UPDATE- 55
iske javaab main ped se kaafi saare patte bhi tod-todakar khaaye aur Haversack bag main se cane nikaalakar paani bhi piyaa ।
commander ki tabiyat kuchh sambhli ।
parantu vo jaantaa thaa ki is prkaar jyaadaa der tak kaam chalne vaalaa nahin hai ।
vah n jaane kitni der usi tarah ped par baithaa rahaa ।
ekaaak commander buri tarah chaunkaa ।
vo ek ‘laal gheraa’ thaa, jo ped ki pattiyon par idhar-udhar mandraa rahaa thaa ।
khatraa !
fauran yahi baat commander ke dimaag main kaundhi ।
vah jarur ‘lizard’ revolver se nikalne vaalaa laser beam kaa laal gheraa thaa, jo ab use apne nishaane par lenaa chaahtaa thaa । tabhi vo laal gheraa uski khopedi par aakar tik gayaa ।
commander ne ek second ki bhi der n ki, fauran usne ped se niche chhalaang lagaa di ।
dhaany !
goli ped ke patton ke bich main-se sanasnaati hui gujri ।
commander ne pahaadi ki taraf dekhaa, goli vahin se chalaayi gayi thi ।
use pahaadi ke upar Havaam khadaa najar aayaa ।
jarur usne pahle hi commander ko vahaan ped par chhipe dekh liyaa thaa aur use dhokhe main rakhne ke lia vo jaanbujhakar pahaadi ke pichhe chalaa gayaa thaa । is vakt Havaam ke haath main do ‘lizard’ revolver thi aur un donon rivalvron main-se laser beam ke laal ghere nikal rahe the ।
commander apni puri taakat ke saath bhaagaa ।
Havaam bhi pahaadi se daudtaa huaa niche utraa aur uske pichhe-pichhe jhaptaa ।
laser beam ke laal ghere commander ko apne taarget point par lene ki koshish karne lage ।
commander bhaagtaa rahaa ।
vo saap ki tarah lahraataa huaa bhaag rahaa thaa, taaki Havaam use apne nishaane par n le sake ।
laser beam ke laal ghere uskaa pichhaa karte rahe ।
us samay pure ‘monkey hill’ par shaanti thi । african gurillon ki kahin se koi aavaaj sunaayi nahin padi rahi thi, maanon sab apne-apne baruon main jaa chhipe the ।
tabhi commander ek laser beam ke ghere main aa gayaa । Havaam ne fauran goli chalaa di ।
commander chikhtaa huaa uchhlaa ।
goli thik uski pith main jaakar lagi thi aur vahin se khun kaa phavvaaraa chhut pedaa ।
commander phir bhi apni puri taakat se bhaagtaa rahaa ।
Havaam nirantar uske pichhe thaa ।
laser beam baar-baar use apne taarget par lene ki koshish kar rahi thi ।
tabhi pit-pit ki kayi saari aavaajen commander ke kaanon main pedi aur ek ke baad ek kayi goliyaan uski pith par aakar chipak gayin ।
commander bhaagtaa-bhaagtaa stabdh hokar ruk gayaa ।
sann !
‘lizard’ revolver ki vishishtaaon se vo parichit thaa । commander samajh gayaa, uski pith se filhal kuchh bam aakar chipak chuke hain । ab Havaam ke sirf revolver ke special panal main lagaa batan dabaane ki der thi, fauran uske sharir ke chithade bikhar jaate ।
commander ekadam Havaam ki taraf paltaa ।
usne dekhaa, Havaam special panal main lagaa vo button bas dabaane hi jaa rahaa hai ।
fauran bepnaah phurti ke saath Colt revolver commander ki ungli ke gird phirakni ki tarah ghumi aur goli chali ।
isse pahle ki Havaam us batan ko dabaa paataa, uski khopedi ke chithade bikhar gaye ।
☐☐☐
‘monkey hill’ par thodi hulchal machi ।
kuchh african gurille apne-apne baruon se nikalakar chak-chak ki aavaaj karte hua idhar-udhar bhaage । parantu jaise hi goli ki tej aavaaj hui, vah phir jhaadiyon main jaa chhipe ।
gurillon ke lia vah bilkul nayaa anubhav thaa, vah nahin samajh paa rahe the ki unke ‘monkey hill’ par vo sab kyaa ho rahaa hai ।
tab tak Mike aur Rony bhi ‘monkey hill’ par pahunch gaye । Mike ke haath main us samay bazooka (anti tank gun) thi, jabaki Rony ke haath main 9mm ki vah special pistol thi, jismain cyanide bullet chalti hai ।
goliyaan chalne ki aavaaj sunakar un donon ke kaan bhi khade hua ।
“lagtaa hai ।” Rony bolaa- “hmaare saathiyon ne commander Karan Saxena ko dhundh nikaalaa hai aur ab usi se muthbhad ho rahi hai ।”
“aisaa hi maalum hotaa hai ।”
phir vahaan pahle jaisi hi khaamoshi chhaa gayi । etni jaldi vyaapt hui us khaamoshi ne n jaane kyon un donon yoddhaao ke dil main dar paidaa kiyaa ।
“hmain transmitter par apne saathiyon se maalum karnaa chaahiye, aakhir kyaa chakkar hai ।”
“thik hai ।”
Rony ne fauran apni transmitter wristwatch ki aerial nobe pakadakar baahar khinchi aur phir ek-ek karke Havaam, Abu Nidaal aur Master se sampark sthaapit karne ki koshish main jut gayaa ।
magar kaafi der ki koshishon ke baad bhi vo un tinon se sampark karne main kaamyaab n ho sakaa ।
isse uske chehre par niraashaa ghir aayi ।
“kyaa huaa ?”
“maalum nahin, baat kaise nahin ho paa rahi ।” Rony ki aavaaj main kotuhaltaa ke bhaav the- “transmitter kaa signal lagaataar dusri taraf rile ho rahaa hai, lekin tinon main se koi bhi use sun nahin rahaa ।”
“mujhe to kuchh gadabadi lagti hai Rony bhaai ।” Mike shushk svar main bolaa ।
“kaisi gadabad ?”
“yah to unke paas jaane ke baad hi maalum hogaa । varnaa pahle to aisaa kabhi nahin huaa ki unhonne transmitter ke signal ki taraf dhyaan n diyaa ho ।”
donon yoddhaa bahut jyaadaa suspence main dube hue ‘monkey hill’ par aage ki taraf baade ।
“vah dekho ।” ekaaak Mike chaunkaa- “saamne jhaadiyon main Master kaa hansiyaa pedaa hai ।”
“hansiyaa ।”
tab tak Mike daudtaa huaa jhaadiyon main bhi jaa pahunchaa aur vahaan pedaa hansiyaa usne uthaa liyaa । hansiyaa khun se sanaa huaa thaa ।
“Master kaa hansiyaa yahaan kaise pedaa hai ?”
“maalum nahin ।” Mike ‘hansiyaa’ haath main lia-lia sanjidaa svar main bolaa-“rahasy har pal gahraataa jaa rahaa hai । pahle to aisaa kabhi nahin huaa ki Master ne hansiyaa apne se alag kiyaa ho ।”
Rony ne dobaaraa Master se sampark sthaapit karne ki kaushish ki ।
lekin phir koi natijaa n niklaa । signal lagaataar dusri taraf rile ho rahaa thaa, magar us signal ko sunne vaalaa koi n thaa ।
“mujhe to ek hi baat lagti hai ।” Rony sakuchaaye svar main bolaa ।
“kyaa ?”
“jrur commander ne hamaare tinon saathiyon ko jaan se maar daalaa hai ।”
“n... nahin ।” Mike ki aavaaj kampakampaayi- “aisi ashubh baat bhi apni jubaan se mat nikaalo ।”
“baat ashubh jrur hai, lekin sachchaai se bhari hai ।” Rony bolaa- “khaastaur par ab hansiyaa milne ke baad shak ki koi gunjaaish hi nahin bachi hai ।”
phir Rony ne transmitter par hi Jack Kramer se sampark sthaapit kiyaa ।
“hello-hello !” vah transmitter par chilllaane lagaa- “Rony speaking ! Rony speaking ! !”
“yes !” fauran hi transmitter par Jack Kramer ki aavaaj sunaayi di- “kyaa baat hai Rony ? kyaa report hai ?”
“report kaafi khatarnaak hai sir !” Rony behad aandolit lahje main bolaa- “Mike aur main is samay ‘monkey hill’ par maujud hain tathaa hamaare baaki tin saathi yauddhaaon kaa kahin kuchh pataa nahin hai ।”
“kyaa kah rahe ho tum ?” Jack Kramer buri tarah chaunkaa- “vah tinon kahaan gaayab ho gaye ?”
“unke baare main kuchh bhi pataa nahin chal paa rahaa hai । main unse kayi martbaa transmitter par baat karne ki koshish kar chukaa hun । magar koi responce nahin mil rahaa । yahin jhaadiyon main hamain Master kaa khun se sanaa huaa hansiyaa bhi padaa milaa । mujhe aisaa lagtaa hai sir, hamaare tinon saathi yoddhaa commander Karan Saxena ki bhent chadh gaye hain ।”
dusri taraf ekaaak badaa khaufnaak sannaataa chhaa gayaa ।
Rony ke aakhiri shabdon ne dusri taraf bhukamp laa diyaa thaa ।
“mere aur Mike ke lia ab aapkaa kyaa aadesh hai sir?” Rony punah aandolit lahje main bolaa ।
Jack Kramer sochne lagaa ।
“tum donon ek kaam karo ।”
“kahiye sir !”
“fauran ‘monkey hill’ se vaapas basti main laut aao ।”
“l… lekin... !”
“bahas nahin !” Jack Kramer gurraa uthaa- “jo main tumse kah rahaa hun, vah karo । This is my order ! quick ! agar tum donon thodi der aur ‘monkey hill’ par ruke, to tumhaari jaan ko bhi khatraa ho saktaa hai ।”
“oke sir, ham abhi vaapas lautte hain ।”
“good !”
Rony ne transmitter band kar diyaa ।
“kyaa ho gayaa ?” Mike bolaa ।
“Jack Kramer saahab ne hamain fauran vaapas basti main lautne kaa hukum diyaa hai ।”
“lekin kyaa aise haalaat main hamaaraa vaapas lautakar jaanaa munaasib hogaa ।” Mike bolaa- “jabaki ham jaante hain ki commander yahin kahin hamaare aaspaas maujud hai ।”
“unhonne isilia hamain vaapas lautne ke lia kahaa hai, kyonki vo nahin chaahte ki ham bhi commander Karan Saxena ke kahar kaa nishaanaa ban jaaye ।”
“oh !” Mike ke chehre par nirashaa ke bhaav paidaa hua- “sachamuch yah hamaare lia dub marne ki baat hai ki Burma ke jungle main ghuse ek akele aadmi se ham is kadar khauf khaane lage hain ।”
tabhi vah donon chaunke ।
dur ‘monkey hill’ par kisi ke daudne ki aavaaj aa rahi thi ।
aisaa lag rahaa thaa, jaise koi daudtaa huaa usi deshaa main aa rahaa ho ।
“y... yah kiske daudne ki aavaaj hai ?” Mike kaa stabdh svar ।
“aisaa lagtaa hai ।” Rony bolaa- “jaise koi chitaa daud rahaa ho ।”
“chitaa ।”
donon kuchh der daudne ki aavaaj dhyaan se sunte rahe aur phir jhaadiyon main jaa chhipe ।
agle hi pal vah buri tarah chaunke ।
unhonne dekhaa, saamne se commander daudtaa huaa chalaa aa rahaa hai ।
uskaa aadhe se jyaadaa sharir khun se lathapath thaa । kadam ulte-sidhe ped rahe the । iske alaavaa daudtaa huaa commander aisaa lag rahaa thaa, jaise koi murdaa daud rahaa ho, jo abhi havaa ke ek jhonk se larajakar niche jaa giregaa ।
sniper rifel us vakt bhi uske haath main thi ।
“yah to aadhe se jyaadaa maraa huaa hai ।” Mike chakit nigaahon se uski taraf dekhtaa huaa bolaa- “is mare hua sher kaa shikaar karnaa kaun saa mushkil kaam hai ।”
“thik kah rahe ho ।” Rony bhi commander ki haalat dekhakar utsaahit huaa- “ise to main abhi jahannum pahunchaataa hun ।”
Rony ne vahin jhaadiyon main chhipe-chhipe fauran apni 9 mm ki pistol uski taraf taani aur phir uski khopedi kaa nishaanaa lagaakar trigger dabaa diyaa ।
lekin kismat bhi commander ke puri tarah saath thi ।
jaise hi cyanide bullet uski taraf jhapti, tabhi vo ladakhadaakar niche giraa । goli sanasnaati hui uske thik upar se gujar gayi ।
goli chalte hi commander khatraa bhaamp gayaa ।
vah ekadam jhapatakar jhaadiyon main jaa chhipaa ।
☐☐☐