Bhag 4: Behke par sambhal gaye
Suruchi jab sheher se bahar ka apna kaam nipta kar ghar lauti, toh shaam ke saaye gehre ho chuke the. Ghar mein ek ajeeb sa bhari-pan tha. Suruchi, jo bachpan se hi apne pita ki aankhon ko padhna jaanti thi, jaise hi hall mein dakhil hui, usne dekha ki Manik balcony ki taraf muh kiye khade hain, unke hath mein ek purana sa glass tha aur wo shunya ko taak rahe the.
Suruchi ne apna bag sofe par rakha aur bina aahat kiye unke paas pahunchi. Usne dekha ki Manik ke chehre par wo pehle wali shanti nahi thi, balki ek aisi bechaini thi jo chhipaye nahi chhip rahi thi.
"Papa?" Suruchi ne dheere se kaha.
Manik halke se chounke, jaise kisi ne unhe kisi gehri neend se jagaya ho. Unhone palat kar dekha aur ek zabardasti ki muskan chehre par laane ki koshish ki. "Arre... tu aa gayi beti? Safar kaisa raha?"
Suruchi ne unki aankhon mein jhankte huye pucha, "Safar toh thik tha Papa, lekin aapka 'safar' kahan chal raha hai? Aapka chehra sab bayaan kar raha hai. Koi nayi pareshani hai kya? Showroom mein kuch hua ya... Kusum ka phir se call aaya?"
Manik ne nazrein chura li. Wo kaise batate ki aaj unke andar ka mard unke baap hone ke farz par bhari pad gaya tha? Wo kaise batate ki Meenu, jise wo parivaar ka hissa mante the, aaj unhe ek alag hi nazar se dekh rahe the?
"Nahi beta, aisa kuch nahi hai," Manik ne glass table par rakhte huye kaha. "Bas... thoda kaam ka bojh tha aur garmi ki wajah se thakan ho gayi hai."
Suruchi unke aur kareeb aayi aur unka hath thaam liya. "Papa, aap mujhse jhoot bol rahe hain. Aapke maathe ki ye lakeerein tabhi aati hain jab aap kisi kashmakash mein hote hain. Kya baat hai? Aapko mujh par bharosa nahi hai?"
Manik ne ek gehri saans li. Unhe laga ki agar unhone aaj kuch bhi kaha, toh shayad ye pavitra rishta maila ho jayega. Unhone Suruchi ke sar par hath phera aur bade hi dhime magar bhari swar mein kaha:
"Koi baat nahi Suruchi... sach mein, koi baat nahi. Bas waqt ka ek pahiya hai jo kabhi-kabhi ulta ghumne lagta hai. Main thik hoon. Tu thak gayi hogi, ja kar haath-muh dho le. Meenu ne khana bana diya hai."
Suruchi wahi khadi rahi. Usne dekha ki jab Manik ne 'Meenu' ka naam liya, toh unki aawaz mein ek halki si larkhadahat thi. Wo samajh gayi ki mamla utna sadharan nahi hai jitna dikh raha hai, lekin pita ki izzat ka sawal tha, isliye usne zyada kuredna thik nahi samjha.
"Theek hai Papa," Suruchi ne kaha, "Lekin yaad rakhiyega, main ab badi ho gayi hoon. Aapka har bojh baant sakti hoon."
Suruchi wahan se chali gayi, lekin Manik wahi khade rahe. Unhe ehsaas ho raha tha ki unki beti unhe samajh chuki hai, aur ye ehsaas unhe andar hi andar kachot raha tha. Unhone man hi man tay kiya ki wo apne jazbaat par qabu payenge, par kya ye itna aasaan tha?
Raat ke do baj rahe the. Pura ghar neend ki aagosh mein tha, lekin Manik ki aankhon se neend koso door thi. Unke dimaag mein dopahar ka wo manzar baar-baar ghoom raha tha—Meenu ka wo pasine mein bheega badan, wo mahin maxi aur uske andar se jhalakti uski shokhi.
Manik ne kai baar karvat badli, lekin sukoon nahi mila. Aakhirkar, pyaas ke bahane wo apne kamre se bahar nikle. Hall mein halki si 'night lamp' jal rahi thi. Jaise hi wo kitchen ki taraf badhe, unhone dekha ki kitchen ka darwaza thoda khula hai aur wahan se halki roshni aa rahi hai.
Meenu wahan khadi thande pani ki bottle nikaal rahi thi. Shayad use bhi garmi ki wajah se neend nahi aa rahi thi. Usne abhi bhi wahi maxi pehni hui thi, lekin ab usne apne baal upar ek jhoode (bun) mein baandh liye the, jisse uski gori aur lambi gardan saaf dikh rahi thi.
Manik wahi darwaze par ruk gaye. Unki saansein tez hone lagi.
"Meenu?" Manik ne bahut dheere se aawaz di.
Meenu chonki aur palat kar dekha. "Sahab? Aap... aap abhi tak soye nahi? Kya hua, tabiyat toh thik hai na?"
Manik kitchen ke andar dakhil huye. Kitchen ki choti si jagah mein Meenu ki jism ki sondhi khushbu aur bhi gehari mehsus ho rahi thi. Manik ne dekha ki Meenu ki maxi ka ek strap uske kandhe se thoda niche sarak gaya tha.
"Neend nahi aa rahi thi... bas pyaas lagi thi," Manik ne kaha, lekin unki nazrein pani ke glass par nahi, balki Meenu ke un ubhaaron par thi jo har saans ke saath maxi ke kapde ko tan rahe the.
Meenu ne glass mein pani bhara aur Manik ki taraf badhaya. Jab Manik ne glass pakda, toh unki ungliyan Meenu ki naram hatheli se chhu gayi. Wo ek bijli ke jhatke jaisa tha. Meenu ne foran apna hath peechhe khinchna chaha, lekin Manik ne glass pakadne ke bahane uske hath ko halka sa daba diya.
"Sahab..." Meenu ne dheere se kaha, uski aawaz mein ek thartharahat thi. Wo pehli baar Manik ki aankhon mein wo bhook dekh rahi thi jo usne aaj tak nahi dekhi thi.
Manik ne glass table par rakh diya aur ek kadam aur kareeb aaye. "Meenu, tum jaanti ho na... tum is ghar ke liye kitni zaroori ho? Aur mere liye..."
Meenu ka dil zoron se dhadakne laga. Use samajh nahi aa raha tha ki wo kya kare. "Sahab, raat bahut ho gayi hai... Suruchi bitiya jaag jayegi."
Lekin Manik par jaise koi junoon sawar tha. Unhone Meenu ki kamar par apna hath rakha. Maxi ka mahin kapda unki garam hatheli aur Meenu ke jism ke beech koi rukawat nahi ban pa raha tha. Manik ko mehsus hua ki Meenu ne wakayi niche kuch nahi pehna hai, uska jism bilkul naram aur garam tha.
"Meenu... ek pal ke liye sab bhool jao," Manik ne uske kaan ke paas phusphusate huye kaha.
Meenu ne darr aur ek anjane ehsaas ke beech apni aankhein moond li. Usne Manik ko roka nahi, lekin uske jism ki thartharahat bata rahi thi ki wo is naye rishte se darr rahi hai. Manik ne uske kandhe se sarki hui maxi ko thoda aur niche kiya...
Tabhi, upar ki manjil par kisi ke chalne ki aawaz aayi. Shayad Suruchi ya Musu mein se koi paani peene ke liye utha tha.
Dono ek jhatke mein alag ho gaye. Meenu ne jaldi se apni maxi theek ki aur bina Manik ki taraf dekhe, tezi se apne kamre ki taraf bhag gayi. Manik wahi kitchen mein khade reh gaye, unka dil zor-zor se dhadak raha tha aur hath abhi bhi Meenu ke jism ki garmi mehsus kar rahe the.
Raat ki us ghatna ke baad subah ka suraj ek ajeeb si bhari-pan lekar aaya. Ghar mein hamesha ki tarah chahal-pahal thi, lekin Manik aur Meenu ke beech ek gehri khamoshi ki deewar khadi ho gayi thi.
Manik dining table par baithe akhbar padhne ka natak kar rahe the, lekin unki nazrein akhbar ke pichhe chhipi thi. Meenu kitchen se nashta lekar aayi, lekin aaj usne hamesha ki tarah 'Sahab, nashta kar lijiye' nahi kaha. Usne bas thali table par rakhi aur bina Manik ki taraf dekhe wapas kitchen mein chali gayi. Usne aaj apni maxi ke upar ek dupatta lapeta hua tha, jaise wo khud ko Manik ki nazron se chhupana chahti ho.
Suruchi ne ye sab mehsoos kiya. Usne dekha ki uske papa nashta kam kar rahe hain aur unka dhyan baar-baar kitchen ke darwaze par ja raha hai.
"Papa, aap thik toh hain na? Raat ko shayad aapki neend poori nahi hui," Suruchi ne chai ka sip lete huye pucha.
Manik ne hadbadate huye kaha, "Haan beta... wo thodi garmi thi na, isliye."
Thodi der baad, Suruchi showroom ke liye nikal gayi aur Muskan bhi apne college chali gayi. Ghar ek baar phir khali ho gaya. Sannata itna gehra tha ki kitchen mein bartanon ke takrane ki aawaz bhi saaf sunayi de rahi thi.
Manik apne kamre se nikle aur kitchen ke darwaze par aakar khade ho gaye. Meenu wahan khadi slab saaf kar rahi thi, lekin uske hath kaanp rahe the. Manik ne himmat jutayi aur andar dakhil huye.
"Meenu..." Manik ne bahut hi dhime swar mein pukara.
Meenu wahin ruk gayi, par usne piche mudkar nahi dekha. Manik ne dekha ki uske kandhe halke-halke hil rahe hain. Wo ro rahi thi. Manik ka dil glani (guilt) se bhar gaya. Unhe apni us harkat par sharmindagi hone lagi jise unhone ek pal ke junoon mein kar diya tha.
Manik uske paas gaye aur bahut hi narm aawaz mein bole, "Meenu beta... mujhe maaf kar do. Kal raat jo hua, wo meri umar aur meri maryada ke khilaf tha. Pata nahi mujhse ye itni badi chook kaise ho gayi. Main tumhe hamesha is ghar ka ansh maanta hoon, aur kal... kal main behak gaya tha."
'Beta' shabd sunte hi Meenu ke sabar ka baandh toot gaya. Wo palti aur uski aankhon mein aansuon ki dhara beh rahi thi. Wo abhi bhi wahi masoom aur wafaadaar Meenu thi jisne is parivaar ke liye apna sab kuch de diya tha.
Manik ne aage badhkar uske sir par hath rakha aur use apne gale se laga liya. Ye aalingan (hug) kal raat jaisa nahi tha; isme ek pita ki sharmindagi aur ek sarparast ka pachtawa tha.
Manik ne uske aansu ponchhte huye kaha, "Aage se aisa kabhi nahi hoga beta. Main tumhari izzat ki qasam khata hoon. Tumhari marzi ke bina yahan patta bhi nahi hilega, aur meri toh himmat hi nahi hogi. Tum is ghar ki beti ho, aur beti hi rahogi."
Meenu ne sisakte huye Manik ke kandhe par sar rakha. Use aisa laga jaise uske sir se koi bahut bada bojh utar gaya ho. Usne dhime se kaha, "Sahab, maine aapko hamesha devta mana hai. Bas... darr gayi thi ki kahin mera ye ghar, ye parivaar mujhse chhoot na jaye."
Manik ne use dilaasa diya, "Kahin nahi jayega. Ye tumhara hi ghar hai."
Mahaul thoda halka hua, lekin Manik ke dil ke kisi kone mein abhi bhi ek kasak baaki thi. Unhe pata tha ki unhone maafi toh maang li hai, lekin jo aag unke andar sulgi thi, kya wo itni aasani se bujh payegi?
