UPDATE-53
vah ‘shadoww warfair’ ki khaas position thi, jismain dushman ko yahi maalum nahin chal paataa thaa ki kul kitne yauddhaa mrityu kaa katoraa banaakar uski taraf baad rahe hain । commander Karan Saxena ne chunki unhen helicopter se utarte dekh liyaa thaa, isiliye jaantaa thaa ki unki kul sankhyaa paanch hai ।
usi kshan Havaam aur Abu nidaal uski camouflage kit ke karib se gujre ।
commander ne apni saans tak rok li ।
donon yoddhaa nirvidhan uske karib se gujar gaye ।
koi bis minute baad ek yoddhaa aur commander Karan Saxena ko ‘monkey hill’ par dikhaai pedaa ।
vah Master thaa ।
Master ne hansiyaa apne haath main pakadaa huaa thaa aur vah badi chaukanni avasthaa main usi taraf bada chalaa aa rahaa thaa ।
Master bhi uski camouflage kit ke karib se gujraa । magar gujarte-gujarte vo ek kshan ke lia thithkaa । kuchh der vo vahin kit ke aaspaas mandraataa rahaa aur uske baad aage chalaa gayaa ।
“lagtaa hai, Master ko meri yahaan maujudgi kaa ahsaas ho gayaa hai ।” commander Karan Saxena ke dimaag main khatre ki ghanti baji ।
aur !
bilkul sahi sochaa thaa commander ne ।
mushkil se ek furlong dur jaate hi Master ne apni us wristwatch ko on kiyaa । jo vaastav main transmitter set thaa । phir vo jaldi-jaldi apne us transmitter par aage gaye donon yoddhaaon se sampark sthaapit karne lagaa ।
“hello-hello ! Master speaking ।”
“Master speaking !”
“yes !” fauran dusri taraf se ek bhaari-bharakam aavaaj transmitter par sunaayi di- “main Havaam bol rahaa hun । kyaa baat hai Master ?”
“mainne ‘monkey hill’ par commander Karan Saxena ko khoj nikaalaa hai Havaam !”
“k... kyaa kah rah ho tum ?”
“mai bilkul thik kah rahaa hun ।” Master behad garamjoshi ke saath bolaa- “vah ek camouflage kit ke niche chhipaa huaa hai aur is vakt mujhse bas thodaa saa faasle par hai ।”
“tum kahaan ho ?”
“yhaan ‘monkey hill’ par jo kaali pahaadi hai, main usi pahaadi ke paas khadaa hun । tum donon jitnaa jald se jald ho sake, yahaan pahuncho ।”
“thik hai, ham abhi vahaan pahunchte hain ।” Havaam vyagrtaapurvak bolaa- “tab tak tum commander Karan Saxena par paini nigaah rakho ।”
“oke ।”
“aur akele hi uske upar hamlaa karne ki bevkufi mat kar baithnaa ।”
“main aisaa kuchh nahin karne vaalaa hun ।”
“behatar !”
Master ne transmitter band kar diyaa ।
hansiyaa abhi bhi uske haath main thaa ।
haalaanki ek 38 caliber ki revolver bhi uski jeb main pedi hui thi । magar us revolver se kahin jyaadaa bharosaa Master ko apne hansiye par thaa ।
vo pahle ki tarah hi chaukanni nigaahon se idhar-udhar dekhne lagaa ।
tabhi use aisaa ahsaas huaa, jaise uske pichhe koi hai ।
Master jhatke se paltaa ।
palatte hi chaunkaa ।
commander uske saamne khadaa huaa thaa । commander ke haath main revolver thi, jo us vakt usi ke haath ko ghur rahi thi ।
“t... tum !”
Master ko chaar sau chaalis volt kaa shak lagaa ।
“kyon, mujhe apne saamne dekhakar hairaani ho rahi hai Master ।” commander muskuraayaa-“shaayad tum jaante ho, tumhaare donon saathi tumhaari madad ke lia etni jaldi yahaan nahin pahunchne vaale hain ।”
“kaun se saathi ?”
“vhi, jinse tumne abhi-abhi traasmitar par baat ki hai ।”
“mainne kisi se baat nahin ki ।”
“lekin... ।”
dhokhaa khaa gayaa commander Karan Saxena !
vah bhul gayaa, uskaa mukaablaa ‘assault group’ ke pahle yauddhaa se hi ho rahaa hai ।
vo baaton main ulajh gayaa ।
aur !
yahi Master kaa uddeshy thaa ।
fauran hi Master kaa hansiyaa badi advitiy phurti ke saath chalaa aur sidhe commander ki revolver se jaakar takraayaa ।
tann !
tej aavaaj hui aur revolver commander ke haath se nikalakar dur jaa giri ।
ek hi jhatke main vo nihatthaa ho gayaa ।
vah sambhaltaa, usse pahle hi hansiyaa tufaani gati se phir chalaa ।
commander ki bhayaprad chikh nikal gayi ।
hansiyaa is baar uski patlun phaadtaa huaa taang ke dher saare gosht ko kaattaa chalaa gayaa ।
commander ne jhapatakar apne donon spring blade baahar nikaal liye ।
is baar vah bilkul nahin chukaa ।
spring blade nikaalte hi usne jhatke ke saath dono spring bladeon ko Master ki taraf khinchakar maaraa ।
kisi halkaaye kutte ki tarah dahaadaa Master ।
donon spring blade sanasnaate hua uske kandhon main jaa dhanse । uske donon haath bekaar hokar rah gaye ।
fauran hi commander ne Master ke haath se uskaa hansiyaa chhin liyaa ।
Master ab bahut daraa-daraa najar aane lagaa ।
“mainne sunaa hai Master !” commander hansiyaa uski aankhon ke gird ghumaataa huaa bolaa- “ki tumne apne is hansiye se aaj tak bishumaar aurton ke guptaang phaad daalen hain । main samajhtaa hun, aaj tumhen bhi is hansiye ki dhaar ko dekh lenaa chaahiye ki yah kitni paini hai ।”
“n... nahin ।” Master ki ruh kaamp gayi- “nhin ।”
vo bhaamp gayaa, commander kyaa karne vaalaa hai । vo teji se pichhe hataa ।
turant commander Karan Saxena ne Master ke guptaangon ki taraf hansiye kaa prachand prhaar kiyaa ।
Master ekaaak itne hriadayavidaarak dhang se dakraayaa ki pure jungle main uske chikhne ki aavaaj dur-dur tak pratidhvanit hui ।
uske guptaang vaale hisse se khun kaa phavvaaraa chhut pedaa ।
Master ne jaldi se donon haath apne guptaangon ke upar rakh liye ।
“nhin, commander nahin ।”
sadaak !
hansiyaa apne phul veg ke saath phir chalaa ।
Master aur bhi jyaadaa bhukampkaari andaaj main chilllaayaa ।
is baar hansiyaa Master ke ek haath ki sabhi anguliyon ke saath-saath uske andkosh ko bhi kaattaa chalaa gayaa ।
Master chhataptaane lagaa ।
chhataptaate hua hi usne apne dusre haath se 38 caliber ki revolver nikaalni chaahi ।
magar iski mohalat bhi use nahin mili ।
hansiyaa phir drutagati ke saath chalaa aur Master ki aadhi se jyaadaa gardan kaattaa chalaa gayaa ।
Master ki gardan aur guptaang se khun ki dhaaraayen chhut pedi ।
vah chikhtaa huaa pichhe jhaadiyon me jaakar giraa ।
girte hi uske praan-pakheru ud gaye ।
commander ab ek chhoti si pahaadi ke upar maujud thaa ।
camouflage kit usne apne upar daali hui thi aur vah aage gaye donon yauddhaaon ke vaapas lautne kaa besabri se entjaar kar rahaa thaa ।
commander jaantaa thaa, sabse pichhe jo do yoddhaa aa rahe the aur jo shaayad abhi ‘monkey hill’ par bhi nahin pahunche the, unhen abhi us tak pahunchne main kaafi vakt thaa ।
filhal to usne Havaam aur Abu Nidaal ko hi apnaa shikaar banaanaa thaa ।
Master ke hansiye se commander Karan Saxena ki jaangh kaafi kat gayi thi । commander ne apni jaangh par ek ‘antiseptik lotion’ spray kar liyaa, jisse uski jaangh se khun bahnaa fauran band ho gayaa ।
filhal itnaa hi kaafi thaa ।
☐☐☐