Darwaza dheere se khula.
Kabeer andar aaya.
Kabeer ne aik qadam aur aagay badhaya.
Phir ruk gaya.
Uski aankhon mein aansu thay.
Woh aansu jo girte nahi,
sirf aankhon ko bhari kar dete hain.
“Tumhe hosh aa gya…”
uski awaaz phisal gayi.
“Bas… yehi kaafi hai.”
Woh bed ke qareeb aaya.
Haath barhaya…
phir rok liya.
Jaise chhoone se darr lagta ho
ke kahin sab khwab na ho.
Mark ne uski taraf dekha.
Us nazar mein thakaan bhi thi…
aur woh dard bhi jo sirf apnon ko dikhaya jata hai.
Kabeer ne gehri saans li.
Jaise khud ko sambhal raha ho.
“Andres…”
usne kaha,
“aik mahine se uska koi pata nahi.”
Uske lafz dheeme thay,
magar wazan daar.
“Har jaga dhoondh liya,”
usne aankhen band karte hue kaha.
“Har raasta… band milta hai.”
Mark chhat ki taraf dekh raha tha.
Jaise woh sab sun kar bhi chup rehne ka faisla kar chuka ho.
“Ab kisi ko dhoondhnay ki zarurat nahi,”
Mark ne kaha.
Uski awaaz bilkul seedhi thi.
Na gussa.
Na dukh.
Sirf faisla.
Kabeer ne foran uski taraf dekha.
“Kya matlab?”
usne poocha.
“Us ka pata mil chuka hai”
Mark ne kaha.
“Roger?”
Kabeer ne foran pucha.
Mark ne kuch nahi kaha.
Bas han main sir hilaya.
Kabeer sun kar khush hua phr us k chehry par fiker or udasi k asaar aye.
“Tum wahan akelay nahi jao ge,”
woh foran bola.
Awaaz mein sirf dosti nahi…
darr bhi tha.
“Meri qasam khao,”
usne kaha.
“Main tumhein akela nahi jane doon ga.”
Kamray mein aik lamhay ke liye
sirf machines ki beep reh gayi.
Mark ne aakhirkaar uski taraf dekha.
Us muskurahat mein koi khushi nahi thi.
Bas aik thakan… aur aik sach.
“Kya main apne saaye ko peechay chhor sakta hoon?”
Kabeer muskuraya kuch keh nahi saka.
“Main tumhare liye soup lata hun”
Or wo mark k liye soup lene bahar chala gya.
Raat phir gehri ho chuki thi.
Hospital ka kamra khamosh tha,
lekin Mark ka zehan shor se bhara hua.
Us ne aankhen band kar ke
gehri saans li.
Hazel ka chehra
jaise andheray mein ubhar aaya.
Aur usi lamhay darwaze par dastak hui.
Halki si.
Mark ne aankhen kholi.
“Come in.”
Darwaza khula, Nurse andar aayi.
Uske haath mein aik chhota sa parcel tha.
Brown paper mein lapta hua.
“Yeh aap ke naam se aaya hai,”
usne kaha.
Tone bilkul normal jaise roz ka kaam ho.
Mark ne parcel ki taraf dekha.
Us par sirf itna likha tha:
“To Mark…”
Na surname.
Na address.
Na bhejne waly ka pata.
Sirf… naam.
Nurse ne parcel table par rakha
aur bina kuch poochay wapas chali gayi.
Darwaza band hua.
Kamray mein phir se khamoshi aa gayi
lekin is dafa woh khamoshi zinda thi.
Mark ne parcel uthaya.
Uski ungliyan ruk gayin.
Dimagh ne foran sawal ugal diya:
Kaun ho sakta hai?
Hospital mai wo b is time ye kis ne bheja hoga?
Yeh koi random cheez nahi thi.
Usne dheere se paper phada.
Bilkul ahista.
Jaise andar se koi awaaz nikal aayegi.
Parcel kholte hi, uski nazar pehli cheez par padi:
ek tasveer.
Hazel.
Usi din ki jab woh shadi ka dress dekhne gayi thi.
Trial ke liye pehna hua.
Halki si sharmili muskurahat.
Aur aankhon ane waly kal k khuwab.
Mark ki saans ruk si gayi.
Seena bhaari ho gaya.
Haath kaanp gaye.
Tasveer ke sath aik letter tha.
Safed kagaz.
Seedhi likhai.
Upar tareekh likhi thi:
11-Aug
Wohi din jis din unki shadi honi thi.
Mark ne letter khola.
Aur neeche likha tha:
“Tum jaan chuky ho
ke usay kis ne maara hai.
Phir intezar kis baat ka?”
Kamray ki roshni
jaise aik lamhay ke liye tez ho gayi.
Mark ne tasveer ko dekha.
Phir note ko.
Phir phir se tasveer ko.
Aur phir…
waqt ne apni gardan peeche mor li.
Hazel ki hansi uske zehan mein utar aayi
wo hansi jo pehli mulaqat mein nahi thi,
magar dheere dheere ban gayi.
Hazel baat karti thi
to alfaaz seedhay dil tak jaate thay.
Usay Mark ki khamoshi ajeeb lagti thi,
magar buri nahi.
Aur Mark…
jo hamesha logon ke chehron ke peeche chhupe iraadon ko pehchanta tha,
is larki ke chehre par sirf masoomiyat or sachai dekhta tha.
Din guzarte gaye.
Baatain barhti gayin.
Aur Mark
jo har subah apni khauf ki duniya ke qanoon ke sath uthta tha
ab wo sirf Hazel ke khayal ke sath uthne laga.
Usay yaad bhi na raha
kab usne guns ke bajaye coffee cups gin’na shuru kar diya.
Kab meetings se zyada
woh se milne ka intezar karne laga.
Hazel ko bhi dheere dheere ehsaas hone laga
ke ye aadmi mukammal nahi…
magar sacha hai.
Aur phir wo din aaya.
Mark ne pehli martaba
apni awaaz ko apni dharkan se aagay chalne diya.
“Main tum se mohabbat karta hoon, Hazel.”
Koi wada nahi.
Koi daawa nahi.
Sirf sach.
Hazel ne kuch lamhay kuch nahi kaha.
Phir aankhon mein nami ke sath muskurai.
“Main bhi,”
bas itna hi kaha
magar us aik jumlay ne Mark ki zindagi ka naqsha badal diya.
Mohabbat shuru hui.
Aisi jo dheere chalti hai,
magar gehri hoti hai.
Aur phir…
wo din jab Hazel usey apne ghar le gayi.
Apne maa baap se milane.
Dr. Neil,
safaid baal,
Aankhon pr chashma aur woh nazar
jo sirf kitaaben aur zindagi parh kar aati hai.
Uski maa Ridhima
Chehry par muskurahat,
ghar ki khushboo apne sath liye hue.
Mark ne haath milaya.
Muskuraya.
Magar usi lamhay…
usne mehsoos kar liya
ke Dr. Neil usy pehchan chuke hain.
Unki aankhon ne kuch nahi kaha,
Magar chehre ne sab bata diya.
Mark ka dil doob gaya.
Usey pata tha
agar sach saamne aa gaya,
ye rishta toot jayega.
Dr. Neil uthay.
Andar gaye.
Ridhima ko bulaya.
Hazel ne Mark ki taraf dekha
pareshani uski aankhon mein saaf thi.
Aur phir woh maa ke peechay chali gayi.
Mark wahin baitha reh gaya.
Akela.
Sochta hua ke
ye shareef log
mujh jaisay aadmi ko
kaise qabool kar sakte hain?
Andar se awaazain aane lagin.
Tez.
Sakht.
“Tum kaise aik gunday se shaadi ka soch sakti ho, Hazel?”
Hazel ki awaaz kaanp rahi thi
magar irada mazboot tha.
“Woh badal chuka hai, papa…”
“Main yaqeen nahi karta.”
Behas barhti rahi.
Aur Mark…
bahar baitha
sirf un alfaaz ki gungunahat sun raha tha
jo usay har din yaad dilate thay
ke uski zindagi kis mitti se bani hai.
Achanak darwaza khula.
Hazel bahar aayi.
Aankhon mein aansu.
Chehre par gussa.
Usne Mark ka haath pakra.
“Chalo, Mark.
Ye duniya kisi ko sudharne ka mauqa nahi deti.”
Mark ne usay roka.
Dheere se uska chehra apni taraf kiya.
Uske aansu saaf kiye.
“Tum un se naraz ho kar kahan jao gi?”
Hazel ne uski taraf dekha.
Mark ne kaha,
“Main tum se mohabbat karta hoon…
magar main tumhein un logon se door nahi kar sakta
jinhon ne tumhein mujh se bhi zyada mohabbat di hai.”
Uski awaaz bhari hui thi.
“Dr. Neil sahi kehte hain.
Mujh jaisa aadmi tumhare laiq nahi ho sakta.”
Hazel ne uska haath zor se pakar liya.
Mark ne aage kaha,
“Tum woh ho
jis ki wajah se maine apni puri duniya chhor di.
Tum ne mujhe zindagi ki qeemat batayi.
Khushi ka matlab samjhaya.”
Usne gehri saans li.
“Aur ab tum chah rahi ho
ke main tumhein un se chura kar le jaun
jinhon ne tumhein is qabil banaya
ke tum kisi ki puri zindagi badal sako?”
Usne sar hila diya.
“Nahi, Hazel.
Main intezar karun ga.
Jab tak tumhare maa baap mujhe dil se qabool na kar lein.”
Tabhi peeche se awaaz aayi.
“Mark.”
Dr. Neil bahar aaye.
Unke chehre par gussa nahi tha
itminaan tha.
Unhone Mark ke kandhay par haath rakha.
“Hazel meri jaan hai.
Meri ikloti beti.
Main uske liye aik aisa humsafar chahta tha
jo uska saya banay.”
Unhone Mark ki aankhon mein dekha.
“Tumhari baaton mein mujhe uski jhalak nazar aayi.”
Hazel ke chehre par hairani aur muskurahat aik sath aa gayi.
Dr. Neil ne kaha,
“Mark… mera bharosa kabhi tootne na dena.”
Mark ne unka haath pakra.
“Dr sahab…
jab insan bura hota hai
to us se bura kuch nahi hota.
Aur jab woh ikhlaaq aur reham par aa jaye
to us se acha koi nahi hota.”
Uski awaaz sach se bhari thi.
“Aap ki beti
mujhe andheron se nikaal laayi hai.”
Hazel aur Mark aik doosre ki taraf dekhnay lage.
Mohabbat bina lafzon ke.
Mark ki aankhen wapas tasveer par aa gayin.
Hospital ka kamra dobara saamne tha.
Machine ki beep.
Aur wo Parcel.
Usne tasveer ko fold kiya.
Note ko jeb mein rakha.
Is baar aankhon mein aansu nahi thay.
Sirf aik cheez thi:
Yaqeen.
Aur khud se sirf aik jumla kaha:
“Main aa raha hun.”
Aur bina kisi ko bataye…
bina kisi ko dikhay…
Mark hospital se nikal gaya.
Na Kabeer ko khabar hui.
Na kisi nurse ko.
Sirf raat ne dekha
ke aik aadmi
apni mohabbat ke liye
wapas andheron mein utar gaya.