[Joker44]

Venkat uske peeche aaye, “Kholun, rani?” “Haan, kholiye,” usne kaha, aankhein aage, sheeshe mein, unki ungliyan peeth par, pehla hook, doosra, teesra, gold blouse khula, uski saans uth-giri, choli neeche, phir Gopal ne petticoat ki nara poochh kar kholi, “Yeh bhi?” “Haan,” aur Prakash ne pallu poora marble par girate hue nazar se ijazat li. Jab saree marble par giri, navy-gold ka gher, woh teeno ke saamne khadi thi, nangi, mangalsutra, jhumke, choodiyan, sindoor, heels ab utari hui, aankhein nahi jhuki. Peeli light uski chamri par, kali ladiyan seene par, aur usne kaha, awaaz halki, lekin tuti nahi, “Sofa par, dheere, ek-ek karke, meri awaaz par. Jo kahun ruko, rukiye. Aaj meri haan hai, aapki jaldi nahi.”

Pehle Venkat, unhone sofa par usko litaya, kurta ek taraf, apna lund uski geeli chut par ragaya, top tikaya, “Lu, rani? Ab bhi haan?” “Haan, dheere,” aur inch-inch andar aaye, uski siski, “Aaaahhh, haan, thoda ruk kar, phir aaiye, mat rukiye…” Unki aankhon mein dekha, dhakke control wale, kabhi ruk kar uske boobs muh mein, kali ladiyon ko ek taraf, kabhi uske lafz, “Jeeti hui rani, tu le rahi hai, main de raha hoon, yeh farq aaj saaf hai.” “Haan, le rahi hoon, ahhh, aapki meherbani se nahi, apni haan se, wahan, gehra, tez nahi.” Jab dard tez hua, usne kaha, “Dheere,” aur unhone dheere kiya, “Theek?” “Theek, ab aaiye, haan.” Phir gehra, palang nahi, sofa ki karak, uski siski, peeli light, aur jab woh kaanpane lagi, unhone andar chhod diya, uski haan par, “Haan, andar, dijiye.” Woh uske upar ek pal leti rahe, saans bhaari, phir hat kar paani ke liye ruke, lekin usne kaha, “Baad mein paani, ab agla, meri awaaz par, main taiyar hoon.” Unhone uske maathe par, sindoor ke bagal, honth rakhe, “Tu bolti rahe, rani, main sunta rahunga.” Usne sir hilaaya, sofa par seedhi hui, pair dheere khole, mangalsutra theek kiya, aur agle ko nazar se bulaya, bina sharm ke jhuke, bina jaldi ke.

Phir Gopal, purani bhaari body, bhaari saans, unhone pairon ke kareeb baith kar poocha, “Rani, lu? Tu kehe to main yahin ruku.” “Haan, Gopal ji, lijiye, dheere, meri haan hai.” Unhone andar liya, gehra, uski ijazat se, aur usne unko apni taraf kheencha, dard aur maza, “Ahhh, mat ruko, thoda dheere, haan, aise, poora…” Unki hatheli uski kamar par, dhakke bhaari, lekin jab usne “dheere” kaha to unhone maana, phir uski “haan, ab” par aage badhe. “Tu jeet gayi, rani, tu humari mez ki malik hai aaj,” unhone kaha, saans toot-toot. “Haan, meri mez, ahhh, meri marzi, dijiye, andar.” Jab unhone chhod diya, uska jism kaanpta raha, choodiyan bajin, aur usne ek pal aankhein band ki, saans li, pallu nahi odha, sirf mangalsutra theek kiya, phir aankhein kholi, Prakash ki taraf, jo ab bhi ek kadam peeche the, jaise file ka intezaar ho, hukm ka nahi. “Naidu ji, aaiye, meri haan se. Aap rukte ho, yeh mujhe pasand hai, lekin aaj meri mez hai, aapko bhi lena hai, dena hai, dono soch kar.” Unhone sir hilaaya, kareeb aaye, “Jaisa tu kahe, rani ji.”

Phir Prakash, saaf, file jaisa, unhone uske kareeb aakar haath nahi lagaya jab tak usne nazar se na kaha, “Dard hai to kahiye, rani ji, main ruk sakta hoon.” “Dard hai, lekin mat rukiye, Naidu ji, dheere lijiye, haan, wahan.” Unhone inch-inch andar liya, control, jaise koi file ke page par dastkhat le, aur uski siski unke kaan ke kareeb giri, “Aaaah, haan, aise, mat nikaliye, meri file aapki zabaan ke saath hai, aaj bhi…” “Hai, rani ji, rahegi,” unhone kaha, dhakke lambe, tez nahi, aur jab dono kaanpe, unhone poocha, “Andar?” “Haan, andar, dijiye.” Unhone andar chhod diya, maathe par, sindoor ke kareeb nahi, bagal mein, honth, na pyar, na wada, sirf mohar.

Paani ke ek ghoont ke baad Venkat ne, uski nazar se, kaha, “Rani, agar teri haan ho, to khidki ke kareeb, khade-khade, ek baar, pehli dinner ki tarah, lekin aaj teri awaaz par.” Srivalli ne sheesha dekha, peeli light, apni nangi soorat, mangalsutra, aur sir hilaaya, “Haan, ek baar, dheere, Venkat ji, sirf aap, phir khatam. Main khadi hoon, aap peeche se, meri haan se.” Woh sheeshe ke kareeb gayi, haath glass par, unke haath uski kamar par, aur dheere, peeche se, andar liya, jab usne kaha, “Haan, aaiye, dheere, poora.” Dhakke gehre, tez nahi, uski siski sheeshe par dhundhli, “Ahhh, mat ruko, wahan, haan…” aur unke kaan ke kareeb, “Jeeti hui rani, dekh khud ko.” Usne dekha, nazar nahi hatayi, “Dekh rahi hoon, ahhh, meri mez, meri haan, dijiye.” Jab dono kaanpe, unhone nikal kar usko sofa par baithaya, towel, dheere, aur usne saans li, lambi.

Jab teeno ka hisaab uske jism par tha, usne paani maanga, saans li, sofa par baithi, pallu nahi odha, navy kapda ab bhi marble par, mangalsutra bahar, sindoor thoda bigda, usne ungli se theek kiya, aur kaha, awaaz thaki, saaf, “Yeh meri mohar hai, aapki cabinet meri file mein honi chahiye subah, naam ke saath, phone ke saath. Aaj raat is farmhouse ke andar rahegi, meri stage ke saamne nahi, mere ghar ke saamne nahi. Yeh meri shart ka aakhri hissa hai.”

Venkat ne kaha, kurta ke button lagate hue, “Subah nikalegi, rani, meri zabaan.” Gopal ne kaha, “Phone jaayega, pehla naam tera.” Prakash ne kaha, “File chalegi, sealed, teri nazar se.” Jolly door khade rahe, jab tak usne unhe nahi bulaya, aur usne aaj bhi kaha, unki taraf dekh kar, “Aaj nahi, Jolly. Aaj yeh meri mez thi, aapki nahi. Aap backbone rahiye, aaj ki mohar teeno ki hai, aapki kal ki hogi, meri marzi se.” Unhone sir hilaaya, muskuraye, backbone wale hisaab se, koi gussa nahi, “Theek hai, bhabhi. Tu queen hai, main kinare. Subah main bhi baap ji ko yaad dila dunga, teri mez ki baat.”

Usne bathroom mein chehra dhoya, sindoor theek kiya, navy Kanjeevaram wapas pehni, hooks Gopal ne nahi, usne Prakash se kaha, “Hook lagaiye, sirf hook,” aur unhone peeth par dheere lagaye, pallu usne khud kasa, jhumke, heels, jaise koi asal dinner se nikal rahi ho, jeet wali, formal. Sheeshe mein ek thaki, gehri, navy rani dekhi, jiske andar aaj raat ki garmi thi, bahar cabinet wali soorat. Raste par sheher ki lights window par daudti rahi, pallu god mein, navy zari kabhi-kabhi streetlight mein jal uthti, aur usne Pushpa ji ko message kiya, “Nikal gayi, baat ho gayi, aa rahi hoon.” Reply, “Theek, rani, main hoon.” Driver chup tha, aur usne sheeshe mein sindoor check kiya, jhumke, pallu, jaise koi asal dinner se nikal rahi ho. *Aaj meri mez thi, pehli dinner wali mez nahi, aaj meri haan thi, aaj meri shart thi, aur subah darwaza khulega. Sharm hai, himmat hai, dono saath hain, aur main ghar jaa rahi hoon, apne mard ke bagal, is mohar ko apni file mein band kar ke.* Gaadi haveli ke raste mud gayi, posters ab bhi deewar par the, uska chehra, pallu theek, “Srivalli Pushpa Raj,” aur usne nazar nahi hatayi.

Haveli par Pushpa ji ne poocha, verandah, beedi ki aakhri kash, nazar navy zari par, “Cabinet wali baat hui? Sab theek hai?” aur usne muskurakar kaha, unke kareeb jaa kar, “Haan, Pushpa ji, nikalne wali hai, pehla darwaza, subah khabar aayegi. Aap meri jeet par proud rahiye, baaki main sambhal lungi. Main thak gayi hoon, aaj ki khushi meri bhi hai, aapki bhi.” Unhone usko andar liya, maathe par kiss, “Tu jeet, meri MLA, meri rani. So ja, kal teri file nikalegi.” Palang par unka haath uski kamar par aaya, navy zari almari mein rakhi, nighty, mangalsutra upar, aur uske jism par aaj raat ki mohar thi, jo unko nahi dikhi.

Unhone nighty ke upar haath rakh kar uski kamar pakadi, “Cabinet nikle to main pehle tujhe proud kahunga, phir sheher ko. Tu meri rani hai, tu meri MLA hai, so ja.” “Haan, Pushpa ji, so jaaungi,” usne dheeme kaha, unki chhati par haath rakh kar. Srivalli ne aankhein ek pal khuli rakhi, unki saans, pankha, bahar haveli shaant, jeet ke do din baad bhi posters ki yaad, aur socha, *Aaj meri jeet do din purani hai, aaj meri mohar nayi hai, aur subah cabinet ka darwaza khulega, meri file mein, meri haan ke saath. Pushpa ji, aap so jaaiye, yeh mez aapko nahi dikhni chahiye, sirf woh kursi dikhni chahiye jo ab meri hai. Pehli dinner par main kaampi thi, aaj main shart rakh kar wapas aayi hoon, yeh farq meri neend mein kaafi hai.* Honth par koi badi muskaan nahi thi, sirf ek thaki, kadi si line, jo subah phone ka intezaar karne wali thi. Pankha dheere chala, bahar kutta chup tha, jeet ke baad haveli ki raat naram thi, aur neend der se aayi, lekin aayi, unke haath ke neeche, navy zari ke peeche, us mohar ke saath jo unko nahi dikhi. *Subah phone aayega, yeh unki baat thi, aur main us phone ko apni file mein rakh loongi, is palang ke bagal, aapki saans ke bagal.*

Subah phone teesre pahar se pehle khanakaya, Gopal ka number, short, seedha, “Rani, naam nikal gaya, mahila kalyan aur port-welfare prabhari, teri file, meri committee, Venkat ki zabaan, Rudra ji ki mohar. Akhbar shaam tak, tu taiyar rahiye.” Srivalli verandah par thi, simple cotton saree, chai, aur usne kaha, “Shukriya, Gopal ji. Aapki baat pakki hui, meri file mein hai.” Unhone dheeme hans kar kaha, “Teri mez thi, rani, humne nibhayi. Mubarak.” Usne phone neeche rakha, Pushpa ji ki taraf mud kar muskurayi, asal muskaan, “Aaya, Pushpa ji. Pehla darwaza, meri file, aapki rani ki kursi agle kadam par hai.” Maa ji kitchen se nikal kar boli, “Kya hua, beti?” “Achhi khabar, maa ji, party ne ek zimmedari di, ghar mein meetha nikalna.” Maa ji ne haath jod kar aakash ki taraf dekha, phir uske sar par haath phera, “Tu jeetti ja, beti, ghar ka diya jalata rakhna.” “Jalaati rahungi, maa ji.”

Unhone beedi sulgate hue usko apni taraf kheench liya, maathe par kiss, “Meri minister, meri rani. Main proud hoon. Tu jeet, main tere peeche. Aaj site pe baad mein jaaunga, pehle tere saath chai.” “Haan,” usne kaha, unke kandhe par haath rakh kar, “pehle chai, baad mein file.” *Aap proud ho, yeh sach hai, aur peeche jo mez thi, woh aapko nahi dikhegi. Darwaza khul gaya, ab yeh dekhna hai yeh darwaza kahan tak jaata hai, mahila kalyan se aage, kursi ke aur kareeb.*