Thriller गुनाहों का देवता

[Jay Thakur]

Chapter 4: Bharose Ka Aakhri Rishta — Jab Majboori Jeet Gayi

Baarish ab bhi lagataar ho rahi thi. Main abhi bhi shade ke neeche baitha hua tha. Mere kapde ab tak geele the, sharir mein dard tha aur pet subah se khaali tha. Haath mein dawai thi, lekin dimaag mein bas ek hi sawaal ghoom raha tha—Aakhir main madad maangne kiske paas jaaun?

Maine apne mobile contacts mein Papa ke kuch purane jaan-pehchaan walon ke naam dekhne laga. Lekin tabhi mere dimaag mein ek shakhs ka khayal aaya.

Raza Ahmad Khan.

Raza uncle Papa ke sirf dost nahi the, balki dono ke beech sage bhaiyon jaisa rishta tha. Dono ne saalon tak ek-doosre ka saath diya tha. Raza uncle ki chaar behne—Shahnaz Begum, Nasreen Begum, Parveen Begum aur Yasmeen Begum—bhi mere Papa ke bahut kareeb thi. Unhi chaaron ko main apni muh boli bhua maanta tha. Jinhone aaj mujhse muh mod liya tha..

Papa ne kai baar Raza uncle ki aarthik madad ki thi. Jab unke business mein mushkil waqt aaya tha, tab bhi Papa unke saath khade rahe the. Unki company mein bhi Papa ne apni taraf se laakhon rupaye invest kiye the, taaki unka kaam aage badh sake.

Mujhe yaad tha ki Papa aksar unke baare mein kaha karte the—

Papa: "Jay, zindagi mein dost bahut milenge, lekin Raza jaisa dost milna mushkil hai. Usne mere saath har bure waqt mein kandhe se kandha milakar khada rehna seekha hai. Main bhi uske liye kabhi peeche nahi hatunga."

Papa ki ye baat yaad aate hi mere andar ek nayi ummeed jagi.

Main (man hi man): "Haan, main Raza uncle ko phone kyun nahi karta? Wo toh Papa ko apna saga bhai maante the. Unhone Papa ke saath itne saal bitaye hain. Wo mujhe is haalat mein zaroor samjhenge."

Maine bina der kiye unka number nikala aur call laga di.

Phone ki ghanti bajne lagi.

Ek baar...

Do baar...

Teesri baar ghanti bajte hi call uth gayi.

Raza Ahmad Khan: "Assalaamualaikum, Jay beta?"

Unki awaaz sunkar mujhe pehli baar laga ki shayad ab sab theek ho sakta hai.

Main: "Walaikum assalam, Raza uncle."

Raza Ahmad Khan: "Haan beta, bolo. Kya hua? Is waqt phone kaise kiya?"

Meri awaaz bharra gayi. Maine khud ko sambhalte hue kaha—

Main: "Uncle, main bahut badi pareshani mein hoon. Tau Mahendra ne mujhe ghar se nikaal diya hai. Unke aadmiyon ne mere saath maarpeet bhi ki. Main abhi market mein ek medical store ke paas hoon. Baarish ho rahi hai aur mere paas na rehne ki jagah hai, na paise."

Doosri taraf kuch pal ke liye khamoshi chha gayi.

Mujhe laga, shayad wo meri baat sunkar pareshaan ho gaye hain.

Main: "Uncle, mujhe samajh nahi aa raha ki main kya karun. Maine aapki behnon, apni chaaron muh boli bhuaon ko bhi phone kiya tha, lekin unhone bhi mujhse baat karne se mana kar diya. Aap toh Papa ke sabse kareebi dost rahe hain. Aap hi bataiye, main ab kiske paas jaaun?"

Meri baat sunkar Raza uncle ne ek gehri saans li.

Raza Ahmad Khan: "Jay beta, teri haalat sunkar mujhe bahut bura lag raha hai. Lekin..."

Wo beech mein hi ruk gaye.

Unke lehje mein aayi tabdeeli ko main mehsoos kar sakta tha.

Main: "Lekin kya, uncle?"

Raza Ahmad Khan: "Jay, main chahkar bhi teri koi madad nahi kar sakta."

Mujhe laga jaise maine kuch galat sun liya ho.

Main: "Kya matlab, uncle? Main aapse paise nahi maang raha. Mujhe bas kuch waqt ke liye sahara chahiye. Main aapke ghar aa sakta hoon. Jab tak main apne pairon par khada nahi ho jaata, tab tak..."

Raza Ahmad Khan (beech mein tokte hue): "Jay, meri baat samajhne ki koshish kar. Mere khud ke laakhon rupaye company mein phase pade hain. Wo paise tere Papa ne mujhe business ke liye diye the. Unhi paison se maine apna kaam badhaya tha."

Main chupchaap unki baat sunta raha.

Raza Ahmad Khan: "Agar main is waqt teri madad karta hoon, toh Mahendra se mera bhi jhagda ho sakta hai. Meri company par asar padega. Jo kuch maine saalon ki mehnat se khada kiya hai, wo sab khatam ho sakta hai. Main apna sab kuch daav par nahi laga sakta, Jay."

Mere haath mein pakda mobile dheere-dheere neeche hone laga.

Main: "Uncle, main aapko kisi jhagde mein nahi daal raha. Main toh bas aapse apnapan maang raha hoon. Papa aapko apna saga bhai maante the. Unhone aap par bharosa karke apni kamai ka ek bada hissa aapke business mein lagaya tha."

Meri awaaz mein dard tha.

Main: "Aaj Papa nahi hain. Main unka beta hoon. Mujhe laga tha ki aap kam se kam meri baat sunenge. Aap mujhe kuch din apne paas rakh lenge, toh main apni zindagi dobara sambhalne ki koshish kar sakta hoon."

Doosri taraf phir khamoshi chha gayi.

Kuch pal baad Raza uncle bole—

Raza Ahmad Khan: "Jay, main teri majboori samajhta hoon. Lekin meri bhi majboori hai. Main apni family ko khatre mein nahi daal sakta. Mahendra se mera koi seedha jhagda nahi hai. Main uske maamle mein padkar apna business barbaad nahi kar sakta."

Maine aankhein band kar li.

Main: "Toh aap bhi meri madad nahi karenge, uncle?"

Is baar meri awaaz bahut dheemi thi.

Raza Ahmad Khan: "Jay beta, mujhe maaf kar de. Main chahkar bhi tere liye kuch nahi kar sakta."

Maine aakhri baar unse ek sawaal poochha.

Main: "Uncle, agar aaj Papa zinda hote aur aap is haalat mein hote, toh kya wo bhi aapko yahi jawaab dete?"

Meri baat sunkar wo kuch nahi bole.

Main kuch der tak phone kaan se lagaye raha. Shayad mujhe ummeed thi ki wo apni baat badal denge. Shayad wo kahenge ki beta, tu yahin aa ja, baaki sab baad mein dekh lenge.

Lekin aisa kuch nahi hua.

Raza Ahmad Khan: "Jay, mujhe jaana hoga. Apna khayal rakhna."

Aur call kat gayi.

 Aakhri Ummeed Bhi Toot Gayi

Main mobile ko dekhta reh gaya.

Baarish ki awaaz pehle se zyada tez mehsoos hone lagi thi. Sadak par gaadiyan guzar rahi thi, log apne-apne gharon ki taraf ja rahe the. Lekin mere liye jaise duniya wahin ruk gayi thi.

Maine apne mobile mein Papa ki tasveer kholi.

Tasveer mein Papa muskura rahe the. Unke chehre par wahi sukoon tha, jo mujhe bachpan se yaad tha.

Main (man hi man): "Papa, aapne jinhe apna saga bhai maana, aaj unhone bhi mujhe akela chhod diya. Aapne unki madad ki, unke business mein paise lagaye, un par bharosa kiya. Lekin aaj jab aapka beta unke saamne madad ke liye khada hai, toh unhe apna business yaad aa raha hai."

Meri aankhon se aansu nikal aaye.

Main (man hi man): "Kya paisa insaan ke liye rishton se bhi bada ho jaata hai? Kya saalon ka apnapan itna kamzor hota hai ki mushkil waqt aate hi khatam ho jaata hai?"

Maine apni peeth deewar se tika di.

Ab mujhe kisi se koi shikayat karne ka mann nahi tha. Main bas thodi der khamosh rehna chahta tha.

Lekin us khamoshi mein bhi ek sach baar-baar mere dimaag mein goonj raha tha—

Mahendra ne mujhe mere ghar se nikala tha, lekin mere apno ne,  jinhe mere papa apna samjhte the unhone mujhe apne dilon se nikaal diya tha.

.......