Chapter 3 - The Twins
3 din baad main ek baar phir Mrs. Rana ke guest house mein tha aur is baar kyunki mujhe pata nahi tha ke main yahan kitne din rehne wala hoon, isliye poori taiyyari ke saath aaya tha. Office se maine ek lambi chhutti le li thi jiske mera Boss bilkul khilaff tha, khaas taur se tab jab maine ye kaha ke main nahi janta ke ye chhutti kitni lambi hogi. Chhutti shayad milti bhi nahi agar main resign karne ki dhamki na deta.
"Can i come visit you Daddy?" Mera 3 saal ka beta Vikram badi masoomiyat ke saath mujhse phone par puchh raha tha.
"Of course you can come visit me anytime honey" Maine haste hue jawab diya.
Phone par ek pal ke liye khamoshi hui aur phir Kamini ki aawaz aayi.
"You better not be lying to your son"
"I am not" Maine kaha "Vo toh mom nahi maani yahan aane ko varna main use yahin le aata. Akele Vikram ko yahan la nahi sakta kyunki vo chhota hai"
"Well you could have asked me"
"Asked you what, to come here with me to take care of Vikram?"
"Yep"
"Yeah right, like you dont anything better to do in your life"
"I dont" Usne bahut serious andaaz mein kaha.
Kamini meri bachpan ki dost thi. Uske father mere Dad ke bahut achhe dost the aur ham dono bachpan se hi saath pale badhe. Main janta tha ke vo bachpan se hi mujhse pyaar karti thi aur is baat ka vo khud bhi mere saamne iqraat kar chuki thi. Par mere liye hamesha vo dost hi rahi. Aisa nahi tha ke maine koshish nahi ki.
Vo ek bahut achhhi ladki thi aur hamare gharwale bhi yahi chahte the ke ham dono shaadi kar lein. College mein aur uske baad maine koshish ki bhi thi ke Kamini ko ek girlfriend aur future wife ke nazariye se dekhne ki koshish karun par kar nahi paya. Vo mere liye hamesha meri dost hi rahi. College mein mujhe Renuka mili, mujhse usse pyaar hua aur phir hamne shaadi kar li.
Aur ab jabki meri biwi ko guzre 2 saal ho chuke hain aur meri zindagi mein ladki ke naam par sirf ek Kamini hi hai, ab bhi main use sivaay ek dost ke kisi aur nazariye se dekh nahi pata. Ye jaante hue bhi ke vo meri sirf ek haan ka intezaar kar rahi. Mujhe maalum tha ke vo mere bete se bahut pyaar karti hai, uske liye ek achhi maan saabit hogi aur mere liye ek achhi biwi par zindagi mein phir se ek aurat ko biwi ka darja ab main nahi de sakta tha.
Jo mere aur Renuka ke beech hua tha uske baad toh nahi.
"Arrey tum toh serious hi ho gaye, dont worry i am not forcing myself on you. I was just saying" Doosri taraf se Kamini ki aawaz aayi.
"I know. Anyways, i will talk to you later. Need to go meet someone"
"Oh really ?" Vo shokhi bhare andaaz mein boli, "kaun hai, A woman?"
"As a matter of fact yes" Maine bhi usi andaaz mein jawab diya.
"OK" Usne hairat bhara lamba sa okay kaha "Kaun hai?"
"Hai koi"
"Is she pretty?"
"Haan ek waqt pe khoobsurat toh zaroor rahi hogi"
"Ek waqt pe? Kyun ab kya? Khoobsurati kisi ko udhar de aayi?"
"Nahi vo de nahi aayi, koi zabardasti leke chala gaya?"
"Kaun?"
"Waqt"
"Kya matlab?"
"Matlab ke dhalti umar ke saath khoobsurati bhi dhal gayi"
"What?" Vo na samjhne wale andaaz mein boli.
"Ab ek 70 saal ki aurat toh mere taste ke hisaab se khoobsurat nahi ho sakti na?"
"Aur kaun hai ye 70 saal ki aurat?"
"Meri client"
"Kaun?"
"Baad mein bataoonga, ab jaane do mujhe"
Kamini aur apne bete se baat karne ke baad maine kamre par ek nazar daali. Saman maine abhi tak unpack nahi kiya par vo sab karne se pehle Mrs. Rana se milkar aana tha
Thodi der baad ham ek baar phir usi badi si study mein ikatthe hue. Main. Bela Rana aur vo Butler Liyaqat jo mujhe samajh nahi aata tha ke kyun har waqt sar pe bana rehta hai.
"As i told you before, you need to find out about my other son" Formal greetings khatam hone ke baad Mrs. Rana ne kaha.
"I understand" Maine jawab diya "I will need to get as many details as possible like since when he is missing, who was the last person to see him, what happened after he disappeared, jo police case hua tha uska kya result nikla, what were his habits, where he used to go, what he looked like"
"20 years ago he looked like him and if he is still alive today somewhere, i am sure he still looks like him" Kehte hue Bela Rana ne apni study table par rakhi ek framed photograph meri taraf ghuma di.
Tasveer mein jo insaan tha use main bakhubi pehchanta tha. Vo Rajinder Rana tha.
"Thats my son, Rajinder" Vo boli.
"I know. So you mean to say that he resembled his brother?"
"Not resembled, they were a 100% copy of each other. Judwa the dono"
"Twin brothers?"
"Yes. Shakal, kad kathi, aawaz, sab ekdam ek doosre ki hubahu tha"
"Hmmmm, thats interesting"
"Dono agar ek saath khade ho jaayen toh pehchanna mushkil tha. Main ek maan hote hue bhi sirf isliye dono ko pehchan paati thi kyunki unmein se ek apaahij tha"
"Apaahij?"
"Ji haan apaahij" Kehte hue unhone darwaze ke paas khade Liyaqat ki taraf dekha "Ek cup coffee ke liye boliye"
Liyaqat ne fauran hukum baja lane wale andaaz mein apna sir hilaya aur darwaza kholne laga.
"Rukiye" Mrs. Rana ne kaha aur mujhse mukhaatib hui "Aap lenge?"
"Yeah sure"
"2 cup le aaiye aur kuchh khaane ka bhi intezaam karaiye" Unhone phir Liyaqat se kaha.
"Ji zaroor" Liyaqat darwaza khol kar bahar nikal gaya.
Ab kamre mein sirf main aur Mrs. Rana reh gaye the.
"Ab jo ham aapko batane ja rahe hain, aur iske baad bahut kuchh jo aap khud pata lagayenge, hamare pariwaar ki niji baatein hain. Kayi baatein aisi hongi jo shayad har ghar ki kahani ka ek hissa hain aur unhein jaanne mein kisi ki dilchaspi nahi hogi par kuchh baatein aisi hain jo agar hamare ghar se bahar gayi toh is pariwaar ko khasa nuksaan pahuncha sakti hain jo ke ham bilkul nahi chahte"
"Aap bilkul befikar rahiye, hamare beech ki baat sirf ham tak rahegi"
"Aap itne yakeen se kaise keh sakte hain? After all, isse pehle jo kuchh bhi aap pata lagate the, uske pichhe sirf aur sirf yahi maksad hota tha ke usko mirch masala laga kar hawa mein udaya ja sake taaki log maze le lekar padhen aur aapka newspaper aur zyada bikey"
"I cant say that i dont agree with you on that" Maine muskurate hue kaha "Par Ma'm aap khud is waqt apni hi baat se contrast kar rahi hain. Ek taraf toh aapne khud mujhe yahan isliye bulaya hai ke maine kuchh investigate kar sakun aur doosri taraf aap khud hi mujh par shak kar rahi hai, mujhe batane se jhijhak rahi hain"
"I guess you are right" Vo bhi meri baat sunkar muskurayi "But one cant be too careful in these matters"
"I agree, par aap befikar rahiye. Ye sahi hai ke isse pehle main jo bhi investigate karta tha vo isliye tha ke use newspaper mein chhap sakun par vo mere apne liye nahi tha"
"How do you mean?"
"I was merely serving in the interest of the party that employed me Ma'm which in previous matter was my newspaper. Main vahan kaam karta tha aur unka fayda sirf is baat mein tha ke main investigate karke kahaniyan laoon aur akhbaar mein chhapun jo ke main karta tha. Par filhal meri employer aap hain aur aapka fayda sirf is baat mein hai ke main jo bhi pata lagaoon vo sirf apne tak rakhun. I know how to serve in the best interest of the party paying me so you can rest assured. Main bahut achhi tarah janta hoon ke kuchh raaz sirf chhupaye rakhne ke liye hote hain kyunki unko sivaay aapke aur koi samajh nahi sakta"
Ye kehte hue mera Dhyaan apni guzar chuki biwi ki taraf chala gaya. Uske aur mere beech jo hua tha vo ek aisa kissa tha jo sivaay mere aur koi nahi samajh sakta tha. Ek aisi sachchai jo sirf main jaan aur samajh sakta tha.
"I trust you on that. Aap ek samajhdaar aadmi hain and i hope you wont mind when i asked you to sign a confidentiality agreement between us?"
"Of course not" Maine jawab diya "Aap jab kahen main confidentiality agreement par sign karne ke liye taiyyar hoon"
"Maine Mr. Mehta se keh diya hai and he is preparing a document. Thanks for understanding that" Mrs. Rana ne muskura kar jawab diya.
Tabhi Liyaqat ek tray mein 2 cup coffee aur ek tray mein kuchh biscuits lekar aa gaya aur table par hamare saamne lagane laga.
"So as i was saying, mere 2 bete the. Rajinder aur Ravinder, dono judwa"
"Ok" Kehte hue maine apni jeb se ek notepad nikala aur pen se uspar notes banane laga. Ek baat jiski hairat mujhe hui vo ye the ke unhone Liyaqat ke saamne hi mujhe sab batana shuru kar diya tha jabki main ummeed kar raha tha ke vo uske bahar jaane ka intezaar karengi.
"Yun toh hamare paas bhagwaan ka diya sab kuchh tha aur aaj bhi hai par vo kehte hain na kabhi kisi ko poora jahan nahi milta, or something like that in shayari language"
"Kabhi kisi ko muqammal jahan nahi milta, kabhi zameen toh kabhi aasmaan nahi milta" Maine jawab diya.
"Yeah that. Toh aapko shayari mein bhi interest hai"
"Nahi not really, par ye kaafi famous hai isliye yaad tha"
"Hmmmm, anyways aisa hi kuchh hamare saath bhi hua tha. Yun toh bhagwaan ne dene ke liye hamein sab kuchh diya tha par ek kami hamare andar bhi chhod di thi. Ek aisi cheez jiski ek aurat ko sabse zyada aas hoti hain. Maan banne ka sukh"
"Main samjha nahi"
"Rajinder aur Ravinder se pehle hamne 3 aur bachchon ko janam diya tha par they were all still-born"
"Matlab paidaish ke waqt hi ...."
"Ji haan" Unhone meri baat poori karte hue kaha "Vo teeno hamari kokh mein hi dam tod chuke the. They were all born dead"
"Oh, i am sorry"
"Sabse pehla ek ladka tha. Uske paida hone se pehle hamari kokh men hi zindagi uska saath chhod chuki thi. Doosri paidaish ek ladki thi aur teesra phir se ek ladka par unke saath bhi vahi hua jo hamare pehle bete ke saath hua tha. Vo is duniya mein aaye toh par kabhi saans nahi li"
"Oh"
"But as they say, things happen for the best"
"Ji?"
"You see kudrat ka mazak hamare saath ye nahi tha ke hamare bachche zinda nahi the. Mazak ye tha ke all those children were deformed"
"Deformed?"
"Ji haan, they were not healthy children. Har case mein doctors ne hamein yahi bataya ke hamare bachche mein kahin na kahin sharirik taur par koi kami thi. Jaisa ke hamare pehla beta, agar zinda rehta, was born blind. Vo zindagi bhar andhere mein hi jeeta. Aur aisi hi sharirik kamiyan hamare baaki 2 bachchon mein bhi thi"
"Ok"
"Toh unhein is duniya mein na aane dekar kudrat ne shayad un masoom bachchon par ehsaan hi kiya tha, saza toh bhagwaan hamein de raha tha, na jaane kis baat ki"
Is saare kisse ke dauran Liyaqat ab bhi darwaze ke paas sar jhukaye khada sun raha tha par Mrs. Rana ko uske saamne ye sab batate koi hichak nahi ho rahi thi jisse main sirf yahi andaza laga sakta tha ke Liyaqat ye sab baatein already janta tha.
"Iske baad hamne har tarah ki dawa aur dua dono ki. Hamare pati hamse bahut pyaar karte the isliye bavajood iske ke ham unhein ek waris tak nahi de pa rahe the, unhone hamein chhoda nahi balki hamare saath rahe. Hamne bahut doctors ko consult kiya, jaane kitne mandir aur masjidon mein matha teka, peer pujariyon se taveez karaye aur shayad phir bhagwaan ko ham par taras aa gaya. Hamare pet mein phir zindagi ne janam liya aur is baar ek nahi do ne"
"You mean your twins"
"Yes par is baar bhi kudrat ne hamare saath dillagi karna chhoda nahi. Hamare 2 bachchon mein jahan ek poora tarah healthy tha vahin hamara doosra beta was again a born handicapped"
"Ok"
"We named them as Ravinder and Rajinder. Ravi poori tarah se healthy tha kahin koi kami nahi thi par Raj was a born mute and his left side of the body was not functioning normally. Vo bachpan se hi bol nahi sakta tha, uski left arm is completely dead and uski left leg is a bit shorter than his right isliye vo hamesha se langda kar chalta hai"