Barish us raat mausam ka hissa nahi lag rahi thi. Woh aik faislay jaisi thi, jo ho chuka ho aur jisse palta na ja sake.
Sarak par pani jama tha. Hawa chalti to us pani mein chhoti chhoti lahrain ubhar aati thin, bilkul waisi hi jaise Mark Torio ke andar kuch arsay se uth rahi thin.
Woh sadak ke kinare khara tha, gehri raat ki tarah tanha aur utna hi khamosh. Jaise usay na chalne ki jaldi ho, na rukne ka irada.
Barish lagataar gir rahi thi, thandi aur be-rehm. Uska kaala raincoat uske mazboot magar tootay huay jism se chipak chuka tha. Magar bheeg sirf kapray nahi rahe thay, rooh bhi bheeg chuki thi.
Uski gehri kaali aankhon se nami barish ke sath beh rahi thi. Aisi aankhen jo maut ko pehle dekh chuki hon aur phir us se dosti kar chuki hon.
Mafia duniya ka woh aadmi, jiske naam par mehfilon mein awaazain neechey ho jati thin, jiski khamoshi bhi dhamki lagti thi. Aaj wahi aadmi aankhon mein nami aur dil mein aik bojh liye khara tha.
Yeh bojh sirf gunahon ka nahi tha, yeh judai ka tha.
Barish uske chehray se beh rahi thi, jaise woh uske daag dho dena chahti ho. Magar Mark jaanta tha… kuch daag pani se kabhi nahi dhulte.
Road ke doosri taraf band dukanein thin. Sheeshe walay shutters par neon lights ka toota hua aks laraz raha tha. Usi larzish ke beech usay apna chehra nazar aaya.
Woh aage barha. Sheeshy k qareeb khara hua Saans ki bhap sheeshe par jami. Usne haath se sheesha saaf kiya. Aina usay wapas dekh raha tha, thaka hua, toota hua. Woh chehra jo kabhi faislay karta tha, aaj sirf bardasht kar raha tha.
Aankhen khuli hui thin, jaise unhein jhapakna kisi jurm ka iqraar ho.
“Yeh jo hua…”
usne dheere se kaha,
“…kya yeh zaroori tha?”
Aks ne jawab nahi diya.
Aks kabhi jawab nahi dete.
Woh sirf yaad dilate hain.
Mark ne haath sheeshe par rakh diya. Ungliyon ke neechay thandak thi. Aur usne khud se poocha, dard bhari awaaz mein:
Kyun kuch log marne ke baad bhi doosron ke zameer mein rehna shuru ho jatay hain?
Barish aur tez ho gayi. Sheeshe par uska aks bigra, aur us bigray hue chehray ke peechay aik aur chehra ubhra.
Hazel.
Na muskurahat, na aansu. Bas khari thi, jaise yeh jaan kar aayi ho ke kuch baatein kehne ke liye zinda rehna zaroori nahi hota.
Mark ne palak jhapki. Chehra gaayab. Seene ka bojh aur bhaari ho gaya. Aankhon se aansu beh niklay, barish ke pani mein gum ho gye.
Isi lamhay uska phone vibrate hua. Usne aankhon se aansu saaf kiye aur jaib se mobile nikala. Message Roger Feder ka tha:
“Tum samajhte ho qatl us din hua tha. Qatl to us din hua jab se tum ne chup rehna seekh liya.”
Mark ne phone band kar diya. Barish ke pani se chehra dho liya. Aur sheeshe se nazar hata li.
Kyun ke kuch aainay sirf chehra nahi dikhate, woh insaaf maangte hain.
Aik masoom ke qatl ka insaaf.