi hoti agar mere sar par ek teesre khoon ka ilzaam bhi dala jata, Bijli ke khoon ka ilzaam.
Soch soch kar jab sar dard ke maare phatne laga toh main phir bistar par ja gira aur ek cigarette sulgayi. Bijli ka maut ka mujhe kaafi afsos tha. Vaise toh main kabhi usse sidhe munh baat nahi karta tha par ye baat main dil se janta tha ke vo is dhandhe mein marzi se nahi, majboori se aayi hai. Aur phir is daldal mein phase hazaron logon ki tarah chah kar bhi yahan se nikal nahi paayi.
Mujhe achhi tarah yaad tha vo din jab vo mujhe dinner par mili thi. Kis qadar khoobsurat lag rahi thi, kis tarah ek aam si ladki aur kis qadar nafasat se pesh aa rahi thi.
Uski maut ke saath hi mere kayi aise sawal adhure reh gaye the jinke jawab sirf vahi de sakti thi.
Kuchh der baad hi mere kamre ke darwaze par dastak hui.
"Main hoon sahab"Darwaze se us lodge wale ladki ki aawaz aayi.
"Aa andar aaja. Khula hai darwaza"Main bistar se uthta hua bola.
Vo darwaza kholkar andar aa gaya. Haath mein ek kaale rang ki polythene thi jismein kuchh sabziyan rakhi thi.
"Kaam bana?"Maine ummeed ke saath puchha.
"Haan bana na"Vo daant dikhata hua bola aur sabziyon ka bag meri taraf badha diya"Ye lo"
"Sabzi laane bheja tha maine tujhe?"Maine uske haath se sabki ka bag lene ki koi koshish nahi ki.
"Arrey abhi main haath mein toh ghoda leke nahi aa sakta tha na. Vahi aapke ghar ke bahar ek sabzi wala khada tha toh usse kuchh sabziyan kharidi, aapke ghar mein ghusa aur ghoda isi mein dalkar le aaya"
Kehte hue usne us polybag mein haath ghusaya aur sabziyon ke beech se meri pocket pistol nikali.
"Full shana hai tu toh saale"Main uske haah se pistol lete hue bola.
"Abhi kya karega sahab. Waqt sala badi kutti cheez hai, kabhi waqt se pehle shana kar deta hai toh kabhi waqt aane par bhi akal nahi aati"
"Sahi bol raha hai"Maine kaha aur uski tarah ek 500 ka note badha diya"Chal tu nikal"
"Thank you sahab"Vo ek note aur dekh kar fauran khush ho utha aur note mere haath se lekar chala gaya. Uske jaane ke baad maine pistol check ki. Full loaded thi.
Phir poora din main bas yun hi kamre mein betha sochta raha ke ab kya karun. Shaam ho gayi toh khyaal aaya ke kyun na Geetanjali ke ghar aaj hi chakkar laga liya jaaye, kal par baat kyun taalni. Raat ka andhera halka halka phelne laga tha. maine Chipku ko phone karne ke liya apna cell uthaya hi tha ke vo khud hi baj utha. Call Nisha ke number se thi.
"Haan"Maine phone uthaya.
"Saanwli ke hostel ke saamne khadi hoon"Doosri taraf se uski aawaz aayi.
"Pahunch bhi gayi tu?"Maine ghadi ki taraf dekhte hue kaha.
"Haan ghar se thoda jaldi nikal aayi thi ke yahan ka kaam nipta kar dinner aur phir raat ko movie"
"Ok"Main bola"Saman mein mila kuchh"
"Abhi andar gayi nahi hoon, bas pahunchi hi hoon. Andar jakar saman le aaon, phir phone karti hoon aapko"Kehkar usne phone kaat diya.
Main betha phir uske phone ka wait karne laga. Koi 20 min baad ghanti baji.
"Itni der?"Maine call receive ki aur puchha.
"Arrey vo kaali bhains bethi hai na andar, saman dene mein na nukur kar rahi thi. Keh rahi thi ke Saanwli ke garwalon ko hi degi"
"Toh kya raha?"
"Le toh aayi main"
"Good. Mila kuchh?"
"Dekha nahi hai abhi. Ek bag hai bada sa. Gaadi ki taraf ja rahi hoon, andar beth kar dekhti hoon"
Gaadi ka darwaza khulne aur band hone aur ek bag ki zip khulne ki aawaz aayi.
"Kya hai bag mein?"
"Dekh rahi hoon"Doosri taraf se Nisha ki aawaz aayi"Uske kuchh kapde aur kuchh gifts vagerah hain. Aur kuchh purani photos vagerah hain. Ek kaam kariye, main zara saman dekh kar aapko phone karti hoon vaapis"
Is baar usne phone rakha toh phir vaapis call nahi aayi. Koi 15-20 minute wait karne ke baad maine hi uska number milaya toh ek aadmi ki aawaz aayi.
"Nisha?"Maine ek baar apne cell ki screen par nazar daalte hue puchha ke kahin maine number toh galat nahi dial kar diya.
"Main uska mangetar bol raha hoon. Vo zara gaadi ke bahar tak gayi hai ek shop mein. Aaye toh main phone karvata hoon vaapis"
"Ok"Mujhe kuchh samajh toh nahi aaya par maine baat maan li aur phone rakh diya.
Magar is baar bhi palat kar phone nahi aaya. Thak kar maine hi number milaya toh is baar number unreachable aaya.
Aur phir main der raat tak Nisha ka number dial karta raha par vo not-reachable hi rahi. Main yahi aankde lagata raha tha ke vo kahin network se bahar hai, ya uski cell ki battery khatam ho gayi ya kahin cinema theatre ke andar hai jahan number nahi lag raha. Lakh koshish ke baad bhi jab usse baat nahi ho paayi toh maine thak kar phone ek taraf rakh diya.
Subah darwaze par dastak se neend khuli. Maine uthkar darwaza khola toh vo ladka haath mein akhbaar liye khada tha.
"Haan bol"
"Aapke dost ki photo chhapi hai"Kehte hue usne newspaper meri taraf badha diya. Front page par hi Khan ki ek badi si photo lagi hui thi, jaisa ke newspapers ke Obituary section mein hoti hain. Uski photo ke neeche uski paidaish aur maut ki tareekh likhi hui thi aur ek shok samachar type message tha. Aur likha tha ke aaj shaam usko dafnaya ja raha tha.
Ladke ko maine ek cup chaai ke liye bola aur bhaari dil se paper lekar kamre mein aa gaya. Khan ka obituary message padhne ke baad maine paper palta aur page 3 par chhape news ko dekh kar meri aankhen khuli ki khuli reh gayi.
Likha tha ke VT Station ke paas ek car mein ek yuvak aur yuvati ki laashein mili hain. Dono ki goli markar hatya ki gayi thi. Yuvti ki pehchan Nisha Trivedi ke naam se ki gayi hai aur yuvak uska hone wala mangetar tha
______________________________
Lo! Nisha aur usski mangitar ko bhi maar dala? Sala Adi to bahot bada MANHUS nikla yaar usski vajah se itne saare logon ko maara ja raha hai. Damn it man!!