Mark ab bhi wahi khara tha jahan yaadein khatam hoti hain aur dard shuru hota hai.
Hazel ki tasveer uske seene se lagi hui thi.
Is tarah jaise agar haath zara sa bhi dheela ho gaya to woh phir se kho jayegi.
Darwazay par dastak hui.
Aik pal ke liye Mark ne mehsoos kiya jaise waqt phir se usi raat par aa gaya ho jab har dastak sirf aik hi naam laati thi, jo ab is duniya mein nahi tha.
Usne gehri saans li.
Aankhon ke kone se aansu saaf kiye.
Tasveer ko palat kar table par rakh diya.
Chehra seedha kiya.
Darwaza khola.
Bahar Kabeer khara tha.
Chehray par muskurahat thi jo Mark ko dekh kar phaili, aur phir usi muskurahat ke neeche udaasi utar aayi.
“Mark…”
Aik lamha bhi zaya kiye baghair Kabeer ne aage barh kar usey galay se laga liya.
Mark ne bhi baazu utha kar usay thaam liya.
Do aadmi, jo aik doosray ko bachate bachate khud ko bhool chukay thay.
“Andar aa,”
Mark ne dheemi awaaz mein kaha.
Kabeer ghar mein dakhil hua.
Nazrein ghuma kar dekha.
Khali pan.
Thandi chai.
Band pardi hui khirki.
Aur Mark…
jo wahan ho kar bhi kahin aur tha.
“Tumhein dekh kar khushi hui,”
Kabeer ne kaha,
“magar…”
Jumla adhoora reh gaya.
Mark ne bas halki si muskurahat paas ki, woh muskurahat jo sawalon se bachne ke liye hoti hai, jawab dene ke liye nahi.
“Tum abhi tak us trauma se bahar nahi aaye,”
Kabeer ne aahista kaha.
“Mark… duniya khatam nahi ho gayi.”
Mark khirki ke paas khara bahar andheray ko dekh raha tha.
Jaise shehar se nahi, khud se baat kar raha ho.
Kabeer bolta raha.
Mark sunta raha.
Magar jab jawab nahi aaya to Kabeer ke sabr ki lakeer toot gayi.
Woh aage barha.
Mark ke kandhay pakray.
Usey apni taraf ghumaya.
“Mark! Mujhe dekho.”
Kabeer ki aankhon mein khauf tha.
Woh khauf jo sirf is baat ka hota hai ke kahin koi apna phir se us andheray mein na laut jaye jahan se usey nikaalna mushkil ho.
“Khud ko sambhalo,”
Kabeer ne sakht lehje mein kaha.
“Aik shakhs ke chalay jane se zindagi khatam nahi hoti.”
Is jumlay par Mark ki aankhen uthin.
Us nazar mein gussa tha.
Dard bhi.
Aur woh sawal bhi jo sirf khoon se likhay jaate hain.
Usne bina kuch kahe apna phone Kabeer ki taraf barha diya.
Kabeer ne pehle phone dekha.
Phir Mark ko.
Phir phone pakar liya.
Message parhte hi uske haath kaanp gaye.
Aankhon mein khauf utar aaya.
“Tum samajhte ho qatl us din hua tha.
Qatl to us din hua jab tum ne chup rehna seekh liya.”
“Roger ka message…”
Kabeer ki awaaz bhaari ho gayi.
“Mark… yeh kya hai?”
Usne Mark ki taraf dekha.
“Roger ka is qatl se kya ta’alluq hai?”
Mark ne nazar nahi hatai.
Bas dheere se kaha,
“Ab bhi tum mujhe kaho ge ke main khamosh rahun?”
Kabeer ne foran jawab diya.
“Mark… suno.”
Woh ghabra kar idhar udhar chalne laga.
“Tum Roger ko jaante ho.
Woh aik wehshi darinda hai.”
“Tum akele uska kuch nahi bigaar sakte.”
Phir woh thak kar sofa par baith gaya.
Sir dono haathon mein pakar liya.
Kamray mein khamoshi utar aayi.
Aisi khamoshi jo awaaz se zyada bolti hai.
Kabeer ne sir uthaya.
Mark ab bhi khirki ke paas khara tha.
Shehar ko dekhte hue.
Jaise faisla wahin kahin likha ho.
“Agar is mein waqai Roger ka haath hai,”
Kabeer ne dheere se kaha,
“to tabahi aane wali hai.”
Phir uski awaaz laraz gayi.
“Mujhe dar sirf is baat ka hai, Mark…
ke main apne us dost ko na kho doon jise maine bachpan se har mushkil waqt mein apne saath khara paaya.”
Mark ne kuch nahi kaha.
“Tum ne mujhe sambhala,”
Kabeer bolta raha.
“Jab mujhe sambhalne wala koi nahi tha.”
“Agar tum na hotay to shayad main aaj zinda bhi na hota.”
Uski aankhen bheeg gayi.
“Tumhari wajah se main us duniya se bahar aaya.
Jasmine mili.
Shaadi hui.”
Kabeer k chehre par halki si muskurahat aayi.
“Hamara beta…
teen saal ka ho gaya hai, Mark.”
Mark ne pal bhar ke liye aankhen band ki.
Uske chehray par khushi ka aik sacha saaya guzra.
“Yeh zindagi… meri tumhari wajah se hai,”
Kabeer ne kaha.
“Aur main tumhare saath hoon.”
“Agar tum wapas us duniya mein jaoge to main tumhara saaya ban kar rahun ga.”
Mark ne pehli baar seedha Kabeer ki aankhon mein dekha.
Sar ko na mein hilaya.
“Nahi, Kabeer.”
“Yeh meri jung hai, mere bhai.”
“Main nahi chahta ke tum apni biwi aur apne bachay ko chhor kar is andheray mein utro.”
Woh aage barha aur Kabeer ko galay laga liya.
“Tum mere dost nahi ho,”
Mark ne dheere se kaha,
“tum mere bhai ho.”
Dono kuch dair yunhi kharay rahe.
Phir baith gaye.
Aur baatain shuru hui.
Purani baatain.
Hansi ke tukray.
Aur woh dard jo Mark ke chehray par Hazel ko pehli baar dekhne ke baad kabhi chhupa nahi. Uska tootna.
Aur woh pyaar jo usey mafia se bahar kheench raha tha.
Raat gehri hoti gayi.
Aur kahani…
aur bhi.