Adultery Pooja: Newly married innocent Housewife

[LOPAMUDRA]

Room ke andar andhera tha. Bahar ab bhi halki si baarish ho rahi thi, aur hawa khidki ki dararon se ghus kar ek thandi si sarr-sarr awaaz bana rahi thi. Bulb kab ka blink karke band ho gaya tha, bas bijli ki chamak hi kabhi-kabhi kamre ko ek pal ke liye roshan karti thi.

Shubham ne door andar se lock kiya aur torch on karne ki koshish ki. Kam light me diwaron ke geele nishaan dikh rahe the — jaise hotel ne bhi bohot kuch jhela ho. Pooja chup thi. Uske bheege hue baal kandhon se chipak gaye the, aur wo shawl apne aaspaas lapet kar bistar ke kone par baith gayi.

“Le ye le,” Shubham ne apne bag se ek patla sa towel nikal kar uski taraf badhaya.
Pooja ne muskurakar le liya, “Pehli trip aur aisi bhi...”

Dono ke beech thodi der khamoshi rahi. Bahar baarish ki tip-tip ke alawa koi awaaz nahi thi. Us khamoshi me ek ajeeb sa sukoon tha — jaise dono samajh rahe ho ki duniya chaahe kitni ajeeb ho jaaye, par jab tak ek-dusre saath hain, sab manageable lagta hai.

“Tu soch sakti thi? Shaadi ke baad pehla safar itna adventurous niklega?” Shubham ne halka sa hasa.
Pooja ne palak utha kar dekha, “Adventure to keh sakte ho... par kahani me thoda suspense zyada hai.”

Uski baat sun kar dono halki si hansi me kho gaye, par agle hi pal me wo tik-tik-tik ki awaaz dobara sunai di.
Shubham ne torch uthai, roshni kamre ke kone me padhi — ek purani almirah thi, aadhi khuli hui.

“Tu ne suna na?” Shubham ne poocha.
Pooja ne sir hila kar haan kaha, aur dheere se uska haath pakad liya. Uske haath thande the, par us pakad me ek ajeeb sa bharosa tha.

Shubham ne torch uthai, aur dono dheere-dheere almirah ki taraf badhne lage.
Har kadam ke sath floor creak kar raha tha, aur bijli ki chamak unke chehron par kuch pal ka ujala daal kar fir andhera chhod ja rahi thi.

Jab Shubham ne almirah ka handle pakda —
andar se ek thak ki awaaz aayi.
Pooja chokh gayi.

Shubham ne dheere se kaha,
“Jo bhi hai… ab dekhte hain.”

Aur usne almirah ka door khol diya—

Almirah ka door karrrr…rrr ki awaaz ke saath dheere-dheere khula. Torch ki roshni andar jaate hi Shubham aur Pooja dono ka chehra ek pal ke liye jam gaya.

Andar kuch bhi zyada nahi tha — bas kuch purane kapde, ek tooti photi hanger, aur niche ek chhoti si wooden box. Box par ek purani lakdi ka lock laga tha, jisme zung lag chuka tha.

Pooja ne dheere se kaha, “Yeh kya hoga?”
Shubham ne kandhe uchaaye, “Lagta hai yahan pehle kisi ka samaan reh gaya hoga…”

Par usi waqt — hotel ke bahar se ek cheeekh si awaaz aayi. Jaise koi chilla raha ho, par baarish ke shor me awaaz dab gayi.
Dono ne ek saath darwaze ki taraf dekha.

Shubham turant aage badha, aur door ke peephole se bahar jhankne laga. Corridor me koi nahi tha, bas light flicker kar rahi thi — on... off... on... off…

Pooja ne thoda ghabra kar kaha, “Shubham, mujhe acha nahi lag raha, hum yahan rukte hi kyu hain?”
Shubham ne uske kandhe par haath rakha, “Bas ek raat ki baat hai. Subah hote hi nikalte hain.”

Unhone box uthaya aur table par rakha. Shubham ne apni chhoti pocket knife nikali aur lock tod diya.
Lock ke tootne ki awaaz ke saath hi, hotel ke bahar ek aur bijli ki garaj hui — jaise aasman bhi react kar raha ho.

Box ke andar ek purani diary thi.
Cover pe likha tha — “Kamra No. 7”

Pooja ne diary uthai, “Yeh to wahi room number hai jisme hum hain…”

Uske haath thode kaanp gaye.
Pages pe purani likhai me kuch lines likhi thi:

“Jo bhi is kamre me aata hai, usse apna kuch na kuch chhodna padta hai.
Kuch yaadein… kuch log.”

Shubham diary padhta gaya aur uske chehre ka rang uddta gaya.
Last page par likha tha —

“Shambu sirf malik nahi, rakshak bhi hai.”

Tabhi darwaze par kisi ne teen baar khatkhataya — thak… thak… thak…

Pooja ne Shubham ka haath pakad liya.
Dono ne ek dusre ki aankhon me dekha —
aur samajh gaye, ab yeh raat sirf baarish aur andhere ki nahi hai… kuch aur bhi hai jo unke saath is kamre me hai.