Adultery Beta Dekhta Raha, Chup

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Chapter - 17




Us din ke baad Chand se milne ka silsila aur badh gaya tha.

Pehle kabhi-kabhi milta tha, ab har shaam. Kabhi paan wale ke dukaan ke paas, kabhi park ke bench par, kabhi market ke peeche wale khali ground mein. Main bahar nikalne ka bahana banata — “Ammi, thoda fresh air le aata hoon” — aur seedha uski taraf chala jata.

Ek shaam paan wale ke dukaan ke saamne bench par baith kar main chup-chaap baitha tha. Chand cigarette pi raha tha. Maine dheere se bola,

“Yaar Chand… boards sirf kuch hafte baki hain. Main din bhar plan banata hoon — 2 ghante maths, 1 ghanta science — lekin 10 minute baad dimag band ho jata hai. Kuch samajh nahi aa raha. Bahut dar lag raha hai… agar fail ho gaya toh ghar mein kya hoga, soch bhi nahi sakta.”

Chand ne ek gehra kas lagaya aur dhuaan chhodte hue bola, “Arre tension mat le yaar. Sab theek ho jayega.”

Maine sar hilaya. “Nahi yaar… relax karne ka mann karta hai. Dimag bilkul thak gaya hai. Kuch aisa chahiye jo thoda sa sukoon de de.”

Chand ne mujhe dekha aur muskuraya. “Relax karne ka sabse best tarika bataun?”

Main uski taraf dekha.

“Ganja,” usne casually bola. “Ek joint laga le. Saari tension udd jayegi. Dimag shaant ho jayega. Neend bhi achhi aayegi.”

Maine turant sar hila diya. “Nahi yaar… main cigarette bhi nahi pita. Yeh sab nahi.”

Chand hans pada. “Theek hai bhai, apni marzi.”

Lekin uske baad kuch din bahut mushkil guzre.

Main roz padhai ki koshish karta. Timer lagata, books kholta… lekin 10 minute baad wahi haal. Har raat Chand ka woh suggestion dimag mein ghumta rehta — “Ganja… saari tension udd jayegi.”

Teesre din shaam ko main phir uske paas pahunch gaya. Dil bahut bhari tha.

Maine dheere se bola, “Yaar… woh jo tune kaha tha… ganja… ek baar try kar sakta hoon kya?”

Chand ka chehra khil utha. “Smart ladka! Chal aaj hi try karte hain. Mere room chalta hai.”

Woh mujhe apne ghar le gaya. Chhota sa ganda single room tha — ek purana single bed, zameen par bikhre kapde, diwar par cigarette ke daag, aur ek chhoti si khidki se bhi hawa nahi aa rahi thi. Kamra puri tarah se badbudar aur ganda tha.

Chand ne darwaza band kiya, bed par baith gaya aur ek chhoti si packet nikali. Usne expertly joint banaya, sulgaya aur pehle ek kas laga kar mujhe de diya.

“Le… dheere se. Zyada mat kheench.”

Maine pehli baar try kiya. Pehla kas laga toh gala jala, khansi aayi. Chand ne peeth thapthapayi aur hans pada. “Dheere dheere yaar… ab doosra kas le.”

Maine doosra kas lagaya.

Aur phir… sab kuch dheere-dheere slow ho gaya.

Dimag bilkul shaant ho gaya. Saari tension, saare dar, saari padhai ki chinta… sab udd gayi. Main bed par let gaya. Chand kuch bol raha tha lekin mujhe sirf uski awaaz door-door se aa rahi thi.

Phir sab black ho gaya.

Jab aankh khuli toh raat ke 1 baje the. Main 6-7 ghante tak soya hua tha. Dimag itna relaxed tha jaise kabhi pehle hua hi nahi. Sharir halka, sukoon bhara. Jaise koi bojh utar gaya ho.

Lekin ghar pahunchte hi sab badal gaya.

Gate khulte hi Ammi aur Abbu dono hall mein khade the. Ammi ki aankhein laal thi, ro rahi thi. Abbu ka chehra laal ho raha tha gusse se.

“Idris! Kahan tha tu itni raat tak?!” Abbu chillaye. “Humne poore area mein dhoondha! security officer bhi aayi thi ghar pe! Tujhe pata hai kitni der se tujhe dhoondh rahe the?”

Ammi ro-rote boli, “Beta… hum soch rahe the kuch ho gaya… phone bhi band tha… tu kahan mar gaya tha?”

Abbu ne aur tez awaaz mein daanta, “Ab yeh naya drama shuru kiya hai? Padhai chhod kar raat bhar ghumne lag gaya hai? Kal se ghar se bahar nikalne ki himmat mat karna!”

Main sirf chup-chaap khada tha. Unke chillane, unka gussa, unki pareshani… sab sun raha tha. Lekin andar kuch alag ho raha tha.

Mera dimag bilkul shaant tha. Koi dar nahi. Koi guilt nahi. Bas ek gehra sukoon.

Unke daantne ke baad main apne kamre mein chala gaya. Darwaza band kiya, bistar par let gaya aur aankhein band kar li.

Aur pehle ki tarah neend door-door tak nahi thi… balki is baar main ek pal mein gehri neend mein so gaya.

Jaise ek baby so raha ho.