[Joker44]

Time us din aaya jab Rudra ne, kuch hafton baad, party aur vidhan sabha ke beech, apni tabiyat aur apni “nayi peedi” ka lafz use kar ke kursi aage ki. In hafton mein Srivalli ke din office, files, chhoti ralliyon, aur haveli ke beech bante rahe, taupe aur simple cotton, kabhi cream, pallu tight, aur sheher mein yeh baat phailti rahi ki agla chehra unka hai, sirf time ka intezaar hai. Kabhi koi akhbar likhta, “Pushpa ki rani, riyasat ka agla kadam,” kabhi koi poochhta, “Kab shapath?” aur woh muskurati, “Jab time aayega, kaam ab bhi chal raha hai.”

Office mein files lambi thi, paani, port-welfare, mahila kalyan, aur woh roz sign karti, padhti, logon ko milti, jaise kursi pehle se uski ho, naam abhi na ho. Pushpa ji proud the, kabhi-kabhi poochhte, “Rani, kab?” aur woh kehti, “Jab time aayega, Pushpa ji, main daudungi nahi, lekin soungi bhi nahi. Aap meri peeth par rahiye, main soch kar chalungi.” Unhone hans kar kaha, “Tu soch soch kar rani bani, ab soch soch kar CM banegi, main tere peeche hoon.” Jolly kinare rehte, kabhi keh dete, “Bhabhi, baap ji soch rahe hain, tu shaant rahiye, nazar mat hatana, jaldi mat dikhana.” “Shaant hoon, Jolly, nazar nahi hata rahi,” woh kehti, “aap apni report rakhie.” Naidu ki files chalti rahi, Venkat ki nazar, Dave ka paani shaant, aur Shekhar jail mein, yeh sab uski peeth par tha, stage ke peeche. Ek raat palang par usne ceiling dekhi, unka haath kamar par, aur socha, *Time aayega, kursi aayegi, lekin aaj main aapke bagal mein hoon, is intezaar ke saath, us keemat ke saath jo aapko nahi dikhi. Main daudungi nahi, yeh maine kaha, aur main soungi bhi nahi, yeh bhi.*

Ek subah Jolly ka phone aaya, awaaz tez, “Bhabhi, baap ji ne faisla kar liya, naam tera hai, shapath ke din nikal rahe hain, tu taiyar rahiye, main sab arrange karta hoon, tu kapda soch, baaki meri backbone.” Srivalli verandah par thi, chai, aur uske honth ek pal ruk gaye, phir muskuraye, andar, bahar nahi, “Theek hai, Jolly. Din bataie, main taiyar houngi. Aap kinare rahiye, meri file meri rahegi, aapki report aapki.” Unhone kaha, “Din jaldi aa raha hai. Mubarak, queen.” Phone rakh kar usne Pushpa ji ko pehle nahi, ek pal soch kar, phir jaa kar kaha, unki aankhon mein, “Pushpa ji, time aa gaya. Shapath, mera naam, kursi meri taraf. Aap mere bagal rahiye, yeh meri pehli maang hai.” Unhone beedi neeche rakhi, usko baahon mein liya, bhaari, garam, “Meri rani, meri CM, main tere bagal hoon, goli nahi, saans. Tu jeet gayi, rani, tu jeet gayi.”

Phir woh din kareeb aaya, naam Srivalli Pushpa Raj ka tha, shapath ki taiyari tez hui, kamre safed phoolon se bhar gaye, calls aane lagi, akhbar, party, aur haveli ek subah se sheher ki nazar ban gayi. Maa ji ne do din pehle se meetha shuru kar diya, “Beti, ghar khush rahe, tu jhuke mat, lekin moh nahi morna.” Srivalli ne unke pair chhue, “Nahi morungi, maa ji, ghar ka diya jalata rahega, kursi ke baad bhi, is se pehle bhi.” Venkat ne message kiya, “Rani, din aa gaya, tu seedhi rahiye, meri nazar hai.” Prakash ne, “Cover rahega, rani ji, hall tak, ghar tak.” Dave ka koi naya message un dino nahi aaya, paani shaant tha, aur us shaant ko usne ek pal yaad kiya, phir peeche chhod diya, kyunki aaj ki file shapath ki thi, jahaaz ki nahi.

Shapath se ek raat pehle haveli mein shaant nahi thi, log aate, phone bajta, aur Srivalli ne almari se safed-gold Kanjeevaram nikaal kar palang par bichhayi, zari, blouse, pallu, sab check kiya, jaise koi file check kare. Pushpa ji darwaze par ruk kar bole, “Rani, so ja, kal badi subah hai, kapda subah dekhiyo.” “Dekh liya, Pushpa ji, ab so jaaungi,” usne kaha, lekin neend der se aayi, ceiling, unka haath, aur soch, *Kal meri shapath hai, kal meri kursi ka lafz hai, aur main kaanpungi nahi, yeh main aaj se keh rahi hoon.* Maa ji raat ko ek baar aayi, “Beti, paani pi le, dar mat,” “Dar nahi, maa ji, zimmedari hai.” Unhone uske sar par haath phera, nikal gayi. Subah se pehle usne ek pal card ke dabbe ki taraf bhi nazar daali, almari ke peeche, phir nazar hata li, kyunki aaj ki raat shapath ki thi, us card ki nahi. *Kal ke baad, shayad. Aaj nahi.*

Us din subah sheeshe ke saamne ek lambi taiyari thi. Maa ji ne pehle tilak lagaya, phir naha kar, baal sukha kar, Srivalli ne ek safed-and-gold Kanjeevaram haath mein li, bhari zari, kapda thanda, wazan bhaari, jaise kursi ka wazan. Tight gold blouse, U-cut nahi, high, lekin fit, peeth par hooks, maa ji ne lagaye, “Seedha rakh, beti, aaj pallu sir par bhi jaayega.” Pallu sir par, mangalsutra bahar, sindoor saaf, maang tika, choodiyan, jhumke, attar halka, gulab, jaise koi rani kursi ki dulhan ho, lekin aankhein dulhan ka dar nahi, hisaab tha. Pallu ke kone mein ek chhoti si gold buti, payal nahi, simple heels, haath mein chhota sa clutch nahi, khali hatheli, jaise shapath ke liye haath azaad chahiye.

Sheeshe mein usne apni soorat dekhi, lambi, safed-gold, maang ki rekha, tika, kali ladiyan soni zari par, aur ek pal ke liye usko farmhouse ki peeli light yaad aayi, emerald, vermilion, navy, taupe, kaala gown, sab is pallu ke peeche, aur usne nazar nahi hatayi. *Aaj main in sab ko le kar jaa rahi hoon, chhupa kar, lekin saath. Aaj meri shapath meri haan jaisi seedhi hogi.* Maa ji ne kaha, “Theek lag rahi hai, beti, rani lag rahi hai.” “Haan, maa ji, rani hoon, aapki bahu bhi, dono le kar jaaungi.”

Pushpa ji uske bagal mein the, safed kurta, aankhon mein woh jungle wala ghamand jo ab stage tak aa gaya tha, joote saaf, beedi aaj honth par nahi. Woh darwaze par ruk kar usko dekhte rahe, ek pal, do pal, jaise koi apni rani ko pehli baar nahi, aakhri baar pehle wale roop mein dekh raha ho, phir kaha, awaaz bhari, naram, “Rani, tu jab shapath le, main tere peeche hoonga, goli nahi, saans. Tu meri rani thi, aaj is riyasat ki rani ban rahi hai. Main wahi hoon, tu badal gayi, lekin meri nahi. Yeh kapda, yeh pallu, yeh tika, sab tera hai, yeh ghar bhi tera hai. Tu jhuk mat, lekin mujhe bhool mat. Main jungle se aaya, tu takht par jaa rahi, dono ek ghar ke hain, yeh mat bhoolna.” Unhone uske maathe par, tilak ke bagal, kiss kiya, lamba nahi, bharose wala, “Chalo, gaadi khadi hai, tu seedhi, main bagal.”

Srivalli ki aankhein ek pal nam hui, giri nahi, aur usne unka haath kas liya. “Aapko nahi bhoolungi, Pushpa ji, yeh meri baat, shapath se badi nahi, shapath ke saath. Aap bagal rahiye, main seedhi rahungi.”

Usne unka haath pakada, cream se nahi, gold zari ke neeche se, kali ladiyan unki kalai se lagti, aur kaha, “Aap wahi rahiye, Pushpa ji. Main aapki rani hoon, yeh nahi chhupungi, aur is riyasat ki zimmedari le rahi hoon, yeh bhi nahi chhupungi. Aap meri peeth par rahiye, meri file meri hai. Main aapko nahi bhoolungi, yeh meri baat hai, shapath se pehle, shapath ke baad.” Maa ji ne unke pair chhue, royi, hansin, aanchal se aankh, “Ja, beti, meri bahu, meri rani, riyasat ki rani, dono theek rakhna.” Kaveri peeche khadi thi, simple salwar mein, aankhon mein kuch unkahi, lekin aaj usne sirf itna kaha, “Mami, aap jeet gayi,” aur Srivalli ne uske maathe par haath phera, jaise ghar ki badi, koi sawal nahi, koi confession nahi, sirf itna, “Beta, tu theek hai, tu apna kaam dekhna, aaj ghar ki nazar bahar hai, andar shaant rakhna.” Kaveri ne sir hilaaya, ek pal ruki, phir peeche hat gayi, aur Srivalli ne nazar hata li, apne pallu, apne mard, apni shapath ki taraf. Aangan mein Raka aur Munna khade the, saaf kapde, muskaan, “Bhabhi, mubarak, bhaiyya, hum yahin hain.” Pushpa ji ne sir hilaaya, “Yahin rahiye, ghar, hall nahi, aaj security kaam karegi, tumhari goli nahi.” Srivalli ne unhe namaste kiya, “Shukriya, aap ghar sambhaliye.” Gaadi ke darwaze par maa ji ek baar aur aayi, aanchal, “Ja, beti, muh dekh ke baithna, lafz saaf bolna, ghar yaad rakhna.” “Yaad hai, maa ji,” usne kaha, pair chhue, pallu sambhala, aur baith gayi, gold zari god mein, Pushpa ji bagal, safed kurta, dono ek saath, jaise pehli rally, jaise counting, jaise aaj shapath. Aangan peeche chhoot gaya, diya ki nazar, maa ji ki nazar, aur gaadi raste par nikal gayi, flags ki taraf, hall ki taraf, us kursi ki taraf jiska naam ab uske naam se judne wala tha. Srivalli ne khidki se ek pal haveli dekhi, phir aage, pallu sir par theek kiya, tika check kiya, aur honth band kiye, faisla khula, dil tez, kadam ab gaadi ke andar the, lekin seedhe.

Gaadi mein raste bhar flags the, kabhi bheed, kabhi taali, dhoop khidki par, gold zari par, aur Pushpa ji kuch der chup the, uska haath apni hatheli mein, kabhi-kabhi sirf itna kehte, “Seedhi rahiye, rani.” “Haan,” woh kehti, pallu sir par, sindoor saaf, dil tez, lekin honth band. Ek signal par gaadi ruki, bahar logon ne namaste kiya, usne khidki se haath uthaya, tika chamka, aur gaadi phir chali. “Rani, tu paani pi le,” unhone kaha, bottle badhate. Usne ek ghoont liya, “Kaafi hai, Pushpa ji, ab hall, ab lafz.” Unhone sir hilaaya, “Lafz tere, saans meri, theek hai.”

*Ticket se shuru hua tha, goli se, jahaaz se, files se, mez se, aur aaj shapath hai. Jo keemat thi, woh meri chuni hui thi, aur aaj woh keemat ek kursi par baithne wali hai, aapke bagal, aapki nazar ke saamne, us hisaab ke saath jo aapko nahi dikha. Main kaanpungi nahi, yeh maine pehli rally par kaha, pehli goli par kaha, aaj shapath par bhi kahungi. Aap mere bagal ho, yeh kaafi hai, baaki meri file meri hai.*

Hall ke bahar pehle ek intezaar tha, shamiana, security, log, flags, dhoop, aur gaadi jab ruki to awaaz uthhi, taali, naam, “Srivalli,” “CM.” Srivalli gaadi se utri, pallu sir par, gold zari dhoop mein, Pushpa ji ek kadam peeche, maa ji nahi aayi thi, ghar rahi, “Main radio se sunungi, beti, tu seedhi ja.” Koi phool ki mala laya, usne galey mein nahi, haath mein li, phir Jolly ko de di, “Baad mein, pehle shapath.” Jolly ne rasta saaf kiya, “Bhabhi, andar, time par, tu kaanpna mat, cameras zyada hain, baap ji pehle se andar hain.” “Nahi kaanpungi,” usne kaha, “aap kinare rahiye, meri awaaz meri hogi.” Unhone sir hilaaya, aur woh andar chali gayi, gold zari, safed, cameras pehle se chamak rahe the, air thandi, flags, uske heels ki awaaz marmar par, dil tez, kadam seedhe.

Andar ek chhota sa waiting corner tha, paani, ek kursi, aur Prakash ne formal, short kaha, “Rani ji, cover hai, aap shaant rahiye, lafz seedhe, baaki meri file.” “Shukriya, Naidu ji.” Venkat door se muskuraye, “Tu le, rani, aaj teri hai.” Gopal ne haath uthaya, “Mubarak pehle se.” Usne namaste ki, pallu theek, paani ek ghoont, zyada nahi, glass neeche, choodiyan ek baar baji, phir shaant, aur usne apni maang ki rekha ek pal sheeshe mein nahi, andar ki nazar se check ki, jaise mohar. Jab naam pukara gaya, “Srivalli Pushpa Raj,” woh uth khadi hui, Pushpa ji ki nazar ek pal, unka sir, “Ja, rani,” garam, naram, aur woh aage badhi, heels marmar par, pallu sir par, mangalsutra chamakta, dil tez, kadam seedhe, jaise pehli speech ke wood par chadhhi thi, aaj kitab ke kareeb, aaj kursi ke kareeb, aaj apni chuni hui keemat ke kareeb, jo ab lafz banne wali thi, chhupi nahi, seedhi, jaise har raat ki haan seedhi thi, jaise aaj ki pratigya seedhi honi thi, bina kaanpe, bina jhuke, apni file le kar, apni maang ki saaf rekha le kar, apne mangalsutra le kar, apni riyasat le kar, aur unki nazar le kar jo bagal se keh rahi thi, ja, rani, seedhi ja, main tere bagal hoon, goli nahi, saans, aaj bhi, kal bhi, is hall mein bhi, is marmar par bhi, is pratigya ke neeche bhi, meri haan ke saath, meri kursi ke saath, bilkul theek, dono saath, aaj ki, meri hi.