[Joker44]

Shapath hall mein flags the, cameras the, Rudra khade the, safed, muskaan, Venkat, Gopal, Prakash, Jolly kinare, janata ke log, party ke log, saaf kursi, saaf mez, ek kitab, ek aadmi lafz padhne ke liye. Srivalli ko aage bulaya gaya, pallu sir par theek, mangalsutra bahar, aur usne haath uthaya, lafz dohraye, awaaz na kaanpi, na tez hui, seedhi rahi, jaise usne har raat apni haan seedhi kahi thi. Pehla jumla, doosra, teesra, “Main… Srivalli… pratigya karti hoon…” Har lafz saaf, hall ki shaant un lafz ke beech, pallu sir par, mangalsutra chamakta, maang tika, hath ki choodiyan ek pal ke liye ruki, phir khamosh. Pushpa ji ki nazar us par thi, Rudra ki bhi, aur uski nazar lafz par, kitab par, apni hatheli par.

Jab lafz khatam hue, ek pal ki shaant, phir taaliyan uthin, cameras chamke, aur us pal usko farmhouse ki peeli light, dinner ki mez, do haath, Dave ka sheesha, bandargaah ki goli, radio ki raat, Rudra ki zabaan, aur Pushpa ji ki beedi, sab ek saath yaad aaye, phir sab peeche chale gaye, sirf yeh hall reh gaya, yeh pallu, yeh mangalsutra, yeh kursi. Usne haath neeche kiya, namaste, aur andar ek saans li, lambi, jaise koi paani se nikal kar kinare aaye, lekin muskaan naram rahi, aankhein nam nahi hui, kadi, khush, dono. *Yeh meri shapath hai, meri haan jaisi seedhi, aur jo keemat peeche chhoot gayi, woh is hall mein nahi baithi, meri chhati mein baithi hai.*

Ek adhikari ne kitab kachi, register aaya, sign, date, aur Srivalli ne pen uthaya, dheere, jaise ticket wali file par sign kiya tha, jaise statement par kiya tha, aaj in lafz ke neeche, apna naam, saaf. Cameras chamke, sign ke pal, pallu sir par, kalai par choodiyan, aur usne pen neeche rakha, saans li.

Rudra ne uske kareeb aa kar, cameras ke saamne, kaha, “Riyasat ki nayi peedi, meri barkat, janata ki rani. Tu le, rani, yeh kursi tera kaam maangegi, meri meherbani nahi.” Usne sir hilaaya, namaste, “Shukriya, Rudra ji, main kaam karungi, yeh meri pratigya hai.” Venkat ne door se sir hilaaya, Gopal muskuraye, Prakash ne formal salute jaisa, Jolly kinare, backbone, aur Pushpa ji uske bagal, aankhon mein paani, tali, jungle se takht tak. Ek official photograph hui, woh beech mein, Rudra ek taraf, party ke log, Pushpa ji ko peeche khada kiya gaya, phir usne unka haath pakad kar apne bagal kheench liya, cameras ke saamne, pallu theek, “Mere bagal, peeche nahi,” jaise bahar reporter ko kehne wali thi, pehle yahin keh di. Unhone khade ho kar photo di, proud, thoda hairan, aur woh muskurahat jo photo mein pakdi gayi, naram thi, kadi bhi, dono.

Hall se nikalte hue Rudra ne, cameras ke thode peeche, dheeme kaha, “Tu le gayi, rani, meri zabaan nibhi, teri mutthi kaam aayi. Ab kaam kar, meri nazar door se rahegi, malik wali nahi, bade wali.” Usne sir hilaaya, “Kaam karungi, uncle, aapki izzat rahegi, meri file meri.” Unhone muskuraya, thaki si, “Ja, CM. Apne mard ke bagal, apni riyasat ke saamne.”

Bahar steps par jab mic aaya, bheed ne taali bajayi, dhoop tez, flags, aur usne sirf itna kaha, seedha, naram, “Main is riyasat ki seva karungi, apne ghar ki rani ban kar, apni janata ki rani ban kar. Jo kaam maine kaha tha, paani, mandi, port, ghar, woh meri file rahegi. Shukriya.” Pushpa ji uske kareeb khade rahe, haath nahi lagaya cameras ke saamne zyada, lekin unki nazar us par thi, jaise jungle se nikal kar kisi rani ko takht par baithte dekha ho. Ek reporter ne poocha, “CM ma’am, aapka pehla kaam?” “Pehla kaam seva hai, baaki office mein nikalega, aaj ki raat ghar ki hai.” Doosre ne poocha, “Aapka pati aapke peeche rahenge?” Usne muskuraya, “Mere bagal, peeche nahi, yeh meri baat hai.” Taali phir uthhi, Jolly ne rasta saaf kiya, gaadi aayi, aur woh nikal gayi, pallu sir se kandhe par, gold zari dhoop mein, Pushpa ji bagal mein, dono haath alag, nazar ek.

Raste par bheed kabhi-kabhi jeep ke peeche daudi, flags, namaste, bachche, auratein pallu le kar, aur Srivalli ne khidki se haath uthaya, tika chamakta, muskaan naram, sindoor saaf. Ek chauraha, posters, ab “CM Srivalli Pushpa Raj” ka naya lafz, aur usne nazar nahi hatayi, pallu theek, jaise counting wale din nahi hatayi thi. Pushpa ji ne kaha, “Rani, aaj tu riyasat ki ho gayi, main dekhta raha, teri awaaz nahi kaampi, meri jaan kaampi. Main proud hoon. Tu meri rani thi, aaj sabki hai, lekin shaam ko tu meri hi rahegi, yeh main jaanta hoon.” “Aap mere bagal rahiye, Pushpa ji, yeh kaafi hai,” usne kaha, unki hatheli mein apni hatheli, gold choodiyan unki kalai se lagti. “Shaam ko main aapki rani hoon, din ko is riyasat ki, dono chhupungi nahi.” Unhone sir hilaaya, khidki se bheed dekhi, “Dono theek, rani, tu sambhal, main tere bagal.” *Awaaz nahi kaampi, yeh maine kaha, lekin andar meri saans tez thi, yeh main aapko nahi dikhaungi. Aaj meri kursi hai, aaj meri shapath hai, aur shaam ko meri haveli hai, kal shayad ek purana card, lekin aaj ki yeh gaadi, yeh haath, yeh taali, yeh meri hai.*

Raat ko haveli mein meetha tha, log the, phool the, Raka, Munna, maa ji, neighbours, party ke do-teen, laddoo, chai, taaliyan, aur Srivalli safed-gold Kanjeevaram mein unke beech muskurati rahi, pallu ab sir se kandhe par, tika abhi nahi utara, jaise rani ghar aa kar bhi rani rahe. Maa ji ne ro-ro kar khana diya, “Kha, beti, aaj teri duniya, meri bahu.” Jolly thodi der aaye, “Bhabhi, ho gaya, tu CM hai, main kinare raha, yeh meri khushi.” “Shukriya, Jolly, aap backbone rahiye, aage bhi.” Unhone sir hilaaya, nikal gaye. Pushpa ji aangan mein logon ke saath the, safed kurta, proud, lekin har pal uski nazar talashte, jaise rani nazar se utar na jaaye.

Kaveri shaam ko andar se nikal kar, simple kapde, ek pal ruki, “Mami, aap theek ho? Aaj bahut log the.” “Theek hoon, beta, tu kha le, aaj ghar khush hai, tu so jaana time par.” Usne uske maathe par haath phera, jaise subah, koi sawal nahi, aur Kaveri andar chali gayi. Phir log nikal gaye, aur sirf ghar reh gaya, phool, meetha ki khushboo, shaant, diya jo maa ji ne jalaya tha, verandah par, raat ki hawa mein. Srivalli ek pal verandah par khadi rahi, nighty se pehle abhi bhi us safed-gold ki yaad, dhoop ki, hall ki, aur sheher ki lights door, ab uski kursi ki lights, phir woh andar aayi. Srivalli ne Kanjeevaram utar kar, hooks khud khole, maa ji ne pallu sambhala, zari ek taraf almari mein, ek naram cotton nighty daali, mangalsutra andar, sindoor halka theek, tika utara, aur palang par Pushpa ji ke bagal mein let gayi, unka haath uski kamar par, wahi garam, bhari, jo pehli raat bhi tha, jo goli ke baad bhi tha, jo shapath ke baad bhi tha. Unhone kaha, awaaz naram, thaki, proud, “Meri rani, meri CM, so ja. Kal teri duniya aur badi hogi, aaj meri bahon kaafi hain. Tu badal gayi, lekin meri rahi, yeh main dekh raha hoon. Yeh ghar tera hai, yeh haath tera hai, so ja.”

Usne unki chhati par haath rakha, “Aapki rani hoon, Pushpa ji, yeh nahi chhupungi. So jaaiye, kal meri duniya, aaj aapki saans. Aaj main thak gayi hoon, lekin khush hoon, aapke bagal, is ghar mein.” Unhone usko apni taraf kheench liya, muh uske baalon mein, aur usne aankhein ek pal khuli rakhi, ceiling par, pankha, haveli ki shaant, bahar ab bheed nahi, sirf raat, ek kutta door, phir chup.

Phone ke kinare ek purani si cheez chamki: woh gold-plated card, Arab prince ka, jo usne kab ka kisi dabbe mein rakh diya tha, almari ke peeche, aur jis par aaj, shapath ke baad, ek naya message tha, English, saaf, jaise koi purani mohar wapas uthayi ho. “I hear my queen has a throne now. I land tomorrow night. If you still have the card, you still have my word. No questions, no limits.”

Srivalli ne screen ko dekha, card ki thandi chamak, Pushpa ji ki saans uske baalon mein gir rahi thi, unka haath uski kamar par, aur usne card ko hataya nahi, message ko delete nahi kiya, sirf kuch der padhti rahi, phir screen neeche rakh di. *Kal woh aa raha hai, jo kabhi cruise par mere pehle sauda ka hissa tha, aur jo kehta tha main uski queen ho sakti hoon. Ab meri kursi hai, meri haan meri hai, aur main usse milungi, soch kar, apni shart par, phir is palang par wapas aaungi, aapke bagal mein, Pushpa ji. Yeh dono chehre meri rani honge, aapki neend ke upar se nahi, uske bagal se. Shapath ho chuki, kursi meri hai, kal meri haan phir meri hogi, meri marzi, aur raat ko main yahin soungi, in bahon mein, jaise roz soti hoon, is farq ke saath ki aaj meri riyasat bhi mere saath so rahi hai, yeh card bhi, yeh soch bhi.*

Card uske hath mein thanda tha, gold, halka, aur usne usko wapas dabbe ke kareeb nahi, table ke kinare rakh diya, phone ke neeche, taaki raat ko uth kar dekh sake, bina unko jagaye. Dil tez tha, ghabrahat bhi, himmat bhi, cruise ki yaad bhi, aur uske saath yeh soch bhi ki ab uski kursi hai, ab uski haan meri hai, ab woh apni shart par khadi hai. Usne message ek baar aur padha, “I land tomorrow night… No questions, no limits.” No limits, yeh lafz cruise ki yaad le aaye, pehli shart ki, us keemat ki, aur aaj uske andar ek saaf jawab tha, *Aaj mere limits hain, mere sawal bhi, meri kursi bhi, meri wapsi bhi. Main milungi, lekin no limits nahi, meri haan se, meri shart se.* Card ki chamak raat ki roshni mein thandi thi, unki saans garam, aur dono ek hi palang ke kareeb the, ek chhupa, ek khula. *Kal milungi, soch kar, shart rakh kar, wrap le kar, mangalsutra le kar, aur wapas aaungi, in bahon mein, yeh meri pratigya ke baad ki meri apni pratigya hai. Shehzada, aap queen kehte ho, main haan kahungi, jab meri haan hogi, aur raat ko main is ghar mein soungi, is haath ke neeche, jaise roz soti hoon, jaise aaj shapath ke baad so rahi hoon.*

Usne unke haath ko apni kamar par rehne diya, aankhein band ki, aur honthon par ek thaki, kadi si line thi, jo kal ek aur raat ki taiyari karne wali thi, bina unki neend tode. Unhone neend mein uska naam liya, dheeme, “Rani… meri CM,” jaise jungle mein bhi, takht ke baad bhi, wahi lafz ho, aur usne unke haath ko apni kamar par dabaya, taaki unko lage ki woh yahin hai, theek hai, so rahi hai. Andar woh turant nahi so rahi thi. Card table ke kinare tha, message pada hua, kal raat ka intezaar, aur aaj ki shapath uski chhati mein baithi thi, bhari, naram, dono. Pankha dheere chala, unki saans seedhi hui, aur neend der se aayi, lekin aayi, shapath ki thakaan ke saath, card ki chamak ke saath, us palang ke saath jo uski pehli raat se uski aakhri nishani tha, har wapsi ki, har jeet ki, har chhupi hui keemat ki. Honth par koi badi muskaan nahi thi, sirf ek thaki, kadi si line, jo kal ek ivory gown ke saath sheeshe mein wapas khadi hone wali thi, is palang se nikal kar, is palang par laut kar.