[Joker44]

Subah aangan mein dhoop naram thi, koyal door boli, maa ji kitchen mein bartan ki awaaz kar rahi thi, aur Srivalli apne bedroom ke sheeshe ke saamne khadi thi, off-white cotton ki simple saree pehnane se pehle, raat ki nighty abhi utari hui, mangalsutra seene par, jab uski nazar dressing table par ek chhoti si black drive par gayi, kisi envelope mein, uske naam ke bina, sirf itna likha: “Aapki file ke liye.” Envelope naya tha, haath se likha hua, koi stamp nahi, koi signature nahi, jaise koi is ghar ke andar se, ya is ghar ke kareeb se, chup-chaap rakh kar chala gaya ho.

Usne darwaza band kiya, hook lagaya, pallu jo abhi haath mein tha seene par rakha, envelope uthaya, aur kuch der sirf wazan feel kiya, halka, lekin us halke pan mein ek bhaari si baat thi. Laptop khola, drive lagayi, aur andar jo tha, usko dheere, aankhein khol kar dekha, jaise koi ticket wali file padhe, jaldi mein nahi, har folder, har naam.

Jolly ke phone ki copy thi: messages, Rudra se calls ke notes, party ke andar ke logon ke naam, fund ke hisaab, aur woh purani baatein jo kabhi uski zabaan ko rokne ki koshish karti thi, jo ab uski kursi ke saamne chhoti padti thi. Ek jagah uska naam tha, “bhabhi ko tight rakhna hai,” ek jagah ticket ki baat, ek jagah farmhouse ki, aur usne woh lines do baar padhi, honth band, dil tez, lekin aankhein nam nahi hui, kadi hui. Ek recording thi, Rudra ki awaaz, kisi private kamre ki, background mein glass ki khanak, jisme ticket, fund, aur “rani ko rakhna hai control mein, warna yeh apni file khud chalane wali hai” ke lafz the, itne saaf ki unki kursi bhi kaanp sakti thi. Srivalli ne recording ek baar, phir aadhi doosri baar suni, phir band ki, kyunki poori teesri baar sunne ki zaroorat nahi thi, baat aa gayi thi. Kamre mein uski saans tez thi, lekin usne muh par haath nahi rakha, sirf palang ke kinare baithi rahi, laptop god mein, off-white nighty, mangalsutra, aur socha ki yeh awaaz kitni raaton se unki kothi ki peeli light ke peeche chalti rahi hogi, jab woh unki palang par apni haan de rahi thi, aur peeche yeh hisaab chal raha tha ki rani ko control mein rakhna hai. *Aap mujhe control mein rakhna chahte the, uncle, aur aaj woh lafz meri mutthi mein hain. Main roungi nahi, main use karungi.* Usne paani piya, glass neeche rakha, aur agla folder khola, dheere, jaise koi aur bhi hisaab ho jo jaldi mein toot na jaaye.

Aur ek folder tha Ravi ke naam ka, college, family, photos ke references, jo net dikhata tha, jo is ghar ke kisi aur thread se juda tha, jisko usne abhi khol kar kisi ke jism tak nahi padha, sirf itna samjha ki Jolly aur Rudra ka khel is haveli ke bahar bhi, andar bhi, kitna gehra tha, aur kisi aur ke bhi kaam, padhai, ghar, is jaal mein aa sakte the. Usne woh folder band kiya, bina uske andar ke chehron ko lamba dekhe, jaise koi doosri aurat ki file ko apni hawas ke liye nahi, apni nazar ke liye band kare. Screen ki roshni uske chehre par thi, kamre mein pankha dheere chal raha tha, bahar maa ji ki awaaz door se aayi, “Beti, chai,” aur usne kaha, “Do minute, maa ji,” awaaz itni saaf ki koi na soch sake andar koi toofan hai. *Yeh raaz meri taraf aa gaya hai, kisi ne meri file ke liye chhodha hai, aur main isko kisi ke badle nahi, apni kursi ke liye use karungi. Jo is ghar ke andar ka thread hai, usko main aaj nahi kheenchungi, lekin main jaanti hoon ki meri mutthi ab khali nahi. Jo isko laya, usne meri madad ki, yeh main yaad rakhungi, naam aaj nahi loongi.*

Usne kuch notes apni copy mein utare, dates, naam, recording ka time, phir copy band ki, taaki asli drive alag rahe, ek nazar uske paas, ek nazar chupi. Srivalli ne laptop band kiya, drive nikal kar apni almari ke ek chhote dabbe mein rakhi, kapdon ke neeche, phir sindoor apni ungli se ek baar chhua, maang mein theek kiya, aur saans bhari, lambi. Off-white saree pehni, pallu tight, choodiyan, mangalsutra bahar, chhote tops, koi gown nahi, koi vermilion dulhan nahi, sirf ek rani jo apni file padh chuki ho. *Jolly, aapki backbone ab meri mutthi mein hai. Rudra uncle, aapki awaaz ab meri file mein hai. Main inko sheher mein nahi phelaungi, Pushpa ji ko nahi dikhaungi, lekin aap dono ko dikhaungi ki ab hisaab palat chuka hai. Aaj meri zabaan meri hai, aapki mutthi nahi.*

Bahar Pushpa ji verandah par the, beedi, kali shirt, site ki baat Raka se kar rahe the. Srivalli ne unke liye chai rakhi, muskurayi, aur kaha, “Aaj meri chhoti party office hai, posters aur committee, main dopahar tak wapas. Aap site dekhiye, Shekhar ab bhi zinda hai, nazar kam mat kijiye.”

“Theek hai, rani,” unhone kaha, uska haath pakad kar, “tu apni file sambhal, main zameen. Der ho to phone kar dena.” Unhone uske maathe par kiss kiya, aur woh nikal gayi, gaadi mein, drive uski bag mein, pallu god mein, dil tez, lekin faisla seedha. Raste ki dhoop naram thi, sheher jaag raha tha, posters kabhi-kabhi deewar par dikh jaate, uska chehra, aur usne nazar nahi hatayi, kyunki aaj woh poster wali rani asal mein apni file le kar nikal rahi thi, muskaan ke peeche ek mutthi, pallu ke peeche ek drive. Driver se usne kaha, “Party office, seedha,” aur honth par koi muskaan nahi thi, sirf woh kadi si line jo ab uski aadat si hone lagi thi, jeet ki nahi, hisaab ki, jo shaam tak aur pakki honi thi.

Raste par usne office ka time Jolly ko message kiya, “Gyarah baje, meri party office, bungalow nahi, formal baat hai.” Reply aaya, “Formal, bhabhi? Main aa raha hoon, chai rakhna.” Usne reply nahi kiya, sirf phone neeche rakha. Party office sheher ke ek chhote se corner mein thi, do kamre, clerk ke bahar baithne ki jagah, posters deewar par, uska hi chehra, pallu theek, “Srivalli Pushpa Raj,” aur andar ek mez, do cups, ek khidki jis se gali dikhti thi, aur uska laptop. Usne clerk se kaha, “Andar kisi ko mat bhejna, Jolly aayenge, chai do cups, phir aap bahar baithiye, darwaza almost band rahe.” Clerk ne sir hilaaya, “Haan, rani ji.”

Jolly time par aaye, muskurata hua andar aaya, safed shirt, wohi confident chal, phir muskaan thodi si ruk gayi jab usne uska chehra dekha, office ki formality, clerk bahar, darwaza almost band.

“Bhabhi, itni formal office?” unhone kaha, baithte hue, “Kya baat hai, posters ki, ya meri? Chai to pilaogi, ya aaj sirf file nikaalengi?”

Srivalli ne chai rakhi, khud nahi baithi turant, khadi rahi, pallu seene par, aur kaha, “Aaj file hai, Jolly. Aap baithiye, chai pee lijiye, phir meri baat sunie, beech mein muskaan mat lagaiye.” Unhone eyebrow uthayi, lekin baith gaye, glass haath mein, aur usne laptop ghuma diya, recording ka ek tukda chalaya, Rudra ki awaaz kamre mein giri, “rani ko rakhna hai control mein, warna yeh apni file khud chalane wali hai,” phir band kiya. Kamra ek pal ke liye itna shaant hua ki bahar clerk ki khansi tak sunai di.

Jolly ka chehra ek pal ke liye kala pada, muskaan poori utar gayi, aur unhone glass neeche rakha, dheeme se, jaise koi hathiyaar rakh raha ho. “Yeh kahan se mili, bhabhi?”

“Yeh meri mutthi mein hai, Jolly, aapki nahi,” usne kaha, awaaz naram, lekin kathi, jaise dinner par thi, jaise Naidu ki office mein thi. Woh ab baith gayi, unke saamne, aankhon mein dekhte hue. “Main isko kisi akhbaar mein nahi de rahi, Pushpa ji ko nahi dikha rahi, sheher mein nahi bajane wali, lekin aaj ke baad aap mujhe apni purani recording se, apni purani file se nahi chalaoge. Aap meri backbone rahiye, malik mat baniye. Cabinet ka rasta aap kholenge, baap ji ko meri zabaan se meri baat pahunchaenge, aur Shekhar ke khilaf jo kaam hai, usme meri file aapki file se upar rahegi. Jo messages, jo lafz, jo ‘tight rakhna hai’ wali baat, woh ab meri nazar mein hai. Manzoor hai to kahiye. Nahi hai to yeh awaaz un jagahon tak jaa sakti hai jahan aapki muskaan kaam nahi aati.”

Jolly thodi der chup baitha, ungliyan glass par, nazar uske mangalsutra par nahi, uski aankhon par, phir dheeme se hans pada, haar jaisi nahi, hisaab jaisi hansi, jo pehle darati thi, aaj thodi si haar kar bhi tez thi. “Tu sach mein queen ban gayi, bhabhi. Main samajh gaya. Yeh file kisi ne tujhe di, tu ne maangi nahi, lekin tu ne rakh li, yeh teri aadat ho gayi hai. Backbone, malik nahi, yeh baat aaj se meri zabaan par mohar hai. Baap ji se main bolunga, lekin unse tu bhi mil, unki awaaz tu ne sun li hai, unko bhi teri mutthi dikhani hogi. Main tere khilaaf nahi khada hounga. Yeh meri baat hai. Purani recording, purani file, unko main aaj ke baad nahi uthata. Tu maaf nahi karegi, yeh main jaanta hoon, lekin tu saath legi, yeh bhi.”

Srivalli ne sir hilaaya, laptop band karte hue, pallu theek, awaaz mein koi jeet ki chillahat nahi, sirf hisaab. “Yeh kaafi hai, aaj. Aap jaaiye, dates nikaaliye, cabinet ki zubaan taiyar kijiye. Jo raat aap chahein, wo meri marzi se hogi, kisi dabav se nahi. Yeh farq aap yaad rakhie. Aur itna: is office ke bahar yeh baat nahi jaayegi, Pushpa ji tak nahi, party ke logo tak nahi. Aap meri backbone hain, isliye main aapko tod nahi rahi, palat rahi hoon.”

Unhone uth kar darwaze tak ek kadam liya, phir mud kar kaha, “Baap ji ke paas tu shaam ko ja, main pehle unko ready kar doonga, lekin unki awaaz tu khud sunna chahegi, yeh main jaanta hoon. Tu sambhal, bhabhi. Queen hone ka matlab yeh bhi hai ki ab log tujhe peeche se nahi, saamne se dekhenge.” Woh nikal gaye, muskaan wapas nahi aayi turant, lekin kandhe seedhe the, jaise koi naya hisaab le kar chala ho. Clerk andar aane ko tha, Srivalli ne haath se rok diya, “Paanch minute, chai baad mein,” aur darwaza almost band raha. Woh kursi par baithi rahi, saans bhari, drive bag mein, dono haath pallu par, aur office ki deewar se uska hi poster usko dekhta raha, muskurata hua, pallu theek, jo soorat janata dekhti hai, jo soorat ab Jolly bhi maan chuka hai.

Usne phone par Rudra ko khud message nahi kiya, Jolly ke lafz par bharosa kiya, lekin time nikal liya, shaam ke saat, kothi, akeli. Phir usne Pushpa ji ko short message bheja, “Office theek hai, shaam ko uncle se party wali baat, late ho sakti hoon, aap site sambhaliye.” Reply aaya, “Theek hai, rani, tu sambhal, main hoon.” Us message ko dekh kar uske honth ek pal ke liye kas gaye, phir usne phone bag mein rakha. *Aaj meri mutthi khuli nahi, band hui hai. Shaam ko uncle, unki awaaz, unki kursi, aur meri haan, agar main doon. Aapko yeh raat nahi dikhni chahiye, Pushpa ji, sirf yeh khabar dikhni chahiye ki party meri peeth par hai.*

Dopahar ko woh haveli wapas aayi, khana khaya, maa ji ke saath baithi, simple baat, campaign, posters, aur usne wine saree almari se nikaali, shaam ke liye, pehle se soch kar. Maa ji ne poocha, “Aaj phir nikalna hai?” “Haan, maa ji, party ki baat, uncle ke yahan, der nahi houngi.” Unhone sir hilaaya, “Jaldi aa ja, beti, ghar ka sukoon bhi chahiye.” *Sukoon rahega, maa ji, is farq ke saath ki meri file ab meri mutthi mein hai.*