"She never cheated on me, did she?"
Kamini ne jawab na diya.
"Please, just tell me the truth, the whole truth. I beg of you"
"What for Abhay? It isnt going to change anything. It isnt going to bring her back"
"Please, just the truth. She never cheated on me, did she?"
Kamini kuchh pal tak khamoshi se use dekhti rahi aur phir ek lambi saans khinch kar boli,
"No"
"Oh god" Abhay lagbhag apne baal nochta hue sofe par gir sa pada, "What hav I done"
"Listen to me Abhay" Kamini ne ek kadam aage badhaya, "Lets just forget about this please. Lets just go back to a few hours ago when you had not seen this video"
"Forget about this?" Abhay ne uski taraf ghoor kar dekha aur Kamini phir apni jagah par hi ruk gayi, "Forget about that you killed my wife? That you pulled a gun on my son?"
Kamini apni jagah khadi mayus aankhon se uski taraf dekhti rahi.
"Wait a minute" Abhay kuchh yaad karne ki koshish karta hua bola, "It was all you, wasnt it?"
Kamini ne jawab na diya.
"Please for god's sake. Tell me the truth. It was all you, wasnt it?"
"Yes"
"That day when you called me to meet you for lunch at that mall, you knew Kamini was going to be there. You wanted me to see her with another man and start doubting her?"
"Nahi" Kamini ne zid chhodne wale andaaz mein kaha,"That day was just a co-incidence. I just called you for lunch, mujhe nahi pata tha ke Renuka bhi vahan aayegi"
"Toh vo aadmi?"
"Uske office ka koi tha, they had a client meeting in that hotel. Vo aksar clients meeting ke liye us hotel ka istemaal karte the. Renuka ne mujhe baad mein bataya tha. Vo aksar vahan jaati thi office ki conferences ke liyes par us din tumhara chehra dekh kar main samajh gayi thi ke tumhein Renuka par shak ho gaya hai. Main sirf tum dono ke beech doubt create karna chahti thi so that you would divorce each other"
"Jhooth kyun bola tha usne mujhse us din ke office mein hi hai? Uske baad usne apna phone bhi off kar diya tha"
"Keh nahi sakti par shayad office ki meeting thi isliye keh diya ho ke office mein hi hai aur meeting ke dauran phone off kar diya ho. Tumhara birthday bhi shayad us din ke aas paas hi aur vo tumhare liye kuchh surprise gift bhi dena chah rahi thi shayad isliye tumhein batana na chah rahi ho ke shopping ke liye aayi hai. Us birthday par usne shayad tumhein ek ghadi gift ki thi kaafi mehengi aur vahin mall pe ek watches ka showroom bhi hai, isliye shayad tumhein surpirse dene ke liye jhooth kaha ho"
"So it was all you then" Abhay ne yaad karte hue kaha, "Raat ko phone par tum hoti thi na uske saath kyunki har subah jab bhi main uska phone dekhta tha toh usmein raat ko tumhara number bota tha aur baad mein ek unknown number se call"
"Haan it was me. Tum usse baat nahi kar rahe the, uspe shak kar rahe the and I was he common friend. Vo sahare ke liye mere paas aati thi"
"Aur vo unknown numbers?"
"Mere hi the jo ke maine sirf is kaam ke liye hi le rakhe the. Vo mujhe call karti thi toh main kisi bahane se palat kar use kisi unknown number se callkarti kyunki main jaanti thi ke tum uska cell dekhoge"
"Wow. Ek taraf vo tumhare paas sahare ke liye aati thi aur doosri taraf main aur tum dono hi taraf se faayda utha rahi thi. Let me guess, vo condoms kewrapper jo mujhe ghar mein mil rahe the ...."
"Maine hi giraye the"
"Of course, mere ghar mein free pass sirf ek tumhein hi haasil tha because you were always like a family to us. Tumhein kaise pata ke main aur Renuka kaun sacondom use karte the?"
"Renuka ne hi bataya tha ke tum sirf ek hi brand ka condom use karte the"
"Us din jab Renuka tumhare saath thi aur maine uske cell pe phone kiya toh ek aadmi ne call receive ki thi"
"Vo mera hi number tha, fake ID par liya hua tha. Tumne call ki toh maine sadak chalte ek aadmi ko kaha ke call receive kare ye kehkar ke koi ladka mujhe pareshan kar raha hai"
"Wow Kamini, wow. Well played. Kaun keh sakta hai ke ek aam si dikhne wali ladki ka dimag itna shaatir chalega but I guess its no surprise at all. The way you solved the Ravi Rana wala case, I mean it was literelly you who did it. TUm saath na hoti toh kuchh na pata chalta mujhe and they way you killed Pratap Rana. Ek second nahi lagaya tha tumne uspar goli chalane mein aur use maarne ke baad tum ekdam calm thi, koi ghabrahat nahi, koi pareshani nahi. Hairani toh mujhe bahut hui thi is baat par"
"Usne tumhein maarne ki koshish ki thi, vo toh uski kismat achhi thi ke mere haath mein us waqt ek gun thi nahi toh uski toh main kitchen knife se boti boti karti"
"Is this gun really your father's?" Abhay ne revolver ki taraf ishara kiya jo abhi bhi uspar tani hui thi, "Ya vo bhi jhooth hi bola tha us din jab maine tumse Pratap Rana ki maut ke baad puchha tha ke ye gun kahan se aayi?"
"Jhooth bol rahi thi. Gun meri hi hai"
"Kahan se aayi?"
"Kya farak padta hai?"
"Yeah I guess. Itna shaatir dimag hai tumhara toh gun bhi kahin na kahin se aa hi gayi hogi. Tell me something, how did you avoid getting any call recorded.
Maine spycams lagaye hue the ghar mein par kisi bhi cam par tum record nahi hui kabhi"
"Tumne khud hi bataya tha mujhe is sabke baare mein"
"Oh yeah right, aur jiske baad tumne mujhe lecture bhi pilaya tha ke main galat kar raha hoon, mujhe Renuka par bharosa karna chahiye vagerah vagerah"
"Main jaanti thi ke ghar mein kahan kahan tumne camera fit kiya hai, ke Renuka ki calls, emails vagerah tum track kar rahe ho"
"Aur isi vajah se tumne Renuka ke cell par usse baat karni band kar di kyunki tum jaanti thi ke uski calls main sun sakta hoon"
Kamini ne haan mein sar hilaya.
"Jo Renuka mujhe ghar se aksar gayab milti thi?"
"Main hi bulati thi use"
"Us din jab vo tumhare saath thi aur uske cell ke saare messages mere paas aa rahe the ...."
"Tumne hi bataya tha ke uske sim ka ek clone tumhare paas hai"
"Vo message tumne uske cell se bheja tha?"
"Vo uthkar washroom gayi thi toh uske phone se vo love message maine bhej diya"
"Jis number par bheja tha of course vo tumhara tha"
"Nahi, maine Renuka ki ID chura kar ek number issue kara rakha tha apne address pe. Maine usi sim par message bheja tha taake agar tum uske number ko run karo toh Renuka ke naam par hi dikhaye uske so called boyfriend ka number"
"Ek baat aur batao, tumhein kaise pata tha ke main aur Renuka mujhse is baare mein koi baat nahi karegi. Kabhi darr nahi laga ke hamne aapas mein kabhi baat kar li toh tumhari sachchai saamne aa sakti hai?"
"Jis tarah se tum mujhse baat kar rahe the vaise hi Renuka bhi mujhse roz baat karti thi. I became her best friend as well"
"Ohhhhhh" Abhay samajhne wale andaaz mein bola, "Toh do tarfa khel tha ye. Ek taraf main ye sochta raha ke Renuka mujhe dhokha de rahi hai aur doosri taraf vo bechari ye sochti rahi ke main use dhokha de raha hoon?"
"Haan"
"Isi liye usne mujhe manane ki koshish, mujhse baat karne ki koshish band kar di thi. Jahan ek taraf main ye soch raha tha ke vo shayad apne guilt ki vajah se aisa kar rahi hai, vahin haqeeat ye thi ke vo apni narazgi ki vajah se mujhse baat nahi kar rahi thi"
Kamini ne koi jawab na diya. Sirf chup-chap Abhay ko dekhti rahi.
"Ye camera Renuka ne lagaya tha?" Abhay ne spycam wale pen ko uthate hue kaha.
Kamini ne haan mein sar hilaya.
"You knew about this?"
"Vo tum par bahut zyada shak kar rahi thi aur divorce ke baare mein soch rahi thi. Jis tarah tumhein shak tha ke tumhare pichhe vo kisi aur ko ghar bulati hai usi tarah use shak tha ke uske peeth pichhe tum kisi aur aurat ko yahan laate ho. Court mein tumhein bewafa saabit karne ke liye usne ye cams lagaye the"
"Tumhein nahi pata tha iske baare mein ke kahan lagaye hain?"
"Pata tha, khud nikal kar le gayi thi main saare us din par ek ye reh gaya tha"
"Jab Renuka mujhse divorce lene ka soch hi rahi thi toh use maara kyun?"
"Us din subah main Renuka se milne aayi thi aur uske phone se chup chap ek message bhej kar chali gayi thi. Tumne vo message dekh liya aur Renuka ko maar-peet kar chale gaye. Uske baad Renuka ne phone karke mujhe bulaya tha aur galti se vo doosra phone mere bag mein hi reh gaya tha. Jab main yahan aayi toh Renuka ne mujhe vo message dikhaya. Use khud samajh nahi aa raha tha ke vo message uske cell mein kahan se aa gaya..."
"Aur uske baad usne tumhare saamne hi us number pe call ki. Number tumhare bag mein baja. Renuka ne tumse us baare mein puchha, tumne zaroor koi bahana banaya hoga par bevakoof toh vo thi nahi, usne do aur do chaar kar liye honge"
"Poori tarah nahi. Maine use kaha tha ke jab main thodi der pehle aayi thi toh mere cell mein balance nahi tha aur apne boyfriend ko maine uske number se message bhej diya tha. Uske baad main apne boyfriend se milne gayi thi aur mere boyfriend ka phone mere paas reh gaya tha par usmein kayi baatein aisi thi jinka tuk nahi ban raha tha jaise ke maine us message mein husband likha tha par mere koi husband tha hi nahi. Mere us message ki vajah se Renuka ko tumne itna maara tha, is lihaaz se Renuka ko mujh par chillana chahiye tha ke maine aisa kyun kiya use bina bataya par vo kuchh nahi boli, sirf chup rahi. Darr mujhe uska nahi tumhara tha ke tum do aur do chaar kar loge. Maine bahana banaya aur vo chup ho gayi thi us din par uske chehre se saaf zahir tha ke use mujhpar shak ho gaya hai. Main jaanti thi ke us din shaam ko vo zaroor tumse us baare mein baat karegi. Bhale mere baare mein kuchh na kahe par tumhein ye zaroor batayegi ke jis message ko dekh kar tumne use itna maara vo Kamini ne bheja tha"
Aage kisi sawal ki zaroorat nahi thi. Abhay jaanta tha ke uske baad Kamini ne kya kiya tha.
"Ab?" kuchh pal ki khamoshi ke baad Kamini ne kaha.
"I cant let you get away with it" Abhay ne jawab diya, "I wont. Either you kill me or I will have you pay back for what you did"
"Kill you?" Kamini uski baat sunkar has padi, "You know that doesnt sound like a bad idea, only If I had thought of it earlier. Tumhein maar hi deti kuchh arsa pehle toh itna kuchh hota hi nahi. Tum the saare fasad ki jad, tumhare liye main pyaar mein itni andhi ho gayi thi ke sahi galat kuchh nahi dikha. Sahi keh rahe ho tum, tumhein hi maar dena chahiye tha"
"Maar hi diya tumne indirectly, ab chhoda kya hai?"
"I want you to remember something Abhay. Bahut tarsi hoon main tumhare liye. Bevakoof nahi hoon main, jaanti hoon ke jo maine kiya vo bahut galat kiya aur ab kuchh bhi sahi hone ki koi ummeed nahi hai. Sirf isi liye khamoshi se khadi tumhare saare sawalon ke jawab de rahi thi. Ab jis mod par main aur tum aa gaye hain vahan se vaapsi mumkin nahi. Dil ke haathon majboor thi main. Bachpan se hi sabne bataya ke meri shaadi tumse hogi, mere gharwalo ne bhi yahi kaha aur tumhare gharwalo ne bhi. Bachpan se hi dil mein ye baat is qadar bas gayi thi ke kab main tumhare ishq mein baawli ho gayi, pata hi nahi chala aur jab tum mere bajay kisi aur ke ho gaye toh toot gayi thi main. Kuchh badal gaya tha mere andar. Pehle tumse mohabbat karti thi sirf par Renuka ke aane ke baad tumse mohabbat ke saath saath nafrat bhi karne lagi thi. Renuka ko maine sirf isliye nahi maara ke main tumhein haasil karna chahti thi. Sach toh ye hai ke iske saath saath ye bhi khyaal dil mein tha ke kam se kam main tumhein us takleef ka kuchh taste doongi jo tumhari vajah se mujhe hui thi. Bure kaam ka nateeja bura hi hota hai Abhay. Renuka ki laash par chadh kar tumhein haasil karni ki koshish ki hai maine, poori kaise ho sakti thi"
Abhay ne koi jawab na diya, sirf Kamini ki taraf dekhta raha.
"Alvida Abhay. Zindagi bhar tumhare liye tadpi main aur ab dekho, tumhare liye tadapti hi ja rahi hoon. Manzil ke itna kareeb aakar maut aa gayi" Kehte hue Kamni ne Revolver ko apne sar par lagaya aur Trigger khincha.
Abhay ne na kuchh kiya aur na kaha. Sirf khamoshi se Kamini ko dekhta raha.
THE END