[Joker44]

Subah saat baje Priya ne hanste hue bahar ki kundi kholi aur zor se darwaza thapthapaaya, “Uth jao dulhe raja, subah ho gayi!” Vikram ne bas karvat badli aur takiya sir par rakh ke phir so gaya.
Meera dheere se uthi, aur pehla kadam rakhte hi uske muh se ek dabi hui “ssss” nikal gayi. Uski kamar ke neeche, peeche, ek meetha sa, jalta hua dard tha, jaise raat ki har ek takkar wahan ek nishaan chhod gayi ho. Uski jaanghein kaanp rahi thi aur chalne mein use pair thode faila ke, sambhal ke rakhne pad rahe the. Usne almari ke sheeshe mein dekha, gardan par Vikram ke daanton ke laal nishaan, honth ab bhi soojhe hue, aur gand par sindoor ki woh halki laal lakeer jo pasine mein phail gayi thi. Uske gaal laal ho gaye, aur achanak raat ki har baat use yaad aa gayi. Maine kya bol diya… “mujhe tumhara baccha chahiye”, “meri chut tumhari hai”… unke bistar pe, apne bete ke ghar mein. Sharam ki ek lehar uske poore badan mein daud gayi. Main Ramesh ki biwi hoon. Woh sab bas us waqt ka nasha tha, aur kuch nahi. Par saree ki plaits banaate hue, dil ke kisi kone se ek dheemi aawaaz aayi. Jhooth kyun bolun… us pal mein sach mein chahiye tha. Uska badan abhi bhi Vikram ki pakad ko yaad kar raha tha, aur yeh baat use dard se zyada darra rahi thi. Usne almari par haath rakha, deewar par Arjun ki bachpan wali photo dekhi, aur khud se kaha, Main Vaishali hoon. Mujhe waapas aana hai, apne ghar mein, apni zindagi mein. Usne jaldi se nahaaya, ek taaza halki aasmaani chiffon ki saree pehni jo woh apne thaile mein laayi thi, gardan ke nishaan pallu se dhake, geele baal tauliye mein lapete, aur ek baar sote hue Vikram ko dekh ke bahar aa gayi. Uski saansein tez ho gayi.
Hall mein dining table par sab baithe the. Priya ne aloo ke parathe banaye the, Ramesh chupchaap chai ka cup pakde baitha tha, aankhen laal aur sooji hui, aur Arjun apni plate mein paratha tod raha tha bina khaaye. Meera ne chalte hue apni chaal seedhi rakhne ki poori koshish ki, par har kadam par uski kamar halki si atak jaati. Uski chut ke najdik phir se kasak uth gayi.
Priya ne use dekhte hi taali bajaayi. “Aa gayi didi, hamare ghar ki shaan!”
Meera thodi chidh gayi. Raat ki thakaan aur sabki nazrein, sab ek saath. “Haan, aa gayi. Kya kar logi?” usne thodi tezi se kaha aur kursi par sambhal ke baithi, aur baithte hi uske muh se phir ek halki “ssss” nikal gayi.
Priya ne bhaun uthaayi aur muskurayi. “Bhoolo mat bhabhi, aap Meera ho, Vaishali nahi. Yeh rob mat jhaado mujh pe.” Phir usne chai ka cup uthaaya aur aankh maar ke boli, “Waise bhi raat bhar aapki aawaaz poore ghar mein goonj rahi thi. Shayad muh band nahi tha aapka.”
Table par ek pal ke liye sannaata chha gaya. Ramesh ka cup hothon tak aa ke ruk gaya. Arjun ne paratha plate mein rakh diya aur nazar neeche gadaa li. Meera ka chehra kaan tak laal ho gaya. Uski jaanghein apne aap ek doosri se chipak gayi.




“Kuch bhi mat bolo, Priya,” usne jaldi jaldi kaha, awaaz mein ghabrahat. “Meri kamar mein dard tha, to Vikram ne mujhe tel laga ke massage kiya tha. Bas. Waisa kuch nahi hai jo tum soch rahi ho. Humne kuch nahi kiya.”
Priya zor se hans padi aur Ramesh ki taraf mudi. “Dekho bhaiya, aapki Vaishali ki tarah hi bahana banaati hai. Dekho iski taang kaisi chadhi hui hai. Massage hi tha yeh? Woh raat bhar apni Meera ko masal raha tha, isiliye yeh theek se chal bhi nahi pa rahi.” Usne Meera ki taraf dekh ke aankh maari. “Pata hai, pata hai, kya hua tha,” aur phir khilkhila ke hans padi. Uski saansein tez ho gayi.
Meera ne gusse se usse ghoora aur kuch bolne ke liye muh khola, par usi waqt kamre ka darwaza khula aur Vikram bahar aaya, aankhen aadhi band, baal bikhre, sirf pajama aur banyaan mein, jamhaai lete hue. “Good morning sab ko,” usne neend bhari aawaaz mein kaha aur seedha Meera ke peeche aa ke uske kandhe par haath rakh diya. “Bhook lagi hai. Raat bahut mehnat hui.” Usne Meera ki taraf ek neend bhari, garam nazar daali, aur Meera ka subah wala saara iraada ek pal mein dagmaga gaya. Priya phir hans padi, Meera ne apna muh dono haathon mein chhupa liya, aur Ramesh chupchaap utha aur rasoi ki taraf chala gaya.
Jab Vikram nahaane gaya, Ramesh dheere se kamre mein gaya. Kamre mein ab bhi tel, pasina aur kuch aur ki gehri gandh thi, aur murjhaaye phool bistar par bikhre the. Us taraf, jahan Vaishali soti thi, chadar par ek bada sa geela, halka peela daag tha, aur uske paas sindoor ki ek laal chhaap. Ramesh kuch der use dekhta raha. Phir usne kaanpte haath se use chhua. Woh abhi bhi halka sa geela aur thanda tha. Usne koi aawaaz nahi ki. Usne chadar ko dheere se gaddhe se nikaala, use chaar tah mein mod ke ek chhoti si gathri banayi, aur almari kholi. Wahan uski purani cotton ki sarees tangi thi, aur neeche ki shelf par tah ki hui aur bhi sarees thi. Ramesh ne woh chadar un sarees ke neeche chhupa di aur almari band kar di. Daraar wale sheeshe mein usne apna thaka hua chehra dekha aur nazar hata li. Uski chut ke andar ek ajeeb si kasak uth gayi.
Thodi der baad, jab Priya bartan dhone baithi, Meera rasoi mein ek aur chai chhaan rahi thi jab Ramesh aaya. Usne peeche se dheere se use baahon mein le liya, bilkul waise hi jaise bees saal har subah karta tha, aur uske kandhe par sir rakh ke phusphusaaya, “Vaishali…”



Meera ek pal ke liye jam gayi. Phir usne kettle neeche rakha, uske haathon par apne haath rakhe, aur bina mude dheere se kaha, “Jab aap mujhe yahan se le jaaoge… phir se apni biwi bana ke waapas laaoge, tab aap jo kahoge main karungi… Par aaj nahi.” Usne uske haath dheere se apni kamar se hataaye aur mud ke uski aankhon mein dekha. “Aur abhi main Meera hoon, bhaiya.” Uski saansein tez ho gayi.
Ramesh peeche hat gaya. Uske safed kurte par Meera ka parfum reh gaya tha, chameli aur kuch mehenga sa. Corridor ke kone mein, apne kamre ke darwaze par, Arjun khada tha, haath chaukhat par, aur usne sab dekha tha. Jab Meera ki nazar us par padi to Arjun bina kuch kahe waapas apne kamre mein chala gaya. Uski jaanghein apne aap ek doosri se chipak gayi.
Thodi der baad Meera aur Vikram ne Priya aur Ramesh se vida li. Meera ne Ramesh ke pair chhue, thaali uthayi, aur corridor ke das kadam paar karke apne flat mein chali gayi. Ramesh apne bedroom mein khada tha jab deewar ke us paar se ek darwaza band hone ki aawaaz aayi, “dhap”, aur phir chitkani ki halki si “khat”.
Ramesh ne us deewar par haath rakha. Thandi, saadi, paint ki hui deewar. Aur use samajh aa gaya ki is deewar ke us paar unka naya bedroom hai, aur ab har raat, jab bhi Vikram apni Meera ka vasool karega, yeh deewar use sab kuch suna degi.