Adultery Pooja: Newly married innocent Housewife

[LOPAMUDRA]

Jaise hi maine hotel dekha, ek pal ke liye main bilkul sन्न हो गया.
Ye koi normal jagah nahi lag rahi thi. Hotel ke andar aur bahar dono jagah kuch aadmi aur ladke idhar-udhar ghoom rahe the — unke haath me beer cans thi, aur unki aankhon me wo nasha aur beparwahi saaf dikh rahi thi. Hansi aur gaaliyon ki awaaz milkar hawa me ek ajeeb si ashleel khushboo ghola rahi thi.

Building purani thi, deewar par paint utra hua, aur reception ke paas ek dim yellow bulb hi pura area roshan kar raha tha. Floor pe paani aur mitti ka mixture, aur kahin-kahin cigarette ke jale hue tukde bikharé pade the.

Tabhi meri nazar reception ke piche baithe ek aadmi par padi — moochh uski ghani aur tedhi thi, jaise har muskaan me bhi kuch chhupane ki aadat ho. Usne safed banyan pe ek purani sweater daali hui thi, aur aankhon se hume seedha ghoor raha tha.
Kuch bola nahi, bas dekhta raha… jaise hume pehchanne ki koshish kar raha ho, ya fir decide kar raha ho ke hum yahan fit bhi hain ya nahi.

Pooja mere bilkul paas aa gayi, uske haath thande ho gaye the.
Usne dheere se kaha,
“Yahan rukna sahi rahega kya?”

Main ne bas halka sa sir hila kar kaha,
“Bas ek raat ki baat hai…”

Lekin andar se mujhe bhi lag raha tha — ye raat itni aasaan nahi hone wali.

Hum dono reception ke paas ruk gaye. Kapde poore bheeg chuke the, aur thand se Pooja ke haath kaanp rahe the.

Baarish ab zara halki zarur hui thi, par hawa me ab bhi nami aur wo thand thi jo seedhe haddi tak chali jaati hai. Kapdon se tapakta paani floor par chhote-chhote nishaan bana raha tha.

Pooja apne bheege hue baalon ko ek haath se sametne ki koshish kar rahi thi. Uske chehre par thakaan thi, par us thakaan ke andar ek ajeeb si shanti bhi thi — jaise wo sab kuch seh kar bhi composed thi. Uske chehre par baarish ki boonde chhoti si roshni me chamak rahi thi, jaise kisi ne moti bikher diye ho.

Tabhi wo moochh wala aadmi, hotel ka malik Shambhu, apni kursi se uth kar seedha hamare paas aaya. Uski aankhen kuch zyada der tak Pooja par tik gayin — aur us pal mujhe samajh aaya, ye jagah itni simple nahi hai.

Shambhu ne muskurate hue kaha,
“Sahab, aap dono to kaafi bheeg gaye ho lagta hai. Aaj raat yahi ruk jao. Khana-peena sab hai, subah auto ka jugad main khud karwa dunga.”

Uski muskaan me mithaas thi, lekin uske tone me ek aisa sukoon jisme kuch chhupane ki koshish thi.
Pooja ne meri taraf dekha, halki si aankhon ki bhasha me poocha — “Rukein?”
Main ne bas dheere se kaha,
“Haan, aur koi raasta bhi to nahi.”

Shambhu ne haath se upar ki taraf ishara kiya,
“Room number saat — sabse accha kamra hai mera.”

Seedhiyan purani thi, aur un par chalne se kirrrr-kirrrr ki awaaz aati thi. Pooja mere bilkul paas thi; uske bheege hue kapdon se baarish ki khushboo aa rahi thi, jo purani imarat ki damp smell ke sath mil kar ek ajeeb sa mahaul bana rahi thi.

Jaise hi hum kamre ke paas pahuche, Shambhu ruk gaya. Usne halki si muskuraahat di,
“Aaram se rahiye, sahab… aur darwaza dhyaan se band karna.”

Aur fir wo wapas chala gaya.
Kamre ke andar andhera tha, sirf khidki se bijli ki chamak aa rahi thi — aur har chamak ke sath Pooja ka chehra ek pal ke liye roshan ho jaata, jaise kahani apne aakhri mod par pahunchne wali ho…