[Lusty_bOOz]

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         CHAPTER 15 — AAKHRI BIDAI AUR PAVITRA AMAR PREM
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Vaqt ki chaal hamesha ek jaisi nahi rehti. Jab zindagi mein sab kuch behad shant, khoobsurat aur ek meethi lay mein dhalne lagta hai, tabhi kismat koi aisa mod le aati hai jiska kisi ne gumaan bhi nahi kiya hota.

Basant ki dhalati hui shaam thin. Sonam ke ghar mein rozmarra ki aam halchal chal rahi thi.

Sonam verandah mein baithkar shaam ki sabzi kaat rahi thi aur uske paas rakhe wooden bookmark par uski nazar baar-baar chali jaati thi—wohi bookmark jo Vikram ne use dinner par diya tha. Us bookmark ko dekhkar hi uske andar ek anjaani shanti bhar jaati thi.

Tabhi ghar ke bahar tezz gaadi ke rukne ki aahat hui.

Lekin iss baar gaadi ki aawaz mein pehle jaisa thahrav nahi tha—usmein ek ajeeb sa ujaad aur jaldbazi thi.

Sonam ne plate ek taraf rakhi aur bahar aayi. Vikram gaadi se utar raha tha. Usne aaj apni formal IPS uniform pehen rakhi thi, lekin uska chehra behad gambhir, utara hua aur khamosh tha. Uski aankhon mein ek aisi udaasi thi jo Sonam ne aaj tak nahi dekhi thi.

Nana ji aur pati bhi bahar aa gaye.

"Arre Vikram beta! Iss waqt? Aur uniform mein? Sab theek toh hai na?" Nana ji ne chinta se pucha.

Vikram ne behad gambhirta se Nana ji ke paon chhue aur pati se haath milaya. Usne ek gehri saans li aur bola—

"Uncle ji... ek achanak emergency transfer order aaya hai. Home Ministry se order hai... mujhe kal subah hi North-East headquarters report karna hai. Border security ki emergency unit ki command mujhe di gayi hai."

Yeh sunte hi verandah mein ek sudden sannaata chha gaya.

Nana ji ka chehra utar gaya. "Kal subah? Itni jaldi beta? Abhi toh tum yahan shift hue the..."

Sonam pillar ke paas khadi thi. Vikram ke lafz sunte hi uske haath se saree ka pallu chhut gaya. Uska dil jaise ek pal ke liye rukh gaya ho. Vikram... iss shehar se... itni door ja raha hai?

Vikram ne Sonam ki taraf dekha. Dono ki nazrein milin. Uss ek nazar mein sau sawal the, hazaron unkahe lafz the, aur ek behad gehra dard tha.

"Senior officers ko turant move karna hota hai Uncle ji," Vikram ne apni awaaz ko sambhalte hue kaha. "Main kal subah ki flight se nikal raha hoon. Isliye bas aap sabhi se aakhri baar milne aur aashirwad lene aaya tha."

Ghar ke andar sabhi log baith gaye. Nana ji aur pati Vikram se uske naye assignment aur safety ke baare mein baat kar rahe the. Sonam rasoi mein chali gayi—usne chai ke liye paani chhadhaya, lekin uske haath itne kaanp rahe the ki bartan ki aawaz poori rasoi mein gunj rahi thi. Uski aankhon se aansu continuously beh rahe the.

Vikram ne rasoi se aati aawaz ko mehsoos kiya.

"Uncle ji, main rasoi se paani pi kar aata hoon," Vikram ne keh kar khada hua aur rasoi ki taraf badh gaya.

Rasoi ke darwaze par Vikram aakar ruka. Sonam slabh ke sahare khadi thi, uski peeth darwaze ki taraf thi aur uske shane (shoulders) halki si sisakiyo se hil rahe the.

"Sonam ji..." Vikram ne behad dheemi aur kaanphti awaaz mein bola.

Sonam ne mudkar dekha. Uske gaalon par aansuon ki lakirein thin. Uski aakhon mein Vikram ke jaane ka gehra dukh saaf jhalak raha tha.

"Aap... aap itni door ja rahe hain?" Sonam ne ruyin bhari awaaz mein pucha.

Vikram ne do kadam aage badhaye. Uski apni aankhein bhi nam thin. Usne afsar ki shaan ko ek taraf rakhkar, sirf ek sachhe prem ki nigaah se Sonam ko dekha.

"Farz aur kanoon mujhe door le ja rahe hain Sonam ji... lekin mera dil hamesha iss shehar mein, aapki uss shant muskaan ke paas hi rahega," Vikram ne behad aatmiya awaaz mein kaha.

Vikram ne apni jeb se ek chhota sa bargad ka patta aur ek shuddh chandi ki chhotisi flute (bansuri) ka pendant nikala. Usne ise slabh par rakha.

"Main jaata hoon... lekin main jaanta hoon ki humara rishta kisi samajik naam ya zaroorat ka mohataaj nahi tha. Aapne mujhe akelapan se nikala, mujhe ek aisi shanti di jo mujhe poori duniya mein kahin nahi mili," Vikram ne kaha.

Sonam ne uss pendant ko dekha aur phir Vikram ki aankhon mein dekha.

"Vikram ji..." Sonam ne apne aansu ponchhte hue behad majbooti se kaha, "Aap jahan bhi rahenge, meri prarthna aur mera vishwas hamesha aapke saath ek dhal ban kar chalega. Aap mere jeevan ka woh pavitra ehsaas hain... jise waqt ya doori kabhi kam nahi kar sakti."

Vikram ne Sonam ki taraf apna haath badhaya—aur pehli aur aakhri baar, un dono ke haath ek-doosre se mile. Vikram ke bheege hue, garam haath ne Sonam ke kaanpte haathon ko sirf teen second ke liye thama. Uss ek sparsh mein unhone saalon ki tapasya, samman aur prem ko mehsoos kar liya.

"Alvida, Sonam ji. Apna aur parivaar ka dhyan rakhna," Vikram ne haath jodh kar kaha.

"Aap bhi apna dhyan rakhna... Vikram ji," Sonam ne bhi haath jode.

Vikram rasoi se bahar nikal gaya. Usne Nana ji ke paon chhue, pati se gale mila, aur bina pichhe mude apni gaadi ki taraf badh gaya.

Gaadi ke rawana hote hi Sonam verandah mein aakar khadi ho gayi. Musladaar shaam ki dhalati roshni mein kaali gaadi door hoti gayi aur aakhirkar sadak ke mod par gayab ho gayi.

Sonam ne apne haath mein pakdi uss chandi ki bansuri ke pendant ko seene se laga liya. Uski aankhon se aansu beh rahe the, lekin chehre par ek ajeeb sa devik sukoon aur garv tha. Vikram chala gaya tha... lekin unka prem aazaad tha, pavitra tha, aur samaj ki har maryada ko banaye rakhte hue amar ho chuka tha.

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                                           THE END
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