[Joker44]

Shapath ke doosre din ki shaam haveli ke sheeshe mein ek rani khadi thi jo ab is riyasat ki CM bhi thi, lekin aaj uski soorat hall wali safed-gold nahi thi. Subah office ke do-teen call the, mubarak, files, usne short jawab diye, pallu simple, aur dopahar ko haveli wapas aa kar socha, kal raat wala card, aaj raat wala intezaar, aur jo haan honi hai, woh soch kar hogi. Almari se usne ivory silk nikala, haath mein liya, kapda thanda, naram, aur sheeshe ke saamne khadi ho gayi.

Srivalli ne ek gehra ivory silk gown chuna tha, lambi, naram, gale par ek patli gold line, peeth dheeli, slit chalti hui, aur uske upar bhi mangalsutra nahi utra tha, kali ladiyan ivory par chamak rahi thi. Baal ek neeche bun mein, kinare par chameli, maang mein sindoor, kundan tops, ek patli gold bracelet, heels. Attar halka, gulab aur sandal ka mila hua, jaise koi apni shaadi ki yaad ko kisi mehmaan ke liye naya kar rahi ho, mita nahi rahi. Zipper peeth par, wrap seene par, lipstick patli line, zyada nahi, taaki baad mein mite to bhi rani dikhe. *Aaj main us aadmi ke paas jaa rahi hoon jo kabhi cruise par mere pehle sauda ka hissa tha, jo queen kehta tha jab meri kursi nahi thi. Aaj meri kursi hai, meri haan meri hogi, meri wapsi meri hogi. Gown ivory hai, maang laal hai, yeh main nahi chhodungi.*

Pushpa ji darwaze par aaye, beedi abhi honth par nahi, aankhon mein ek seedha sawal. “Rani, aaj phir meeting? Shapath ke doosre din? Kaun hai yeh mehmaan, itna khaas?”

Srivalli ne unki taraf mud kar muskuraya, awaaz ghar wali, naram, wrap seene par, mangalsutra uske neeche dikhta hua. “Ek purana international mehmaan, Pushpa ji, cruise ke dino ka, jo shukriya ke liye aaya hai, meri kursi ke liye. Hotel ki baat hai, formal, late ho to main phone kar dungi. Aap chinta mat kijiye, aaj bhi main aapki rani hoon, kal bhi thi, aur raat ko main yahin aaungi, aapke bagal mein. Yeh meri baat hai.”

Unhone uske maathe par kiss kiya, lamba nahi, bharose wala, aur kaha, “Ja, lekin wapas aa, rani. Yeh ghar teri kursi se bada nahi, lekin yeh ghar tera hai. Main jaagta hoon. Shapath ke doosre din tu nikal rahi, main kuch nahi poochhta zyada, lekin wapas aa, yeh meri baat hai.” “Wapas aaungi, Pushpa ji,” usne kaha, unke kandhe par haath, “yeh meri baat hai, aapki neend ke liye, mere ghar ke liye. Aap chinta mat kijiye, late hua to phone kar dungi.” *Aap jaagte rahenge, aur main wapas aaungi, yeh main khud se keh rahi hoon, kisi card se nahi. Aaj jo haan hogi, woh meri hogi, meri marzi ki, aur is palang par meri wapsi meri nishani hogi.*

Gaadi mein baithte hue usne wrap kas liya, slit god ke kareeb, heels saaf, bracelet check, aur driver se kaha, “Hotel, seedha, gate par rukiye, der ho sakti hai, main phone kar dungi, aap chai le lijiye.” Driver, “Haan, rani ji,” aur raste par sheher ki lights window par daudne lagi, wahi sheher jiski kursi ab uske naam thi, wahi lights jo kal hall ke bahar thi, aaj oonche floor ke neeche hongi. Ek chauraha, posters, “CM Srivalli Pushpa Raj,” aur usne nazar ek pal rakh kar hata li, kyunki ivory gown us poster wali pallu se nahi milta tha, lekin rani wahi thi, dono chehre, dono uske. Usne phone mein card wala message ek baar aur padha, phir lock kiya. *No questions, no limits, unhone kaha tha. Aaj mere limits hain, mere sawal bhi. Main soch kar dungi, soch kar wapas aaungi. Pushpa ji, aap verandah par jalenge, main oonche floor par apni haan soch kar doongi, phir us haath mein wapas aaungi, yeh meri pratigya ke baad ki meri apni pratigya hai.*

Hotel ka lobby thanda tha, marble, chhoti si music, aur lift ke sheeshe mein uski ivory soorat ek pal ke liye shapath wali safed-gold se alag lagi, naram, oonchi, ghar se nikalti hui rani. Suite sheher ke oonche floor par tha, sheeshe, neeche lights, andar cream aur gold, ek tray par chameli, whiskey, paani, aur shehzada khade the, safed kameez-kurta nahi, ek dark navy suit, garam aankhein, wohi shant andaz jo cruise ki raat mein tha, lekin ab unki nazar uski ivory soorat par, uske mangalsutra par, uske sindoor par ruki jaise koi apni yaad ko kisi takht ke saamne dekh raha ho. Unhone haath nahi badhaya pehle, sirf itna kaha, English mein, phir dheeme, “My queen. I said the words years ago, on a ship, when you had no throne. Today you have one. And you still came. I am glad you still have the card. Sit. Water, or something else? I remember you prefer to keep your head.”

Srivalli andar aayi, heels par seedhi, wrap nahi utara, paani maanga, whiskey nahi, aur unki aankhon mein dekha, nazar nahi hatayi. Suite ki hawa thandi thi, chameli ki khushboo, neeche sheher, aur uske dil ki dhadkan tez thi, lekin kadam seedhe the, jaise shapath ke marmar par the, jaise pehli speech ke wood par the. Unhone usko kursi di, sheeshe ke kareeb, khud saamne baithe, taangein lambe, nazar uske mangalsutra par, phir aankhon par, jaise koi hisaab padh raha ho, paaye ki file badal chuki ho. “Main aayi hoon, apni marzi se, is baar bhi apni shart se, apni khuli aankhon se. Aapne card diya tha, lafz diya tha, no questions, no limits. Aaj mere limits hain, aur mere sawal bhi. Main is riyasat ki CM hoon, Pushpa Raj ki patni hoon, aur aaj raat main aapke saath hoon, soch kar, apni haan se. Jo kahungi ruko, rukiye. Mangalsutra rahega. Subah se pehle main ghar jaaungi, unke bagal mein soungi. Itna hisaab rakhie, phir jo dena hai, soch kar dungi.”

Shehzada muskuraye, woh muskaan jo jeet ki nahi, pehchaan ki thi, whiskey ka glass unke haath mein ruka, phir neeche rakha, jaise aaj ki baat nasha ki nahi, hosh ki ho. “I would not want you any other way. A throne is uglier if the woman on it cannot say no. I will stop when you say stop. I will go slower when you say slower. I will not keep you past the hour you choose. I will not speak of that ship as a chain. And I will still call you my queen, if you let me. Do you? Say it only if you mean it. I have waited years; I can wait for a true yes.” Unhone uski taraf ek kadam liya, haath nahi lagaya, itna fasla jitna ek sawal ka hota hai.

Srivalli ne glass rakha, ek pal sheeshe ke bahar sheher dekha, apni nayi kursi ki lights, apni purani haveli ki disha, neeche wo raste, wo posters, wo hall jo kal tha, aur andar jo lag raha tha, usko jhoot nahi bola. Ek taraf cruise ki yaad thi, pehli shart ki, us keemat ki, us raat ki jab maine apni keemat khud tay ki thi. Doosri taraf aaj ki himmat thi, file ki, shapath ki, us kursi ki jo ab uske naam thi. Teesri taraf ek narmi thi, jo kehti thi yeh aadmi uski kursi chheenne nahi aaya, ek purani baat nibhane aaya hai, aur us narmi ke saath ek saaf hisaab bhi tha, limits, sawal, wapsi. Usne glass ek baar aur chhua, paani nahi piya, hatheli thandi rakhne ke liye, phir unki aankhon mein dekha, nazar nahi hatayi.

“Haan,” usne kaha, awaaz halki, lekin tuti nahi. “Aap kahiye, I am your queen. Aur main kehti hoon, haan, meri queen ki haan. Jab aap chahein mujhe, aaiye, milne aaiye, meri marzi ke darwaze se, apni shart se, apni haan se. Yeh meri baat hai, aaj ki, kal ki, jab tak yeh haan meri hai. Subah se pehle main ghar jaaungi, yeh bhi meri shart hai, aapki der ki nahi, meri wapsi ki.”

Unhone uske kareeb aa kar uska haath uthaya, honth uski ungliyon par, phir uski aankhon mein dekha. “Whenever I want you, I will come and meet you. That is all I asked, and more than I was given on that ship. May I take this wrap, my queen? And may I take the rest, only after you say yes?”

“Haan,” usne kaha. “Wrap utarie, baaki bhi, meri haan se. Dheere, meri aankhon mein dekhte hue, taaki aapko dikhe main chhupa nahi rahi.”

Unhone wrap utara, pehle ek kandhe se, phir doosre se, kapda sofa par, phir gown ke sone ke hook peeth par dheere khole, ivory silk uski chamri se khisaka, thanda, phisalta, aur kapda taknon tak gir gaya. Srivalli sheeshe ke kareeb khadi rahi, nangi, mangalsutra, sindoor, tops, bracelet, heels, aur neeche sheher ki lights uski peeth par giri, kali ladiyan seene par, chameli baal ke kinare. Shehzada ne usko dekha, koi sasti taarif nahi ki, sirf itna kaha, lamba saans le kar, “You are still the woman from that room, and you are not. The difference is this yes. I would like your mouth first, if you want that, then the bed, then my hands. You may change the order. Tell me.”

Srivalli ne ek pal socha, sharm, himmat, phir kaha, “Pehle muh, phir palang, dheere. Main chahti hoon, yeh main keh rahi hoon.” Woh heels nikaal kar neeche baithi, carpet naram, unke trousers ka buckle khud khola, aur unka lund honth par liya, sira, jeeb, phir dheere andar, jitna munh ne diya, unki aankhon mein dekhte hue. Unke haath uske bun par the, kheenchte nahi, chameli ke kareeb, aur unki awaaz naram, “That’s it, my queen, you may stop, you may go on.” Usne ek pal nikal kar saans li, “Ruk nahi rahi, thoda aur, dheere,” phir wapas liya, gehra, haath unki jangh par, aur jab unki saans tez hui to usne kaha, “Ab palang, jaise aapne kaha. Andar lijiye, dheere, meri haan se.”

“Palang, aapke haath, dheere,” usne kaha, heels utar kar, palang par lette hue, pair kholte hue, unki aankhon mein. “Haan, andar lijiye, jab main kahun, dheere. Main chahti hoon, aur main yahin hoon.” Unhone apna lund uski geeli chut par raga, top tikaya, ek inch, ruk kar uska chehra dekha, jaise koi prarthana naape, phir aur, inch-inch, aur Srivalli ke muh se “Aaaahh, haan…” nikalta raha, haath unki peeth par, jab poora andar gaya to usne unhe apni taraf kheencha. “Haan, poora, mat rukiye. Main le rahi hoon, aaj, apni marzi se.” Unhone ek pal ruka, uska chehra dekha, “Still yes?” “Haan, aaiye, dheere, mat nikaliye.” Unke dhakke lambe the, naram, phir gehre, kabhi ruk kar uske boobs muh mein, mangalsutra ko ek taraf karke, nipple honthon par, sindoor wali maang par saans, English aur dheeme lafz, “My queen, look at me, you are not a bid tonight, you are a woman who walked in. Say it, if you still mean it.” Usne unki aankhon mein dekha, sharm thi, narmi thi, josh tha, nazar nahi hati, “Haan, ahhh, meri haan hai, aapki queen hoon, mat ruko, dheere, aise, wahan, haan, meri marzi se, meri haan se.” Jab dard tez hua, usne kaha, “Dheere,” aur unhone turant dheere kiya, “Too much?” “Thoda, ab theek, aaiye, mat nikaliye, haan.” Phir gehra, control mein, ivory chadar, kali ladiyan, chameli ka attar, unki saans. Har dhakke par kali ladiyan unki chhati se ragad khati, uski siski suite mein girti, aur andar ek soch thi jo cruise par nahi thi. *Main de rahi hoon, ek shehzade ko, apni kursi le kar, apni haan le kar, aur is ke baad main unke bagal mein soungi, Pushpa ji, yeh dono baatein ek saath meri hain. Yeh sharm meri hai, yeh josh bhi, yeh wapsi bhi.*

Jab woh kaanpane lagi, usne unki kamar kas li, “Haan, wahan, andar, dijiye,” aur unhone ek gehri, lambi saans ke saath andar chhod diya, honth uski maang ke kareeb, ek pal ke liye sirf unki saans. Woh uske upar leti rahi, kaanpti, ivory chadar, kali ladi, aur unhone uske maathe se baal hata kar poocha, “Still yes?”

“Haan,” usne kaha, awaaz thaki, saaf, aankhein khuli, unki taraf. “Ek baar aur, dheeme, phir main jaaungi. Aaj raat meri hai, meri wapsi bhi meri hai. Paani, thoda, phir aaiye, meri haan se.”