[Joker44]

“Bed. On your back. I want your face,” Dave ne kaha, usko uthate hue, khud bhi shirt ke button kholte hue, grey kapda ek taraf, seena ooncha, lambi body, aur palang tak le gaye. Silk chadar thandi thi, uski peeth us par lagi, aur usne pair dheere khole, unki aankhon mein dekhte hue, mangalsutra uski chhati par ek taraf sarakta, tops chamakte, sindoor saaf. “Haan, Dave. Andar lijiye, dheere. Main chahti hoon, aur main yahin hoon.”

Unhone apna lund uski geeli chut par raga, top tikaya, ek inch, ruk kar uska chehra dekha, “Still yes?” “Haan,” usne kaha, “poora, dheere.” Phir aur, inch-inch, jaise koi contract ke har page par dastkhat le raha ho, aur Srivalli ke muh se “Aaaahh…” nikalta raha, aankhein khuli, haath unki peeth par, naakhon se halka sa, kheenchte hue nahi, rakhe hue. Jab poora andar gaya to usne unhe apni taraf kheencha, taangein unki kamar par, “Haan, poora, mat rukiye. Main le rahi hoon. Ahhh, thoda ruk kar, phir aaiye, haan, waisi hi.”

Dave ke dhakke lambe the, control wale, kabhi tez, kabhi ruk kar uske boobs muh mein, kali ladiyon ko ek taraf karke, nipple honthon par, jeeb, phir wapas uski aankhon mein, English mein gande, saaf lafz, “That’s it, look at me, don’t hide, you’re not here because I own a jail key, you’re here because you want a port, and because you want this. Say it.” Unki baat uske andar tak gayi, sharm aur josh ek saath, aur usne kaha, saans toot-toot kar, “Haan, ahhh, port bhi, kursi bhi, aap bhi, aaj raat. Main chhupa nahi rahi, dekh rahi hoon. Aur tez, ab, haan, wahan.”

Yeh sunkar woh hans pade, dhakke tez kiye, palang ki karak, uski siski, sheeshe ke peeche sheher, neeche lights, oopar unka jism. Jab dard tez hua, gehra, usne unki peeth par haath kas liya aur kaha, “Dheere,” aur unhone turant dheere kiya, almost nikal kar, sirf sira andar, uska chehra dekha, “Too much?” “Thoda, ab theek, dheere aaiye, mat nikaliye, haan, ahhh, aise.” Phir uski haan par aage badhe, gehra, lekin control mein, aur uski aankhein nam ho gayi, lekin nazar nahi hati. *Main de rahi hoon, ek Angrez ko, apni marzi se, aur yeh soch kar jo ghin purani raaton ki thi, uske saath aaj ek himmat bhi hai. Pushpa ji, aap haveli mein intezaar mein honge, yeh raat meri ships ki hai, aapki neend ki nahi. Main aapko dhokha de rahi hoon, aur apni kursi bacha rahi hoon, dono ek saath, dono meri pasand.*

Jab woh kaanpane lagi, pet tight, taangein unki kamar par kas, usne unki kamar pakad li, “Haan, wahan, andar, dijiye, mat nikaliye, meri haan hai, ahhh, Dave…” aur Dave ne ek gehri saans ke saath andar chhod diya, uske honth uski maang ke kareeb, sindoor unki saans mein, body ek pal ke liye bhaari, phir halki. Woh uske upar leti rahi, kaanpti, mangalsutra unki grey shirt ke button se atka hua, jo ab bhi poori tarah nahi utri thi, ek kandha khula, ek button bacha. Unhone uske maathe par, sindoor ke kareeb nahi, sundar si line ke bagal, honth rakhe, aur poocha, awaaz ab naram, “Still here by choice? You can take a minute.”

“Haan,” usne kaha, saans bhaari, “yahin hoon, apni marzi se. Paani, thoda, phir… agar aap chahein, sheeshe ke kareeb bhi, meri haan se. Pehle saans lene dijiye.”

Dave uth kar paani laaye, uske honth par glass lagaya, usne do ghoont liye, thanda, phir unke haath se glass hata kar khud pakada, jaise yeh chhoti si baat bhi uski marzi ki ho. “You talk more than you used to,” unhone kaha, bagal mein baithte hue, haath uski peeth par, malte, naram. “I don’t mind it. Fear made you quiet. This is better.”

Srivalli ne muskurahat jaisi koi cheez honth par laayi, thaki, kadi. “Us raat maine apni keemat khud tay ki thi, Dave. Aaj bhi meri zabaan meri hai. Isliye main paani bhi khud pakadti hoon, aur haan bhi khud kehti hoon. Aapko buri to nahi lag rahi yeh aurat?”

“No,” unhone kaha, neeli aankhon mein wohi thanda hisaab, lekin us hisaab mein ab ek izzat si bhi thi. “She’s the one I wanted to meet the first time. I just met the frightened one first. Come to the glass when you’re ready. Not before.”

Usne aur ek pal liya, chadar seene par, mangalsutra ki kali ladiyan ungli se theek ki, sindoor nahi chhua, aur phir chadar hata kar uth khadi hui, nange pair, sheeshe ki taraf. “Ab tayyar hoon. Aaiye, dheere, jaise kaha tha.”

Paani ke baad, chhote se lounge ke kone mein, unhone usko sheeshe ke kareeb khada kiya, neeche lights, peeche unka jism, uski peeth unki chhati se, aur dheere, khade-khade, peeche se andar liya, jab usne kaha, “Haan, yahan bhi, dheere, pehle sira, phir poora.” Uske haath sheeshe par the, ungliyan thandi glass par faili, unke haath uski kamar par, ek haath neeche, chut par, dheere malte, dhakke gehre, uski siski sheeshe par dhundhli, aur unke kaan ke kareeb English, “Watch yourself. This is what a queen looks like when she pays her own bill. Don’t close your eyes.”

Srivalli ne apni nam aankhein dekhi, sindoor, khule baal, mangalsutra, khule boobs, aur nazar nahi hatayi, apni hi soorat se, us rani se jo kaali lights mein khadi thi. “Haan, dekh rahi hoon, ahhh, mat ruko. Main hat nahi rahi. Wahan, ungli bhi, haan, aise, ahhh, Dave, tez nahi, gehra…” Unhone uski baat maani, gehra, tez nahi, aur jab dono kaanpe, usne sheeshe par maathe ko rakh diya, saans phaili, aur unhone nikal kar usko palang par litaya, towel se ponchha, geela, dheere, jaise koi contract ke ant mein mohar saaf karta ho, aur uske bagal mein let gaye, haath uske pet par, malikana, lekin puchhte hue, “Still here by choice? Say it again, I like hearing you mean it.”

“Haan,” usne kaha, awaaz thaki, saaf, aankhein khuli, ceiling ki taraf nahi, unki taraf. “Ab meri baat pakki kijiye. Ships, credit, Shekhar ke buyers. Kal mujhe lafz nahi, ek message chahiye, ek naam, ek movement. Main ghar jaaungi, Pushpa ji ke bagal mein soungi, aur unko yahi kahungi ki investor se baat acchi rahi. Aaj raat is penthouse mein rahegi, ghar mein nahi jaayegi. Yeh meri shart ka aakhri hissa hai.”

Dave ne uske baal se haath phera, neeli aankhon mein ek naya hisaab, na pyar, na wada, sirf woh nazar jo ab usko kamzor nahi, barabar pakarti thi. “You’ll have a message by morning. A ship can sit off your port in seventy-two hours if I say so. Shekhar’s buyers aren’t as clean as he pretends; I’ll send you a file, not a sermon. Credit will move through a line that doesn’t carry your husband’s name, only yours, or a company you already control. You did well tonight, rani. Not because you hesitated. Because you didn’t. That’s rarer than you think.” Unhone uske maathe par, sindoor ke kareeb, honth rakhe, na pyar, na wada, sirf ek contract ki mohar. “Go home. Wear your pallu for him. When the port heats up, call me. I’ll come, or my ships will. And if you ever say no next time, I’ll hear it. That’s also in the contract.”

Srivalli ne ek pal unki aankhon mein dekha, phir sir hilaaya, uth kar baithi, chadar seene par, mangalsutra bahar. “Agar next time meri haan hogi, to main khud kahungi. Aaj ki raat kaafi hai, aaj ki file ke liye. Main kapde pehenti hoon, aap message taiyar rakhie, subah tak.”

Usne bathroom mein chehra dhoya, thanda paani, lipstick ki bachi hui line mitayi, sindoor ungli se theek kiya, baal kaan ke peeche kiye, black gown wapas pehna, zipper khud nahi ho paya, peeth ke beech, to Dave ne darwaze par khade-khade dheere band kiya, wrap seene par, mangalsutra bahar, aur sheeshe mein ek thaki, kaali, oonchi rani dekhi, jiske andar aaj raat ki garmi thi, aur bahar investor-meeting ki soorat. Heels haath mein le kar lift tak nange pair chalna usne nahi kiya, kapde poore kiye, anklet wapas, tops check kiye, aur neeche driver ke paas aayi jaise koi asal meeting se nikal rahi ho, late, lekin sambhali hui.

Lift ke sheeshe mein uski aankhein nam thi, lekin kaajal nahi baha tha, usne soch kar lagaya tha kam. Lobby se nikalte hue ek waiter ne sir jhukaya, usne nazar nahi di, sirf chalti rahi, sheer wrap kas, slit god ke kareeb. Gaadi ke andar baithte hue usne ek baar saans bhari, lambi, jaise koi paani se nikal kar kinare aaye, aur driver se sirf itna kaha, “Haveli. Seedha.”

Raste par sheher ki lights uski window par daudti rahi, wahi lights jo abhi sheeshe ke neeche thi, jab woh nangi khadi thi, haath glass par. *Aaj maine us aadmi ko phir se liya, jiske saath maine ek din apni keemat khud tay ki thi, aur aaj meri haan thi, meri shart thi, meri ships hain. Yeh soch kar sharm aa rahi hai, himmat bhi, aur bandargaah ki jung ab sirf goli ki nahi, paani ki bhi hone wali hai. Ghar jaana hai, muskurana hai, kyunki rani wahi hai jo dono chehre sambhal sake. Pushpa ji, aap jagte honge, main aapke maathe par wahi kiss loongi jo aapne meri maang par di thi, aur jo raat peeche chhoot gayi, usko main apni file mein band kar doongi.*

Pushpa ji verandah par jagte the, beedi ki aakhri kash, kali shirt ke button khule, aur jab unhone usko black gown mein dekha, heels, wrap, khule baal, to unki nazar ek pal ruki, slit par, phir uske chehre par, phir unhone sirf itna kaha, “Baat ho gayi, rani? Itni der lagi, main soch raha tha, phone bhi nahi aaya. Sab theek hai?”

Srivalli ne wrap theek kiya, unke kareeb jaa kar unke kandhe par haath rakha, awaaz naram, ghar wali, jaise koi asal meeting se thak kar aayi ho. “Ho gayi, Pushpa ji. Investor serious hai, port ki baat aage badhegi, do-teen din mein kuch movement dikhegi. Main thak gayi hoon, isliye phone nahi kiya, galti hui, maaf kijiye. Aap so jaaiye, kal campaign bhi hai, file bhi. Chai garam karni hai kya? Main bana doon?”

“Nahi, rani, tu aa gayi, bas,” unhone kaha, usko andar lete hue, uske maathe par kiss kiya, beedi ki khushboo wapas uske baalon mein, aur palang par jaa kar uska haath uski kamar par aa gaya, black satin ke neeche bhi wahi garam hatheli, jaise koi apni rani ko ghar wapas pa kar hisaab band kare. Unhone gown ke zipper nahi chhua, sirf kamar pakdi, aur dheeme se kaha, “Kal main site par hoon, tu speech de, phir file. Jo aadmi aaya hai, usko tu sambhal, main zameen sambhalunga.”

Srivalli ne aankhein ek pal khuli rakhi, ceiling, pankha, unki saans, aur andar jo garmi bachi thi, usko daba liya. *Kal message aayega, yeh unki baat thi. Uske baad paani par jahaaz, zameen par goli, aur meri kursi dono ke beech. Aaj raat main aapke bagal mein hoon, Pushpa ji, aur jo kaala gown ab utarne wala hai, uske peeche ki raat aapko nahi dikhegi. Yeh meri file ka hissa hai, aapki neend ka nahi.*

Usne bathroom mein jaa kar gown utara, zipper peeth par khud kheench kar, satin taknon tak giraya, aur thande paani se chehra ek baar aur dhoya, jaise hotel ka sheesha yahan na laaye. Nighty pehni, safed, simple, mangalsutra uske upar, sindoor halka sa theek kiya, attar ki tez khushboo ab halki, aur unke bagal mein let gayi, unka haath wapas apni kamar par le aayi, jaise subah bhi, jaise hamesha. Pushpa ji ne neend mein usko apni taraf kheench liya, muh uske baalon mein, aur kaha, adhkhule honthon se, “Aa gayi tu, rani,” jaise unko bas itna chahiye tha.

“Aa gayi,” usne dheeme kaha, unki chhati par haath rakh kar, “so jaaiye, kal dono ko kaam hai.” Unhone sirf uski kamar kas li, beedi ki khushboo ab halki, aur unki saans dheere seedhi hone lagi. Neend der se aayi, lekin aayi, aur uske honth par koi muskaan nahi thi, sirf ek thaki, kadi si line, jo kal message ka intezaar karne wali thi. *Teen din, unhone kaha tha. Paani par jahaaz, zameen par meri file. Aaj ki raat meri keemat thi, kal ki subah meri mohar hogi.*