[Joker44]

Bees minute, jo lambe ghante jaisa laga, andhere paani par pehle floodlight terhi giri, phir seedhi, aur us roshni ke us paar ek bada, shaant, bhari jahaaz ki roshni nazar aayi, door, lekin itni saaf ki pier par Shekhar ke kuch log ruk kar dekhne lage, jaise koi naya hisaab aa gaya ho, jaise koi goli se badi cheez paani par khadi ho. Srivalli ne sheeshe se woh roshni dekhi, honth par koi muskaan nahi thi, sirf ek kadi saans, aur uske andar ek pal ke liye woh penthouse ka sheesha bhi aa gaya, kaala gown, neeli aankhein, uski apni haan. *Dave, aapki ship meri file mein hai aaj, meri haan ke saath. Aaj meri keemat paani par dikh rahi hai, aur main isko dekh rahi hoon, chhupa nahi rahi.*

Usne apne phone par Dave ko sirf ek line bheji, “She’s visible. Thank you. The ground is ours tonight.” Reply turant nahi aaya, baad mein aaya, short, “Good. Call if the water turns.” Usne phone neeche rakha, nazar sheeshe par wapas, aur Prakash ki taraf mud kar kaha, “Ab unke log ruk rahe hain, security officer andar bhejiye.”

“Dikha,” Prakash ne dheeme kaha, “ab security officer gate se andar hai. Rani ji, aap radio par apne aadmi ko bata dijiye, peeche se raasta saaf hai, seedha nahi.”

Srivalli ne radio uthaya, “Pushpa ji, security officer andar hai, peeche ka rasta saaf, seedha mat nikalna, paani par jahaaz dikh gaya hai, unke log ruk rahe hain. Aap apni zameen lijiye.”

Unki awaaz thodi der baad aayi, baarood aur saans ke beech, “Suna, rani. Tera jahaaz dikh gaya, unke haath hil rahe hain. Munna, ab left se kaato.”

Us ke baad jung tez hui, phir kati. Pehle ek van ne peeche mud kar bhaagne ki koshish ki, Raka ki jeep uske raste mein aa gayi, phir security officer ki siren gate se kaati, aur Shekhar ke kuch log containers ke peeche se haath uthane lage, kuch nahi. Pushpa ji ke aadmi containers ke peeche se nikal kar van tak pahunche, Kesari upar se nazar de raha tha, Munna left se kaat kar ek scooter wale ko neeche gira raha tha, bina zyada shor ke, jungle wala andaaz. security officer port gate se ghus aayi, Venkat ka order radio par dohraaya gaya, “Commission aur industries ka cover, hathiyaar neeche, maal mat chhuiye, aadmi pakdo.”

Srivalli ne sheeshe se woh order suna, pallu ke neeche ungliyan kas, aur Prakash se kaha, “Unko maal nahi, aadmi chahiye, zinda, taaki file khule. Shekhar khud nahi hai, yeh main dekh rahi hoon, lekin jo pakde jaayen, unki zabaan kaam aayegi.” Prakash ne sir hilaaya, radio par dohraaya, “Zinda pakdo, fire tab, jab fire aaye.” Shekhar ke log peeche hatne lage, ek van chhod kar, do aadmi pakde gaye, ek ghayal hokar gir gaya, scooter lohe se takra kar ruk gaya. Goli ab itni nahi thi jitni shuru mein thi, kyunki paani par jahaaz ki roshni aur peeche security officer ki siren dono ne hisaab palat diya tha. Cabin mein ek pal ki shaant si padi, sirf radio ki kata-phati awaaz, aur Srivalli ki saans jo ab seedhi thi, kaanpti nahi.

Srivalli sheeshe se dekhti rahi, pallu kas, choodiyan ab nahi baj rahi thi, sirf uski saans. Ek pal ko usko dikha, kali shirt, Pushpa ji khud pier ke kinare tak aaye, mitti aur lohe mein, pistol neeche, aur radio par sirf itna kaha, “Rani, zameen meri hai. Tu kahan hai? Bol, theek hai tu?”

Srivalli ne radio uthaya, awaaz kaanpti, lekin saaf, aur us kaanpne mein dar ke saath ek jeet bhi thi. “Main yahin hoon, cabin mein, Naidu ji ke saath. Main bahar nahi nikalungi jab tak aap khud na kaho. Aap theek hain? Munna, Raka, Kesari?”

“Theek hoon,” unhone kaha, aur unki awaaz mein thakaan ke saath proud tha, wahi proud jo pehli speech ke baad tha, ab is lohe par. “Munna theek, Raka theek, Kesari ka haath kata-phata, chalega. Tera jahaaz kaam aa gaya, teri security officer bhi. Ab ghar chal, rani. Kal yeh jung poori nahi hui, Shekhar khud nahi aaya, aaj ki raat hamari hai. Cabin se tab nikalna jab main gate par aaun.”

Prakash ne radio neeche rakha, uski taraf dekha, aur dheeme kaha, “Aapki file aaj paani tak pahunchi, rani ji. Yeh main yaad rakhunga. Aap baithiye, paani lijiye, aapka pati gate par aayega. Jo do aadmi pakde gaye, unki file kal aapke table par hogi, jaise pehli van ki thi.”

Srivalli ne paani liya, glass thanda, hatheli kaanpti, phir seedhi, aur sheeshe se woh jahaaz ek baar aur dekha, door, shaant, bhari, jaise koi mohar paani par laga ho. Cabin ab itni band nahi lagti thi, radio shaant padne lagta tha, bahar siren door ja rahi thi, aur uski choodiyan ek baar baj kar ruk gayi. “Naidu ji, aapki zabaan aaj bhi kaam aa gayi. Shukriya. Main ghar jaaungi, kal campaign bhi hai, yeh jung bhi. Shekhar rukega nahi, yeh aap bhi jaante hain. Jo do aadmi pakde gaye, unki zabaan kal meri nazar se guzre, chhup kar nahi.”

“Jaanta hoon,” unhone kaha, glass uske haath se le kar table par rakhte hue. “Isliye cover jaari rahega. File kal aapke table par hogi, sealed, jaise pehli van ki thi. Aap nikalie, rani ji, aaj ki jeet ko ghar le jaaiye. Aapka pati gate par hoga, main yahin se dekh raha hoon. Aap cabin se tab nikalna jab unki jeep dikhe, pehle nahi, yeh meri baat hai, aapki file ki hifazat ki.”

Srivalli ne sir hilaaya, pallu theek kiya, mangalsutra bahar, sindoor saaf, jaise koi asal meeting se nikal rahi ho, jung se nahi. “Theek hai, Naidu ji. Aaj meri file paani tak gayi, yeh main nahi bhoolungi. Aapki cover ke bagair yeh raat adhuri padti.” Unhone sirf itna kaha, “Adhuri nahi padi, rani ji. Jaaiye.”

Pushpa ji gate par aaye, mitti, loha, kali shirt, aur jab unhone usko cabin se nikalte dekha, off-white saree, pallu tight, to unhone pehle usko baahon mein liya, phir poocha, “Theek hai tu? Sach bol.”

“Theek hoon,” usne kaha, unki shirt par haath, lohe ki khushboo, “aap bhi theek dikh rahe ho. Chalo ghar, maa ji intezaar mein hongi. Kesari ko clinic bhej dijiye, aap saath mat rukiye, Raka sambhal lenge.” Unhone sir hilaaya, usko jeep ki taraf le chale, haath uske kandhe par, jaise ab bhi ginti kar rahe hon ki unki rani poori hai.

Jeep mein baithte hue usne ek baar peeche mud kar paani dekha, jahaaz ab bhi wahan tha, door, shaant, bhari roshni, aur usne nazar hata li, taaki Pushpa ji ko yeh na lage ki unki rani kisi aur ke hisaab ko dekh rahi hai. Raste par dono kuch der chup rahe, phir Pushpa ji ne, bina mud kar, kaha, “Woh jahaaz tere investor ka hai na? Main pooch raha hoon, gussa nahi, samajhna chahta hoon.”

Srivalli ne pallu god mein liya, awaaz naram, “Haan, Pushpa ji, cover ke liye aaya, goli ke liye nahi. Aapki zameen aapki rahi, usne sirf nazar di. Itna meri file ne kiya.” Unhone sir hilaaya, beedi abhi nahi jalayi, sirf khidki se andhe raaste ko dekha. “Theek hai, rani. Teri file aaj meri goli ke barabar thi, yeh main maan gaya. Baaki kal.” *Aap zameen le aaye, main paani le aayi, dono aaj ki raat hamari hai, is farq ke saath ki paani ki mohar aapko poori nahi dikhegi.*

Raat ko haveli laut kar Pushpa ji ne haath dhoye, lohe ki mitti sink mein, maa ji ne pehle ro kar unko dekha, phir khana garam kiya, aur Srivalli ne unke kandhe par kapda rakh kar mitti ponchhi, jaise koi pativrata apne mard ko jung se lautata dekh kar karti hai, pallu ab dhila, off-white par thodi si bandargaah ki dhool. Unhone uska haath pakada, apni chhati par rakha, aur kaha, “Rani, tu ghar baith kar bhi ladh rahi thi. Main yeh pehle nahi samjha tha. Teri file meri goli ke barabar pad gayi aaj. Woh jahaaz, woh security officer, woh radio, sab teri nazar thi. Main proud hoon.”

Usne unki aankhon mein dekha, muskurayi, asal muskaan, uske peeche jo baat thi, woh nahi kahi. *Meri file mein Naidu hai, Venkat hai, Dave ka jahaaz hai, aur woh raatein hain jinhe aap kabhi nahi dekhenge. Aaj ki jeet meri bhi hai, aapki bhi, aur main isko aapke haath mein rakh rahi hoon, iske peeche ka hisaab nahi.* “Aap khao, dhuliye, so jaaiye, Pushpa ji. Kal Shekhar rukega nahi, main jaanti hoon. Meri campaign bhi nahi rukegi. Aaj aapki zameen jeeti, meri file ne saath diya, yeh kaafi hai.”

Maa ji ne dono ko thali di, zyada nahi poocha, sirf itna kaha, “Aaj ghar mein diya jalane do, subah ki baat subah.” Kaveri andar se nikal kar darwaze par ruki, bag nahi, simple kapde, aur poocha, “Mami, mama, theek ho? Sheher mein awaaz hai, bandargaah par…?” Srivalli ne sir hilaaya, awaaz naram, “Theek hain, beta, tu kha le, zyada mat pooch, sab sambhal gaya. Kal apna college dekhna, aaj ghar shaant rahe.” Kaveri ne ek pal dekha, jaise kuch aur kehna chahti ho, phir andar chali gayi, aur Srivalli ne uski peeth dekhi, phir nazar hata li, apne mard ki thali ki taraf.

Khana ke baad Pushpa ji nahaane gaye, lohe ki mitti utarni thi, aur Srivalli ne unke kapde alag rakhe, kali shirt par dhool, jaise do din pehle safed-lal saree alag tokri mein rakhi thi. Maa ji kitchen mein bartan dhote rahe, zyada baat nahi hui, sirf itna ghar wala shor jo jung ke baad sukoon lagta hai. Srivalli ne apni off-white saree nahi utari turant, pehle verandah par jaa kar andhere mein ek pal khadi rahi, hawa mein ab bhi namak jaisa ehsaas, phir andar aayi, nighty pehni, mangalsutra uske upar, sindoor halka.

Palang par unka haath uski kamar par aaya, lohe ki khushboo ab sapne mein bhi thi, unki saans bhaari, seedhi, jeet ki. Unhone adhkhuli aankhon se kaha, “Rani, tu so ja, kal bhi kaam hai,” aur usne kaha, “So jaaungi, aap bhi so jaaiye, aaj aapki zameen jeeti.” Srivalli ke phone par ek naya message tha, unknown number nahi, ek chhoti si line, jo usne padhi aur screen neeche rakh di, Pushpa ji ki neend ke kareeb, taaki roshni unki aankh na khole.

Ek photo nahi thi, ek jumla tha, kisi aur ke thread se tapakta hua, abhi adhura: kal, shayad, koi cheez uske naam aayegi, jo Jolly ke phone se nikal kar, ya Rudra ki awaaz se nikal kar, uski file ko aur tez kar de. Usne us jumle ko abhi nahi khola, sirf itna padha ki baat uski file ke liye hai, ghar ke shor ke liye nahi. *Pehle aaj ki zameen, pehle aapki saans, Pushpa ji. Jo raaz aane wala hai, woh meri kursi ke kaam aayega, meri neend todne nahi. Aaj meri file paani tak gayi, kal shayad aur gehra jaaye, lekin aaj ki raat main aapke bagal mein hoon, is jeet ke saath, is chhupi hui keemat ke saath.*

Usne unke haath ko apni kamar par rehne diya, aankhein band ki, aur honth par koi badi muskaan nahi thi, sirf ek thaki, kadi si line, jo kal bhi apni file hath se nahi chhodne wali thi. Bahar haveli shaant thi, kutta door bhowka, pankha dheere chala, aur uske dimag mein paani par woh roshni ek baar aur jal uthi, phir bujh gayi, jaise mohar lag chuki ho. *Shekhar, aap aaj nahi aaye, kal aoge, lekin aaj ki raat meri thi, aapki nahi. Pushpa ji, aap so jaaiye, meri file jaagti rahegi, lekin aapki neend todne nahi.*