update-43
tab Maskman vaapas Dymock ki laash ke karib pahunchaa aur usne laash ko idhar-udhar palatakar dekhaa ।
“yah kyaa !” turant uski aankhen dahashat ke kaaran phati-ki-phati rah gayin- “bam !”
Maskman ne jhapatakar RDX bam uthaa liyaa ।
usne time dekhaa ।
bam bas phatne vaalaa thaa ।
Maskman ne bepnaah phurti ke saath detonater pencil, RDX ke andar se nikaal deni chaahi ।
magar !
usi kshan bhishan dhamaake ke saath bam phat pedaa ।
Maskman ke munh se vibhats chikh nikal gayi । vah dahaadtaa huaa kisi halke khillaune ki tarah havaa main uchhlaa aur dur jhaadiyon main jaakar giraa ।
uskaa ek haath puraa-kaa-puraa ud gayaa ।
jism khun main lathapath ho gayaa ।
Maskman ne vahin jhaadiyon main pede-pede apni jeb se ek bahut chhotaa portable taperecorder jaisaa yantr nikaalaa ।
phir us portable taperecorder ko kholaa aur kuchh button dabaakar headquater se uskaa sampark sthaapit kiyaa ।
uske baad vo jaldi-jaldi us taperecorder par kuchh type karne lagaa ।
“Jack Kramer saahab, jaldi kuchh kijiye । support group ke tamaam chhah yoddhaa maare jaa chuke hain । meri bhi sirf kuchh hi saanse bachi hain aur unhi ukhadti saanson ke bich main aapko apnaa yah aakhir sandesh bhej rahaa hun । commander Karan Saxena kaa abhi tak ham kuchh nahin bigaad sake hain । vah n sirf jindaa hai balki pure jungle main kisi sher ki tarah ghum rahaa hai । jungle use n sirf chhipne ke liye jagah muhaiyaa karaa rahaa hai, balki yahaan use kaisi bhi koi mushkil pesh nahin aa rahi hai । agar jald hi commander Karan Saxena kaa kuchh entjaam n kiyaa gayaa, to vah din dur nahin hai, jab commander Karan Saxena baaki bache hua chhah yoddhaaon ko bhi khatm kar daalegaa ।”
aapkaa Maskman !
us samay Maskman us taperecorder jaise yantr par jo kuchh type kar rahaa thaa, vah fauran dusri taraf fax machine ke jariye headquater main nikal rahaa thaa ।
headquater main vo sandesh bhejte hi Maskman bhi vahin jhaadiyon main dher ho gayaa ।
vo mar gayaa ।
tabhi commander vaapas daudtaa huaa vahaan aa pahunchaa aur usne Maskman ki heartbeat check ki । uski nabj tatoli । yah dekhakar use raahat mili ki ab usmain jivan kaa koi chinh shish nahin thaa ।
phir commander ne taperecorder par type kiye gaye us antim sandesh ko pedhaa, jise Maskman ne headquater main bhejaa thaa ।
sandesh pedhakar uske honthon par muskaan tair gayi ।
uske baad commander ne Maskman ki rifel todi । Dymock ke dil main apnaa spring blade pevast kiyaa aur phir jungle main aage bada ।
☐☐☐
din nikal aayaa ।
sury ki prkaash-rashmiyaan jungle main punah chaaron taraf fail gayi । chalte-chalte commander Karan Saxena ab kaafi thakaan mahsus karne lagaa thaa ।
raat vo ek pal ke liye bhi nahin soyaa thaa ।
vo jaantaa thaa, chhah yoddhaa maare jaa chuke hain ।
lekin !
abhi chhah yoddhaa jivit hain ।
aur vo bache hua chhah yoddhaa pahle chhah yoddhaaon se kahin jyaadaa khatarnaak the । unse mukaablaa karnaa koi aasaan kaam n thaa ।
commander ne eraavti nadi ke kinaare pahunchakar snaan kiyaa, jisse uske sharir main taajgi ki lahar daudi ।
uske baad usne milk powder kaa bhi sevan kiyaa ।
pichhle kuchh dinon se chunki uskaa koi bhi kaam niyamit rup se nahin ho rahaa thaa, isaliye vo apne sharir main kuchh kamjori mahsus karne lagaa thaa aur thakaan bhi use kaafi jaldi ho jaati thi ।
tabhi commander ki nigaah ek gufa par pedi ।
vah badi ajibogrib-si gufa thi aur us gufa ko dekhakar aisaa lagtaa thaa, jaise kuchh mahine pahle hi kisi ne us gufa kaa nirmaan kiyaa hai ।
gufa bahut saaf-suthree bani hui najar aa rahi thi aur aisaa bilkul nahin lagtaa thaa, jaise us gufa main koi jungli jaanavar rahtaa hai ।
commander gufa ke andar daakhill huaa ।
usmain sachamuch koi jaanavar nahin thaa । itnaa hi nahin, gufa bhi andar se kaafi andheri thi aur lambi thi ।
commander Karan Saxena gufa main aage baadtaa chalaa gayaa ।
gufa ke bilkul antim chhor par jaakar uske netr aur phate ।
vahaan kuchh sankri-si sidhiyaan bani hui thi, jo niche kahin chali gayi thi ।
commander un sidhiyon par utartaa chalaa gayaa ।
thodi hi der baad vo ek kaafi lambi surang main khadaa thaa ।
us surang ko dekhakar commander Karan Saxena ki hairaani aur baadi । surang main jagah-jagah kuchh kamre bhi bane hua the ।
commander ne revolver nikaalakar saavdhaanipurvak apne haath main le li ।
uske baad vo tej-tej kadmon se ek kamre ki taraf bada ।
kamre kaa baahar se taalaa khol daalaa ।
taalaa kholakar vah kamre ke andar ghusaa ।
us pure kamre main lakadi ki badi-badi petiyaan rakhi hui thi । commander ne ek peti kaa phattaa hataakar dekhaa, to usmain heroine bhari thi ।
dusri peti kaa phattaa hataakar dekhaa, usmain smack thi ।
kul milaakar vah nashille padarthon kaa godaam thaa ।
commander ne ab apne Haversack bag main se ek time-bam nikaalaa aur lakadi ki un petiyon ke bich main fit kar diyaa ।
phir vo use kamre se nikaalakar badi teji ke saath surang main aage ki taraf bhaagaa ।
kaafi aage ek kamraa aur banaa huaa thaa ।
commander bethaashaa daudtaa huaa jaise hi us dusre kamre tak pahunchaa, tabhi pichhle kamre main bahut dhamaakaa khej aavaaj ke saath time-bam phataa ।
bam bahut shaktishaali thaa । uske phatne se n sirf us pure kamre ki dhajjiyaan bikhar gayin balki un sidhiyon ke bhi parakhachche ud gaye, jo upar se niche tak aane kaa raastaa thaa । surang kaa vah hissaa lagabhag puri tarah dhvast ho gayaa ।
commander ne parvaah n ki ।
usne taambe ke taar se hi dusre kamre kaa taalaa kholaa aur phir uske andar daakhill huaa ।
vahaan bhi dheron petiyaan thi ।
nashille pedarthon kaa badaa stock thaa ।
sachamuch un yoddhaaon ne narcotics kaa achchhaa khaasaa saamraajy vahaan jungle main failaa rakhaa thaa ।
commander ne us kamre ke andar bhi ek time bam rakhaa aur vahaan se bhi bhaagaa । uske baad vo surang main bhaagtaa rahaa aur jagah-jagah time bam rakhtaa rahaa ।
surang main bhishan dhamaake gunjte rahe ।
surang tabaah hoti rahi ।
bhaagte-bhaagte commander ekaaak thithkaa ।
use surang main saamne ki taraf se ab kuchh aadamiyon ke daudne ki aavaaj sunaayi de rahi thi, jo badi teji se daudte hua usi taraf aa rahe the ।
commander revolver haath main lekar vahin surang ke ek kone main chhip gayaa aur daudte hua kadmon ki aavaaj dhyaan se sunne lagaa ।
vah kayi aadamiyon ke daudne ki aavaaj thi, jo dhamaake sunakar usi taraf bhaage chale jaa rahe the ।
commander ne apni revolver kaa chaimbar kholakar dekhaa ।
usmain sirf tin goliyaan thi ।
commander ne chaimbar vaapas band kar diyaa ।
bhaagte hua kadmon ki aavaaj ab kaafi najdik aa chuki thi । jaise hi vah donon mod ke karib pahunche, commander fauran chite ki tarah jump lekar un donon ke saamne khadaa ho gayaa ।
un donon ke haath main bhi rifelen thi, magar us vakt donon rifelen ke munh chhat ki taraf the ।
“k... kaun ho tum ?” commander ko dekhte hi vo hadabadaaye ।
“filhal tum mujhe apni maut samjho ।”
revolver fauran commander ki ungli ke gird phirakni ki tarah ghumi aur trigger dabaa ।
unmain se ek guard to tabhi chikhtaa huaa vahin dher ho gayaa ।
jabaki dusre guard ne fauran apni rifel ki naal commander ki taraf taanni chaahi, parantu usse pahle hi ek flying kick uske chehre par pedi ।
guard ke haath se rifel chhut gayi ।
vo dahaadtaa huaa pichhe surang ki divaar se jaakar takraayaa ।
commander Karan Saxena ne jhapatakar uskaa girehbaan pakad liyaa aur revolver ki naal uske gale ki ghanti par rakh di ।
guard ne jor se thuk satki ।
khauf ke maare uske jism kaa ek-ek roaan khadaa ho gayaa ।
“k... kyaa chaahte ho tum ?”
“sirf mere ek savaal kaa javaab do ?”
“puchho ।”
“yah surang kahaan jaakar khatm hoti hai ?”
guard ne fauran sakhti se apne honth bhinch liye ।
turant commander kaa ek prachand prhaar uske pet main pedaa । guard ke munh se is tarah havaa nikli, jaise kisi gubbaare main se nikli ho ।
tabhi commander Karan Saxena ne revolver ki barrel ko jor se khinchakar uski kanapti par maaraa ।
guard ke munh se tej siskaari chhuti । uski kanapti se khun bahne lagaa ।
“jaldi bataao ।” revolver commander ki ungaliyon ke gird phirakni ki tarah ghumi aur dobaaraa uske gale ki ghanti par jaa tiki- “yah surang kis jagah pahunchakar khatm hoti hai ?”
“h... headquater !”
“kyaa headquater ?”
“y... yah hamaare headquater pahunchakar khatm hoti hai ।”
commander ne revolver kaa trigger dabaa diyaa ।
guard ki khopedi is tarah phati, jaise uske andar rakhaa koi bam phataa ho ।
uski khopedi main se dher saaraa khun nikalakar divaar par fail gayaa ।
phir commander ne un guardon ki rifelen bekaar kin । unki goliyaan apne Haversack bag main bharin aur uske baad vah maut kaa kaal dut banaa surang main aage ki taraf bada ।
pahle ki tarah hi commander uske pichhe time-bam fit kartaa jaa rahaa thaa ।
surang ki dhajjiyaan udaataa jaa rahaa thaa ।
Burma ke khaufnaak jungle lo main un baarah yoddhaaon ne koi etni badi surang bhi banaayi hui hai, is baat ki jaankaari commander ko pahle se nahin thi ।
alabattaa us surang ko dekhakar vo prbhaavit jarur huaa ।
vaakaayi yah usi surang kaa kamaal thaa, jo yah yoddhaa us pure jungle ko apni mutthi main kaid kia hua the ।
jo vahaan unkaa ekmaatr raaj chal rahaa thaa ।
‘support group’ ke sabhi chhah yauddhaaon ke maare jaane ki khabar jaise hi headquater pahunchi, vahaan hadakamp mach gayaa ।
Jack Kramer , Havaam, Master, Abu Nidaal, Mike aur Rony- turant un baaki bache hua chhah yoddhaaon ki ek emergency meeting hui ।
“yah Maskman kaa vo aakhiri sandesh hai ।” Jack Kramer ek kaagaj ko un yoddhaaon ke saamne lahraate hua kahaa rahaa thaa- “jise usne marne se pahle fax machine par hamaare lia bhejaa hai । hamaare ‘support group’ ke sabhi chhah yauddhaa maare jaa chuke hain, ab sirf ham bache hain aur isse bhi bade afsos ki baat yah hai ki hamaari jyaadaatar faujon ko bhi commander Karan Saxena ne thikaane lagaa diyaa hai ।”
“vaakaayi us ek aadmi kaa aatank har pal baadtaa jaa rahaa hai ।” Abu Nidaal bolaa- “usne jahaan jungle main etni tabaahi barpaa karke rakh di hai, vahin ham abhi tak uskaa kuchh nahin bigaad sake ।”
“sabse bade aashchary ki baat to ye hai sir !” Master bolaa- “ki Burma ke en khaufnaak jungle lo main aane ke do din ke andar hi jahaan kisi aadmi ke hosh thikaane lag jaate hain, vahin commander Karan Saxena ko abhi tak kuchh nahin huaa hai । jungle use puri tarah raas aa chukaa hai ।”