[Joker44]

Goli jab chali to woh lambi nahi, kati hui, tez thi, pehle ek, phir do, phir ek van ki awaaz, phir kisi ke chillane ki, phir radio par Raka, “Fire unki taraf se aayi, humne jawab diya, Shekhar jeep ke peeche hai, haath mein hathiyaar, lekin nikal nahi raha.” Pushpa ji, “Peeche se kaato, sir par nahi, pair ke kareeb, zinda chahiye, rani ne kaha hai, meri bhi marzi yahi hai.” Ek aur goli, phir shaant, phir Raka ne kaha, awaaz tez, “Shekhar gira, bhaiyya ke kareeb, saans hai, hathiyaar door hai, tang mein laga, jaan nahi gayi.”

Srivalli ki saans ek baar toot kar wapas aayi, radio uske haath mein kaanpta, phir seedha, aur usne palang ke kinare sir jhukaya, shawl munh ke kareeb, lekin royi nahi, sirf ek lambi saans li, jaise koi paani se nikal kar kinare aaye. Phone par usne Prakash ko likha, “Gir gaya, saans hai, aapki patrol pakde.” Reply aaya, “Pakad rahe hain. Aap baithiye.”

Radio par ab awaazen tez thi, lekin goli ki nahi, hukm ki. Raka, “Hathiyaar door, haath peeche, van lao.” Kisi officer ki awaaz, “Custody, no crowd, move.” Munna, “Bhaiyya, tang se khoon hai, lekin saans chal rahi, doctor jeep mein hai kya?” Pushpa ji, “security officer ke saath clinic, meri jeep nahi, unki van, zinda chahiye, rani ki file par khoon nahi. Kesari, rasta saaf rakh, koi bheed nahi.” Srivalli yeh sab sunti rahi, shawl kas, aankhein nam, aur radio par kaha, dheeme, “Pushpa ji, aap theek hain? Lage to nahi?”

“Theek hoon, rani,” unhone kaha, awaaz kareeb se, jaise ab jeep ke kareeb khade hon, “mitti lagi hai, goli nahi. Tu so ja, main subah aata hoon. Yeh aakhri khel uska tha, ab nahi khelega.” “Main soungi jab aap aayenge,” usne kaha, “ab radio yahin hai, aapki awaaz ke liye.” Unhone dheeme se hans kar kaha, “Sherni, tu jaagti rahi, ab bas.”

Pushpa ji ne khud usko nahi maara, security officer ne pakda, haath peeche, van mein, aur radio par unki awaaz aayi, bhaari, thaki, jeet ki, “Rani, zinda pakda hai, meri goli uske naam par hai, lekin qatl meri rani ki file par nahi chahiye tha, isliye zinda hai. Tang mein laga, chalega, jail jaayega. Tu so ja, subah main aaunga. Tu kamre mein rahi, maa ko mat jagana, ab shaant hai.”

Srivalli ne radio ke kareeb sir rakh diya, aankhein band, aur ek pal ke liye sirf itna socha, *Yeh aakhri aag bujh gayi, aap zinda ho, woh zinda pakda hai, aur meri kursi ab uski goli ke neeche nahi. Kal se meri jung posters ki hai, raston ki nahi. Pushpa ji, aap laut kar aaiye, main yahin hoon, so nahi rahi, aapki saans ka intezaar kar rahi hoon.* Usne Venkat ko short message kiya, “He’s alive, in custody. The ground is ours.” Aur Dave ko, “Last fire is out. Water can stay quiet.” Venkat ka pehla reply turant nahi aaya, kuch der baad aaya, “Good. Now go win the damned seat,” lekin woh line subah wale message mein dohraayi gayi, jaise unhone do baar mohar lagayi ho. Dave ka reply short tha, “Quiet held. Proud of your ground, rani. The water will wait.” Usne dono screen ek pal dekhe, phir phone neeche rakha, shawl odhe, palang par baithi rahi, neend nahi aayi, sirf intezaar, kamre ki shaant, aur door se kabhi-kabhi ek kutta.

Usne ek baar khidki kholi, andhi hawa aayi, thandi, aur band kar di, kyunki awaaz nahi, hawa nahi, sirf unki wapsi chahiye thi. Mangalsutra ungli se chhua, sindoor nahi bigda tha, nighty ke kone mein ek boond paani giri, glass se, aansu se nahi, aur usne kapda theek kiya, jaise koi chhoti si file theek kare. Usne radio band nahi kiya turant, volume dheema rakha, taaki agar koi aur awaaz aaye, woh sun le, lekin ab sirf hawa si thi, kabhi kisi officer ki kata-phati baat, “van move, custody,” phir shaant. Usne nighty ke kone se aankh ponchhi, aansu the, lekin girne se pehle ruk gaye, aur muskurahat jaisi koi cheez honth par nahi aayi, sirf saans seedhi hui.

Ek ghanta, ya usse zyada, woh baithi rahi, kabhi khidki par, kabhi palang ke kinare, kabhi paani le kar, aur socha ki subah ko maa ji poochengi, Kaveri poochengi, sheher poochhega, aur usko ek hi baat karni hai: sab sambhal gaya, zinda pakda hai, campaign kal. *Aaj main stage par nahi jaaungi, aaj main apne mard ke bagal mein baithungi, kal meri awaaz wapas nikalegi. Rani wahi hai jo jeet ke baad bhi ghar sambhale.*

Subah ke andhere mein, jo andhera ab naram ho raha tha, jeep ki awaaz aangan mein aayi. Srivalli pehle se uth kar darwaze par thi, shawl, nighty, mangalsutra, aur Pushpa ji mitti aur jeet le kar laute, kali shirt par dhool, maathe par ek lakeer, aankhon mein thakaan aur proud dono. Maa ji peeche se nikal aayi, royi, phir hansin, “Zinda hai tu, beta, zinda hai,” aur unhone maa ko ek pal kandhe se lagaya, phir Srivalli ki taraf aaye.

Srivalli ne unke haath dhulaye, sink par, lohe aur mitti, dheere, apni ungliyon se, jaise koi pativrata apne mard ko jung se poora lautata dekhti hai. Paani garam nahi, naram tha, maa ji ne diya, aur usne unki kalai, unki hatheli, ungliyon ke beech ki dhool, sab dheere utari, bina zyada lafz ke. Unki shirt nikaal kar rakh di, alag, jaise pehli goli wali raat ke kapde alag the, kali kapde par mitti ki lakeer, aur palang par unko litaya, paani diya, maathe ki mitti ponchhi, ek saaf kapda, dheere, jaise koi sindoor theek karti hai, itni ehtiyat se. Unhone uska haath apni chhati par rakha, bhaari hatheli, garam, dil ab seedha, tez nahi.

“Baith, rani,” unhone kaha, “tu raat bhar jaagi, main jaanta hoon, radio tere haath mein raha. Tu meri sherni hai, tu meri neta hai, aaj yeh baat pakki hui.” Usne unke kareeb baith kar sir hilaaya, “Aap laute, yeh kaafi hai. Baaki baad mein.”

“Rani, ab tu jeet, main tera peechha nahi, tera saath,” unhone kaha, awaaz bhaari, naram. “Shekhar jail jaayega, meri list ab teri stage ke liye khali hai. Usne teri jeep ka intezaar kiya, main uske raste par pahunch gaya, teri security officer aa gayi, teri baat yaad rahi, zinda pakda. Tu ne kaha tha qatl teri file par nahi, main maan gaya. Ab tu jeet, rani, posters se, awaaz se, main tere peeche hoon, aage nahi.”

Usne unki aankhon mein dekha, aansu aaye, lekin giri nahi, aur muskurayi, asal muskaan, thaki, gehri. “Aap so jaaiye, Pushpa ji. Main jeetungi, aapki goli ke baad meri file jeetegi. Yeh ghar ab shaant hoga, thode din. Aapki jaan meri jaan hai, aaj yeh baat phir se pakki hui. Main rally aaj nahi, kal dungi, aaj aap so jaaiye, main yahin hoon.”

Palang ke kinare woh unke bagal mein baithi rahi, shawl odhe, jab tak unki saans bhaari, seedhi, neend mein nahi mil gayi, unka haath uski kalai par, aur uske phone par Venkat ka message tha, “Good. Now go win the damned seat. Cabinet talk after the vote, not before. Sleep, rani.” Prakash ka bhi aaya, “Custody confirmed. File will reach your office. Stay home today if you can.” Usne dono ko short shukriya bheja, phone neeche rakha, aur unke maathe par, mitti ke baad saaf, apna haath phera.

Maa ji darwaze par aayi, chai le kar, dheeme, aur kaha, “Tu bhi so ja, beti, woh so gaya, tu jaagi hai raat bhar. Ghar ab shaant hai, diya main jalati hoon.” Srivalli ne unke pair nahi chhue, kyunki uthne se unki neend tut sakti thi, sirf sir hilaaya, “Thodi der baad, maa ji. Aap chai rakh dijiye, main yahin hoon.” Kaveri andar se nikal kar, neend bhari aankhon se, darwaze par ruki, “Mami, sab theek hai? Raat ko awaaz…?” Srivalli ne naram kaha, “Theek hai, beta, sab sambhal gaya, tu so ja, aaj college late se jaana, ghar shaant rahe.” Kaveri ne ek pal dekha, phir andar chali gayi, aur Srivalli ne uski peeth dekhi, phir nazar unke chehre par wapas le aayi, apne mard par, jo ab so raha tha, jeet le kar, mitti utar kar.

Dhoop jab aangan mein naram padi, tab usne shawl sambhala, unka haath apni kalai se dheere hataya, aur khidki ke kareeb jaa kar sheher ki taraf dekha, jo ab itna door nahi tha. *Aakhri aag bujh gayi. Ab saamne stage hai, posters hain, vote hai, aur woh cabinet jo meri mutthi mein band hai. Shekhar, aap jail mein ho, meri jeep aapke raste se nikalegi, aapke intezaar mein nahi. Pushpa ji, aap so jaaiye, meri file ab posters par chalegi, raston ki goli par nahi.*

Jolly ka message dopahar se pehle aaya, “Bhabhi, khabar aa gayi, baap ji ko pata chal gaya, party khush hai, tu aaj ghar rahi, kal stage, main sambhal raha hoon.” Usne reply kiya, “Kal stage, aaj ghar. Cabinet ki baat baad mein, aaj nahi.” Unhone sirf “Theek” bheja. Srivalli ne chai li, maa ji ke saath kitchen ke kone mein khadi rahi, off-white shawl ki jagah ab ek simple cotton saree, pallu tight, sindoor theek, jaise ghar ki rani, jung ki nahi, aur maa ji ne kaha, “Aaj tu nikal mat, beta, ghar mein sohna hai, sheher ki baat sheher kare.” “Haan, maa ji, aaj nahi nikalungi, kal stage par houngi, aaj ghar mein, aapke paas, unke paas, yeh bhi meri jeet hai.” Maa ji ne uske sar par haath phera, aanchal se aankh ponchhti hui, “Tu meri bahu hai, tu meri rani bhi, dono theek rakh, beti, aaj khana garam hai, tu kha, phir thoda let ja, raat lambi thi.” “Haan, maa ji, khati hoon,” usne kaha, awaaz naram, ghar wali, shaant.

Pushpa ji dopeher ko uthay, nahaaye, khana khaya, aur verandah par baith kar uska haath pakada, “Kal tu bol, main peeche hounga, aaj tu mere bagal mein rahi. Shekhar ki file ab security officer ki hai, meri nahi, teri bhi nahi, yeh theek hai.” Srivalli ne sir hilaaya, unki hatheli mein apni hatheli rakhi, aur kaha, “Theek hai, Pushpa ji. Kal meri awaaz, aaj aapki saans. Itna meri jeet hai.” Unhone hans kar uske maathe par kiss kiya, beedi ab halki, aur haveli us din asal mein shaant rahi, pehli baar kitne dino baad, posters bahar, andar chai, aur ek rani jo apni file ko ek din ke liye god mein rakh kar baithi thi, daudti nahi.

Shaam ko un dono ne verandah par chai pi, dhoop dhalti hui, aur Pushpa ji ne kaha, “Kal panchayat nahi, mandi wala chhota ground, bheed hogi, khabar phail chuki hai. Tu seedhi bolna, goli ka naam mat lena, jeet ka naam lena, kaam ka naam lena. Main peeche hounga.” Srivalli ne pallu theek kiya, chai ki pyali dono hatheliyon mein, “Haan, Pushpa ji, main seedhi bolungi. Aaj jo shaant hai, kal usko awaaz dungi, goli nahi. Mandi wale ground par log poochhenge, main kaam ki baat karungi, jaile ki baat nahi, us aadmi ka naam nahi. Meri file ab posters par chalegi, yeh maine soch liya hai.” Unhone uska haath pakada, apni badi hatheli mein, beedi honth par abhi nahi, “Tu jeet, rani. Main tera saath, tera peechha nahi. Kal main tere peeche khada hounga, jaise pehli rally par, lekin aaj jo tu ne radio par kiya, woh main nahi bhoolunga. Teri file meri goli ke barabar hai, yeh baat ab pakki hai.” “Pakki rahe,” usne kaha, muskurate hue, thaki si muskaan, “dono ka hisaab alag, dono ka kaam ek.”

Raat ko palang par unka haath uski kamar par aaya, wahi garam, bhari, aur is baar unki neend jaldi aayi, uski bhi, thakaan se, jeet se, us shaant se jo ab ghar mein thi. Pankha dheere chala, bahar kutta chup ho gaya, aur unki saans uske baalon mein girne lagi, bhaari, seedhi, jeet ki, thakaan ki. Srivalli ne aankhein band karte hue socha, *Kal meri awaaz nikalegi, parson posters, phir vote, phir woh kursi jo maine apni keemat se, apni file se, apni haan se li. Shekhar jail mein hai, Dave ka jahaaz paani par shaant hai, Rudra ki zabaan meri mutthi mein hai, aur aap mere bagal mein ho, Pushpa ji. Yeh meri raat ki jeet hai, jo aapko poori nahi dikhegi, lekin jo kal din par nikalegi. Aaj ki shaant meri bhi hai, aapki bhi, aur main isko dono hatheliyon mein rakh kar so rahi hoon, kal ki awaaz ke liye, aaj ki goli ke liye nahi.*