[Joker44]

Chauthe din ki subah Vikram ke parivaar ke bade se bungalow mein ek alag hi halchal thi. Aangan mein tulsi ke paas Vikram ki maa ne diya jalaya tha, rasoi se ghee mein bhune hue sooji ke halwe ki khushboo aa rahi thi, aur bahar driveway mein Vikram ki kaali SUV dhul kar chamak rahi thi, kyunki aaj naya joda shehar ke apne naye flat mein waapas jaane wala tha. Meera ne aaj ek halki gulabi chiffon ki sleeveless saree pehni thi, jiske kinaare par chaandi ka patla sa zari ka kaam tha, aur uske saath ek deep back wala blouse tha jiski dori uski peeth par ek chhoti si gaanth mein bandhi hui thi. Uske maang mein laal sindoor ki gehri lakeer thi, haathon mein mehendi ka rang ab bhi gaadha tha, aur kalaai mein laal-safed chooda halki si aawaaz ke saath khanak raha tha jab bhi woh apni chunni ya pallu theek karti thi. Har kadam par uski chut ke najdik ek ajeeb si kasak uth gayi thi, jaise kal raat ki yaad ab bhi uske jism mein bachi hui ho.
Woh rasoi mein saas ke saath khadi thi aur halwe ka dabba pack kar rahi thi, jab saas ne apna phone uthaya aur kaha, "Bahu, tere bhaiya ko phone laga deti hoon, pag phera ki baat to karni padegi na, rasam to rasam hai." Meera ke haath ek pal ke liye ruk gaye. Usne kuch nahi kaha, bas dabbe ka dhakkan dheere se band kiya, aur saas ne phone speaker par daal diya. Uski saansein tez ho gayi.




Do ghanti ke baad Ramesh ki aawaaz aayi, wahi bhaari, thodi thaki hui, jaani-pehchaani aawaaz jo Meera bees saal se har subah sunti aayi thi. "Hello, namaste ji."
"Namaste beta, main Vikram ki maa bol rahi hoon. Aaj bachche waapas aa rahe hain. Hamare yahan rasam hai ki shaadi ke baad beti pehli baar apne maayke jaati hai, pag phera karti hai, aur ek raat wahin rukti hai. Aapke yahan bhi hota hoga. To aaj raat Meera aur Vikram aapke yahan khana khayenge aur wahin rukenge. Aap bura to nahi manenge?"
Line par kuch second ki khamoshi rahi. Meera ne apni saans rok li, aur uski nazar saas ke kandhe ke paar Vikram par padi, jo darwaze se tikka hua muskura raha tha. Phir Ramesh ki aawaaz aayi, bilkul shaant aur vinamra. "Ji, zaroor. Yeh to hamari khushkismati hai. Priya bhi aayi hui hai, hum sab intezaar karenge." Uski jaanghein apne aap ek doosri se chipak gayi.
"Bahut achha beta, jeete raho," saas ne kaha aur phone kaat diya. Meera ne halwe ka dabba thaila mein rakha aur jhuk kar saas ke pair chhue. Saas ne uske sir par haath rakha aur kaha, "Jaldi khushkhabri sunaana, bahu." Meera sharma kar muskura di, lekin uske man mein ek chhota sa darr aur ek chhoti si raahat dono saath-saath the, kyunki uske purse ki andar wali jeb mein woh chhoti si goliyon ki patti abhi bhi surakshit thi, jiske baare mein sirf woh jaanti thi. Uski chut ke andar ek ajeeb si kasak uth gayi.
Drive lamba tha, kareeb chaar ghante ka. Highway par SUV aaraam se bhaag rahi thi, AC ki thandi hawa Meera ki nangi baahon par lag rahi thi, aur Vikram ek haath steering par rakh ke doosra haath baar-baar uski jaangh par rakh deta tha, chiffon ke upar se uski naram tvacha ko dabaata hua. Meera ne khidki se bahar khet aur dhaabe peeche jaate hue dekhe aur sochti rahi ki aaj raat kya hoga. Uski saansein tez ho gayi.
"Pata hai Meera," Vikram ne highway ke ek dhaabe ke paas gaadi dheemi karte hue kaha, "kitni mazedaar baat hai. Tera maayka aur tera sasural, dono ek hi building mein. Apna flat aur tere bhaiya ka flat, beech mein bas ek deewar. Do kadam ka maayka hai tera."
Meera ne halki si hansi ke saath kaha, "Ji, aap bhi na. Sab kuch mazaak bana dete hain." Uski chut ke najdik phir se garmi uth gayi.
"Mazaak nahi hai, jaan," Vikram ne uski jaangh ko thoda zor se dabaate hue kaha aur uske kaan ke paas jhuk gaya. "Apne bas, naya bistar hai, nayi chadar hai... par vasool aaj tere bhaiya ke ghar karenge, tumhare purane bistar pe. Wahan jahan tu itne saal soyi hai."
Meera ka chehra laal ho gaya aur uski saans thodi tez ho gayi. Usne kuch kehne ke liye honth khole, phir band kar liye, aur apna pallu kandhe par theek karne lagi. Uske man mein Ramesh ka chehra aaya, aur woh purana kamra jahan unki shaadi ki photo lagi thi, aur usne apne aap se poocha ki kya woh sach mein yeh kar paayegi. Phir Vikram ne gear badla, uski ungliyan uski jaangh ke andar ki taraf aur upar sarak gayi, aur Meera ne aankhen band kar ke sir seat par tika diya. Uski jaanghein apne aap ek doosri se chipak gayi. Uski chut ne use kas ke pakad liya.



Jab SUV society ke gate par pahunchi tab shaam ke saath baj chuke the aur aasmaan mein naarangi aur jaamuni rang mil rahe the. Guard ne salute kiya aur gate khola. Meera ne jaldi se apne pallu ko sir par thoda aage kheench liya aur badi kaali sunglasses laga li, haalaanki suraj ab lagbhag doob chuka tha. Yeh woh society thi jahan usne Vaishali ban kar bees saal guzare the, jahan har guard, har kaamwali, har padosan use jaanti thi. Uski saansein tez ho gayi.
Building ke neeche aate hi sabko kahani pata thi jo pichhle mahine phailayi gayi thi. Vaishali ki maa ki tabiyat bahut kharab hai, isliye Vaishali unki dekhbhaal ke liye gaon chali gayi hai aur kuch mahine waapas nahi aayegi. Padosiyon ne Vaishali ko phone bhi kiya tha. Mrs. Kulkarni ne khud do baar call kiya tha, aur Meera ne, Vaishali ki aawaaz mein, thake hue lehje mein bataya tha ki "Maa ko bahut kamzori hai, doctor ne aaram bataya hai, main kuch mahine yahin rahungi, aap sab dhyaan rakhna Arjun aur unka." Aur ussi hafte bagal wale khaali flat mein naya joda shift hua tha, Vikram aur uski nayi dulhan Meera, jo Ramesh ki door ki behen batayi gayi thi aur jo, sab kehte the, bilkul Vaishali jaisi dikhti thi.
Lift mein ghuste hi Meera ka dil zor se dhadakne laga, kyunki andar pehle se Mrs. Kulkarni khadi thi, haath mein sabzi ka thaila liye, apni hamesha wali neeli nightie ke upar dupatta daale hue. Meera ne sunglasses nahi utaare, bas halka sa sir jhuka ke muskura di. Uski chut ke najdik phir se kasak uth gayi.
"Arre, naya joda waapas aa gaya!" Mrs. Kulkarni ne khushi se kaha aur Meera ko upar se neeche tak dekha. "Kitni sundar lag rahi ho beta. Sach kahun, tumhe dekh kar har baar dhakka lagta hai, bilkul Vaishali jaisi lagti ho. Wahi chaal, wahi kad. Bas tum thodi patli aur jawaan ho."
Meera ne apni aawaaz ko jaan-boojh kar thoda patla aur meetha kiya, jaise koi nayi bahu bolti hai. "Ji aunty, sab yahi kehte hain. Bhaiya ke parivaar mein hi hoon na, door ka khoon hai, shayad isliye." Uski jaanghein apne aap ek doosri se chipak gayi.
"Haan haan." Mrs. Kulkarni ne thoda ruk kar kaha, "Vaishali ki maa ki tabiyat kaisi hai, kuch pata? Maine pichhle hafte phone kiya tha, bechaari bahut thaki hui lag rahi thi."
Meera ke gale mein ek pal ke liye kuch atak gaya. Usi waqt lift ka darwaza teesri manzil par khula aur Priya andar aayi, jo neeche shagun ka saamaan lene gayi thi. Usne ek nazar mein sab samajh liya aur turant bol padi, "Aunty, kal hi baat hui thi bhabhi se. Naani ab thoda behtar hain, khana khaane lagi hain, par doctor ne abhi do-teen mahine aur aaraam bola hai. Bhabhi wahin rahengi tab tak."
"Bhagwaan bhala kare," Mrs. Kulkarni ne kaha. "Vaishali ko mera pranaam kehna." Meera ne turant kaha, "Ji aunty, zaroor bataungi. Bhaiya bhi roz baat karte hain unse." Mrs. Kulkarni apni manzil par utar gayi, aur jaise hi darwaza band hua, Meera ne Priya ka haath kas ke pakad liya aur ek lambi saans chhodi. Vikram peeche khada aaraam se muskura raha tha, jaise use is poore khel mein maza aa raha ho. Uski saansein tez ho gayi.
Apne naye flat mein unhone saamaan rakha. Flat abhi bhi naya-naya tha, deewaron par taaza paint ki halki gandh thi, sofa par plastic ki patli parat abhi poori tarah nahi utri thi, aur bedroom mein ek bada sa naya bistar tha jis par safed aur sunehri chadar bichhi thi. Woh bedroom ki ek deewar thi jiske doosri taraf Ramesh aur Vaishali ka purana flat tha. Meera ne us deewar par ek pal haath rakha aur phir hata liya. Uski chut ke andar ek ajeeb si kasak uth gayi.
Usne jaldi se kapde badle. Pag phera ke liye usne ek gehri laal rang ki sleeveless georgette saree chuni, jiski border par sone ki zari thi, aur ek chhota sa blouse jiska gala aage se gehra tha aur peeche sirf do patli doriyan thi. Kaan mein jhumke, maathe par chhoti laal bindi, maang mein taaza sindoor, aur gale mein mangalsutra jo Vikram ne pehnaya tha. Priya ne ek pital ki thaali sajaayi, jismein mithai ka dabba, naariyal, kumkum, chawal aur ek chhota sa diya tha. Uski saansein tez ho gayi.
Phir woh teeno corridor mein nikle. Corridor bas das kadam lamba tha. Bagal mein Ramesh ka darwaza tha, wahi bhoora lakdi ka darwaza, jiske upar "Ramesh & Vaishali Pawar" ki purani pital ki nameplate abhi bhi lagi thi, aur jiske paas wahi ganesh ji ki chhoti si murti thi jo Vaishali ne khud lagayi thi. Meera ne thaali dono haathon mein pakdi aur us darwaze ke saamne khadi ho gayi. Uski jaanghein apne aap ek doosri se chipak gayi.
Vikram ne uske kaan mein dheere se kaha, "Chalo jaan, do kadam ka maayka aa gaya." Aur phir usne ghanti baja di.
Darwaza Ramesh ne khola. Usne safed kurta-pajama pehna tha, baal taaze kanghi kiye hue the, aur chehre par ek koshish ki hui muskaan thi. Uski nazar pehle Meera ke chehre par padi, phir uski nangi baahon par, phir uski maang ke sindoor par, aur aakhir mein Vikram ke haath par jo Meera ki kamar par tika hua tha. Uski muskaan ek pal ke liye kaanpi, phir sambhal gayi. Uski chut ke najdik phir se garmi uth gayi.



"Aao, Meera," Ramesh ne kaha aur ek kadam peeche hat gaya. "Apne ghar mein aao."
Meera ne dehleez par thaali rakhi, jhuk ke Ramesh ke pair chhue, aur jab usne sir uthaya to dono ki aankhen ek pal ke liye mili. Phir Vikram ne usse andar le jaate hue kaha, "Namaste bhaiya, aaj aapki behen ka pag phera hai, achhe se khatirdari kijiyega." Uski saansein tez ho gayi.