Friendship Café shaam ki peeli roshni mein dooba hua tha.
Glass ke sheeshon par andr ki lights aise chamak rahi thin jaise shehar ki saari thakaan ko narm ungliyon se samet rahi hon. Bahar zindagi ka shor tha—chai ke cup ki halki khanak, hansnay ki dabi hui awaazein, aur log jo apni apni kahaniyon mein masroof thay.
Mark café ke samne pohncha, darwazay par aa kr ruk gaya.
Sirf aik lamha.
Us ne apni mutthi dheere se kholi.
White Lily.
Safed, saaf, bilkul be-daagh.
Jo Kabhi izzat ka nishaan hua karta tha
aaj zimmedari ban chuka tha.
Mark us phool ko ghor se dekh raha tha
Jese woh phool kisi aur zindagi ka hissa hona chahiye tha.
Us ne gehri saans li.
Is dafa dil ne faisla nahi kiya tha.
Is dafa farz ne hukm diya.
Aur Mark andar chala gaya.
Café ke corner table par Andres baitha tha.
Roger ka khas admi, jo roger k hukam pr
Ksi ki jaan lene ya apni jaan dene mai zara bhi dair nahi krta.
Kaala coat, kaali shirt—collar thori si khuli hui, jaise zindagi ko serious lenay ka irada hi na ho. Daayein haath ki ungliyon mein mehngi angothiyan or baayein kalai par aisi watch jo waqt se zyada auqaat batati thi.
Chehra smart tha, jo us k lambhe balon mai chup jata tha.
magar aankhon mein woh laaparwahi thi jo sirf un logon mein hoti hai jo roz gunnah kartay hain—aur phir bhi chain se sotay hain.
Uske samne glass rakha tha.
Ice aadhi pighal chuki thi.
Hath mai aik bara cigaar tha jiska dhuan Andres aas paas phaila hua tha
Music tez tha. Log hans rahe thay.
Andres nashe mai dhut or ayashi karne mai mashgool tha.
Usey pata hi nahi chala ke kab uske samne wali kursi dheere se peeche hui.
Mark baitha.
Bilkul khamoshi se.
Andres ne ghont liya, phir nazar uthai—
aur uski saans atak gayi.
“Mark…?”
Awaaz nikal to gayi, magar yaqeen ke baghair.
Mark ne sirf dekha.
Aisi nazar jo purani zindagi ko achanak yaad dila de.
“Tum yahan?”
Andres hansa—lekin hansi aankhon tak nahi pohanchi.
“Mujhay laga tha tum… khatam ho chukay ho.”
“Itna khushqismat nahi hoon,”
Mark ne dheere se kaha.
“Meri zindagi asaani se khatm hone wali nahi.”
Andres ne glass neeche rakha. Aur woh seedha ho kar baith gaya.
“Roger ke shehar mein wapas aana,”
us ne casual rehne ki koshish ki,
“tumhara sab se ghalat faisla hai.”
Mark ne table par haath rakha.
Ungliyan sakht thin.
“Hazel ka qatal kis ne karwaya?”
Awaaz halki thi—
magar alfaaz bhaari.
Andres ka chehra aik pal ke liye sunn ho gaya.
Phir woh hanste huye bola
“Hazel?”
Us ne sawaliya andaz mai naam doahraya.
Kon?
Wo larki jiski wajah se tum ne roger ko dhoka diya?
Mark ki aankhen gehri ho gayin.
“Apni gandi zuban se,”
us ne dheemi magar kaat-daar awaaz mein kaha,
“Uska naam b mat lena.”
Andres ne gardan dheeli ki.
“Sun… main aaj yahan sirf peenay aaya hoon.
Roger se door rehna tumhare liye behtar hai.”
“Door?”
Mark halka sa jhuk kar bola.
“Tum Roger ke liye saans lete ho, andres.
Aur aaj woh saans—
mujhay chahiye.”
Andres ne idhar udhar dekha.
Bheer thi.
Magar pehli dafa usey mehsoos hua ke bheer bhi madad nahi karegi.
“Tum bhool gaye ho,”
us ne dheemi awaaz mein kaha,
“tum bhi kabhi uske liye kaam karte thay.”
Mark ne palak bhi nahi jhapki.
“Isi liye tum ab tk zinda ho.”
Khamoshi ho gai.
Aisi khamoshi jo kaan phaad deti hai.
Andres samajh chuka tha—
Mark baat karne nahi aaya.
Woh aj ya andres ka pata lagaye ga
Ya uski jaan le ly ga.
“Mark,”
uski awaaz kaanp rahi thi,
“tum Roger ka naam lekar apni qabar khud khod rahe ho.”
“Bas yeh bata do,”
Mark ne kaha,
“woh kahan mile ga.”
Andres ne kursi peeche dhakeli.
“Aaj ki raat nahi,”
woh kehta hua khara hua.
“Tum pagal ho gaye ho.”
Aur woh palta
aur bhaag gaya.
Bahar raat zinda thi.
Roshniyan, sarak pr bhagti gaariyan, awaazein—sab aik shor ban chuka tha.
Mark ne aik pal bhi zaya nahi kiya.
Woh us k peche bhaaga.
Tang galiyan.
Horn ki awasain.
Traffic ke beech se bhaagta hua aik saya.
Andres ka kaala coat bheer mein gum hota gaya.
jaise gunnah raat ki tareeki mai gum jaty hain.
Aur Mark usay khona nahi chahta tha.
Kyunkay Adnres ke peechay
sirf Roger nahi tha.
Hazel ka khoon tha.
Wo uska tezi se ta’qub kar raha tha
Bhaagtay bhaagtay Mark aik chourahay par pohncha
aur takra gaya.
Julia Blackwood seedhi zameen par aa giri.
Violin case, papers, chhota sa bag—sab idhar udhar phail gaye.
“Hey—!”
Mark aik qadam aagay barha, phir ruk gaya.
Uski nazar Andres ko talash krne lagi—
jo ab bheer mein gayab ho chuka tha.
Us ne gehri saans li
aur palat aaya.
Julia bina dekhe bol rahi thi,
“Log dekh kar kyun nahi chalty sara saman gira diyaa”
Mark jhuk gaya or saman ikatha karne lage.
Saman apne hatho mai liye wo julia k pas aya
“I am sorry,”
us ne sachay lehjay mein kaha,
“main jaldi mein tha.”
Julia jo khud ko sambhal rahi thi.
“Dekhain ap……….”
baat adhoori reh gayi.
Julia ne Mark ki traf dekha
aur waqt jaise thehar gaya.
Mark ki gehri kaali aankhen.
Aisi aankhen jo poochti nahi—sirf dekhti hain.
Julia ka dil aik pal ke liye bhool gaya ke wo kisi se zor se takrai thi.
Zubaan ne saath nahi diya.
Mark saman uske haath mein deta hua murh gaya.
Phir uski nazar khoon par pari.
Woh ruk gaya.
“Apko to zakham ho gya hai, khoon beh raha hai”
Julia jo mark ko dekh kr andr se zakhmi ho chuki thi,
Usy us zakam ki parwah nahi thi.
“Chlain…Apko hospital le chalta hoon.”
Julia ne koi sawaal nahi kiya.
Bas Mark ki taraf dekhti hui uske peechay chal pari.
Hospital ki safed roshni aankhon ko chubhne lagi.
Nurse patti kar rahi thi or,
Julia chup chaap baithi mark ko dekh rai thi.
Usy aik shaks nazar aa raha tha jo na jane apne andar
Kon c dunia basaye khara tha, or wo us dunia mai khona chahti ho.
“Mujhey maaf kar dena”
Mark ne sharmindgi ka izhar kiya
“Main jaldi main tha ap se takra gya apko meri wjah se takleef hui”
Hazel jo mark ki ankhon ki aseer ho chuki thi.
“Koi baat nahi”
Us ne mark ko tasali dete huye kaha
“Jo hadse hona likhy hon unhe koi hone se ni rok sakta”
Mark ne pehli bar julia ki ankho mai dekha.
“Wese apko kis bat ki jaldi thi”
Julia ne pucha
Mark pal bhar k liye khamosh raha
“Main apni parchai ka peecha kar raha tha”
Mark ne dheme se kaha.
“Matlab?”
Julia ne heran ho kar pucha.
“Kuch nahi main tumhein ghar chhor deta hoon,”
Mark ne kaha.
“Ap takleef na karein,”
Julia dheere se boli,
“mera ghar yahin peeche hai…main chali jaun gi”
Mark ne sar hila diya. Julia ki taraf dekha
Uski ankhen jese sharmindagi ka izhar kr rai hon
Uski wajah se kisi ko takleef ho, ye bat ab usy bechain kar deti thi.
“Goodbye. Take care”
Aur woh murh gaya.
Julia ne mehsos kiya, wo jese apne andar koi bohot gehra zakhm liye chal raha ho.
Wo usy jaty huye dekhti rahi, jab tak woh uski aankhon se poori tarah ojhal na ho gaya.
Mark seedhiyan utarta hua emergency ward ke samne se guzra,
ke achanak us k qadam ruk gye.
Aik naam jo us k kaano mai goonja
“… Hazel…”
Awaaz seedhi uske seene par lagi.
Woh palta.
Sheeshe ke darwazay se andar dekha.
Bed par aik larki behosh leti thi.
Uske paas aik aadmi baitha tha—uska haath pakray hue.
“Hazel… wapas aa jao,”
woh toot-ti awaaz mein keh raha tha.
“Tumhare baghair main kuch bhi nahi.”
Mark khamoshi se khara wo sb dekh raha tha.
Andar ka dard phir se jaag utha.
jaise kisi ne purana zakhm dobara khol diya ho.
Woh do qadam peeche hata.
Deewar ke saath lag kar khara ho gaya.
“H… Hazel,”
us ne saans ke saath kaha.
Aansu be-ijazat beh niklay.
Raat aur gehri ho chuki thi.
Hospital ke bahar darakht ke neechay bench par baith kar
Us ne apne aas paas nazar dorai
Aty jaty log, khelty huye chote bache.
Us ne thak kar bench se tek lagai,
Asman ki traf chehra kiya
Or aankhen band kar li.
“Ay Khuda,”
Us ne dil mai kaha,
“mujhay tab tak zinda rakhna
jab tak main Hazel ke qatil ko
uske anjaam tak na pohcha doon.
Uske baad
Chahy meri jaan le lena.”
Aik car us se thori door aa kr ruki.
Josh bahar nikla.
Us ne mark ko dekha or uski traf aya.
Mark wanhi betha hai uska chehra asman ki traf or ankhain band.
Josh us k pass khara ho kr bola,
“Sakoon ke pal har kisi ke hisay mein nahi aate.”
Mark ne aankhen khol li.
Us ne josh ko apne pas khara paya,
Josh k chehry pr tanziya muskurahat thi.
“Tum khushnaseeb ho,”
Josh ne kaha,
“abhi saans lene ka waqt mil raha hai.”
Mark ne bgair kuch kahy chehra dosri traf phair lia.
Uska ye rad e amal dekh kr josh muskuraya.
Or uske sath bench pr baith gaya.
“Badlay ki aag,”
us ne dheere se kaha,
“aksar sab se pehle apna hi ghar jala deti hai.”
Mark uski bat par ghour ni karta. Josh ye bt note kr leta hai.
Or phr mark ki traf gehri nazar rakh kr puchta hai
“Waise… kya tum kisi Natasha ko jaantay thay?”
Mark ne jhatkay se dekha.
Chehra sakht ho gaya, jese wo naam usy chubh gya ho.
“Tum Natasha ko kaise jaantay ho?”
Mark ne josh se pucha
“Woh to…….”
Phr
Aik goli ki awaz or baat adhori reh gai.
Har traf afra tafri phail gai.
Josh ne foran apni gun nikali or andaza lgaya k goli kahan se chali hai.
Or logon ko wahan se door jane ka keh raha tha.
“Tum bhi yahan se chaly jao mark.”
Us ne mark ki tarf bina dekhy kaha.
“Foran niklo”
Par mark ne koi jwab ni diya.
Josh phr taiz awaz mai kaha “mark” or mark ki traf dekha
Goli mark k seene k paar ho chuki thi
Or khoon bench se nechy tapak raha tha.
Josh ye dekh kar jum gya, usy kuch samjh nahi aa raha tha.
Mark jo khuda se badla lene tak ki mohalt mang ra tha
Ab wo mout ki aaghosh mai ja raha tha
Ab kahani,
aik aur mod par
saans rok kar khari ho gayi.