Adultery Uncle ne Meri Mummy ko apni Randi Bana Liya

[Mehtab_]

Hum usi dheemi, aasaan andaaz mein baat karte rahe.

Unhone mujhe un auraton ki kahaaniyan sunayi jinhone kasam khai thi ki kabhi dhokha nahi dengi, phir bhi ek hafte ke andar unke soye kamre mein ghutnon ke bal baith gayi thin. Main sunta raha, aadha hasi aadha bechain, jabki peeche door-darshan dheemi awaaz mein chalta raha. Thodi der baad main utha.

“Main paani laata hoon,” maine kaha. “Tumhe chahiye?”

“Nahi. Agar bottle mile to le aana.”

Maine apna mobile sofa ke gaddi par unke bilkul paas chhod diya aur rasoi mein chala gaya.

Ghar abhi bhi purane sambhog aur cigarette ke dhuen ki mahak le raha tha. Maine fridge khola, thandi bottle nikali, aur do glass bhare.

Mere peeche door-darshan chalta raha, lekin main samajh sakta tha ki Uncle ka dimag abhi bhi kahin aur tha—abhi bhi us purple saree aur us aurat par jo aag ke paas naach rahi thi.

Tabhi mera mobile baja.

Teekhi, jaani-pehchani tone ne kamre ko cheera. Maine Uncle ki awaaz suni, “Tumhara mobile.”

“Main uthata hoon,” maine rasoi se jawab diya, abhi bhi paani daalte hue.

Maine kuch aur second liye, geele glass ko kapde se ponchhte hue. Us chhoti si der mein Uncle uthe. Unhe bathroom jana tha aur mobile bilkul unke raste mein pada tha.

Jab woh sofa se guzre to screen aati call se chamak uthi. Woh wallpaper jo hamesha meri Mummy ke call aane par dikhta tha—unki ek saaf tasveer, pichhle saal ek parivaar ke function mein li gayi.

Woh muskurati thin, baal ek kandhe par gire hue, blouse ka neckline itna neeche ki unki chuchiyon ka naram oopar ka golai dikhta tha, wahi bhaari aakar jo kuch hi ghante pehle purple saree ke neeche hil raha tha.

Uncle ruk gaye.

Woh chamakte screen ko ghoorne lage. Jo chehra unhe dekh raha tha, wahi chehra tha jise unhone rangili dhool aur aag ki roshni ke paar dekha tha. Wahi aankhein, wahi bharpur honth, wahi shareer jise unhone pehle hi chode jaane layak decide kar liya tha.

Ek pal ke liye unhe yakeen hi nahi aaya. Woh thode jhuke, mobile uthaya, aur usko aur kareeb laaye, jaise kuch inch zyada se tasveer badal kar kisi aur ki ho jaayegi.

Nahi hui. Caller ID par likha tha “My Lovely Mom” aur tasveer bilkul waisi hi rahi.

Main rasoi se jaldi wapas aaya, dono glass haathon mein, kinaron se abhi bhi paani tapak raha tha. Unhe mere mobile ko ungliyon mein pakde khade dekh kar main ruk gaya.

“Tum itna kyon ghoor rahe ho?” maine poocha.

Unhone jawab nahi diya. Unki aankhein screen par atki rahi. Kuch unhe saaf tang kar raha tha; wahi aasaan vishwas gayab tha, uski jagah ek sakht, lagbhag hairan khamoshi ne le li thi.

Maine glass neeche table par rakhe, aage badha, aur unke haath se mobile le liya. Unhone bina rok-tok ke chhod diya. Maine swipe karke uthaya.

“Hello, Mummy.”

Unki awaaz garam aur aam si aayi. “Tum kahan ho? Der ho rahi hai.”

“Ek dost ke yahan. Sab theek hai?”

“Tumhare Papa kal safar par ja rahe hain. Doosre shahar mein zameen ke kaagazon mein kuch samasya hai. Woh do hafte ke liye bahar rahenge. Abhi ghar aao aur unka samaan pack karne mein madad karo. Woh chahte hain aaj raat hi sab taiyar ho jaaye.”

“Do hafte?”

“Haan. Vakil ne aaj shaam call kiya. Unhe subah wahan hona hai. Der mat karo.”

Hum ek aur minute baat kiye—keys, spare bag, aur dawaiyon ke baare mein aam maa-bete wali baatein.

Uncle poora waqt kuch foot door khade rahe, abhi bhi mujhe dekhte hue, abhi bhi aise jaise unke neeche zameen hil gayi ho. Jab main aakhir mein call kaat chuka to unhone turant kaha.

Main: (Mummy se call khatm karne ke baad mobile abhi bhi haath mein garam tha. Maine use sofa ke paas chhoti table par ulat kar rakh diya. Uncle poora waqt screen dekh rahe the jab woh baja, aankhein us tasveer par atki thin jo chamki—Mummy us naram safed saree mein muskurati hui jo hamesha unki profile picture thi.)

Uncle thode aage jhuke, cigarette adhi honthon tak.

Uncle: Tumhare mobile par jo aurat thi… jab abhi baja. Tasveer wali. Kya woh tumhari Mummy hain?

Maine unhe dekha. Sawal ajeeb laga, jitna hona chahiye usse bhari. Unhone unhe ghar ke saamne sau baar chalte dekha tha. Unhone haath hilaya tha. Phir aise kyon pooch rahe hain, jaise abhi-abhi kuch notice kiya ho?

Main: Haan. Wohi hain. Kyun?

Unhone turant jawab nahi diya. Lambi kheench li, aankhein abhi bhi kahin aur, shayad deewaron ke peeche.

Uncle: Woh… jaani-pehchani lagti hain. Aaj raat se. Holi ke maidan se.

Main: Kaise jaani-pehchani?

Uncle: Safed saree wali aurat. Jo aag ke paas thi. Jo dhuen ke gehri hone par bhi naachti rahi. Tum jaante ho kaun.

Mere pet mein thoda tanaav hua. Main pehle se jaanta tha, bilkul. Mainne tabhi jaan liya tha jab woh aag ke paar itni tezi se ghoorne lage the. Lekin unhe muh se kehte sunna abhi bhi ajeeb laga.

Main: Ruko… kaun? Tum bilkul kis aurat ki baat kar rahe ho?

Uncle: Safed wali. Purple wali nahi, bhaari gehnon wali nahi. Woh saadi safed saree jo har baar ghumne par roshni pakad leti thi. Jab rang phenkne ke liye baahen uthati thin to woh hips par kaise baithti thi. Unke chalne mein jo bojh tha. Wohi.

Main ek second chup raha, unhe dekhte hue. Unki awaaz aur dheemi ho gayi thi, jaise mujhse zyada khud se baat kar rahe hon.

Main: …Woh meri Mummy hain.

Unhone ek baar dheere se palkein jhapkayi, phir chhota sa sar hilaya jaise pehle se jaante hon aur sirf shabdon ki tasdeek chahiye thi.

Uncle: Haan. Tasveer dekhte hi soch liya tha. Wahi chehra. Kapde ke neeche wahi shareer. Khade hone ka wahi andaaz.

Woh sofa mein peeche jhuk gaye, lekin aankhein tez rahi.

Uncle: Tum jaante ho… us bheed ke paar se bhi woh alag dikhti thin. Jab hawa pakadti to saree kaise chipakti thi. Jab thoda jhuk kar aur gulal uthati thin to unka poora aakar. Woh chuchiyaan… bhaari, naram-si, jo hanste waqt hilti hain. Aur unki gaand—jab unhone aag ki taraf peeth ki aur safed kapda us par tan gaya… main nazar nahi hata paya. Mainne kai auratein dekhi hain, kai ko paise dekar liya hai, lekin yeh… kuch alag. Jaise kapda unhe dhakne ka dikhawa kar raha ho.

(Mere seene mein wahi ajeeb tanaav phir se mahsoos hua. Wahi jo pehle tab hua tha jab woh unhe bina jaane ghoor rahe the. Ab unhe pata tha. Aur woh abhi bhi aise baat kar rahe the.)

Main: Tum meri Mummy ke baare mein aise baat kar rahe ho jaise woh sadak ki koi aurat ho.

Uncle: (chhoti, sukhi muskaan) Main woh bata raha hoon jo maine dekha. Aur kuch nahi. Shaadi neeche ke shareer ko nahi badalti. Itni bani hui aurat… itni naram, itni bhari… woh dimag mein rehti hai chahe tum chaaho ya na chaaho.

Unhone apni gardan ke peeche haath phera, lagbhag bechain se.

Uncle: Agli baar unhe mera salaam keh dena. Bas… padosi wala. Aur kuch nahi.

Main unhe dhyan se dekh raha tha. Woh abhi bhi un gehri sochon mein the, wahi jo tab thi jab main tyohaar ke baad pehli baar aaya tha. Kandhe sakht. Aankhein thodi zyada kisi khali jagah par atki. Kuch alag tha, lekin woh saaf usko daanton ke peeche dabaane ki koshish kar rahe the.

Main: Tum theek ho? Wapas aane ke baad se chup ho. Jaise dimag kahin aur ho.

Uncle: (sar hilate hue, awaaz halki karne ki koshish) Bas thake hue. Holi ka dhuen phepdon mein baith jaata hai. Kuch nahi.

Woh achanak uthe, baahen oopar utha kar tanaye. Unke patloon ke saamne abhi bhi ek halka, ziddi outline tha.

Uncle: Bathroom jana hai. Ek minute mein aata hoon.

Woh chhote corridor se chale gaye. Mujhe darwaza band hone ki awaaz aayi. Ghar shaant ho gaya, sirf purane ceiling fan ki naram gungunahat aur bahar door se bache hue patakhe.

Main sofa par baitha raha, unke shabdon ko ulat-pulat kar. Unhone unhe kaise bayan kiya tha—itna detail, neeche se itna bhookha—aur phir achanak “unhe mera salaam keh dena” jaise yeh duniya ki sabse aam baat ho. Woh kuch chhupa rahe the. Main mehsoos kar sakta tha. Woh nahi chahte the main jaanun woh dilchaspi kitni gehri hai. Abhi nahi.

Kuch minute guzar gaye. Shayad zyada. Phir bathroom ka darwaza khula aur woh wapas aaye, chehra thoda laal, aankhein thodi saaf, shareer ki bechaini ek darja kam. Woh phir sofa par gir pade, doosri cigarette ki taraf haath badhate hue.

Main: Wahan itni der kya kar rahe the?

Uncle: (cigarette jalate hue, meri taraf nahi dekhte) Peshab. Chehra dhoya. Aag ki garmi abhi bhi jild par baithi hai.

Main: Peshab se zyada der lage.

Uncle: (dhuen chhodte hue, awaaz sthir) Kabhi-kabhi aadmi ko bas ek minute akele dimag saaf karne ki zarurat hoti hai. Bas itna. Isme kuch mat banao.

Woh sofa ke gaddi se sar peeche jhukaye, aankhein aadhi band.

Uncle: Main so raha hoon. Agar rehna ho to raho, lekin aaj raat ki baat khatm.

Main unhe kuch aur second dekhte raha. Woh sach mein aur kuch nahi kehne wale the. Jo kuch unke andar jal raha tha jab woh meri Mummy ko Holi ki aag ke paar ghoor rahe the, jo kuch unhone us bathroom mein akele karke shaant kiya, woh usko phir se band kar rahe the.

Main: Main ghar ja raha hoon. Mummy ne call kiya. Woh chahti hain main bahut der hone se pehle wapas aa jaun.

Uncle: (pehle se hi ek taraf karwat lete hue, awaaz gaddi mein dabi) Haan. Jao. Aur… unhe mera salaam keh dena. Jaise maine kaha.

Main utha, mobile jeb mein dala, aur darwaze ki taraf chala. Ghar ki bhaari mahak—sambhog, purani khushbu, cigarette ka dhuen—mere peeche shaant, rangile dag-lage gali mein aayi.

Mere peeche, Uncle sofa par rahe, pehle se aadhe soye hue, ya kam se kam dikhawa karte hue.