Part 4
Hospital ke uss VIP floor par ek bhayanak shanti thi. Floor ke sabse aakhiri aur sabse aalishan cabin ke bahar ek golden nameplate chamak rahi thi— 'Dr. Sakshi Singh - Senior Psychiatrist & Behavioral Analyst'.
Cabin ke andar ka mahol bahar ki shanti se bilkul alag tha. Kamra bahut bada aur luxurious tha. Ek taraf poori deewar par kaanch (glass) ki badi khidki thi jahan se poora Kota sheher dikhta tha. Sakshi apni mehangi black leather chair par baithi thi. Uske haath me ek mehanga silver pen tha jise wo lagataar apne mahogany wood ke table par 'tap... tap... tap...' kar rahi thi. Uski aankhein uske saamne rakhe Apple iPad ki screen par gadi hui thi, jahan Aarav ki photo aur uski basic file khuli hui thi.
Uska dimaag kisi supercomputer ki tarah tezi se daud raha tha. Wo baar-baar Aarav ke uss chehre, uski kaanpti hui aawaz, aur uske achanak badle hue attitude ko rewind karke soch rahi thi. Kuch toh tha... kuch toh ajeeb tha us ladke me jisne Sakshi jaise top-level expert ke dimaag me khujli paida kar di thi.
Tabhi, cabin ke kanch ke darwaze par halke se knock hua.
"Come in," Sakshi ne bina apni nazrein iPad se hataye, ek kadak aur commanding aawaz me kaha.
Darwaza khula aur Dr. Jain andar aaye. Unke chehre par thodi nervous (ghabrahat) wali jhalak thi. Dr. Jain is hospital ke senior physician the, par Sakshi ke aage unka auras poori tarah dab jata tha. Sakshi na sirf khoobsurat thi, balki hospital ki sabse mehangi aur khatarnaak doctor thi jiska dimaag padhna namumkin tha.
"Doctor Sakshi, aapne bulaya?" Dr. Jain ne table ke paas aakar pucha.
Sakshi ne iPad screen ko off kiya, pen ko side me rakha aur dono haath table par bandh kar Dr. Jain ko ghoorne lagi. "Dr. Jain, mujhe Aarav Sharma ke baare me sab kuch chahiye. Uske pichle medical records, uske psychological evaluations, uske blood reports, uski family history... sab kuch. Jo bhi data ab tak jama kiya gaya hai, wo sab ikattha karo. Mujhe uski ek-ek detail janni hai."
Dr. Jain thode confuse ho gaye. Unhone apni chashme ko theek karte hue pucha, "Par... main samjha nahi Ma'am. Aisa kyun? Wo case toh solve ho gaya na? Wo toh bas ek typical teenager ka stress aur panic attack tha jise aapne khud wahan aakar solve kiya. Ladka stable tha, uski mother bhi use ghar le ja chuki hain. Toh ab is data ka kya...?"
"Solve ho gaya?" Sakshi ne apni chair ko thoda aage khiskaya, uski aankhon me ek teekhi aur khatarnaak chamak aa gayi. "Dr. Jain, main un high-profile VVIP logo ke cases dekhti hu jinke ek minute ke consultation (check-up) ke liye main 10,000 rupaye charge karti hu. Aapko meri fees pata hai. Toh phir main ek 18 saal ke aam ameerzaade ke peeche apna keemti time kyun barbaad karungi?"
Dr. Jain ne chupchap apna sar hilaya. Unhe pata tha ki Sakshi bina kisi thos (solid) wajah ke kisi aam patient ko nahi dekhti thi.
Sakshi apni jagah se uthi aur dheere-dheere chal kar us badi si glass window ke paas aakar khadi ho gayi. Usne bahar sheher ko dekhte hue apni baat shuru ki.
"Kyunki wo ladka... Aarav... wo bahut zyada interesting hai. Usme kuch toh hai jo bahut, bahut zyada galat hai," Sakshi ki aawaz me ek ajeeb sa junoon (obsession) tha. "Uska behaviour, uske baat karne ka tareeqa, uski aawaz me wo darr... Dr. Jain, jab ek 18 saal ka bacha panic karta hai toh wo ghabrata hai, rota hai, zidd karta hai. Par Aarav ka darr ekdum alag tha."
Sakshi piche mudi aur Dr. Jain ki aankhon me sidha dekhte hue boli, "Aarav ka darr bilkul uski uss 'fantasy' ya hallucination ki tarah tha jo wo baddbada raha tha. Ek 38 saal ka aadmi. Ek aisa aadmi jo zindagi se thaka hua ho, hara hua ho. Jise har waqt kisi ka khauf ho. Jab main us kamre me gayi, toh wo bed par jo shaks baitha tha wo 18 saal ka masoom bacha nahi tha... uski body language ek aise mature, dare hue, sehme hue aadmi jaisi thi jisne asal me tabahi aur maut ko dekha ho."
Dr. Jain hairani se sun rahe the. "Par Ma'am, ye toh delusion bhi ho sakta hai na? Extreme stress me dimaag aisi alternate reality bana leta hai."
"Haan, delusion ho sakta hai. Par ek point aata hai jahan delusion aur reality clash karte hain," Sakshi chal kar wapas table ke paas aayi. "Jab maine usse uss 'Dumping yard' aur kachre ke baare me pucha, aur usko sachai dikhane ke liye window (khidki) se bahar dekhne ko kaha... tab jo maine dekha, usne mere dimaag ke saare fuse uda diye."
Sakshi ne table par jhukte hue apna poora weight dono haathon par daala. "Dr. Jain, jab Aarav ne uss khidki ke bahar dekha, toh uski body halki si kapkapa gayi. Wo ekdum se kaanpne laga. Wo shock me tha. Usne hairani se bahar ki saaf hawa, clear neela aasmaan, aur un oonchi buildings ko aise dekha, jaise usne ye sab apni zindagi me pehle kabhi dekha hi na ho! Ek ameer baap ka beta, jo Kota ke posh ilake me rehta hai, wo apne hi sheher ki buildings ko dekh kar itna hairan kyun hoga? Uski aankhon ki putliyan (pupils) dilate ho chuki thi. Wo genuine shock tha, Dr. Jain. Koi bhi insaan us level ke extreme shock ki acting nahi kar sakta."
Dr. Jain ki saansein thodi bhari ho gayi. Sakshi ki observation itni deep aur accurate thi ki wo us par sawal nahi utha sakte the.
"Aur uske baad..." Sakshi ke chehre par ek dark smile aayi. "Uske theek 10 second baad, sabse bhayanak cheez hui. Aarav ki poori ki poori body language drastically change ho gayi. Ek jhatke me. Usne realize kar liya tha ki main use pagal samjh rahi hu. Aur ekdum se, wo maan gaya ki wo 18 saal ka hai. Usne maan liya ki uska naam Aarav hai. Usne apne 38 saal ke uss sadandh maarte hue trauma ko ek micro-second me apne dimaag ke kisi kone me daba diya aur apne chehre par ek 18 saal ke masoom, cute ladke ka fake mask pehan liya."
Sakshi ne apna hawa me tap karte hue pen wapas rakha. "Uski wo jhoothi smile... wo mujhe saaf-saaf chilla kar bata rahi thi ki wo mujhse jhooth bol raha hai. Dr. Jain, main ek top-class behavioral expert hu. Main logo ki body language padhne me mahir hu. Main kisi ke facial expressions (chehre ke hav-bhav) ka ek micro-fraction dekh kar bata sakti hu ki kaun, kab, aur kyun jhooth bol raha hai. Shuru se lekar khidki ke bahar dekhne tak, Aarav ki ek-ek baat, uska ek-ek darr mujhe asli lag raha tha. Phir ekdam se uska reality ko itni aasani se accept kar lena... wo poori tarah se fabricated (banawati) lag raha tha. Ek traumatized insaan itni jaldi mask nahi pehanta, ek survivalist pehanta hai."
Dr. Jain ne thoda ghabrate hue apna rumaal nikala aur mathe ka paseena pocha. "Toh aapka kehna hai ki wo jo sapna baddbada raha tha... wo asli tha?"
"Sapna?" Sakshi ne ek kadwi hansi hasi. "Uska sapna kuch zyada hi dark (bhayavah) aur detailed tha, Dr. Jain. Monsters, langda Tyagi, chaati me ghusa chaku, insaano ko zinda kha jane wale mutated chuhe, kachre aur kude ka wo sadandh maarta pahad... Ek 18 saal ke protected aur ameero wali zindagi jeene wale ladke ke dimaag me itni deep, itni bhayanak aur itni specific details kahan se aa sakti hain? Ye koi aam fantasy nahi thi. Us ladke ne wo darr apni aatma par mehsoos kiya tha."
Sakshi wapas apni leather chair par aaram se baith gayi aur usne ek commanding look Dr. Jain ko diya.
"Ye ek normal case nahi hai. Ye ek bahut hi special case hai aur is par ek behad careful aur deep observation ki zaroorat hai. Mujhe us ladke ke dimaag ke andar ghus kar dekhna hai ki aakhir us masoom chehre ke peeche kaunsa shaitaan ya kaunsi reality chupi hui hai. Isiliye... isiliye maine khud use apne aage offer diya ki wo har 7 din me ek baar mere paas medical check-up ke liye aaye."
Sakshi ne ek haath utha kar apni 3 ungliya dikhai. "Meri ek minute ki fees 10,000 rupaye hai. Aapko ye baat ache se pata hai. Aur maine us ladke ko 'Free Check-up' ke bahane yahan regular aane ko bola hai. Taaki main use padh saku. Uske mask ko tod saku."
Kamre ki hawa ekdum bhari ho chuki thi. Sakshi ki baat me itna wazan aur itni authority thi ki Dr. Jain ke paas contradict karne ka koi chance hi nahi tha. Wo us 18 saal ke ladke ki is 'split-personality' ya koye ghere mystery ko solve karne ke liye poori tarah obsessed ho chuki thi.
"Ab aap samajh gaye honge meri baat," Sakshi ne ek thandi aur piercing nazar se Dr. Jain ko dekha. "Mujhe apni baat dobara samjhane ki zaroorat nahi honi chahiye, Dr. Jain. Mujhe wo data chahiye, bina kisi excuse ke."
Dr. Jain jaldi se seedhe khade hue aur unhone ek command manne wale sipahi ki tarah sar hilaya.
"Main samajh gaya Ma'am. Aap bilkul chinta mat kijiye," Dr. Jain ki aawaz me thodi ghabrahat aur respect dono the. "Wo case close dikha raha tha, par main abhi ke abhi apni team ko lagata hu. Uske admission se lekar abhi tak ki ek-ek vital reading, blood work ka microscopic data, heart rate monitor ke charts, uski previous history aur uski family background ki ek-ek detail... main sab kuch abhi directly aapke personal computer ke secure server par bhejta hu."
"Good. Ab aap ja sakte hain," Sakshi ne dubara apna iPad on kar liya aur screen ki taraf dekhne lagi.
Dr. Jain bina ek aur shabd bole chupchap us luxury cabin se bahar nikal gaye aur darwaza dheere se band kar diya.
Unke jaane ke baad, Sakshi us khali aur shant cabin me akeli baithi thi. Usne iPad me Aarav ki us 18 saal ki ekdum innocent, clear skin wali photo ko zoom kiya. Us photo me Aarav ki aankhein bilkul kisi masoom bacche jaisi lag rahi thi.
Sakshi ne screen par halke se apni ungli pheri aur ek dark, excited smile uske khoobsurat aurat wale hothon par aa gayi.
"Tumhe kya lagta hai Aarav Sharma? Tum is ameer baap ke masoom bete ka mask pehan kar is Dr. Sakshi Singh ko bewakoof bana loge?" Sakshi khud se akele me baat kar rahi thi. "Main logo ke dimaag ko unke kapdo ki tarah udhed kar rakh deti hu. Tumne ek second me apne us 38 saal ke dard ko chupa liya, us kachre ke pahaad ko chupa liya... par main us mask ko utaar kar rahungi. Tum chahe kisi split-personality ke shikaar, ya tumhare andar sach me koi rakshas chupa baitha hai... main us tak pohoch kar rahungi. Khel toh ab shuru hua hai."
Sakshi ne ek gehri saans li aur chair par piche tik gayi. Aarav ka case uske liye ab ek professional duty nahi, balki ek nasha ban chuka tha. Ek aisi mystery jise solve kiye bina use neend nahi aane wali thi.