[Babab96]

Tabhi peeche se ek gambhir awaaz sunai di.

Nirbhay_ Yahan kya ho raha hai?

Hum dono ne mudkar dekha. Nirbhay Singh wahan khade the.

Arjun turant unki taraf gaya.



Arjun_ Tau Ji, aapko pata hai aaj kya hua?

Nirbhay_ Kya?

Arjun ne poora kissa unhe bataya — Baaz jo kisi ko apne paas nhi aane deta , Jise sambhalne ke liye chaar-chhe naukar lagte hai..

Uss baaz ko Jay ne kabu me kar liya hai aur mujhe uski lagam di hai..
Aur ye mere sath sath chal raha hai..

Nirbhay ki nazar Baaz par gayi, jo ab bilkul shaant khada tha.

Nirbhay_ Ye to wahi Baaz hai, jisne mujhe bhi apni sawari nhi karne di thi..

Arjun_ Ji, Tau ji..aap to jante hai, jab se ye Astbal me aaya hai, iski koi sawari nhi kar paya hai..

Nirbhay ne meri taraf dekha.

Nirbhay_ Jay... ek baar aur iski sawari kar loge?

Me_ Aap chahte hain?

Nirbhay_ Haan. Main apni aankhon se dekhna chahta hoon.

Main muskuraya.

Me_ Theek hai.

Main dobara Baaz par baitha. Is baar Baaz ne bina kisi hichkichahat ke khud hi kadam badha diye.



Nirbhay aur Arjun dono use dekhte rahe.
Thodi der baad main Baaz ko lekar wapas aa gaya.

Nirbhay ke chehre par bhi pehli baar khuli hui hairani aur khushi thi.

Nirbhay_ Lagta hai Baaz ne bhi apna Malik chun liya hai.

Main hans diya.

Me_ Shayad ise bhi ek dost chahiye tha.

...............

Uske baad hum teeno — main, Arjun aur Nirbhay — dheere-dheere haveli ki taraf laut aaye.

Dhup kam hone lagi thi..

Aangan me Jeevan Singh ji aur dadaji bethe the..

Arjun ne bade josh se unko bataya ki mene kese Bazz ko kabu kia..

Jeevan Singh ji ne mere liye haveli ki chhat par ek kamra tayyar karwa diya tha.

Jeevan Singh_ Jay ab tumhe thodi der aaram karna chahiye..

Dadaji_ Jao, Jay kuchh der so lo..

Me_ Ji, dadaji..

Main seedhiyan chadhkar chhat par aa gaya.

Arjun ne mujhe wo kamra dikhaya aur Khushi Khushi bye bol kar niche aa gya..

Mene 2 ghante ki gehri aur pyari nind li..

Jab me utha to saam ho chuki thi.. me muh hath dhokar bahar nikla..

Chhat se poori haveli ka bada hissa dikh raha tha — neeche aangan, door akhada, uske aage astbal aur aas-paas ke andhere khet.

Main kuchh der chhat ke ak hisse me baithkar thandi hawa mehsoos karta raha.

Aaj ka din bahut lamba tha. Jaswant ki haar, chhe pahalwanon ki haar, ghar walon ki badalti aankhen... aur ab Baaz ki sawari.

Main abhi inhi khayalon mein tha ki peeche se seedhiyon par kisi ke kadmon ki aahat sunai di.

Maine mudkar dekha.

Nirbhay Singh dheere-dheere meri taraf aa rahe the.

Aur unke chehre par dekhkar lag raha tha ki unhe mujhse koi zaroori baat karni thi.

.....