Uske agle hi din meri maan ke zor daalne par Renuka ne office se maternity leave le li. Halanki vo abhi sirf mushkil se ek mahina pregnant thi par meri maan ne use office jaane se saaf mana kar diya. Uske office wale bhi is shart par maan gaye ke vo rozana kuchh ghante ke liye ghar se kaam karegi.
Jahan mere maan baap is baat ko lekar behad khush the vahin mere toh jaise armano par pani phir gaya tha. Kahin apne dil mein main is baat par yakeen kar chuka tha ke Renuka ki kokh mein pal raha bachcha mera nahi tha. Hamare ghar mein ek naya member judne wala tha aur har koi bas usi ki taiyyari mein laga hua tha. Sara din ghar mein kabhi is baat par charcha rehti ke ladka hoga ya ladki toh kabhi is baat par ke bachche ka naam kya rakhenge. Jab bada ho jaayega toh kaun se school mein bhejenge, bada hokar vo kya banega vagerah vagerah. Par mere dimag mein in sabse hatkar ek alag hi soch badhti ja rahi thi.
Sabse badi baat jo mujhe pareshan kar rahi thi vo ye thi ke us din Renuka ke saath vo ladka kaun tha. Kaun tha jo meri bagal se meri biwi ko nikal le gaya aur mujhe khabar tak nahi hui. Peshe se main ek investigative journalist tha, is tarah ki baatein pata lagana mera kaam tha. Maine faisla kiya tha ke agle kuchh din tak Renuka par nazar rakhunga, uski har movement ka pata lagaoonga ke kahan jaati hai, kisse milti hai aur kitna waqt kahan guzarti hai. Par uske maternity leave lene ke baad mera ye plan fail ho gaya. Usne maternity leave kya li, ghar se toh usne jaise nikalna hi chhod diya. Bas sara din ghar par meri maan ke saath bethi baatein karti rehti thi aur agar ghar se nikalti bhi toh maan ke saath. Kayi baar chupke se maine un dono ka pichha kiya ye sochkar ke shayad vo maan ko kuchh bahana banakar chori se us ladke se mile par aisa kuchh hua nahi. Vo jis kaam se nikalte the nipta kar ghar vaapis aa jaate the. Na toh vo maan se alag hoti thi aur na hi beech mein kahin koi use milta tha.
Doosri baat ye ke main pata lagana chahta tha ke bachcha mera hai ya nahi. Yun toh mujhe yakeen tha ke bachche ka baap main nahi hoon par phir bhi apne dil ki tasalli ke liye ek baar confirm karna chahta tha. Kuchh doctors se maine pata kiya toh jawab ye mila ke is tarah ka test karne ke liye kuchh mahine wait karna padega. Pregnancy ke shuru ke dino mein is tarah ka koi test nahi kiya ja sakta.
Par pareshani ki baat ye thi ke aisa koi test karaya kaise jaaye. Zahir si baat thi ke main asal vajah toh Renuka ko bata nahi sakta tha. Jo bhi karna tha use bina bataye karna tha. Par phir iske liye kisi aise doctor ki bhi zaroorat thi jo is kaam merin khamoshi se mera saath de. Mere saath saath vo bhi Renuka se jhooth bole ke normal koi test kar raha hai aur baad mein nateeja chahe kuchh bhi ho, bachcha mera ho ya na ho, is baat ko bahar na nikalne de, sirf apne tak rakhe.
Renuka ki jasoosi karne ka ab mere paas sirf ek hi tareeka tha. Uske phone aur laptop ko track karna. Kayi baar maine uska phone utha kar contact list, call list aur inbox mein messages dekhe par aisa kuchh nahi mila jo mujhe uske aashiq ka naam aur pata bata sakta. Vo jo bhi kar rahi thi bahut hi hoshiyari se kar rahi thi aur mere paas sivaay uske phone aur laptop ko track karne ke aur koi rasta nahi bacha tha. Kaam mushkil nahi tha. Ek aadmi tha meri pehchan mein jo ye mere liye kar sakta tha, Akram Ballebaaz.
"Kya haal hain sarkar, bade din baad idhar ka rasta bhoole" Main Akram se milne gaya toh vo bahut hi garam joshi se mujhse mila.
Uska naam Akram Ballebaaz kyun tha ye koi nahi janta tha sivaay uske aur vo kisi ko batata nahi tha. Asli naam kya tha ye bhi koi nahi janta tha aur sab use bas Akram Ballebaaz hi keh kar bulate the. Yahan tak ke uske driving licence aur passport par bhi uska naam Akram Ballebaaz hi tha. Aage pichhe uska koi nahi tha aur koi nahi janta tha ke vo kaun tha, kahan se aaya tha par aadmi kaam ka tha. Bina kisi degree aur formal education ke computers aur electrical gadgets ki bahut hi zabardast knowledge thi use.
"Ek kaam tha yaar" Maine kaha.
"Bataiye kiski jasoosi karni hai ab" Vo bola, "Par pehle ye bataiye ke garam lenge ya thanda"
Ye bhi uski bahut purani aadat thi. Apne paas aane wale har insaan ko kuchh khila pila kar zaroor bhejta tha, bhale hi saamne wala lakh mana karta rahe. Isse pehle bhi jab bhi main usse mila toh kuchh kha pikar hi nikla, bhale hi mera dil ho ya na ho. Is waqt bhi main janta tha ke mana karke kuchh haasil nahi hoga isliye khamoshi se use kuchh thanda laane ke liye bol diya. Usne phone uthaya aur kisi ko 2 cold drinks aur samose laane ko kaha.
"Ek baat bata Akram"
"Kahiye"
"Tu sala sara din yahan betha khata rehta hai aur phir bhi hai single pasli?"
Aur ye haqeeqat bhi tha. Vo apne office mein betha sara din bhains ki tarah jugali karta rehta tha par phir bhi itna dubla tha ke agar hawa chale toh udne ka darr ho jaaye.
"Allah ka karam samajh lijiye bas" Usne haskar jawab diya.
"Achha ek toh mujhe ek sim ka clone chahiye" Main matlab ki baat par aate hue kaha.
"Ho jaayega"
"Aur doosra mujhe ek laptop mein koi aisa bug ya virus daalna hai jo us laptop se jaane wali har email ki ek copy mujhe forward kare. Agar Skype, Yahoo ya MSN jaisi kisi chat service ke zariye koi chat ki ja rahi ho toh vo chat save kare aur mujhe email kar de"
"Email wala toh aasan hai, vo toh mil jaayega par ye chat wala zara tricky hoga"
"Ho paayega?"
"Haan ho toh jaayega par ek do din lagenge"
"Uski tension nahi hai. Jab taiyyar ho jaaye toh bata dena main laptop leta aaoonga"
"Kiska laptop hai?"
"Hai kisi ka. Ek kaam aur karna hai, ek landline tap karna hai ke jo bhi call incoming ya outgoing us phone se ho vo kahin record ho jaaye"
"Haan ho jaayega par jaake ek chhota sa device phone ke andar bethana padega"
"Vo toh tu jab chaahe kar dena. Mera hi landline hai"
"Apna phone tap kar rahe ho?" Usne hairat se meri taraf dekhte hue puchha.
"Haan yaar" Maine jawab diya, "Karna padta hai kabhi kabhi aisa bhi?"
"Par kyun?" Usne hairani se mujhse puchha.
"Arrey aisa kuchh nahi hai, aajkal zara ajeeb ajeeb se phone aa rahe hain ghar par aur uper se mera kuchh kaam bhi aisa hai. Toh sochta hoon ke ghar par kuchh install kara loon aisa jisse ke ghar par aane wali calls track ki ja saken, conversation record ho sake"
"Haan ho jaayega, aap jab bolo main ghar aake laga jaoonga"
"Main phone kar doonga tujhe" Main nahi chahta tha ke vo ye kaam Renuka ke saamne aakar kare isliye use kisi aise time par bulana zaroori tha jab ghar par koi na ho, "Most probably kal ya parso hi"
"Ye emails aur chat ka kya chakkar hai?"
"Track kar raha hoon kisi ko, evidence chahiye hogi kuchh uska gunaah saabit karne ke liye"
"Email wala toh aasan sa hi kaam hai, ek chhota sa spyware dalna hai bas. Chat record karne wala bhi ho jaayega, thoda sa time chahiye hoga"
"Theek hai"
"Aur Bhabhi ji ke kya haal chaal hain?"Usne achanak sawal kiya.
"Theek hai vo bhi" Ek pal ke liye mere munh se nikalne hi wala tha ke vo pregnant hai par phir maine baat zubaan tak hi rok li.
Usi raat dinner ke baad jab main aur Renuka sone ke liye lete toh vo mere kareeb hokar let gayi. Maine bas ek baar uski taraf bedili se muskura kar dekha aur aankhen band kar li. Usne khud hi apna sar utha kar mere seene par rakhe aur aur meri ek bazu ko apne jism par lape-te hue mere baahon mein simat si gayi. Uska aisa karna mujhe bilkul pasand nahi aaya par man maarkar main chup chap aankhen band kiye leta raha.
"Ek baat puchhun?" Kuchh lamhon ki khamoshi ke baad vo boli.
"Hmmmm" Maine jawab mein sirf haami bhari.
"Naraz ho mujhse kya?"
"Nahi toh" Uske achanak is sawan ne mujhe aankhen khol kar uski taraf dekhne par majboor kar diya.
"Kuchh din se dekh rahi hoon ke bade kate kate se rehte ho, jaisa kuchh kehna chah rahe ho mujhse, kuchh puchhna chah rahe ho par keh nahi pa rahe. Sirf khamoshi se andar hi andar ghut rahe ho. Mujhse koi bhool ho gayi kya?"
Dil mein toh aaya ke keh doon ke tumse vo galti hui hai jiske baad har galti chhoti pad jaati hai.
"Nahi toh, aisa toh kuchh bhi nahi hai" Main sirf itna hi keh paya.
"Jaanti hoon main tumhein bahut achhi tarah" Vo vaise hi lete lete boli, "Tumhari aankhon mein dikhta hai mujhe ke koi baat pareshan kar rahi hai tumhein. Kya hua hai"
"Tumhein is tarah pareshan dekh kar jaan nikalti hai meri, please agar kuchh hai toh bata do"
"Main sach keh raha hoon aisa kuchh nahi hai" Maine jhoothi tasalli deni chahi, "Veham hai tumara. Thoda kaam vagerah ke chakkar mein phasa hua hoon isliye aisa lag raha hai tumhein"
"Is it because of the child?" Usne jaise meri baat suni hi nahi.
"Child? What do you mean?"
"Dekh rahi hoon ke jabse main bataya hai ke i am pregnant tum kuchh pareshan se ho. Maine vo ghadi lakar di thi, tumne ek baar bhi use nahi pehna. Pasand nahi aayi?"
Mujhe achanak yaad aaya ke uski laayi hui ghadi toh main bhool hi gaya tha.
"Nahi pasand toh bahut hai, you know i wanted to buy it" Mujhe samajh hi nahi aaya ke kya bahana banaoon ke main kyun ghadi ek baar bhi try nahi ki.
"If you dont want a baby right now then we dont have to do it" Usne phir baat ka rukh bachche ki taraf mod diya.
"Matlab?"
"Jabse main pregnant hoon khoye khoye se rehte ho, mere kareeb tak nahi aate. Agar bachche ko lekar pareshan ho toh we dont have to go through it. We can abort the baby"
"Kya bol rahi ho?" Mujhe uske andaaz se mehsoos hua ke vo serious thi toh main uthkar betha.
"There is nothing more imporant to me than you are. If you dont want this baby then i dont want it either" Aur ye kehte hue uski aankhen chhalak aayi. Do mote mote aansoon uski palkon se behkar uske gaalon par ludhak gaye.
Dil hi dil mein ye toh khud maine bhi kayi baar socha tha ke is bachche ko gira diya jaaye par Renuka se kaise kahun ye decide nahi kar paya. Aur ab jabki vo khud hi mere saamne bachcha girane ki baat kar rahi thi toh main ye decide nahi kar pa raha tha ke kaise react karun.
"Kuchh bolo na, kyun naraz ho?" Usne apna ek haath mere gaal par rakha.
"Main nahi hoon naraz, seriously"
"Jhooth bol rahe ho, chhupa rahe ho mujhse. Nahi batana toh mat batao par jo bhi galti hui mujhse, maaf to kar sakte ho. Please? I am sorry" Aur ye kehkar usne badi masoomiyat se kisi chhoti bachchi ki tarah apne dono kaan pakad liye.
Us ek lamhe main samajh nahi paya ke kya sahi hai aur kya galat. Hazar sawal ek baar phir dil mein umad pade. Kya mera shak sahi tha ya main bas yun hi baat ka batangad bana raha tha? Mere saamne bethi ye ladki jo bhaari palken liye apne kaan pakde mujhse maafi maang rahi thi, bina ye jaane ke vo kis baat ki maafi maang rahi hai, kya ye asal thi ya sirf ek natak? Kya is maafi mein sachchai thi ya apni bewafai ko chhupane ki koshish?
Kya vo mera pyaar tha jo use yun tadpa raha tha ya uska apna mujhe dhokha dene ka guilt jisne use is tarah maafi maangne par majboor kar diya tha? Ek pregnant aurat jo apna bachcha tak girane ko taiyyar thi meri khushi ke liye, meri mohabbat mein, kya ye haqeeat thi ya vo aurat haqeeat thi jo us din ek hotel ke band kamre mein kisi paraye mard ke saath kuchh ghante bita kar aayi thi? Kya vo bachcha isliye gira rahi thi kyunki use lagta tha main is baat se pareshan hoon aur bachcha nahi chahta? Ya isliye ke vo jaanti thi ke ye bachcha mera hai hi nahi?
Vo bachchon ki tarah kaan pakde mere saamne bethi ro rahi thi aur main bas uske chehre ki taraf dekhe ja raha tha.