[Joker44]

Unhone paani laaya, glass uske honth par, usne do ghoont liye, thanda, phir glass khud pakada, jaise yeh chhoti si baat bhi uski marzi ki ho. “You still take the glass yourself,” unhone kaha, bagal mein baithte, haath uski peeth par, naram. “I like that better than the woman who first named her price. A throne did not ruin you. It sharpened you.” Srivalli ne thaki muskaan jaisi koi cheez honth par laayi, “Us raat maine apni keemat khud tay ki thi, shehzada. Aaj meri zabaan aur tez hai. Isliye paani bhi khud pakadti hoon, haan bhi khud kehti hoon, wapsi bhi khud karti hoon. Aapko buri to nahi lag rahi yeh aurat?” “No,” unhone kaha, garam aankhon mein izzat, na wada, “she is the queen I meant. Come here when you are ready. Not before.” Usne ek pal aur liya, chadar seene par, mangalsutra theek, sindoor nahi chhua, phir chadar hata kar unki taraf mud gayi. “Ab tayyar hoon. Aaiye, dheere.”

Paani ke baad unhone usko apni taraf kheench liya, peeth unki chhati se, ek haath uske pet par, aur dheeme, side se, uski geeli thaki chut mein andar liya, jab usne kaha, “Haan, aise, dheere.” Yeh dhakke tez nahi the. Gehre the, lambe, jaise koi raat ko kheench raha ho, lekin pakad kar nahi rakh raha ho. Unhone uska adhkhula chehra dekha, uski siski suni, aur usi raftaar par rahe, kabhi ruk kar uske kaan par honth, kabhi uski maang ke kareeb saans, kabhi “Still yes?” aur uska “Haan, aise, dheere, mat ruko.” Ivory chadar un dono par, sheeshe ke neeche sheher, kali ladiyan unki ungliyon mein kabhi atakti, kabhi chhoot jaati. Srivalli ne unka haath apni chhati par pakad liya, mangalsutra unki ungliyon ke neeche, pet tight, aur jab kaanpi, unhone kaan ke kareeb sirf itna kaha, garam, naram, “My queen. Whenever I want you, I will come and meet you.” Usne aankhein kholi, unki taraf dekha, nam, saaf, aur kaha, awaaz thaki, seedhi, “Haan. Jab aap chahein, aaiye, milne aaiye. Main kahungi haan, jab meri haan hogi. Yeh meri baat hai, shehzada, meri marzi. Aaj meri queen ki haan hai, kal meri wapsi, dono meri hain.” Unhone uske andar, uski haan par, dheeme chhod diya, lambi saans, honth uski maang ke bagal, aur kuch der dono chup leti rahe, sirf saans, sirf sheher ki lights, sirf yeh baat ki yeh raat uski marzi ki thi, uski haan ki thi.

Unhone uske honth chhue, dheere, phir nikal kar uske bagal mein let gaye, haath uski peeth par, koi chain nahi, koi hukm nahi. “Go home, then. Sleep in the house that made you a queen in one life, and let me remain a man who may knock in the other. I will not call you before you have slept. That is my last courtesy tonight.”

Srivalli uth kar bathroom gayi, chehra dhoya, thanda paani, lipstick ki bachi line mitayi, sindoor ungli se theek kiya, bun kaan ke peeche, chameli ab dheeli, ivory gown wapas pehna, hook peeth par khud nahi ho paya, shehzada ne darwaze par khade-khade dheere band kiya, wrap seene par, heels, mangalsutra bahar, aur sheeshe mein ek thaki, naram, oonchi rani dekhi, jiske andar aaj raat ki garmi thi, aur bahar ek CM ki wapsi ki soorat. Unhone uske maathe par, sindoor ke kareeb, honth rakhe, na pyar ka wada, na koi jaal, sirf woh mohar jo unhone queen keh kar lagayi thi. “Go. I will not walk you down. A queen should leave the way she arrived, on her own yes. Whenever I want you, I will come and meet you. Sleep in your house. I will not call before morning, and I will not come uninvited to your door. That is my last courtesy, and my first promise in this new contract.” “Haan,” usne kaha, wrap kaste hue, “jab aap chahein, aaiye, milne aaiye, meri marzi ke darwaze se. Aaj raat kaafi hai, meri haan kaafi hai, meri wapsi bhi kaafi hai. Shukriya, shehzada, aaj ke lafz ka, aaj ki izzat ka.” Unhone sir hilaaya, darwaza khola, aur woh nikal gayi, ivory, kali ladi, chameli dheeli, heels saaf, jaise koi asal meeting se nikal rahi ho.

*Main ghar jaa rahi hoon. Ticket se shuru hua tha, kursi par khatam ho raha hai, aur meri haan ab meri hai. Pushpa ji jaagte honge, unka haath khaali hoga, aur main us haath mein wapas let jaaungi, jaise roz leti hoon, is farq ke saath ki aaj meri kursi bhi mere saath soungi, yeh raat bhi, yeh haan bhi.*

Lift ke sheeshe mein uski aankhein nam thi, lekin kaajal nahi baha tha, sindoor saaf tha, wrap kasa tha, rani jaisi ban-than thi, CM jaisi wapsi thi, pativrata jaisi nishani thi, teenon ek ivory gown ke neeche, teenon uske kadam ke saath, lobby se nikalte hue, gaadi tak, haveli tak, us palang tak jahan uski wapsi ruki thi, jahan uski katha aaj raat rukne wali thi, haan par, kursi par, un bahon par, jinhein sach kabhi nahi pata chala, jinhein uski haan ne har raat wapas paaya, jinhein aaj bhi usne apni kamar par rehne diya, bina toote, bina bataye, bina unki neend tode, jaise roz, jaise aaj, jaise kal, is ivory raat ke baad bhi, is shapath ke baad bhi, is haan ke baad bhi, meri wapsi ke saath, meri file ke saath, bilkul theek, dono saath. Lobby se nikalte hue usne nazar nahi batora, wrap kas, slit god ke kareeb, jaise koi asal formal meeting se nikal rahi ho, late, sambhali hui. Gaadi ke andar baithte hue ek lambi saans li, “Haveli. Seedha.” Raste par lights window par daudti rahi, wahi lights jo abhi sheeshe ke neeche thi, jab woh nangi khadi thi, haath... nahi, ab haath wrap par the, mangalsutra bahar, sindoor saaf. *Aaj maine ek shehzade ko kaha, haan, aapki queen hoon, jab chahein aaiye, aur ab main us ghar jaa rahi hoon jahan mera mard jaagta hoga. Dono sach meri chhati mein rahenge, dono meri chuni hui hain.*

Haveli ke gate par guard ne late salute kiya, aangan shaant tha, maa ji so chuki thi, ek kamre ki light band thi, diya verandah par almost bujha, aur Pushpa ji baithe the, beedi ki aakhri kash, jaise sach mein jaagte rahe hon, jaise har baar jaagte hain, safed kurta nahi, kali shirt, joote utare, aankhon mein intezaar, gussa nahi, sirf woh sawal jo har late raat mein hota hai, tu aa gayi?

Srivalli ne gaadi se utarte hi wrap theek kiya, muskuraya, asal muskaan, thaki, naram, aur unke paas jaa kar unke kandhe par haath rakha, ivory silk, kali ladi, thaki aankhein, ghar wali awaaz. Beedi ki khushboo uske baalon mein ek pal, wahi khushboo jo pehli raaton se saath hai.

“Aa gayi, Pushpa ji. Baat ho gayi, mehmaan khush hain, meri kursi ki baat thi, formal. Aap jaagte rahe, yeh dekh kar sukoon hai, maaf kijiye, phone nahi kiya, galti hui. Ab chaliye, andar, so jaaiye. Kal bhi meri duniya hai, aaj raat aapki bhi hai, meri bhi. Chai garam karni hai kya? Main bana doon?”

“Nahi, rani, tu aa gayi, bas,” unhone kaha, awaaz bhaari, naram, “phone ki koi zaroorat nahi, tu wapas aa gayi, yeh kaafi hai. Chalo, so jao.”

Unhone usko dekha, ek lamba saans liya, nazar ivory gown par, slit par, phir uske chehre par, thaki aankhein, muskaan, mangalsutra, aur usko apni taraf kheench liya, uski ivory peeth unki bhari bahon mein, beedi ki khushboo, garam shirt, aur unki awaaz uske baalon mein giri, wahi garam, seedhi, jo jungle se takht tak uske saath thi. “Meri rani. Aa gayi tu. Main jagta raha, tu aa gayi, yeh kaafi hai. Chalo, so jao. Kal teri riyasat, aaj meri bahon. Tu meri rani hai, tu meri CM hai, tu meri sherni hai, teenon aaj raat is verandah par wapas aa gayi, main proud hoon, main thaka hoon, tu so ja.” Usne unki shirt par haath rakha, “Teenon aapki hain, Pushpa ji, aur main wapas aa gayi, yeh meri baat, aaiye, andar.” Unhone sir hilaaya, beedi bujhayi, uska haath pakad kar andar le chale, jaise har baar le chalte hain, jaise yeh ghar kabhi toota hi nahi.

Andar jaa kar usne bathroom mein chehra ek baar aur dhoya, thanda paani, attar ki tez khushboo halki ki, ivory gown utara, zipper peeth par kheench kar, silk taknon tak giraya, almari ke kone mein rakha, jaise navy, jaise kaala, jaise har woh kapda jo ghar ke bahar ki raat ka ho, aur nighty daali, safed, simple, mangalsutra cotton ke andar chhupa liya, sindoor halka theek, chameli baal se nikaal kar table par rakh di. Palang par unke bagal mein let gayi, peeth unki chhati ki taraf, jaise roz leti hai, jaise farmhouse wali subah leti thi, jaise ticket wali raat leti thi, jaise goli ke baad leti thi, jaise shapath ke baad leti thi. Unhone neend ke kareeb, ya neend se pehle, haath badha kar uski kamar pakad li, apni taraf kheench liya, muh uske baalon mein, beedi ki halki khushboo, garam saans. Uski raat-bhari kamar unke haath mein aa gayi, lekin unko us raat ka chehra nahi pata chala.

“Theek hai tu?” unhone dheeme poocha, adhkhuli aankhon se. “Theek hoon, Pushpa ji,” usne kaha, unki kalai par haath rakh kar, “so jaaiye, kal meri duniya, aaj aapki bahon, yeh kaafi hai. Aap jagte rahe, yeh main nahi bhoolungi, aaj bhi, kal bhi.” “Kaafi hai,” unhone kaha, kamar kas, muh uske baalon mein, “meri rani, meri CM, meri sherni, so ja, main yahin hoon, tu yahin hai, baaki kal.” Unki saans dheere seedhi hone lagi, bhaari, naram, jeet ki, intezaar ki, wapsi ki.

“Meri rani,” unhone muh ke andar, bhaari, naram awaaz mein kaha, uske baalon mein. “Meri queen… so ja.”

Pankha dheere chala, bahar kutta chup tha, haveli shapath ke doosre din ki shaant mein so rahi thi, aur Srivalli ki aankhein ek pal khuli rahi. Unke haath ka wazan uski kamar par tha, wahi garam, bhari, jo pehli raat bhi tha, jo har wapsi par tha, jo goli ke baad tha, jo shapath ke baad tha, jo aaj bhi tha. Bahar sheher ki lights door thi, uski kursi ki lights bhi door thi, andar uske jism par kisi aur ki raat thi, aur gale mein wahi mangalsutra, maang mein woh laal rekha jo usne theek ki thi, bathroom mein, ghar aa kar, unke jagte dekh kar. Usne unke haath ko apni kamar par rehne diya, aankhein band ki, aur honthon par ek thaki, chhoti si muskaan thi, jo unko nahi dikhi, jo sirf uski chhati mein band thi, us haan ke saath, us wapsi ke saath, us kursi ke saath.

*Haan, Pushpa ji, meri rani, meri queen. Aaj maine ek shehzade ko kaha, jab aap chahein, aaiye, milne aaiye, aur aaj main aapki bahon mein so rahi hoon. Yeh dono sach meri chhati mein rahenge, aapki neend mein nahi. Ticket se shuru hua tha, farmhouse se, dinner se, goli se, jahaaz se, files se, shapath se, kursi tak aayi, aur meri haan ab meri hai. Yeh ghar mera hai, yeh bahon meri hain, yeh riyasat meri file hai, aur kal jab main uthungi, tab bhi main aapki rani houngi, unki queen bhi, apni kursi ki malik bhi. Jo keemat thi, woh meri chuni hui thi, jo wapsi hai, woh bhi meri hai. Itna hisaab meri neend mein kaafi hai, aaj raat ke liye, kal ki subah ke liye, jitni raatein aur aani hain unke liye, is palang par, in bahon mein, is mangalsutra ke neeche.*

Shehzade ne usko apni queen kaha, usne haan kahi, jab chahein milne aaiye, aur usi raat woh Pushpa ki bahon mein so gayi, jaise yeh ghar kabhi toota hi nahi.

Pushpa Ki Rani ki yeh katha yahin rukti hai, uski haan par, uski kursi par, aur un bahon par, jinhein sach kabhi nahi pata chala.

~ THE END ~

Pushpa Ki Rani: Srivalli Ka Junoon — Samaapt