Adultery Beta Dekhta Raha, Chup

[xxxhjbxxx]

Chapter - 13



Mera ek aur important exam aane wala tha. Akash ne pichhle kuch hafte se iski taiyari karwayi thi. Raat-din mehnat ki thi usne mujhpe. Par mujhe apne upar bilkul confidence nahi tha. Har baar paper de kar lagta tha ki kuch nahi hua, sab bhool gaya.

Phir agle hafte exam de diya. Jab paper khatam karke bahar aaya toh dil mein bas yahi tha ki “ab jo hoga dekha jayega.”

Do-teen din aur guzar gaye the. Exam ke results aa gaye the.

Maine Maths mein 59/80 paaye the — pehle se kaafi behtar. Baaki subjects mein bhi accha score tha (60 se 70 tak). Ghar mein khushi ka mahaul tha. Abbu ne mujhe gale lagaya aur bola, “Beta, yeh maths ka improvement dekha? Pehle fail hote rehta tha, ab 62! Akash ne sach mein jaan laga di thi tere pe.”

Ammi ka chehra bilkul khila hua tha. Unhone mujhe pyaar se sar par haath phera aur muskurate hue kaha, “Akash beta ki wajah se hi yeh sab possible hua hai. Kitni mehnat ki usne iske saath.”

Usi shaam Ammi ne faisla kiya ki Akash ko treat deni chahiye. Unhone usse phone par invite kiya dinner ke liye. Akash ne pehle mana kiya, “Aunty kya zarurat hai, yeh mera farz tha,” par Ammi aur Abbu ne itna zor diya ki woh maan gaya.

Agla din dopahar mein hum sab restaurant gaye. Abbu ne kaha tha, “Raat ko mehnga padega, dopahar mein jaate hain toh paise bach jayenge.” Restaurant din me kaafi khali tha. Sirf do-teen tables par log the. Manager ne humein end mein ek corner ki table di thi — bilkul last mein.

Ammi us din light blue salwar-kameez mein thi. Dupatta achhe se baandha hua tha. Woh khush aur thodi si excited lag rahi thi.

Table par baatein chal rahi thi. Khana aaya toh Abbu aur Ammi dono Akash ki taareef karne lage. “Akash beta itna responsible hai… kitni achhi tarike se padhata hai… Idris ko toh kabhi itna nahi samajh aaya tha.” Main chup-chaap baitha tha. Unki har taareef mere dil mein chubh rahi thi.

Khana khate-khate Abbu ka phone baj utha. Office se urgent call tha. Unka chehra serious ho gaya. “Sorry, mujhe turant jaana padega. Boss bula rahe hain.” Woh jaldi se uthe, bill ke liye kuch paisa ammi ko diye aur chale gaye. Ab table par sirf hum teeno bache the — Ammi, main aur Akash.

Akash ne turant mujhe dekha aur muskurate hue bola, “Idris, tu thoda side ho jao na.” Phir woh uth kar Ammi ke bilkul bagal mein baith gaya. Ab main unke saamne tha aur woh dono side by side, aur main kuch bol nahi paya.

Khana khatam hone ke baad Akash ne dessert order kiya — ice-cream. Jab ice-cream aaya, woh dheere se Ammi se bola, “Aunty, aaj aap bahut khubsurat lag rahi hain. Yeh colour aap par bahut achha lagta hai.”

Ammi ne sharma kar dupatta theek kiya aur dheemi awaaz mein boli, “Beta, bas kar…”

Lekin Akash rukne wala nahi tha. Usne table ke neeche apna haath badhaya aur Ammi ki jaangh par haath rakh diya. Salwar ke upar se hi, ise dekh main andar se pagal sa ho gaya - mujhe yakeen nahi aa raha tha ki usme itna himamt kaise aa gayi - aur us se bhi jyada mujhe apni ammi pe yakeen nahi ho raha tha ki wo kaise ye sab ki izajat de rahi hai.

Ammi ka pura badan ekdum se sakht ho gaya. Unki aankhein phail gayi. Woh bohot zyada shocked aur embarrassed ho gayi. Unhone apni taang turant peeche khinchne ki koshish ki, par Akash ne dheere se pakad rakha tha. Main opposite baitha sab dekh raha tha — Akash ke kandhe ki harkat aur Ammi ka laal padta chehra. Mera dil zor se dhadakne laga tha.

Akash Ammi ki taraf jhuka aur dheere se bola, “Aunty… relax kariye na. Koi nahi dekh raha.” Ye lafz wo mere samane bol raha tha; mujhe aisa lag raha tha jaise is kameene Akash ko mere rahne ya na rahne se faraq nahi padta hai.

Ice-cream ke spoon se usne Ammi ke muh ke paas ek bite kiya. Ammi ne muskil se kha liya. Unka chehra ab aur laal ho chuka tha.

Mujhse ye sab dekh badast nahi ho raha tha, Tabhi maine kaha, “Main haath dhoke aata hoon.” Main utha aur washroom ki taraf chal pada. Lekin raaste mein hi main peeche mud kar dekhne laga.

Jo maine dekha, usse mera dil ruk sa gaya.

Akash ne Ammi ke chehre ko apni taraf ghumaya tha. Usne apne hont Ammi ke hont ke bilkul paas le ja kar rok diye the — sirf ek inch ki doori. Woh Ammi ko tease kar raha tha, unhe rok raha tha, unki saans rok raha tha. Ammi ki aankhein band thi. Unki saans tez ho rahi thi. Kuch seconds tak woh aise hi rahe…

Phir Ammi ne khud aage badh kar apne hont Akash ke honton par rakh diye.

Ek chhota sa, hesitant kiss… lekin woh tha. Meri Ammi ne khud kiss kiya tha.

Sirf 3-4 seconds ka tha, par mujhe jaise saalon laga. Ammi ne turant peeche hat kar dupatta sambhala aur nazar neeche kar li. Unka chehra ab bilkul laal ho chuka tha. Akash ke honton par ek halki si muskaan thi.

Main jaldi se washroom chala gaya. Haath dho kar wapas aaya toh dono normal baith rahe the, par Ammi baar-baar dupatta theek kar rahi thi aur meri taraf nazar bhi nahi mila rahi thi.

Ice-cream khatam hua. Hum teeno bahar nikle. Akash aapne bike se chala gaya aur main aur ammi ne ek auto kar liya aur wapas aate waqt pura rasta Ammi chup rahi. Main bagal me baitha tha, aankhein band kiye, par dimag mein sirf wahi scene chal raha tha.

*Woh kiss… Ammi ne khud…*

Ghar pahunch kar main seedha apne kamre mein chala gaya. Dil mein aag si lag rahi thi. Rona aa raha tha, gussa aa raha tha, aur sabse badi baat — dar lag raha tha.

Kya ho raha tha meri Ammi ke saath?

Aur main kuch kar bhi nahi paa raha tha…