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Hostel se hokar main vaapis office pahuncha toh vahan Khan mera intezaar kar raha tha.
"Tu yahan kya kar raha hai?" Maine use dekh kar puchha.
"Bhajiya tal raha hoon, khayega?" Usne jawab diya.
"Haan par chatni sirf hari wali dena, laal wali mujhe pasand nahi" Maine bhi usi ke andaaz mein jawab diya.
"Haan of course, teekha hi pasand hai tujhe toh tabhi itna teekha bol bhi leta hai"
"Matlab?" Maine apni chair par beth kar cigarette ka packet nikala par jab Khan ne mujhe ghoor kar dekha toh maine vaapis rakhd diya.
"Idhar se guzar raha tha toh socha tujhse milta chalun. Joshi se mila tha tu aaj?" Usne sawal kiya.
"Bada tagda network hai tera, abhi ghanta bhar bhi nahi hua aur tujh tak khabar bhi pahunch gayi" Maine hairan hote hue dekha.
"Usi ka phone aaya tha mere paas"
"Achha? Kya keh raha tha?"
"Keh raha tha mujhse ke main apne paaltu kutte ko uske case se bahar rakhun" Usne kaha.
"Kutta bhi hai tere paas?" Maine haste hue puchha.
"Mazak mat uda Aditya. Tu achhi tarah janta hai ke vo kaafi khatarnaak aadmi hai. Ye jo usne sharafat ka choga pehen rakha hai na, iski vajah se kaafi uper tak pahunch hai uski"
"Haan toh?" Main dono kohniyan table par rakh kar aage ko hota hua bola "Kehna kya chah raha hai?"
"Sirf ye kehna chah raha hoon ke thoda dhyaan se chal. Aur main toh kahunga ke case chhod hi de, koi doosra pakad le"
"Case chhod doon? Rozi roti pe kyun laat maar raha hai yaar. Aisa toh kuchh bhi nahi hua abhi"
"Hone se pehle hi baat maan le. Tu Joshi ko janta nahi. Na vo tujhe pasand karta hai aurna mujhe aur agar tu uske raaste mein aaya toh tujhe lapente ke liye usse jo ban padega karega"
"Dekh" Maine aage badhkar uska haath pakda "I appreciate your concern. Bhai hai tu mera aur main teri baat sun bhi raha hoon. Main sambhal kar rahunga. Filhal mujhe aisa koi andesha lag nahi raha par phir bhi agar aage baat bigadti hui nazar aayi, to jo tu kahega main vahi karunga. Happy now?"
Usne bhi haan mein sar hilaya.
"Tu sirf ye batane aaya tha mujhe?"
"Nahi aaya toh isliye tha ke yahin paas mein kuchh kaam se aaya tha. Ittefaq ki baat thi ke jab is taraf aa raha tha, tab hi Joshi ka phone aa gaya.
"Hmmm. Khayega kuchh?" Maine sawal kiya.
"Nah" Usne inkaar kiya "Abhi khaake hi aaya tha"
"Vo ladki ke baare mein kuchh pata chala?" Maine Saanwli ke baare mein puchha.
"Dekh bhai jahan jahan tune dekhne ko kaha tha maine dekha par kuchh nahi mila"
"Nothing at all?"
"Nahi. Maine traffic accidents ke records check kiye. Sadak haadso mein koi aisi maut nahi hui jiski shinakht na hui ho. Koi aisi laash filhal morgue mein nahi padi jiski pehchan na ki gayi ho. Municipality walo ne ek laash jalayi zaroor thi par vo Saanwli ki ho nahi sakti.
"Matlab?"
"Matlab ke ek buddhi aurat ki laash mili thi kuchh din pehle, koi nahi janta tha ke kaun thi na koi pucchhne aaya aur na records mein koi complaint mili. Kuchh din intezaar karke Municipality walon ke jala diya"
"Hmmm ... that was a dead end"
"Tu ajeeb hai vaise" Usne haste hue mujhsekaha "Koi khota hai toh log pehle ye pata karte hain ke vo aakhri baar kahan tha, kiske saath tha, kisne dekha tha use, kahan rehta tha, kya karta tha vagerah vagerah you know taaki kuchh pata lage. Tu sidha hi use laashon ki list mein dhoondh raha hai"
"Apna apna kaam karne ka tarika hai yaar" Maine kaha "Jahan tune dekha vo bhi ek aisijagah thi ke jahan mujhe us ladki ka naam mil sakta tha par mila nahi. Toh shuru mein hi maine ye option apni list se nikaal diya. Mil jaati toh mujhe dhakke hi na khane padte. Ab at least case ke shur mein hi mainye janta hoon ke vo kisi sadak durghatna mein nahi mari aur na hi uski laash kahin lawaris batake jalayi gayi"
Khan ke jaane ke baad main kaafi der tak betha sochta raha. Jaane kyun mujhe kaafi ummeed si thi ke uske paas se mujhe koi nako matlab ki information zaroor milegi. Aisalagne ki mere paas ek bhi thos vajah nahi thi par ye gut feeling ya sixth sense keh lijiye, meri ummeed kaafi zyada thi jo ki ab nakaam nikli.
"Chal kahin bahar khane chalte hain yaar" Maine ghadi ki taraf dekhte hue Nisha se kaha. Dopahar ka waqt ho gaya tha.
"Aur ye jo ghar se laayi hoon?" Usne apne tiffin box ki taraf ishara kiya.
"Ise raat ko ghar par hi kha lena. Ab chal, main khila raha hoon. Its on me"
Ham dono uthe hi the ke office ka darwaza khula aur Saloni andar daakhil hui.
_________________________
"Tu yahan kya kar raha hai?" Maine use dekh kar puchha.
"Bhajiya tal raha hoon, khayega?" Usne jawab diya.
"Haan par chatni sirf hari wali dena, laal wali mujhe pasand nahi" Maine bhi usi ke andaaz mein jawab diya.
"Haan of course, teekha hi pasand hai tujhe toh tabhi itna teekha bol bhi leta hai"
"Matlab?" Maine apni chair par beth kar cigarette ka packet nikala par jab Khan ne mujhe ghoor kar dekha toh maine vaapis rakhd diya.
"Idhar se guzar raha tha toh socha tujhse milta chalun. Joshi se mila tha tu aaj?" Usne sawal kiya.
"Bada tagda network hai tera, abhi ghanta bhar bhi nahi hua aur tujh tak khabar bhi pahunch gayi" Maine hairan hote hue dekha.
"Usi ka phone aaya tha mere paas"
"Achha? Kya keh raha tha?"
"Keh raha tha mujhse ke main apne paaltu kutte ko uske case se bahar rakhun" Usne kaha.
"Kutta bhi hai tere paas?" Maine haste hue puchha.
"Mazak mat uda Aditya. Tu achhi tarah janta hai ke vo kaafi khatarnaak aadmi hai. Ye jo usne sharafat ka choga pehen rakha hai na, iski vajah se kaafi uper tak pahunch hai uski"
"Haan toh?" Main dono kohniyan table par rakh kar aage ko hota hua bola "Kehna kya chah raha hai?"
"Sirf ye kehna chah raha hoon ke thoda dhyaan se chal. Aur main toh kahunga ke case chhod hi de, koi doosra pakad le"
"Case chhod doon? Rozi roti pe kyun laat maar raha hai yaar. Aisa toh kuchh bhi nahi hua abhi"
"Hone se pehle hi baat maan le. Tu Joshi ko janta nahi. Na vo tujhe pasand karta hai aurna mujhe aur agar tu uske raaste mein aaya toh tujhe lapente ke liye usse jo ban padega karega"
"Dekh" Maine aage badhkar uska haath pakda "I appreciate your concern. Bhai hai tu mera aur main teri baat sun bhi raha hoon. Main sambhal kar rahunga. Filhal mujhe aisa koi andesha lag nahi raha par phir bhi agar aage baat bigadti hui nazar aayi, to jo tu kahega main vahi karunga. Happy now?"
Usne bhi haan mein sar hilaya.
"Tu sirf ye batane aaya tha mujhe?"
"Nahi aaya toh isliye tha ke yahin paas mein kuchh kaam se aaya tha. Ittefaq ki baat thi ke jab is taraf aa raha tha, tab hi Joshi ka phone aa gaya.
"Hmmm. Khayega kuchh?" Maine sawal kiya.
"Nah" Usne inkaar kiya "Abhi khaake hi aaya tha"
"Vo ladki ke baare mein kuchh pata chala?" Maine Saanwli ke baare mein puchha.
"Dekh bhai jahan jahan tune dekhne ko kaha tha maine dekha par kuchh nahi mila"
"Nothing at all?"
"Nahi. Maine traffic accidents ke records check kiye. Sadak haadso mein koi aisi maut nahi hui jiski shinakht na hui ho. Koi aisi laash filhal morgue mein nahi padi jiski pehchan na ki gayi ho. Municipality walo ne ek laash jalayi zaroor thi par vo Saanwli ki ho nahi sakti.
"Matlab?"
"Matlab ke ek buddhi aurat ki laash mili thi kuchh din pehle, koi nahi janta tha ke kaun thi na koi pucchhne aaya aur na records mein koi complaint mili. Kuchh din intezaar karke Municipality walon ke jala diya"
"Hmmm ... that was a dead end"
"Tu ajeeb hai vaise" Usne haste hue mujhsekaha "Koi khota hai toh log pehle ye pata karte hain ke vo aakhri baar kahan tha, kiske saath tha, kisne dekha tha use, kahan rehta tha, kya karta tha vagerah vagerah you know taaki kuchh pata lage. Tu sidha hi use laashon ki list mein dhoondh raha hai"
"Apna apna kaam karne ka tarika hai yaar" Maine kaha "Jahan tune dekha vo bhi ek aisijagah thi ke jahan mujhe us ladki ka naam mil sakta tha par mila nahi. Toh shuru mein hi maine ye option apni list se nikaal diya. Mil jaati toh mujhe dhakke hi na khane padte. Ab at least case ke shur mein hi mainye janta hoon ke vo kisi sadak durghatna mein nahi mari aur na hi uski laash kahin lawaris batake jalayi gayi"
Khan ke jaane ke baad main kaafi der tak betha sochta raha. Jaane kyun mujhe kaafi ummeed si thi ke uske paas se mujhe koi nako matlab ki information zaroor milegi. Aisalagne ki mere paas ek bhi thos vajah nahi thi par ye gut feeling ya sixth sense keh lijiye, meri ummeed kaafi zyada thi jo ki ab nakaam nikli.
"Chal kahin bahar khane chalte hain yaar" Maine ghadi ki taraf dekhte hue Nisha se kaha. Dopahar ka waqt ho gaya tha.
"Aur ye jo ghar se laayi hoon?" Usne apne tiffin box ki taraf ishara kiya.
"Ise raat ko ghar par hi kha lena. Ab chal, main khila raha hoon. Its on me"
Ham dono uthe hi the ke office ka darwaza khula aur Saloni andar daakhil hui.
_________________________
