Adultery Pooja: Newly married innocent Housewife

[LOPAMUDRA]

Darwaze par thak… thak… thak… ki awaaz gunji.
Room me sirf ek dim light thi, aur baarish ki garaj ne poore mahal ko kaamp jaisa diya.

Shubham ne peephole se dekha — bahar koi nahi tha.
Bas corridor ki tube light kabhi on, kabhi off ho rahi thi.
“Yahan koi nahi hai…” usne dheere se kaha,
par uski awaaz me khud ek halke darr ki khanak thi.

Pooja ab bhi uska haath pakde hue thi.
“Darwaza band kar de na please…” usne kaha, uski awaaz me halka sa kampan tha.

Shubham ne lock lagaya aur dono kuch der tak chup baithe rahe.
Bahar baarish aur tez ho gayi thi — bijli chamakne par ek pal ke liye unka chehra roshan hota, phir andhera sab kuch nigal leta.

Pooja ne diary uthai jo unhone box me se nikali thi.
Uske page thode bheeg gaye the.

Pooja ne diary uthai jo unhone box me se nikali thi, aur kahani dobara padhne lagi —
“Jo bhi is kamre me aata hai, kuch chhod kar jaata hai…”
Usne Shubham ki taraf dekha, “Yeh line… mujhe ajeeb lag rahi hai.”
Shubham ne kaha, “Bas koi purani story hai, tension mat le.”

“Shubham… agar ye sab sach hua to?”
“Pagal mat ban, ye sirf purani kahani hogi…” Shubham ne kaha,
lekin uske apne dil me bhi shak ghus gaya tha.

Tabhi — fir se knock hui.
Iss baar awaaz pehle se tez thi.
Pooja uchhal gayi, “Shubham!”
Shubham ne torch uthai aur door ke paas gaya.
Andar hi andar soch raha tha — agar phir koi na hua to?

Usne door khola.
Iss baar samne auto driver khada tha — bheega hua, kapdon se paani tapak raha tha, aankhon me thoda thakaan aur thoda sa ajeeb sukoon.

“Bhai cigarette milegi kya? Lighter bheeg gaya mera…” usne poocha.

Shubham ek pal ke liye confuse hua, par thoda relief bhi mila.
“Tu? Tu yahan?”
“Shambu ne bola tha main yahin ruk jaoon raat ke liye. Bahar tufaan hai…” usne muskurate hue kaha.

Shubham ne peeche dekha — Pooja bed ke paas khadi thi, aankhon me spashṭ darr tha.
“Tu andar mat aana,” Shubham ne auto wale se kaha, “main hall me chal ke deta hu.”

“Shubham, please mat jao… mujhe bura lag raha hai,” Pooja ne turant kaha.
Shubham uske paas aaya, uske galle tak shawl set kiya aur bola,
“Bas do minute me aata hu. Darwaza lock kar lena. Koi knock kare to mat kholna.”

Pooja ne dheere se sir hila diya.
Usne Shubham ka haath pakda —
ek pal ke liye dono ke beech khamoshi chha gayi, jaise wo samajh gaye ho ki is raat me kuch sahi nahi hai.
Phir Shubham ne halka sa muskuraya, “Bas do minute, okay?”
Aur wo auto driver ke saath hall ki taraf nikal gaya.



Hall me dhundhla sa smoke tha. Fan chhipak-chhipak kar awaaz kar raha tha, aur hawa me sasti beer ki boo ghuli thi.

Auto driver ne cigarette jalayi aur ek gehra kash liya.
“Aapko maloom hai bhai, ye hotel sab logon ke liye nahi bana hai…” usne dheere se kaha, aankhon me ek ajeeb sa spark tha.

Shubham ne poocha, “Kya matlab?”
Wo muskuraya, “Yahan raat me jo aata hai… sab subah nahi uthte.”

Shubham ne hansi me taal diya, “Chhod yaar, darane ki aadat hai kya teri?”
Auto driver ne koi jawab nahi diya.
Bas hall ke dusre kone ki taraf ishara kiya — jahan kuch aadmi khade the.

Unke haath me beer cans thi, aur wo hansi-mazaak karte hue reception ke paas khade the.
Unke saath kuch ladkiyan bhi thi — unn ladkiyon ke chehre pe ya to thakaan thi, ya udaasi.

Hotel ka maalik Shambu wahan tha, unse baat karta hua, paisa le raha tha.
Shubham ka gala sukh gaya.
Uske dimag me sirf ek baat goonj rahi thi —
“Yeh jagah… yeh log… hum yahan kya kar rahe hain?”

Lekin uske paas koi option nahi tha.
Bahar tufaan ab bhi thama nahi tha, aur station ka rasta band tha.

Auto driver ne cigarette ka last kash liya aur bola,
“Bhai, bas sambhal ke rehna.
Yeh hotel me sab log mehmaan nahi hote…”

Ye kehkar wo muskurate hue chala gaya.
Shubham ne peeche mud kar dekha — corridor ke end me uski parchai kuch pal ke liye ruki,
phir andhere me ghul gayi.

Usne ek gehri saans li aur kamre ki taraf laut gaya.
Dil me ab ek ajeeb si bechaini aur darr dono the.

Aur jab wo room ke paas pahucha —
darwaza aadha khula tha.