Part-7
Kamre mein ekdum sannata chha gaya. Monu wahi farsh pe baith gaya. Uske hath abhi bhi kaamp rahe the. Uske honthon par abhi bhi Shivani ka swad tha, par wo swad ab use zeher lag raha tha.
Usne apne sar ko dono hathon se pakad liya. Use apni hi shakal se nafrat hone lagi.
“Main kitna bada jaanwar hoon,” usne khud se kaha. “Wo mujhse itna pyar karti hai, mujh par itna bharosa karti hai, aur maine un sab rishton ki maryada tod di. Mausa ji ko chidhana ek taraf tha, par ye... ye maine kya kar diya?”
Use yaad aa raha tha masi ka wo chehra—wo darr aur wo dhokha jo unki aankhon mein tha. Use lag raha tha jaise usne apni maa ka bharosa toda ho. Raat bhar Monu so nahi saka. Har baar jab wo aankhein band karta, use wahi pal yaad aata jab usne masi ko itni buri tarah pakda tha.
Use lag raha tha ki ab sab khatam ho gaya hai. Kal subah wo masi se nazrein kaise milayega? Kya masi ye baat mummy ko bata degi? Kya ab wo kabhi masi ke saath bike pe ja payega?
Guilt (pachtawa) uske dil ko cheer raha tha. Wo bas andhere mein baitha raha, ye soch kar ki ek pal ke josh ne uska sabse pyara rishta hamesha ke liye shayad barbad kar diya tha.
Raat ki us ghatna ne ghar ki faza hi badal di thi. Subah 9:30 baje, jab roz Shivani masi apne haath mein coffee ka mug liye Monu ke kamre ka darwaza laat maar kar kholti thi aur chillati thi, "Uth oye Monu! Integration tera baap karega?", aaj wahan ek bhayanak sannata tha.
Monu 8 baje se uth kar taiyaar baitha tha. Uska dil har aahat pe dhadak raha tha ki shayad masi aaye, shayad wo gusse mein hi sahi par ek baar darwaza khole. Par darwaza nahi khula.
Niche se mummy (Anjali) ki awaaz aayi, "Monu! Main aur Shivani market ja rahe hain shaadi ke kuch zaroori kaam se, lunch khud kar lena."
Monu balcony tak bhaga. Usne dekha masi niche khadi thi, wahi white suit mein. Par aaj usne Monu ki taraf upar ek baar bhi nahi dekha. Wo seedha auto mein baith gayi. Monu ko aisa laga jaise kisi ne uska dum ghot diya ho. Wo masi jo uske liye 'temporary girlfriend' bani thi, aaj ek ajnabee se bhi zyada door lag rahi thi.
Usne socha, “Main kitna gir gaya hoon. Maine unhe masi nahi, sirf ek aurat ki tarah dekha. Mere josh ne unka bharosa tod diya. Shayad wo ab mujhse nafrat karti hain.”
Monu college pahuncha, par aaj bike ki raftar 40 se upar nahi gayi. Wo seat jo roz masi ke baithne se bhari rehti thi, aaj wahan sirf hawa thi. College ke parking mein wahi purana group khada tha—Amit, Rohan, Vicky aur baaki sab.
Rohan ne Monu ka utra hua chehra dekha. Use laga roz ki tarah aaj bhi thoda mazaak karte hain.
Rohan (Haste hue): "Oye Monu! Aaj teri 'Mystery Queen' nazar nahi aa rahi? Kya hua bhai, aaj pedal aaya hai ya teri GF tujhe chhod ke bhag gayi? Lagta hai breakup ho gaya itni jaldi!"
Monu, jo pehle hi guilt aur gham ki aag mein jal raha tha, Rohan ki ye baat sunte hi apna aapa kho baitha. Use laga jaise Rohan masi ki bezatti kar raha ho.
Monu: "Zubaan sambhaal ke bol Rohan!"
Rohan: "Arre chill maar na yaar, kal tak to bada style maar raha tha kiss-wiss ki baatein karke, aaj lagta hai laat pad gayi..."
Abhi Rohan ka vakya poora bhi nahi hua tha ki Monu ne apni poori takat se Rohan ke muh par ek mukka de maara.
Monu (Chillate hue): "Chup kar! Ek lafz mat bolna uske baare mein!"
Monu pagal ho gaya tha. Wo Rohan ke upar chadh gaya aur use lagatar maarne laga. Uski aankhon mein khoon utar aaya tha. Wo Rohan ko nahi, balki us pal ko maar raha tha jab usne masi ke saath badtameezi ki thi.
Amit aur Vicky (Chilla kar): "Oye Monu! Pagal ho gaya hai kya? Chhod ise! Mar jayega wo!"
Teen-chaar ladkon ne milkar Monu ko peeche kheencha. Monu haanp raha tha, uski aankhon se gusse aur dukh ke aansu nikal rahe the.
Amit: "Bhai, mazaak hi to tha! Itna gussa kyun?"
Monu ne kisi ko jawab nahi diya. Wo apna bag utha kar wahan se nikal gaya. Use lag raha tha ki wo is duniya ka sabse bura insaan hai, jo mazaak bhi bardasht nahi kar sakta kyunki uske andar ka chor use kaat raha tha.
Udhar mall mein, Shivani masi Anjali didi ke saath ek designer boutique mein thi. Anjali didi ek se ek lehenga dikha rahi thi, par Shivani ka dhyan kahin aur tha.
Wo bar-bar apne honthon ko chhuti, jahan abhi bhi use Monu ki us shiddat bhari kiss ka ehsaas ho raha tha. Wo gusse mein thi, haan, par uske andar ek ajeeb si kashmakash thi. Use bura laga ki uske 'chhote Monu' ne aisi himmat ki, par kahin na kahin use us pal mein Monu ka wo mardana josh aur deewanapan darr ke saath-saath ek anjaani si bechaini de gaya tha.
Anjali (Lehenga dikhate hue): "Shivani, ye wala dekh, Sameer ko bahut pasand aayega... Shivani? Kahan khoyi hai?"
Shivani chaunk gayi: "Haan didi... haan, achha hai."
Anjali ne apni behen ko gaur se dekha. Subah se dono ne ek-dusre se zyada baat nahi ki thi. Shivani ki aankhein thodi sujhi hui thi aur wo baar-baar khamosh ho rahi thi.
Anjali (Dheere se): "Shivani, tu subah se bahut udas hai. Kya tum dono ki ladai hui hai kya aaj? Monu bhi subah se kamre se nahi nikla."
Shivani ka dil zor se dhadka. Usne socha, 'Kya didi ko bata dun? Nahi, didi to mar jayengi ye sunkar. Aur Monu... bechara bachpan se mere saath raha hai, wo bura nahi hai, bas behak gaya tha.'
Shivani (Nazrein chura kar): "Nahi didi, ladai kyun hogi? Bas wo... shaadi ki tension hai thodi, aur Canada jaane ka soch kar thoda dukh ho raha hai. Monu se koi ladai nahi hui."
Anjali ne ek thandi saah bhari: "Mujhe pata hai tum dono ek-dusre ke bina nahi reh sakte. Par dekh, Monu ab bada ho gaya hai. Tu chali jayegi to wo akela pad jayega. Isliye shayad wo bhi thoda chirchira ho gaya hai. Use maff kar dena agar kuch bola ho to."
Shivani ne bas sar hila diya. Uske man mein Monu ka wo chehra ghum raha tha jab usne use peeche dhakela tha. Monu ki aankhon mein jo pachtawa tha, wo use yaad aa raha tha.
