Do mard, jin ke kandhon par maut ka bojh tha, bhari qadmon ke sath andar dakhil hue. Un ke darmiyan ek safed kafan mein lipti hui laash thi.
Jasmine ne jaise hi us safed gathri ko dekha, us par sakta taari ho gya.
“Nahi…” Bas yahi ek lafz uske larazte honton se nikal saka. Woh bhaari qadmon se aage barhi, magar phir ruk gayi, jaise yaqeen aur haqeeqat ke darmiyan khari maut ki deewar usay choone se rok rahi ho.
“Yeh jhoot hai…” usne sisakte hue kaha, “Yeh Kabeer nahi ho sakta.”
Magar jaise hi chehre se kapra hata, Jasmine toot kar reza reza ho gayi. Woh be-jaan jism par gir pari aur cheekh uthi: “Tum ne wada kiya tha… tum ne kaha tha tum wapas aaoge!”
Uski cheekh dar-o-deewar se takra kar wapas aa rahi thi, magar Kabeer khamosh tha.
Mark darwaze par saaya ban kar khara tha. Bilkul chup jese Pathar ka mujasima. Usne Jasmine ka har ek lafz suna, uski har ek siski mehsoos ki, magar uska chehra sakht raha. Laash ke sath ek chhota sa, saada sa lifafa bhi tha. Mark ne usay uthaya aur khola. Andar sirf ek hi jumla kanda tha:
“Yahan mat aana… warna tumhara haal tumhare is dost se bhi bura hoga.”
Yeh mehaz dhamki nahi thi, yeh kisi gehri sazish ka ba-qaeda aaghaaz tha. Mark ne us kaghaz ko apni mutthi mein daba liya. Aankhon mein aansuon ka selaab utra, magar usne girne nahi diya. Abhi rone ka waqt nahi tha.
Shaam dhal rahi thi aur asmaan ne dukh ki chadar odh li thi. Qabristan ki mitti nayi thi aur hawa mein sard sanate ka raaj tha. Kabeer ka janaza uth chuka tha. Mark sab se peeche, ek alag thalag dunya mein khara tha. Na koi harkat, na koi baat wo chup chaap apne dost ka akhri safar dekh raha tha.
Taboot dheere se neeche utara gaya. Rassi dheeli chhori gayi aur phir… pehli mitti ka bojh gira.
Mitti girne ki awaz Mark ke dil par wazan daal rahi thi.
Jab sab log peeche hate, Mark aage barha. Usne jhuk kar us narm aur thandi mitti ko chhua. Uski ungliyan kaanp rahi thi. Aur is baar… wo bandh toot gaya. Aansu seedha zameen ki nami mein ja mile.
“Mere bhai…” usne bohot dheemi awaaz mein kaha, “Tu hamesha mere liye khara rehta tha. Ek dafa… sirf ek dafa khud ke liye ruk jata.”
Woh ab seedha khara rehne ki sakt bhi kho chuka tha. “Tu sirf mera dost nahi tha… mera bazu tha.”
“Mark.”
Peeche se Josh ki awaaz aayi. Mark ne aankhen saaf keen magar mura nahi.
“Agar tum us raat hospital se na bhagte,” Josh ne be-reham sachai se kaha, “To aaj tumhara dost zinda hota.”
Hawa jaise tham gayi. Yeh ilzaam nahi tha, yeh ek khanjar tha jo seedha Mark ke seene mein utra. Mark ne sar jhuka liya, uske paas koi safayi nahi thi.
Josh ne baat jaari rakhi: “Main ne Kabeer se rabta kiya tha. Usne mujhe kuch nahi bataya, lekin woh janta tha tum kahan ho. Woh tumhare liye hi ja raha tha… Kapola Island.”
Yeh naam sunte hi Mark ka chehra badal gaya. Andar kuch khamoshi se toot kar bikhar gaya.
Jasmine ke ghar ka darwaza ek baar phir khula. Ghar ab roshan tha, magar wahan zindagi khatam ho chuki thi. Jasmine zameen par baithi thi, aankhen aansuon se khali ho kar pathra gayi thi.
“Kaise hua?” Mark ne dabe paaon qareeb aa kar pucha.
Jasmine ne khali nazron se usay dekha. “Ek call aayi thi… woh foran uth kar tayar ho gaya. Main ne pucha kahan ja rahe ho, to usne sirf itna kaha… Mark ko meri zarurat hai.”
Mark ki aankhon mein phir se jalan mehsoos hui. “Nahi… Kabeer, yeh tum ne kya kar diya.”
“Tum uske liye sab kuch thay, Mark,” Jasmine ne murda awaz mai kaha.
Usi lamhe peechay se ek chhota sa bacha larkhrata hua aaya aur Jasmine ke galay lag gaya. Mark wahi jam gaya. Usy achanak yaad aya kabeer ne us se apne bete ka zikr kiya tha.
“Yeh…tumhara beta?” Mark ne hairani se pucha.
Jasmine ne dheere se bachay ka sar sahlaya. “Yeh Mark hai. Usne iska naam tumhare naam par rakha tha.”
Ek lamha… phir dusra… aur phir Mark ki mardana anaa ka qila dhans gaya. Woh ghutnon ke bal gira aur us bachay ko apni baahon mein bhar liya. Is baar woh roya. Woh aise roya jaise barson ka dukh ek hi baar mein nikal dena chahta ho. Bina kisi control ke, bina kisi parda-dari ke.
Raat ho chuki thi. Kabeer ki qabr ke samne Mark phr se akela khara tha.
Aankhen laal thi magar chehra kisi purane darakht ki tarah sakht ho chuka tha. Aansu khatam ho chuke thay, ab unki jagah fauladi irade ne le li thi.
“Ab baat sirf badlay ki nahi rahi,” usne siah asmaan ki taraf dekh kar kaha. Hawa tez hui jaise uske alfaaz ki tasdeeq kar rahi ho.
“Qasam…” uski awaaz ab pathar ki tarah sakht thi. “Main un sab ka hisaab loonga. Jo mujhse cheena gaya… main sab wapas loonga.”
Hawa tez ho gayi, jaise us qasam ki gawah ban rahi ho. Mark ne aakhri bar qabar ko dekha aur palat gaya.
Woh dobara unhi andheron ki taraf ja raha tha jahan se woh aaya tha.