[Lusty_bOOz]

Sonam ke kaampte haathon ne lifafa khola. Kagaz par saaf likha tha: “Vikram ki uniform bachani hai, toh shaam ko 5 baje City Library ke basement mein aao.”

Sonam ke paas koi doosra raasta nahi tha. Woh Vikram ko kisi museebat mein nahi daalna chahti thi. Usne darr ko apne andar dabaya aur shaam 5 baje City Library ke sunsaan basement ki taraf chal di.

Basement mein charo taraf purani kitabon aur dhool ki badboo thi. Halaki roshni ke naam par sirf ek peeli tube-light timtima rahi thi.

"Main aa gayi hoon... kahan ho tum?" Sonam ne apni aawaz ko dridhh banane ki koshish ki, par uski aawaz basement ki deewaron se takra kar goonj uthi.

Peechhe se ek tezz aahat hui. Isse pehle ki Sonam mud kar dekh pati, ek bhari kapda uske chehre par rakha gaya. Ek gandi, karak behoshi ki dawa ki mehak uske naak mein ghusi. Sonam ne chhutne ki poori koshish ki, par uski aakhri cheekh ussi kapde mein dab kar reh gayi. Uski aankhon ke samne andhera chha gaya.

Jab Sonam ki aankhein khuli, toh uska sar tezz dard se phat raha tha.

Usne hosh sambhalne ki koshish ki, par uske haath aur pair ek wooden chair se rassi se kas kar bandhe hue the. Yeh basement ka ek aisa kona tha jahan koi nahi aata tha.

Saamne wahi raincoat wala aadmi khada tha. Usne apna hood peechhe kiya.

Uska chehra dekh kar Sonam ke hosh ud gaye. Woh koi anjaan aadmi nahi tha—woh City Library ka purana caretaker tha, jo pichhle kai dino se Sonam par nazar rakhe hue tha!

"Lagta hai hosh aa gaya, Sonam ji?" woh badsoorat muskaan ke saath aage badha. Uske haath mein Sonam ka phone tha.

"Mujhe chhodo! Tum kya chahte ho?" Sonam ne tadap kar rassi kholne ki koshish ki, par kasrat se bandhi rassi ne uski kalaiyon ko chheel diya.

"Main kya chahta hoon? Main toh bas yeh chahta tha ki aap mere jaal mein phans jayein," usne Sonam ke phone ki screen uske chehre ke samne ki. Screen par ek live timer chal raha tha aur ek message draft tha jo IPS Vikram ke Senior Ministry Officer ko send hone wala tha.

"Aapne socha tha ki aap akele aakar mujhe samjha lengi? Ya darr kar mera har task poora karengi?" Caretaker ne uske chehre ke paas aakar kaha. "Aapki sabse badi galti yeh thi ki aapne pehle ki tarah iss baar bhi yeh baat sabse chhupayi. Aapki yeh 'chuppi' hi mera sabse bada hathiyaar hai."

Sonam ki aankhon se (continuously) aansu behne lage. Woh samajh gayi ki woh ek behad khaufnaak trap mein phans chuki hai. Uski maryada, uska parivaar, aur Vikram ka career—sab kuch ab iss ek gande aadmi ke haath mein tha.

"Ab yahan se chhutna itna aasan nahi hoga, Sonam ji. Aapka phone mere haath mein hai, aap bandhi hui hain... aur agle 10 minute mein aapka pati aur Vikram dono barbaad hone wale hain," usne ek teekhi muskaan ke saath kaha.

Sonam ka dil tezz dhadak raha tha. Usne apni mutthi bhichi. Usse ehsaas hua ki rassi ke saath-saath uske saree ke pallu mein chhupa woh metallic scale abhi bhi uski peeth ke peechhe mojood tha.

Sonam ne samajh liya ki aam tareekey se ya gusse se baat nahi banegi. Usne deep breath liya aur apne ghabrahat wale chehre ko ek alag haseen aur samjhauta bhare roop mein badalne ka faisla kiya. Uss caretaker ki gandi niyat hi uski sabse badi kamzori thi, aur Sonam ne ussi par vaar karne ka tay kiya.

Sonam ne apni aanchal ko halka sa dhalne diya aur apni jhuki hui palkon ko uthakar caretaker ki aankhon mein dekha. Uski aawaz ab kaampne ke bajaye behad dheemi aur madhoshar ho gayi thi.

"Tumne bilkul sahi kaha... main kab tak iss chuppi aur darr ke peechhe chhupati rahungi?" Sonam ne halki se muskaan ke saath kaha. "Vikram toh door chala gaya... mera pati business mein mashgool rehta hai... tumne mujhe pehchana ki main kitni akeli hoon."

Caretaker surprise ho gaya. Uske haath mein pakda phone halka sa niche ho gaya. "Kya... kya keh rahi ho tum?"

"Main sach keh rahi hoon," Sonam ne apni gardan ko halka sa jhukate hue, apni nazron se use baandhte hue kaha. "Agar mujhe sirf darr hi chaahiye hota, toh main yahan akele kyun aati? Tumne jo mere liye tadhap dikhayi hai, wahi toh main chahti thi. Par yeh rassi... yeh ganda basement... kya tum mere saath aisi jagah shuruat karna chahte ho?"

Caretaker ke chehre par hawas aur ghamand ki chamak aa gayi. Sonam ka yeh roop aur uske roop-rang ki aisi jhalak dekh kar uska dimag kaam karna band kar gaya. Uski pakad phone par dhili pad gayi.

"Toh tum... tum tayyar ho?" Caretaker madhosh hokar uske paas aaya.

"Mera phone rakh do... aur yeh rassi kholo," Sonam ne behad kareeb se uski aankhon mein dekhte hue kaha. "Ghar par koi nahi hai. Agar tum mujhe azaad karo aur shaant ho jao, toh main khud tumhe apne paas bulaungi... jahan na koi darr hoga, na koi rassi. Kya tum mujhe aisi gandi jagah paana chahte ho, ya poori tarah se mera saath chahte ho?"

Sonam ke iss achanak badle hue roop aur haseen jaal ne caretaker ko poori tarah behka diya. Usne bina soche-samjhe timer ko pause kiya, phone ko table par rakha aur jaldi-jaldi Sonam ke haathon ki rassi kholne laga.

Jaise hi aakhri rassi dhili hui, Sonam ne apne haathon ko azaad kar liya. Caretaker jaise hi uske aur kareeb aane laga, Sonam ne sharmati hui nazron se use peeche hatne ka ishara kiya.

"Thoda sabr karo... ghar par intezaar karungi," Sonam ne uske gaal par halka sa haath phera aur minute bhar ke liye use wahi madhosh chhod kar, table se apna phone uthaya aur tezz kadmon se basement se bahar nikal gayi.

Caretaker jab tak hosh mein aata aur samajhta ki kya hua hai, Sonam library se bahar nikal kar ek auto mein baith chuki thi.

Ghar pahunch kar Sonam ne andar se darwaza lock kiya aur zameen par baith kar chain ki saans li. Usne apne husn aur dimag ke zariye uss khatre ko filhal ke liye taal diya tha aur bina kisi nuksaan ke sahi-salamat ghar laut aayi thi. Par woh jaanti thi ki yeh jung abhi khatam nahi hui hai.