Adultery Pooja: Newly married innocent Housewife

[LOPAMUDRA]

Shubham ke pair tham gaye.
Room ke andar se halki si thandi hawa aa rahi thi, jaise koi abhi-abhi guzra ho.
Bahar corridor ki tube light ek pal ke liye jali, phir phadphadayi aur band ho gayi.
Sab kuch sannaate me doob gaya.

“Pooja…” Shubham ne dheere se pukara.
Koi jawaab nahi.
Bas khidki ke paas latka curtain hawa me hilla — aur uske niche paani ke kuch chhapak-chhapak nishaan.

Shubham ne dhadkan ko sambhalte hue darwaza dhakka de kar khola.
Room me andhera tha, sirf ek lamp table pe jal raha tha, jiska light ka ek cone floor pe gir raha tha.
Bed khali tha.
Shawl, diary, aur Pooja ka dupatta — teenon wahi pade the, lekin wo khud gayab thi.

Usne poori room me nazar daali.
Washroom ka door thoda sa khula tha, usne awaz lagai —
“Pooja… tu andar hai kya?”
Andar se paani tap-tap-tap karne ki awaaz aa rahi thi.
Usne door thoda aur khola…
andar koi nahi tha.
Bas mirror ke kone pe likha tha — “Don’t trust anyone.”
Paani niche girte hue us likhayi ko dheere-dheere mita raha tha.

Shubham ka gala sookh gaya.
Usne diary uthai jo Pooja padh rahi thi.
Page pe likha tha —
“Jo is kamre me rukta hai, uska koi na koi hamesha peecha karta hai…”

Tabhi — peeche se corridor me kisi ke chalne ki chhh... chhh... awaaz aayi.
Shubham palat kar dekhta hai —
ek parchai.
Door ke paas.
Wahi auto driver.

Lekin is baar, uske chehre par koi muskaan nahi thi.
Uski aankhen seedha Shubham par tiki thi — thandi, bina blink kiye.

Shubham ne ek kadam peeche liya.
“A-ab tu… tu yahan kya kar raha hai?”

Auto driver dheere se bola,
“Bhai, maine kaha tha na… yeh jagah mehmaanon ke liye nahi hai.”

Phir usne apni jeb se ek chhoti si silver chain nikali —
aur bola,
“Ye… ye us ladki ki thi na, jo tere saath aayi thi?”

Shubham ke haath se diary gir gayi.
Dil tez dhadakne laga.
Uske saamne bas ek sawal tha —
Pooja kahan gayi?