Main Bhagwati Hospital pahuncha aur parking mein hi gaadi mein betha Khan ka intezaar karne laga. Vo poore dedh ghante baad aaya. Gaadi mein bethe bethe hi meri aankh lag gayi thi. Usne aakar sheeshe par knock kiya toh meri neend tooti.
"Hospital mein hi khade hain. Lage haath tu bhi Dr. ko dikha le" Main aankhen malta gaadi se nikla toh usne mujhse kaha.
"What time is it?" Maine puchha.
"4 bajne wale hain shaam ke"
"Badi jaldi aa gaya tu"
"Sorry yaar, traffic"
Ham dono hospital mein daakhil hue aur morgue tak pahunche.
"Kal ek ladki ki body laayi gayi hai yahan, ek ladki ki, kaafi buri halat mein hai?" Khan ne morgue ke bahar bani desk par bethe hue aadmi se kaha.
"Yes sir. Aap yahan entry kar dijiye" Usne ekregister hamari taraf khiskaya.
Jawab mein Khan ne use ghoor kar dekha.
"Sorry Sir" Usne register vaapis apni taraf khinch liya. "Mere saath aaiye"
Main aaj tak kabhi kisi morgue ke andar nahi gaya tha. Dead bodies bahut dekhi thi par sab zyadatar ya toh mauka-e-vaardat par hoti thi, ya kisi police station ya kisi hospital mein bane ek chhote se kamre mein. Ek proper morgue ke andar kadam rakhne ka ye mera pehla mauka tha.
Ek morgue ya mortuary aur ek butcher house mein koi zyada khaas farak nahi hota. Morgue mein insaan ki laash paayi jaati hai aur butcher house mein jaanwar ki. Par hota ye bhi ek tarah se kasai khana hi hai. Yahan bhi laash ko ek table par leta kar use cheera phada jaata hai, theek kisi butcher house ki tarah. Bas yahan unhen kaatne ki vajah ya toh criminal investigation hoti hai ya medical science, na ke isliye ke kaatkar becha ja sake.
Ye ek sarkari hospital tha isliye kahin AC hone ka toh sawal hi paida nahi hota tha par haan, yahan mortuary mein AC itna tez tha ke mere shareer mein sihran daud uthi. Kamal ki baat hai ke jahan zinda insaan the,vahan chhat ke pankhe bhi dhang se nahi chal rahe the aur yahan murdon ke liye full AC ka intezaam kiya hua tha.
Vo ladka hamein ek chaude se kamre mein lekar daakhul hua. Kamre ke ek taraf ek bada sa bathtub jaisa sink bana hua tha jisedekh kar hi maine andaza laga liya ke yahankya dhoya jata hoga, kamre ke beecho beech 2 din hospital stretcher jaisi 2 - 3 tables rakhi hui thi, unhi mein se ek ke uper ek badi aur chaudi si light lagi hui thi. Kamre ke ek tarf deewar ke saath bane bade se slab par tarah tarah ke surgery tools rakhe hue the. Sidhi zubaan mein kahun toh laash ko kaatne ke liye tarah tarah ke auzaar.
Aisa lag raha tha jaise murdon ka operation theatre ho.
Maujood stretchers mein se ek par safed kapde se dhaki hui ek laash thi.
"Yahi hai?" Khan ne us aadmi se puchha toh usne haan mein sar hilaya.
"Mujhe toh laga tha ke morgue mein bahut saari laashen hoti hongi" Main bevakoofon jaisa sawal puchha.
"Idhar toh post mortem hota hai" Us aadmi ne jawab diya "Bodies toh udhar pichhe mortuary mein rakhe hote hain saare"
"Iska post mortem ho gaya?" Khan ne sawalkiya.
"Nahi abhi karunga, isliye hi mangaya hai" Aawaz hamare pichhe se aayi. Ham dono nepalat kar dekha toh safed coat pehne ek koi 50 saal ke kareeb umar ka aadmi khada tha. Uski shakal dekh kar hi lag raha tha ke vo koi doctor hai.
"Hello" Usne hamari taraf haath badhaya "I am Dr. Verma, pathologist"
Ham dono ne usse haath milaya.
"Aap log thoda jaldi aa gaye. Abhi post mortem hua nahi hai. Report main kal subah tak hi de paoonga" Dr. Verma na kaha.
"Ham body dekh sakte hain ek baar?" Khan ne puchha.
"Haan zaroor. Aaiye" Kehte hue Dr. ne apni jeb se ek rumaal nikal kar apni naak par rakh liya aur stretcher par rakhi laash ki taraf badha.
Uski dekha dekhi Khan aur maine bhi apni jeb se rumaal nikale aur apne munh par rakh liye.
Stretcher par rakhi laash par se kapda hataya gaya aur jo saamne aaya use dekh kar hi mujhe jaise ulti aane ko ho gayi. Munh par rumaal hote hue bhi ek tez gandh meri naak se hoti hui mere dimag mein chadhti chali gayi.
Jo saamne tha uska sirf dhancha dekh kar ye bataya ja sakta tha ke vo kabhi insaan rahi hogi. Ab jo saamne tha vo toh sirf ek sade hue maans ka lothda tha. Aadha shareer toh tha hi nahi. Ek taang jaang ke neeche se gayab thi, dono haathon ki anguliyan nahi thi aur jagah jagah se maans na hone ke karan haddiyan tak dikhai de rahi thi.
"Ya Khuda" Kehte hue Khan palta aur tez kadmon se chalta kamre mein bane sink par jhuk kar khada ho gaya.
Mujhe ek pal laga apne aapko us nazare aur gandh ke saath adjust karne mein par phir main sambhalta hua Dr. ki taraf palta jo, much to my surprise, aise aaram se khada tha jaise saamne kuchh ho hi na.
"Kya lagta hai, kaise maut hui hogi?" Maine puchha.
"Abhi kuchh keh pana mushkil hai but looking at this, i can say ke is ladki ko goli maari gayi thi" Kehte hue usne ladki ke chehre ki taraf ishara kiya.
Uska chehra buri tarah vikrat tha. Khaal sad kar kaali pad chuki thi aur jagah jagah se gayab thi. Sar se toh poori tarah hi khaal aur maans dono gal kar hat chuke the aur uska skull saaf dikahi de raha tha. Maathhe ki haddi mein ek bada sa hole tha jiski taraf Dr. ishara kar raha tha.
"Isko yahan sar mein goli maari gayi thi jo ki filhal mujhe lagta hai ke maut ki vajah rahi hogi. Par ye bhi ho sakta hai ke ye goli iski maut ke baad maari gayi ho"
"Maut kitna pehle hui hogi?"
"Filhal andaze se kahun toh shayad ek mahina, shartiya taur par post mortem ke baad hi bata paoonga" Dr. ne jawab diya.
"Hmmmm "Main laash ki taraf dekhta hua sirf itna hi keh paya.
"Ye dekhiye" Dr. ne ladki ke jism par jagah jagah katne ke nishano ki taraf ishara kiya"Isko maar kar samundar mein phenk diya gaya par aisa karne se pehle maarne wale ne isko shareer ko kaat kar andar ki hawa nikal di taaki ye pani mein doob jaaye aur laash ubhar kar uper na aaye"
"Hmmmm "Main phir sirf itna hi keh paya.
"Ye bhi mumkin hai ke ise kisi bhaari cheez ke sath bandha gaya ho jiski vajah se ye itna waqt pani ke neeche rahi. Baad mein shareer gal jaane ki vajah se laash ye jis cheez se bandhi thi usmein se phisal kar uper ubhar aayi"
"Aur jo aadha shareer gaya hai?" Maine uskitaang ki taraf ishara kiya.
"Iska abhi nahi bata sakta par haan isko ek mahina tak pani ke neeche janwar khaate rahe isliye jagah jagah se maans nahi hai. Par ek poori taang haddi samet kaise gayabhui, ye keh pana abhi zara mushkil hai"
Main phir apne saamne rakhi laash ko gaur se dekhne laga aur use Saloni se milane ko koshish karne laga. Kad kaathi takreeban same hi thi par uske alawa main aur kuchh hi nahi bata sakta tha.
"Ek baat bataiye Dr." Maine ladki ke seene ki taraf ishara kiya jahan ab sirf gale hue maans aur khaal ke lothde the "Aapko kya lagta hai, is ladki ka breast size kya raha hoga?"
Mere sawal par Dr. aur pichhe khada Khan dono mujhe ajeeb nazron se ghoorne lage.
"No no no no" Maine fauran apne haath uper uthate hue safai di "Not what you are thinking. Dr. Sahab ham ek ladki ko dhoondhrahe hain aur main is shareer ko us ladki ke shareer se milane ki koshish kar raha hoon"
"You definitely have a weird way of finding people Mister" Kehte hue Dr. ne vaapis laash par kapda daal diya, jaise use meri gandi nigah se chhupane ki koshish kar rahaho.
"What the F was that?" Bahar aate hue Khan ne mujhse puchha.
"Abe yaar aise dekh kar bata pana mushkil tha par mera andaza hai ke un dono behno ka breast size kam se kam 36 raha hoga. Toh main vo match karne ki koshish kar raha tha"
"Wah bhai wah" Khan ne taali bajate hue kaha "Kya paarkhi nazar paayi hai mere bhai ne"
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