Thriller गुनाहों का देवता

[Jay Thakur]

Chapter 8: Pandrah Din Baad — Aaine Ke Saamne Ek Anjaaine Ke Saamne Ek Anjaana Chehra


Jay ka ilaaj agle pandrah din tak chalta raha.

Kabhi use hosh aata, toh kabhi woh dard aur kamzori ke kaaran dobara behosh hokar so jaata. Doctors uski haalat par lagataar nazar rakhe hue the. Uske sharir par lagi choton ko theek hone mein waqt lag raha tha.

Lekin in pandrah dinon mein ek ajeeb baat hui.

Jay ke sharir mein rehne wala Bhavik Singh Chouhan dheere-dheere samajhne laga tha ki uske saath kuch aisa hua hai, jo saamanya nahi hai.

Jab bhi use hosh aata, woh nurses aur doctors ki baatein sunta. Har koi use Jay ke naam se bulaata. Uske baare mein sawaal karta, use dawa deta aur aaraam karne ko kehta.

Shuru mein Bhavik ko laga ki shayad accident ke kaaran uski yaadasht par asar pada hai. Shayad woh kisi tarah apne hi baare mein sab kuch bhool gaya hai.

Lekin ek baat use andar hi andar pareshaan kar rahi thi.

Use apna naam yaad tha.

Apni umr yaad thi.

Apni shaadi, apna bank, apni naukri aur apni zindagi ki kai baatein bhi yaad thi.

Woh Bhavik Singh Chouhan tha—untees saal ka ek banker, jo apni zindagi mein kai mushkilon ka saamna karke shehar mein basa tha.

Phir woh Jay kaise ho sakta tha?

Aur agar woh Jay tha, toh Bhavik ki yaadein uske dimaag mein kyun thi?

Pandrahve Din Ki Subah

Pandrahve din subah ke waqt Bhavik ki aankhein khuli toh use pehle ke mukaable kuch behtar mehsoos hua.

Sharir mein ab bhi dard tha, lekin woh pehle ki tarah bilkul laachaar nahi tha.

Woh apni gardan ghuma sakta tha aur kuch der tak aankhein kholkar aas-paas dekh sakta tha.

Kamre ki khidki se halki dhoop andar aa rahi thi.

Ek nurse dawa dene aayi.

“Good morning, Jay. Aaj tabiyat kaisi hai?”

Bhavik ne uski taraf dekha.

“Ek baat poochhun?”

“Ji, poochhiye.”

“Mujhe yahan aaye kitne din ho gaye?”

Nurse ne uski file dekhi.

“Pandrah din ho gaye hain. Aapka accident kaafi serious tha. Aapko aaraam karna chahiye. Doctor sahab bhi keh rahe the ki aapki recovery dheere-dheere ho rahi hai.”

Pandrah din.

Bhavik ne man hi man hisaab lagaaya.

Pandrah din se woh kisi aur ke sharir mein tha. Pandrah din se log use kisi aur naam se bula rahe the. Aur pandrah din se woh khud apne sawaalon ke jawaab dhoondh raha tha.

Usne nurse se poochha, “Yahan koi aaina hai?”

Nurse thodi hairaan hui.

“Aaina? Aapko kya karna hai?”

“Bas… apna chehra dekhna hai.”

Nurse ne use kuch pal dekha. Phir boli, “Main lekar aati hoon. Lekin aap zyada uthne ki koshish mat kijiyega.”

Woh chali gayi.

Bhavik ki dhadkan tez hone lagi.

Aaj woh us sawaal ka jawaab jaanne wala tha, jo pandrah din se use andar hi andar kha raha tha.

Aakhir uske saath hua kya tha?

Aaina

Kuch der baad nurse ek chhota-sa aaina lekar aayi.

Usne aaina Bhavik ke haath mein de diya.

“Lijiye. Aur agar chakkar aaye toh mujhe bula lena.”

Bhavik ne aaine ko pakad liya.

Uski ungliyan halki-si kaanp rahi thi.

Pehle usne apni aankhon ko dekha.

Phir maathe ko.

Phir poore chehre ko.

Ek pal ke liye uski saans ruk gayi.

Aaine mein jo chehra tha, woh uska chehra nahi tha.

Woh ek naujawan ka chehra tha, jise usne apni zindagi mein kabhi nahi dekha tha. Chehre par choton ke nishaan the, hothon ke paas sujan thi aur aankhon ke neeche thakaan saaf nazar aa rahi thi.

Bhavik ne aaine ko thoda kareeb kiya.

Usne apne gaal ko chhua.

Aaine mein khade us anjaan naujawan ne bhi apne gaal ko chhua.

Bhavik ne apni aankhein band ki. Phir kholi.

Chehra wahi tha.

Usne aaine ko neeche kar diya aur kuch pal tak bina kuch bole baitha raha.

Phir uske munh se dheemi-si awaaz nikli—

“Yeh… main nahi hoon.”

Usne dobara aaine mein dekha.

“Main Bhavik Singh Chouhan hoon. Yeh chehra mera nahi hai. Yeh sharir mera nahi hai!”

Uski awaaz mein ghabraahat badhne lagi.

Nurse turant uske paas aayi.

“Jay, kya hua? Aap theek hain?”

Bhavik ne uski taraf dekha.

“Tum mujhe Jay kyun bulaati ho?”

Nurse ruk gayi.

“Kyunki aapka naam Jay hai. apki jeb se jo documents mile th, un sab me apka naam Jay hai”

“Nahi!” Bhavik ne kamzor lekin dridh awaaz mein kaha. “Mera naam Bhavik hai. Bhavik Singh Chouhan!”

Nurse ne uski taraf chintit nazron se dekha.

“Jay, shaant ho jaiye. Aap abhi poori tarah theek nahi hue hain.”

“Tum meri baat samajh kyun nahi rahi ho? Main tumhe bata raha hoon ki main Jay nahi hoon!”

Usne uthne ki koshish ki, lekin sharir mein dard ki wajah se woh dobara takiye par gir gaya.

Nurse ne turant doctor ko bulaane ke liye doosri nurse ko awaaz di.

Bhavik ne aaina apne seene par rakh liya aur chhat ko dekhne laga.

Uski aankhon mein ghabraahat thi, lekin us ghabraahat ke neeche ek aur ehsaas janm le raha tha.

Sach jaanne ki zid.

Woh apne aap se sawaal karne laga.

“Kya main mar gaya tha?”

“Kya mera asli sharir ab is duniya mein nahi hai?”

“Kya meri aatma kisi tarah is ladke ke sharir mein aa gayi hai?”

Use sadak ka koi spasht drishya yaad nahi aa raha tha. Use yaad nahi tha ki woh is hospital tak kaise pahuncha. Lekin apne andar maujood yaadon aur aaine mein dikh rahe chehre ke beech ka antar woh jhuthla nahi sakta tha.

Uske saath kuch bahut bura hua tha.

Kuch aisa, jiska jawaab sirf doctors ki report mein nahi milne wala tha.

Ek Faisla

Kuch der baad doctor uske kamre mein aaye. Unhone Bhavik ki jaanch ki aur usse kuch sawaal poochhe.

Bhavik ne is baar khud ko shaant rakhne ki koshish ki.

Usne doctor ko apni uljhan bataayi—ki use apna naam Bhavik Singh Chouhan yaad hai, jabki sab use Jay keh rahe hain.

Doctor ne uski baat dhyaan se suni.

“Accident ke baad kabhi-kabhi mareez ko confusion ho sakta hai. Choton, dawaon ya doosre neurological kaaranon se bhi aisa ho sakta hai. Hum aapki jaanch karenge.”

Bhavik chup raha.

Doctor ki baat ek sambhaavna thi, jawaab nahi.

Woh jaanta tha ki use abhi apne sharir ko theek hone dena hoga. Woh kamzor tha, uske paas paise nahi the, apni asli zindagi tak pahunchne ka koi spasht raasta nahi tha.

Lekin woh haar maanne wala nahi tha.

Usne aaine ko apne paas rakha aur man hi man kaha—

“Chahe mere saath jo bhi hua ho, main sach jaan kar rahoonga. Main Bhavik Singh Chouhan hoon. Mujhe apni zindagi ke baare mein pata karna hai… aur mujhe yeh bhi jaanana hai ki yeh Jay kaun hai, jiski zindagi mein main aa gaya hoon.”

Usne khidki se baahar dekha.

Shehar apni raftaar se chal raha tha. Log apne kaamon mein lage the. Kisi ko nahi pata tha ki hospital ke is kamre mein ek aadmi apni pehchaan ke liye lad raha hai.

Aur use abhi yeh bhi nahi pata tha ki Jay ki zindagi mein kitne raaz chhupe hue hain.

Bhavik ka pehla sawaal tha—woh Jay kaise bana?

Lekin jald hi use ek doosra sawaal bhi pareshaan karne wala tha—

Agar woh Jay ke sharir mein zinda tha, toh kya Jay ki aatma sach mein khatam ho chuki thi?

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