[Joker44]

Teen din baad ki shaam haveli ke master bedroom mein peeli light jal rahi thi, aur Srivalli sheeshe ke saamne khadi thi, haath blouse ke pehle hook par. Aaj ki saree usne khud chuni thi, koi gift nahi, koi farmhouse wali maroon nahi: gehra emerald green silk, heavy gold zari ke border, pallu par peacocks ka kaam, aur uske neeche ek tight gold blouse, sleeves almost nahi ke barabar, peeth par teen chhote hooks, U-cut itna gehra ki mangalsutra ki do kali ladiyan cleavage ki gehraai mein baith jaayein. Petticoat gold satin ka tha, kamar par tight. Maang mein sindoor ki saaf rekha, maang tika, bade kundan jhumke, saat gold choodiyan, payal, aur gale mein mangalsutra ke upar ek chhota gold haar. Baal ek neeche bun mein the, kinare par chameli ki ek patli gajra. Sandalwood attar, halka, lekin garam.

Sheeshe mein jo aurat thi, woh ghar wali off-white rani nahi thi. Yeh stage wali rani thi, jo abhi stage par nahi khadi thi, lekin aaj raat un teeno ke saamne khadi hone wali thi. Emerald ki zari uski ranon ke ghere par jal rahi thi, gold blouse uski bhari chhati ko uthata tha, aur mangalsutra usi gehraai mein baitha tha jaise koi kasam, jo utar nahi rahi thi. Srivalli ne pallu seene par lapeta, ek baar khisakaya, phir wapas kas kar, aur apni aankhon mein dekha. *Aaj main unke dinner par jaa rahi hoon, jaan ki yeh sirf khana nahi hai. Main dar bhi rahi hoon, aur main jaa bhi rahi hoon, kyunki ticket ab file mein hai, lekin kursi abhi unke dastkhat se pakki honi hai. Jo dungi, soch kar dungi, jaise kaha tha.*

Pushpa ji darwaze par khade ho gaye, neeli shirt, beedi abhi honth par nahi thi, aur unki nazar uski zari par ruki. Unhone ek lamba saans liya, phir muskuraye, wahi proud, seedhi muskaan. “Rani, aaj tu sach mein queen lag rahi hai. Yeh saree nayi hai na? Party ke bade log dekh kar kehenge Pushpa ki rani kursi ke laayak hai. Tension toh nahi hai?”

Srivalli unki taraf mudi, pallu ke neeche haath, awaaz ghar wali, naram. “Haan, nayi hai, Pushpa ji. Main bhi chahti hoon ki pehli mulaqaat mein main rani dikhun, sirf bahu nahi. Tension nahi hai, bas itna hai ki baat theek se ho. Aapne kaha tha aap meri politics mein ungli nahi karenge, lekin aapki dua chahiye.”

Unhone uske maathe par, sindoor ke kareeb, ek halka sa kiss chhodha, is baar hoth palang wale nahi, pita-jaisa bhi nahi, sirf pati ka bharosa. “Dua to hai, rani, aur fund bhi hai. Jolly bolega to main aur bhej dunga. Tu ja, unko dikha tu kaun hai, aur jaldi aa jaana. Raat ko late ho to phone kar dena, main jaagta rahoonga.”

“Haan,” usne kaha, aur yeh haan uske muh se nikalte hi andar ek chhoti si chubhan hui, kyunki raat ko late hona nearly tay tha, aur unka jaagna uske jhoot ka ek aur wazan tha. “Main sambhal lungi. Aap tension mat lijiye.”

Maa ji ne neeche aangan mein usko prasad ki ek dibi thamaane ki koshish ki, phir khud has di. “Aaj prasad nahi, beti, aaj teri soorat hi prasad hai. Ja, muh dekh ke baat karna, zyada nahi jhukna. Hamari bahu hai tu.” Srivalli ne unke pair chhue, pallu theek kiya, aur gaadi mein baith gayi. Kaveri aaj shaam college se late thi, uska kamra band tha, aur Srivalli ne uski taraf ek pal dekha, phir nazar hata li. Aaj uska hisaab un teeno ke saath tha.

Private farmhouse sheher ke us paar tha, lamba driveway, andhe ped, aur andar peeli, mehngi light. Jolly verandah par mila, black shirt, muskaan tayyar, aur uski nazar uski emerald saree par ruki, zari par, U-cut par, jaise woh pehle se jaanta ho aaj ki keemat kya dikhne wali hai. “Bhabhi ji, aaj to baap ji bhi keh rahe hote tu stage ke liye paida hui hai. Andar aa. Teenon aa chuke hain, khana lag chuka hai, aur woh tera intezaar kar rahe hain. Main sirf itna kahunga, tu apni shart pehle rakh, jaise mujhse rakhi thi. Inko bhi teri awaaz pasand aani chahiye.”

“Aap mere peeche se meri baat mat bolie,” Srivalli ne dheere kaha, pallu kaste hue, lekin awaaz mein krodh nahi tha, hisaab tha. “Main khud bolungi. Aap host rahiye.”

Dining hall lamba tha, chamakdar mez, whiskey aur sherbet dono, aur teen mard uth khade hue jab woh andar gayi. Pehle Venkat Rao dikhe, industries aur port ke minister, umr pachpan ke aas-paas, safed safari suit, moti gold ring, aankhon mein ek thanda hisaab. Unke bagal mein Gopal Reddy the, ticket committee ke purane MLA, saath-saath ke kareeb, cream kurta, gale mein moti gold chain, nazar uski zari se utarti hui U-cut par ruki aur wahan thodi der tiki. Teesre Prakash Naidu the, port commissioner, chalis ke kareeb, nili formal shirt, patli kali, chehra saaf, baat karne se pehle naapne wale. Srivalli ne pehle namaste kiya, pallu ko seene par rakha, aur apni awaaz ko stage wali nahi, rani wali rakha, naram lekin seedhi.

“Namaste, Venkat ji, Gopal ji, Naidu ji. Main Srivalli, Pushpa Raj ki patni. Aaj raat aap sab se mil kar khushi hui, aur main jaanti hoon yeh sirf ek dinner nahi hai. Isliye main chahungi ki khana ke saath baat bhi saaf ho.”

Gopal hans pade, bhari, taarif jaisi, lekin unki nazar ab bhi pallu ke kinare par thi. “Rani ji, baat saaf rakhna achhi aadat hai. Hum dekh rahe the kaun si bahu ticket maangne aayi hai. Ab dekh liya, soorat party ki hai, awaaz bhi kaampi nahi. Baitho, khao, phir jo poochna hai poochna.”

Venkat ne uske liye kursi kheench di, andaz mein ek minister ka control tha. “Pushpa ke kaam ka wazan sheher jaanta hai, aur Rudra ji ne tumhara naam bheja hai. Ticket ek kaagaz hai, rani, kursi tab pakki baithti hai jab andar wale log khush hon. Aaj raat hum yeh dekhna chahte hain ki tum sirf unki bahu ho, ya party ki rani bhi ban sakti ho.”

Srivalli baithi, pallu ko god mein sambhala, aur Naidu ki taraf bhi dekha, jo ab tak chup the. “Naidu ji, aap kam bolte hain, lekin port aapke bina nahi chalta, yeh baat mujhe bata di gayi hai. Main aapki raaye bhi sunna chahti hoon.”

Prakash ne glass ek baar ghumaya, phir dheere kaha, awaaz saaf, bilkul file jaisi. “Meri raaye yeh hai ki politics mein soorat kaafi nahi hoti, lekin soorat ke bagair bhi kaafi nahi hoti. Aapki file main dekh chuka hoon. Constituency mushkil hai, opposition paise wala hai, aur bandargaah ke trying days aane wale hain. Agar aap party ke saath khadi hain, to port ki files bhi aapke kaam aa sakti hain. Sawal yeh hai, rani ji, aap kitna dena chahti hain, aur kitna lena.”

Venkat ne uski baat sun kar sir hilaaya, jaise koi file par tick laga raha ho. “Opposition ke paas paise hain, rani, aur tere pati ke dushman bhi kam nahi. Ek naam le leti hoon: Shekhar Goud, jo bandargaah ke us paar se ticket maang raha hai, aur jo kehta hai Pushpa ka kaam andhera hai. Agar tu jeetna chahti hai, to tera chehra saaf hona chahiye, teri awaaz tez honi chahiye, aur hum jaise log tere peeche khade hone chahiye. Fund Pushpa de rahe hain, yeh baat hum tak aa chuki hai. Ab dekhna yeh hai ki tu ghar ki bahu ban kar maangne aayi hai, ya kursi le kar jaane aayi hai.”

Srivalli ne sherbet ka glass rakha, pallu ke kinare ko ungli se theek kiya, aur seedha jawab diya. “Main ghar ki bahu hoon, yeh main chhupati nahi, aur kursi le kar jaane aayi hoon, yeh bhi nahi chhupati. Shekhar Goud ka naam main sun chuki hoon, aur main unse dar kar nahi baithi hoon. Aap meri soorat dekh rahe hain, meri awaaz bhi sun lijiye: main ticket isliye maang rahi hoon ki stage meri ho, sirf cover Pushpa ji ka nahi. Aap jo dungi uska hisaab rakhie, lekin meri himmat ko bhi hisaab mein likhie.”

Gopal ki bhari hansi dining hall mein faili. “Baat karti hai saali, maaf karna lafz ka, lekin muh mein zabaan hai. Mujhe aisi rani chahiye thi committee mein, jo sirf jhumke hila kar baith na jaaye.”

Srivalli ne unki taraf dekha, muskaan thin rakh kar, awaaz naram. “Lafz aapke hain, Gopal ji, meri izzat meri hai. Aap taarif kijiye, lekin saste lafz is mez par meri shart ke khilaaf jaayenge. Main sun rahi hoon, main jawab de rahi hoon, aur main jhuk kar nahi baithi hoon.”

Gopal ne haath uthaya, maan lete hue, “Theek kaha. Izzat se baat hogi.”

Khana lagta raha, thaliyaan chalti rahi, lekin asli khana baat thi. Jolly kabhi glass bharte, kabhi chup baithte, jaise host ho, malik nahi. Srivalli ne sherbet liya, whiskey nahi, aur yeh baat usne saaf kahi. “Mujhe hosh chahiye, isliye yeh glass sherbet ka hai. Main yaad rakhna chahti hoon aaj raat main kya keh rahi hoon, aur kya de rahi hoon.” Phir usne Venkat ki taraf dekha, honth shant, aankhein nahi. “Meri pehli shart yeh hai ki ticket ki baat aaj pakki ho, sirf zubaan se nahi, committee ke hisaab se. Doosri, Pushpa ji ko is dinner ka asli chehra nahi dikhna chahiye. Teesri, jo dungi, soch kar dungi, aur jab dungi to woh meri marzi se hogi, kisi dhamki se nahi. Aap teenon party ke andar wale log hain, main aapki keemat samajhti hoon, lekin main koi bhi cheez nahi hoon jo bina poochhe aage sarak di jaaye.”

Gopal ki hawas wali hansi thodi si ruk kar taarif ban gayi. “Shart rakhne wali rani kam milti hai. Mujhe pasand aayi. Committee kal subah mere ek phone par hil sakti hai, rani, lekin aaj raat tu hum teenon ko yeh yakeen de ki tu sirf baat nahi karti, nibhati bhi hai. Hum tere jism ke peeche nahi, teri himmat ke peeche bhi baithna chahte hain, aur himmat aaj raat dikhegi.”

Venkat ne haath uthakar Gopal ko halka sa roka, phir Srivalli se kaha, “Gopal ji seedhe log hain, lafz khurdure hain, lekin matlab wahi hai jo mera hai. Ticket ki zubaan main de raha hoon, committee unki hai, port ki duniya Naidu ke haath mein hai. Teenon cheezein aaj raat ke baad teri taraf jhuk sakti hain. Tu taiyar hai to keh de. Nahi hai to khana khatam kar, ghar ja, aur file kuch din aur latak sakti hai. Zabardasti is mez par nahi hogi, yeh meri baat hai.”

Srivalli ki ungliyan pallu par kas gayi. Andar dar tha, saaf, is soch se ki aaj raat teen mard honge, kal raat jaisi ek nahi, farmhouse jaisi ek nahi. Uske saath ek josh bhi tha, jo kehta tha ki yeh kursi yahi se nikalegi. *Main dar rahi hoon, lekin main hat nahi rahi. Yeh meri marzi ka hisaab hai, kisi ke daraane ka nahi. Pushpa ji, aap jaagte rahiye, lekin yeh raat meri file ki hai.* Usne teenon ko ek-ek karke dekha, phir Jolly ko, phir wapas Venkat ko.

“Main taiyar hoon,” usne kaha, awaaz halki thi, lekin tuti nahi. “Aaj raat main aapke saath hoon, apni marzi se. Lekin pehle meri baat pakki kijiye, phir jo dena hai, dungi. Ticket kal nikalni chahiye, yeh meri pehli keemat hai. Uske baad aap meri taraf dekhiye, main chhupne nahi aayi.”

Venkat ne sir hilaaya, ek chhoti si muskaan ke saath. “Kal nikalegi. Yeh meri baat hai, Gopal ke phone ki baat hai. Naidu, tum bhi is mez par ho, tumhari raaye?”

Prakash ne uski aankhon mein dekha, dheere, bina cheap taarif ke. “Agar rani ji khud keh rahi hain, to meri taraf se bhi haan hai. Port ki duniya baad mein kaam aayegi, aaj raat ki duniya pehle. Main bhi unki shart maanta hoon, dhamki nahi, hisaab.”

Jolly ne glass neeche rakha aur dheere se kaha, “Toh khana utar jaaye, andar drawing room hai, uske peeche palang wala kamra hai. Bhabhi, tu jab chaahe uth. Main yahin hoon, lekin aaj raat yeh unki mez hai, meri nahi, jab tak tu mujhe bulaaye.”

Srivalli uth khadi hui, emerald pallu ko seene par ek baar aur kas kar lapeta, jhumke hil gaye, payal ne ek chhoti si awaaz ki. “Chaliye. Main khud chalti hoon.”