[Joker44]

Shaam ko Rudra ki kothi par woh akeli gayi, simple wine cotton silk, palish-laal nahi, gehri wine, pallu kasa, chhote gold tops, mangalsutra bahar, sindoor saaf, koi aashirwad wali soorat nahi, sirf file. Kothi ki lights peeli thi, jaise pehli raaton mein, lekin aaj us peeli roshni mein uska dil tez tha, dar se nahi, hisaab se. Servant ne andar bheja, darwaza band hua, aur Rudra drawing room mein the, whiskey uthaye, safed kurta, wohi badi body, wohi nazar jo kabhi uski pehli shart par tikti thi, aaj us nazar ko usne saamne se dekha. “Aaja, rani,” unhone kaha, muskurate hue, “Jolly ne kaha tha tu aayegi, party ki baat, cabinet ki baat. Baith, whiskey le, aaj tu itni seedhi kyun dikh rahi hai? Wine saree, pallu kasa, jaise koi file le kar aayi ho, aashirwad lene nahi.”

Srivalli ne namaste kiya, baithi, pallu god mein, aur kaha, “Aashirwad bhi loongi, uncle, lekin pehle file. Aaj meri baat seedhi hai, isliye soorat bhi seedhi hai.” Unhone usko kursi di, whiskey badhayi, usne paani maanga, glass haath mein, unki eyebrow uthhi, “Paani, phir se. Tu hosh mein rehna chahti hai.” “Haan,” usne kaha, “hosh mein, aaj ki poori raat.” Baat ghumane se pehle usne recording ka wahi tukda unke saamne chalaya, phone par, awaaz kamre mein giri, “rani ko rakhna hai control mein,” phir band kiya. Rudra ki aankhein pehle chhodi, phir kadi, pehle gussa aaya, ek pal ke liye unki hatheli glass par kas gayi, phir ek thanda hisaab, phir ek lambe saans ke saath woh muskuraye, jaise koi purana shikari samajh gaya ho ki shikar ab saamne se dekh raha hai.

“Toh rani ne meri awaaz pakad li,” unhone kaha, awaaz bhaari, lekin chillayi nahi. “Kya karegi, sheher mein bajayegi? Pushpa ko sunaayegi? Party committee ko? Ya meri kursi ke saamne rakh kar apni maangegi? Bol, main bhool nahi raha, main poochh raha hoon.”

Srivalli ne glass rakha, unki aankhon mein dekha, awaaz naram, lekin kathi, pallu ke neeche ungliyan kas, lekin kaanpti nahi. “Bajane nahi aayi, uncle. Maangne aayi hoon. Cabinet ka rasta, jeet ke baad, aapki zabaan se, public mein, party ke logon ke saamne. Control meri file mein rahega, aapki mutthi mein nahi. Aap meri party ke bade rahiye, meri file ke malik nahi. Main aapki baat sunti rahungi, aapki palang par bhi aa sakti hoon, jab main haan kahun, lekin aaj ke baad yeh awaaz meri bhi hai. Jolly se baat ho gayi, woh backbone rahenge, malik nahi. Aap bade rahiye, malik nahi. Manzoor hai?”

Rudra ne glass rakha, uth kar uske kareeb aaye, lekin haath nahi lagaya jab tak usne nazar se ijazat na di, itna fasla jitna ek sawal ka hota hai. “Manzoor hai, rani. Cabinet ki zubaan main dunga, jeet ke baad, itna pakka jitna meri awaaz is phone mein hai. Tu ne mujhe pakda, yeh main maan gaya. Aaj tu sirf baat karne aayi, ya apni mohar bhi rakhni hai? Bol, main zabardasti nahi karunga, tu jaanti hai. Agar sirf baat hai, tu ghar ja, meri zabaan phir bhi tere saath hai. Agar mohar hai, to tu khud keh, main haath tab badhaunga.”

Usne ek pal socha, andar garmi aur hisaab dono the, peeli light, unki nazar, uski wine saree, aur woh baat ki mohar sirf kaagaz ki na rahe, lekin mohar uski haan se rahe, unki mutthi se nahi. *Main de sakti hoon, aaj, soch kar, taaki yeh baat meri mutthi mein band ho, unki yaad mein bhi, sirf recording mein nahi.* Phir usne sir hilaaya, awaaz halki, lekin tuti nahi. “Aaj mohar bhi, meri haan se, dheere, ek baar, taaki yeh baat sirf kaagaz ki na rahe. Mangalsutra rahega, sindoor rahega. Jo kahun ruko, rukiye. Dheere kahungi to dheere kijiye. Yeh meri shart hai.”

“Shart maan li,” Rudra ne kaha, ab haath badhate hue, pehle uske pallu par, poochhte hue, “Lu pallu?” “Haan,” usne kaha, “dheere utarie.”

Unhone pallu dheere utara, wine kapda uske kandhe se khisaka, blouse ke hooks peeth par ek-ek kar ke khole, uski saans unke ungliyon ke neeche uth-girti, choli khuli, phir petticoat ki nara, aur wine silk neeche gir gaya, uske pairon ke kareeb ek gehri lakeer. Srivalli mangalsutra, tops, sindoor, choodiyon ke saath khadi rahi, peeli light uski chamri par, aur Rudra ne usko dekha, lamba saans liya, haath ab uski kamar par, garam, badi hatheli, aur poocha, “Palang par aaun? Lu?”

“Haan, dheere, lijiye,” usne kaha, unki aankhon mein dekhte hue, nazar nahi hatayi. “Pehle mujhe litaiye, phir andar aaiye, inch se, jaise pehli baar soch kar aaye hon, meri haan se.”

Unhone usko palang par liya, razaai ek taraf, uski peeth chadar par, pair dheere khule, aur unhone kurta ke neeche se apna lund bahar kiya, bada, garam, uski geeli chut par ragate, top tikaya, “Lu, rani? Ab bhi haan?” “Haan, dheere, lijiye,” aur inch-inch andar aaye, uski siski suni, “Aaaahhh, haan, thoda ruk kar, phir aaiye, ahhh, poora…” Unki aankhon mein dekhe, dhakke control wale, kabhi ruk kar uske honth, kali ladiyon ko ek taraf karke uske boobs muh mein, kabhi uske lafz, bhari awaaz, “Meri rani, ab tu meri awaaz bhi rakhti hai, yeh bhi ek keemat hai, teri, meri nahi. Bol, le rahi hai tu, ya sirf de rahi hai?”

Usne unko apni taraf kheencha, taangein unki kamar par, naakhon se peeth, “Haan, meri keemat, ahhh, mat rukiye, main de rahi hoon, chheen nahi rahi aap. Tez nahi, gehra, haan, wahan… ahhh, uncle, meri haan hai, meri marzi.” Jab dard tez hua, usne kaha, “Dheere,” aur unhone turant dheere kiya, almost ruk kar, “Theek hai?” “Theek, ab aaiye, mat nikaliye, haan.” Phir gehra, control mein, palang ki halki karak, uski siski, unki bhaari saans, aur peeli light un dono par. Unhone usko apni taraf kheench kar upar bitha diya, wine ki yaad uski chamri par, mangalsutra unki chhati se lagta, aur poocha, “Aise, rani? Tu chala, meri mutthi nahi.” Srivalli ne sir hilaaya, “Haan, aise, dheere,” aur khud uth-baithi, unka lund andar, apni kamar se dhakke, haath unke kandhon par, aankhein khuli, “Ahhh, haan, yahan, mat uthie, main le rahi hoon…” Unke haath uski kamar par the, uthate nahi, sambhalte, aur unki awaaz bhaari thi, “Le, meri rani, aaj teri raat hai, meri awaaz teri file mein, tera jism teri haan mein.”

*Main unki palang par hoon, apni marzi se, apni recording unki awaaz ke saath meri mutthi mein, aur yeh mohar main khud laga rahi hoon. Pushpa ji, aap site par honge, yeh raat meri cabinet ki hai, aapki neend ki nahi. Sharm hai, himmat hai, dono saath hain, aur main hat nahi rahi.*

Jab dono kaanpe, usne unki kamar kas li, “Andar, dijiye, meri haan,” aur unhone andar chhod diya, bhaari, garam, uske maathe par, sindoor ke kareeb, honth rakhe, na pyar, na wada, sirf ek naya hisaab. Woh uske upar kuch der leti rahe, saans bhaari, phir bagal mein aaye, haath uske pet par, aur poocha, “Ab bhi meri zabaan teri file mein hai, rani, yeh baat pakki? Ya tu raat ke baad palatogi?”

“Pakki hai,” usne kaha, awaaz thaki, saaf. “Jeet ke baad cabinet, yeh aapki zabaan, meri file. Shekhar ke khilaf aapki cover jaari rahe. Pushpa ji ko aaj ki raat nahi dikhegi, sirf yeh khabar dikhegi ki party meri peeth par hai. Main kapde pehenti hoon, aap apni whiskey pee lijiye, meri mohar lag chuki hai.”

Unhone uske baal se haath phera, badi hatheli, naram, aur kaha, “Paani le le, rani, phir uth. Main tujhe nahi rokunga, tu khud ja. Aaj tu ne mujhe pakda, yeh baat meri umr mein kam log kar paaye. Main gussa tha, ab nahi, ab hisaab hai. Cabinet ki zubaan dunga, public mein, yeh meri mohar hai, teri recording ke saath nahi, meri zabaan se.” Srivalli ne paani liya, thanda, do ghoont, chadar seene par, mangalsutra bahar, aur ek pal unki aankhon mein dekha, bina jhukay. “Yahi kaafi hai, uncle. Baaki din par chhodie, raat par nahi.”

Kapde pehante hue, blouse ke hooks khud nahi, unhone peeth par lagaye, pallu usne khud kasa, wine silk wapas, sindoor ungli se theek, aur sheeshe mein ek thaki, gehri rani dekhi, jiske andar aaj ki garmi thi, bahar committee wali soorat. Rudra kurta ke button lagate hue, uske kareeb aaye, haath nahi lagaya, sirf kaha, “Ja, rani. Tu jeet, phir meri zabaan kaam aayegi. Teri mutthi main maan gaya, yeh bhi likh le. Jolly tujhe backbone dega, main tujhe kursi ka agla darwaza, itna pakka. Ghar ja, apne mard ke bagal mein so, meri kothi ki roshni peeche chhod.”

“Shukriya, uncle,” usne kaha, aur yeh lafz aaj pehli baar hisaab jaisa laga, jhukao jaisa nahi. “Main jeetungi. Aapki zabaan us din kaam aani chahiye, raat ki nahi, din ki, logon ke saamne.” Unhone sir hilaaya, darwaza khola, aur woh nikal gayi, wine pallu god mein, drive ab bhi bag mein, raat ki hawa thandi.

Gaadi ke andar usne ek pal aankhein band ki, sheeshe mein apni wine soorat dekhi, sindoor saaf, lipstick halki, koi bigda nishan nahi, jaise koi asal committee se nikal rahi ho. Driver chup tha, rasta sheher ka, lights window par, aur usne Pushpa ji ko message kiya, “Nikal gayi, bees minute mein haveli.” Reply aaya, “Theek, rani, main hoon.” Usne phone neeche rakha, pallu kas, aur socha, *Aaj maine unki awaaz unke saamne rakh di, aur apni haan bhi, dono soch kar. Yeh rani wahi hai jo dono chehre sambhal sake, office ki, palang ki, aur ghar ki.* Raste mein usne sheeshe mein sindoor ek baar check kiya, tops, mangalsutra, aur honth par koi muskaan nahi thi, sirf ek thaki, kadi si line.

Haveli par Pushpa ji verandah par the, beedi ki aakhri kash, aur unhone poocha, nazar wine saree par ek pal ruki, phir uske chehre par, “Rudra uncle se baat ho gayi? Itni der, sab theek hai?”

Usne muskurakar kaha, awaaz ghar wali, unke kareeb jaa kar, “Haan, Pushpa ji, party meri peeth par hai, jeet ke baad agla kadam bhi. Committee ki baat pakki ho gayi, aap chinta mat kijiye. Aap apni goli sambhaliye, Shekhar ab bhi zinda hai, main apni file sambhal rahi hoon. Khana ho gaya? Main thak gayi hoon.”

“Khana rakha hai, maa ne,” unhone kaha, usko andar lete hue, maathe par kiss, “tu kha le, phir so ja. Tu jeet, rani, main tere peeche hoon. Uncle khush the?” “Khush the, Pushpa ji, party meri peeth par hai, itna kaafi hai.” Thali par woh baithi, maa ji ne garam roti di, zyada nahi poocha, aur Srivalli ne khana khaya, dheere, jaise asal mein committee se thak kar aayi ho. Maa ji ne kaha, “Aaj teri aankh thaki hai, jaldi so ja,” aur usne muskurakar sir hilaaya.

Palang par, thali ke baad, unka haath uski kamar par aaya, wine saree utar kar nighty mein, mangalsutra upar, sindoor halka theek, aur uske laptop ke neeche, almari ke ek dabbe mein, woh drive chup si pada raha, jaise ek chhota sa hathiyaar, jo ab uski saree ke pallu ke peeche tha, uski mutthi mein, uski neend ke kareeb, lekin unki neend se door. Pushpa ji ne neend mein usko apni taraf kheench liya, muh uske baalon mein, aur usne unki chhati par haath rakh diya, taaki unko lage ki unki rani poori tarah ghar aa gayi hai.

Srivalli ne aankhein ek pal khuli rakhi, unki saans uske baalon mein, pankha dheere, bahar haveli shaant, aur socha, *Aaj meri file ne do awaazen pakdi, Jolly, Rudra, aur meri kursi ab sirf ticket nahi, agle kadam tak khul rahi hai. Shekhar ab bhi zinda hai, yeh main nahi bhooli, lekin aaj ki raat meri mutthi band hui, khuli nahi. Pushpa ji, aap so jaaiye, meri mohar aapko nahi dikhni chahiye, sirf meri jeet dikhni chahiye. Kal campaign hai, parson shayad aur koi goli, lekin aaj meri file meri hai, aapki neend ke peeche, sheher ke peeche, un dono ki muskaan ke peeche.* Usne aankhein band ki, unke haath ko apni kamar par rehne diya, aur honth par koi muskaan nahi thi, sirf ek thaki, kadi si line.