PART 2
UPDATE 4
Ravindra ek ghar ke saamne chupchaap khada tha. Raat ke andhere me uski aankhein ek shikari ki tarah chamak rahi thi. Chandni halke halke badalon ke peeche chhup rahi thi, aur hawa me ek ajeeb si thandak thi.
Usne dheere se apne haath ki mutthi kholi. Ek chhota sa locket, jo kali dor se bandha tha, uske haath me tha. Locket ka dhaaga uski ungliyon me fisal raha tha, jaise koi bechain aatma riha hone ka intezar kar rahi ho. Ravindra ne ek nazar uss ghar ki taraf uthai—Dev ka ghar.
Uski aankhein ek pal ke liye dheemi padi, jaise wo kisi gehray soch me ho. Phir ek halka sa muskuraya, ek aisi muskurahat jo sirf tab aati hai jab insaan kisi manhoos mansuba ko anjaam dene wala ho.
Hawa me ek tez jhoka aya, aur uske kapde halki si lehren lene lage. Usne apni jeb se taweez ko nikala, use anguliyon ke beech me ghumaaya, aur phir ek jhatke me Dev ke ghar ki taraf fek diya.
Jaise hi taweez hawa me aage badha, ek pal ke liye sab kuch dheema sa mehsoos hone laga. Hawa aur bhi thandi ho gayi, aur raat ka sannata aur gehra ho gaya. Locket neeche girne se pehle hi ek kaali parchayi jaisi koi cheez usse lapetne lagi. Jaise hi taweez zameen par gira, ek halki si kampan us jagah me mahsoos hui.
Ravindra ne ek gehri saans li aur dheere se apni jagah se palta. Uski chaal me ek ajeeb sa vishwas tha, jaise usse pata ho ki ab jo hoga, wo sirf uske hisaab se chalega.
Raat ka sannata gehra hota ja raha tha. Upar ki khidki ke paas, Dev aur Kdev bechaini se baithe the. Dev ne apne hothon se cigarette hatayi aur ek gehri saans li. Dhuaan hawa me ghul gaya, lekin uske mann me ek ajeeb si bechaini thi. Jaise koi anjaan shakti uske aaspaas mandra rahi ho.
Achaanak uska dhyaan neeche ki taraf gaya. Usne khidki se jhaanka, aur uske chehre par ek chhoti si tevar chhayi. Neeche sadak ke kone par halki si dhul ud rahi thi, jaise kisi ne abhi abhi waha kadam rakha ho—ya shayad kisi ne waha se apni upasthiti mita di ho.
Kdev: "Kya hua?"
Dev (gambhir swar me): "Waha samne dekh… mujhe lagta hai waha kisi ne antarhita (teleportation ) ka istemal kiya hai."
Kdev ne Dev ki baat sunte hi ek pal bhi na gavaaya. Wo bina kisi hichkichahat ke balcony se seedha neeche kood gaya. Uski chaal tez thi, jaise kisi shikari ne apne shikaar ki gandh paa li ho.
Neeche aakar usne idhar udhar dekha. Hawa thodi thandi ho chuki thi, aur wo jagah ek ajeeb se sannate me doobi thi. Phir uski nazar ek chamakte cheez par padi—sadak ke ek kone me ek locket pada tha.
Usne dheere se jhuk kar use uthaya. Locket thanda tha, jaise uspar kisi anjaani shakti ki chhaya ho. Usne ek nazar upar khidki ki taraf uthai jaha Dev ab bhi dhyan se neeche dekh raha tha. Kdev ne locket ko haath me kas kar pakda aur dheere se bola—
"Ye yaha kaise aaya?"
Kdev ne locket ko haath me pakde-pakde ek pal ke liye socha, phir bina samay gawaye balcony ki taraf dekha. Uski aankhon me ek ajeeb si satarkta thi. Woh bina kisi shor ke neeche se upar tak jaane laga, jaise uske mann me koi gehra sandesh ho jo bas Dev tak pahunchana zaroori ho.
Jaise hi woh upar pahucha, Dev ab bhi wahi khidki ke paas khada tha, cigarette ka dhuaan ab hawa me lapata ho chuka tha. Uske chehre par ek tez nigah thi, jaise usne bhi kuch mehsoos kar liya ho.
Kdev ne locket ko Dev ke saamne rakha. Locket ki dhatu ab bhi thandi thi, lekin uske upar ek ajeeb si urja mehsoos ho rahi thi.
Kdev (gambhir swar me): "Ye locket… tumhe yaad hai ye kya hai?"
Dev ne ek pal ke liye locket ko ghoora, phir uske chehre par ek gehra vichar ubhar aaya. Usne dheere se locket ko haath me uthaya, aur jaise hi usne usse chhua, ek halka sa jhatka mehsoos hua—jaise kisi ne uske haath par ek bijli si chhodi ho.
Dev (geharay swar me): "Ye toh wahi locket hai jo 10,000 saal pehle istemal kiya jata tha… zinda aatmaon ko qaid karke unhe kisi aur sharir me dalne ke liye."
Kdev ki aankhein ek pal ke liye dheemi padi, phir usne Dev ki taraf ghoorte hue kaha, "Par ye hamare ghar ke saamne kaise?"
Ek gehra sannata chha gaya. Hawa ekdum thandi ho gayi thi. Dono ek dusre ko dekh rahe the, jaise koi unsuni baat unke beech hawa me goonj rahi ho. Yeh sirf ek locket nahi tha, yeh ek sandesh tha—aur shayad kisi ki wapsi ka sanket bhi.
Woh bina kisi shor ke seedhiyon ki taraf badha aur gate ke paas jaakar ek pal ke liye ruka. Fir, bina kisi der ke, usne Komal ko bulaya—
Dev (thodi tez lekin apni usual authoritative awaaz me): "Komal! Komal!"
Komal, jo tab tak ek taraf baithi thi, Dev ki awaaz sunte hi turant uthi. Uske chehre par ek muskurahat thi, lekin uske andar ek patni wali chhoti si samajh bhi thi ki Dev kuch soch raha hai. Usne dheere se jawab diya—
Komal: "Haan ji?"
Dev ne seedhiyon se neeche dekhte hue ek dum seedha bola—
Dev: "Jara Janu ko upar bhej do… kuch zaroori kaam hai."
Komal ne ek pal ke liye socha, phir halki si nazar Dev ke chehre par daali. Usne thoda mazak bhare lehze me kaha—
Komal: "Woh kitchen me kuch bana rahi hai... main aa jaoon kya?"
Dev ne ek dum seedha jawaab diya, jaise koi confusion ki jagah hi na ho
Dev (thoda haste hue lekin firm tone me): "Are nahi, usse hi bulao. Usse kaam hai, tumhe nahi."
Komal ne thoda nakhre se sir jhatkaya, jaise keh rahi ho ‘hamesha usi ko kaam kyun hota hai?’, phir haath ghumate hue boli—
Komal: "Theek hai, bhejti hoon."
Woh seedha kitchen ki taraf chali gayi. Kitchen me Janu apne haath dhote hue shant dikh rahi thi, lekin uski soch kahin aur thi.
Komal ne kitchen ke darwaze se hi awaz lagayi
Komal: "Janu, tumhe Dev bula rahe hain… keh rahe hain koi zaroori kaam hai."
Janu ne ek pal ke liye haath pochhte hue socha, phir dheere se kaha—
Janu: "Acha, theek hai… jaati hoon."
Uske kadmon ki halki aahat seedhiyon ki taraf badhne lagi. Har ek kadam ke saath uske andar ek ajeeb si ghabrahat badh rahi thi. Jaise koi anjaani shakti uske aaspaas thi… kuch tha jo badalne wala tha.
Janu ne apni soch me dubte hue dheere se socha—
"Kahi yahi baat toh nahi jo maine abhi mehsoos ki thi? Wahi alag si shakti jo is jagah par mandra rahi thi? Kahi wahi toh nahi jo Dev bhi samajh raha hai?"