Thriller गुनाहों का देवता

[Jay Thakur]

Chapter 5: Aakhri Ummeed — Anjaan Raaste Par Aghori Baba Se Mulaqat


Baarish ab bhi rukne ka naam nahi le rahi thi.

Main sadak ke kinaare ladkhadate kadmon se aage badh raha tha. Mere kapde poori tarah bheeg chuke the aur sharir mein hone wala dard ab bardasht se bahar hota ja raha tha. Mahendra aur uske aadmiyon ki maar ka asar ab saaf mehsoos hone laga tha.

Mera sir bhaari ho raha tha. Aankhon ke saamne kabhi-kabhi dhundhla-sa chha jaata aur pairon mein itni kamzori mehsoos hoti ki lagta, abhi zameen par gir padunga.

Lekin main rukna nahi chahta tha.

Mujhe bas Jamil Chacha ke gaon tak pahunchna tha. Mere paas na paise the, na koi saadhan aur na hi koi aisa insaan jo mujhe lene aa sakta tha.

Main (man hi man): "Bas thoda aur chalna hai, Jay. Himmat mat haar. Jamil Chacha mil gaye toh shayad sab kuch sambhalne ka koi raasta nikal aaye."

Main apne aap ko samjhata hua aage badh raha tha ki tabhi sadak ke ek sunsaan hisse mein meri takkar kisi insaan se ho gayi.

"Dhyaan se, beta!"

Ek bhaari aur kuch ajeeb-si awaaz mere kaanon mein padi.

Main ladkhadakar peeche hua aur saamne dekha.

Mere saamne ek buzurg baba khade the.

Unke lambe, uljhe hue baal the. Gale mein kai tarah ki rudraksh ki malaayein latak rahi thi. Unke maathe par bhasm lagi thi aur sharir par saadhaaran, purane kapde the. Unka roop aam sadhuon se alag tha. Unhe dekhkar koi bhi unhe aghori sadhu samajh sakta tha.

Baarish ke beech unki aankhein ajeeb tarah se sthir thi. Wo mujhe gaur se dekh rahe the, jaise mere chehre ke peeche chhupe kisi dard ko padhne ki koshish kar rahe hon.

Main pehle hi itna thaka hua tha ki unse takrane ke baad mujhe apna santulan banaye rakhna bhi mushkil lag raha tha.

Main: "Maaf kijiye, Baba. Dhyaan nahi raha."

Main unke paas se nikalne ke liye aage badhne laga.

Lekin tabhi unki awaaz dobara sunai di.

Aghori Baba: "Ruk, beta!"

Main ruk gaya aur palatkar unki taraf dekha.

Baba ki nazar ab bhi mujh par tiki hui thi. Unhone kuch pal tak mujhe dekha, phir gambhir awaaz mein kaha—

Aghori Baba: "Tujhe aaj ki raat khud ko zinda rakhna hai."

Main unki baat sunkar uljhan mein pad gaya.

Main: "Ji... kya kaha aapne?"

Baba ne apni aankhein sikodkar meri taraf dekha.

Aghori Baba: "Aaj ki raat bahut bhaari hai, beta. Agar tune khud ko sambhaal kar nahi rakha, toh tera ye shareer toh zinda rahega... lekin teri aatma tera shareer chhod degi."

Unke shabd sunkar main kuch pal ke liye khamosh reh gaya.

Baarish ki boondein mere chehre par gir rahi thi. Mere kaan unki baat sun rahe the, lekin mera thaka hua dimaag uska matlab samajhne ki haalat mein nahi tha.

Main pehle hi apni zindagi ki sabse buri ghadi se guzar raha tha.

Ghar chhoot gaya tha. Apno ne saath chhod diya tha. Jeb khaali thi. Sharir dard se toot raha tha aur ab mujhe bukhar bhi chadhne laga tha.

Mere maathe par paseena aur baarish ka paani ek saath beh raha tha. Haath-pair thande pad rahe the, lekin andar se badan aag ki tarah tap raha tha.

Maine baba ki taraf dekha.

Main: "Baba, main aapki baat samjha nahi. Aap kehna kya chahte hain?"

Baba ne turant koi jawaab nahi diya.

Wo bas mujhe dekhte rahe.

Unke chehre par na muskurahat thi, na ghabrahat. Unki aankhon mein ek aisi gambhirta thi, jise main us waqt samajh nahi pa raha tha.

Aghori Baba: "Har baat ko samajhne ke liye dimaag nahi, beta... kabhi-kabhi waqt chahiye hota hai."

Main unki baat sunkar aur ulajh gaya.

Mujhe laga shayad wo koi sadhu hain, jo apne tareeke se baat kar rahe hain. Mere paas na unki baat samajhne ki taakat thi, na hi wahan rukkar unse aur sawaal karne ka mann.

Mujhe bas aage badhna tha.

Main: "Theek hai, Baba. Mujhe jaana hai."

Maine palatkar chalna shuru kar diya.

Peeche se unki awaaz ek baar phir aayi—

Aghori Baba: "Yaad rakhna, beta! Aaj ki raat haar mat maanna. Tera sabse bada dushman wo nahi hai, jo tujhe barbaad karna chahta hai... balki wo pal hai, jab tu khud apni himmat haar jaayega!"

Main kuch pal ke liye ruka.

Unke shabd mere kaanon mein goonj rahe the, lekin main unka matlab poori tarah samajh nahi paaya.

Maine peeche mudkar dekha.

Baba ab bhi wahin khade the, gale mein malaayein pehne, baarish ke beech mujhe dekh rahe the.

Main kuch kahe bina dobara aage badh gaya.

Mera sharir ab pehle se bhi zyada bhaari lag raha tha. Har kadam par pair ladkhada rahe the. Sar mein tez dard tha aur bukhar badhta hua mehsoos ho raha tha.

Main (man hi man): "Pata nahi Baba kya keh rahe the. Meri zindagi mein pehle hi itni pareshaniyan hain. Ab in baaton ko sochne ki taakat bhi nahi bachi."

Maine apne kadam tez karne ki koshish ki, lekin sharir saath nahi de raha tha.

Kuch door chalne ke baad maine ek baar phir peeche mudkar dekha.

Sadak ke us hisse par baarish ka paani beh raha tha. Door tak mujhe koi nazar nahi aaya.

Main ye bhi nahi keh sakta tha ki Baba wahan se chale gaye the ya baarish aur andhere ke beech meri nazron se ojhal ho gaye the.

Maine apna sir jhatka aur aage badh gaya.

Mujhe abhi bhi 150 kilometer door Jamil Chacha ke gaon tak pahunchna tha.

Mujhe nahi pata tha ki us raat mere saath kya hone wala hai. Baba ki baat ka kya matlab tha, ye bhi samajh nahi aaya tha.

Lekin unke aakhri shabd mere kaanon mein baar-baar goonj rahe the—

"Aaj ki raat haar mat maanna, beta!"

Aur main apne dard, bukhar aur tootti hui himmat ke saath baarish mein aage badhta raha.

...........