Raat apni puri dehshat ke sath shehar par musallat thi. Hawa mein ek aisi khamoshi thi jo sukoon nahi, balkay kisi bade tufaan ka paish-khima lag rahi thi. Julia ke haath phone par thar-thara rahe thay, uski saans phul rahi thi jaise maut uske peeche bhag rahi ho.

“Josh…” uski awaaz sardi se phat rahi thi, “Aaj… ek aur qatal hone wala hai.”

Dusri taraf Josh ki saans atak gayi. Usne bina sawal kiye phone rakha aur gaadi ki taraf lapka. Usay pata tha ke Mark ab piche nahi murega.

Clinic ka woh makhsoos kamra barf ki tarah thanda tha. Mark khamosh khara tha, uski nazar seedhi Dr. Henry par tikki hui… ek aisa aadmi jo maseeha ke libaas mein chupaa hua darinda nahi, balkay apni darindagi par fakhr karta tha.

Henry ne aahista se apni ainak utari aur mez par rakh di jaise kisi mamooli din ka aakhri kaam mukammal kar raha ho. Har harkat mein itminaan tha… be-hiss, itminaan.

“Kyun…?”
Mark ki awaaz seedhi thi, magar us mein woh bojh tha jo kai saalon ke dard se paida hota hai.

Henry ne sar halka sa jhukaya, honton par ek thehri hui muskurahat ubhri aisi jo insaan ko nahi, sirf khayal ko zinda karti ho.
“Mujhe intezaar tha ke tum kab haqeeqat tak pohanchte ho. Tum nishana lagane mein maahir ho, Mark… magar tumhara dimaag hamesha se jazbaati raha hai. Aur jazbaat… faislon ko gandaa kar dete hain.”

“Hazel…”
Mark ke honton se naam dheere se phisla.
“Tum ne usay maara.”

Henry ki aankhen zara si bhi na badleen.
“Main ne usay bachaya. Woh tum se mohabbat karti thi… aur tumhari mohabbat zeher thi. Aisa zeher jo dheere dheere andar se insaan ko kha jata hai. Woh tumhare gunahon ke bojh tale dab rahi thi. Main ne sirf usay azaad kiya.”

Mark ek qadam aage barha.
“Aur Kabeer? Woh be-gunah tha.”

Henry ke honton par ek halki si lakeer ubhri na muskurahat, na afsos.
“Be-gunah… yeh lafz kitna bekaar hai. Kabeer sirf ghalat waqt par ghalat jagah tha. Mujhe pata chala ke woh tumhara peecha karte hue Kapola Island tak aa raha hai. Roger par tumhara shak yaqeen mein badalne ke liye… uska marna zaroori tha. Tumhein bas ek dhakka chahiye tha, Mark. Aur main ne woh de diya.”

Mark ki aankhon mein gussa tha khaalis, be-lagaam.

Henry ne usay dekha, jaise kisi mukammal tajrube ka nateeja dekh raha ho.
“Sab se pehle Hazel. Haan… usay maarna mushkil tha. Magar kabhi kabhi saza dena zaroori hota hai chahe woh kisi aur ke gunahon ki kyun na ho. Phir main ne tumhara rukh Roger ki taraf karne k liye… wo messages, wo latters, jo tumhe hospital mai mila aur wo jo kabeer ki laash k sath sab maine hi bheje thy. Ta ke tum usay qaatil samjho. Mujhe yaqeen tha tum us se nahi bach pao ge. Woh tumhein khatam kar deta… aur kahani wahi khatam ho jati.”

Woh thoda sa ruka, Mark ko ghour se dekhte hue.
“Magar tum ne mujhe hairaan kar diya.”

Henry aage jhuka. Uski awaaz narm ho gayi magar us narmi mein kuch tha jo seedha rooh tak chubh jaye.
“Main ne tumhein rasta dikhaya, Mark. Tum jaise log kabhi badalte nahi… sirf apni asliyat se bhaagte hain. Main ne Hazel ko tum se bachaya… aur tumhein tumhari asal soorat dikha di.”

Mark ne seedha uski aankhon mein dekha iss dafa baghair jhijhak.
“Main badal gaya tha, Henry. Hazel ne mujhe insaan bana diya tha…”

Uski awaaz bhari ho gayi, magar toot kar nahi.
“Tum ne mujhe dobara wohi bana diya… jo main kabhi tha.”

Tabhi darwaza jhatke se khula. “MARK! Gun neeche rakho!” Josh cheekha, uski gun Henry par tani thi. “Isey mat maaro! Qanoon ko apna kaam karne do!”

Mark ne Josh ki taraf dekha, uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb sa sukoon tha. Aur usi pal ka faida uthate hue, Henry ne apni sleeve se ek chhota magar nihayat teekha khanjar nikala aur poori taaqat se Mark ke seene mein ghonp diya.

 

Josh ne dor se wo dekha or unki taraf tezi se bhaga.

Mark ke honton se koi awaaz nahi nikli. Sirf ek gehra jhatka. Khoon foran uske safeed shirt par phelne laga, garm aur ghaara. Henry hansne laga ek khofnaak, pagal-pan se bhari hansi.

“Tum kabhi achay insaan nahi thay, Mark!” Henry ne khanjar ko andar ghuma diya. “Tumhara anjam yahi tha!”

Mark ka jism larza, magar usne Henry ki kalayi pakar li. Usne apni jaib se Cyanide poison wala injection nikala aur poori taqat se woh sui Henry ki kidney ke paas utaar di. Bilkul wese hi jese henry ne hazel ko maara tha. Henry ki hansi hairaani mai badal gai.

“Main acha insaan banna chahta tha…” Mark ki awaaz toot rahi thi, honton se khoon ka ek qatra gira. “Tum ne ban’ne nahi diya… Ab jalo jahanum mein.”

Henry peeche hata, uska chehra neela parne laga. Usne apna gala pakra, saans ukharne lagi, aur wo zameen par dher ho gaya ek aisa maseeha jo apne hi ilaj ka shikaar ho gaya tha.

 

Josh daudta hua Mark ke paas pohancha, jo deewar ke sahare neeche dher ho raha tha.

“MARK! Nahi, nahi… aankhen kholi rakho!” Josh ne zakhm par hath rakha, magar khoon rasta nahi badal raha tha. “Main tumhe kuch nahi hone dun ga, Chalo uthho”

Mark ne halki si muskurahat di aur Josh ka hath hata diya. “Nahi Josh… aaj nahi. Boht dair ho gayi hai.”

Josh ne guse se kaha. “Aisa mat kaho Mark… abhi to sab theek hona tha.”

Mark ne dhundli nazron se upar dekha. “Dekho… wo roshni…”

Josh ne peeche mud kar dekha, wahan sirf clinic ka andhera tha. Magar Mark ki nazron mein ek alag hi jahan numayan tha.

“Hazel… wo AAINA thi mera…” 

Mark ki saans ukhad rahi thi. 

“Jab AAINA toot gaya… to us mein dikhne wali sachai kaise zinda reh sakti hai? Aj intezar pura ho gya…… aj ye faasla mitne wala hai…. Dekho wo bahain phaila kar khari hai”

josh bebas betha sab sun raha tha.

Mark ka sar ek taraf jhuk gaya. Uski aankhen khuli theen, us main ab becheni nahi thi, balkay ek sukoon tha.

“Mark….Mark ankhen kholo” Josh zor se kehta raha, magar uski awaz clinic ki deewaron se takra kar khamosh ho gayi.

 

Ek pur-sukoon sufaidi har taraf phelee hui thi. Na dard tha, na khoon. Mark ne aankhen kholi to dekha ke woh White Lily ke phoolon ke ek pur-sukoon maidan mein hai. Uska sar kisi ki narm goud mein tha.

“Tum aa gaye…” ek jaani-pehchaani, resham jaisi awaaz aayi.

Hazel muskura rahi thi. Wahi purana sukoon. Mark ne ek gehri saans li, jaise barson baad usay saans lena naseeb hua ho.

“Ab…” Hazel ne uske baalon mein hath pherte hue kaha, “is jahan mein tum mera AAINA ho.”

 

Qabristan mein shaam ka sayah waqt tha. Josh do qabaro ke samne khara tha jis par taaza phool pare thay. Aik Qabar par likha tha: Mark. or us k sath wali Hazel ki thi.

“Tum kabhi buray insaan nahi thay,” Josh ne dheemi magar pakki awaaz mein kaha. “Tum apni saari doulat Kabeer ki biwi aur bachay ke naam kar gaye. Ek bura insaan aisa kabhi nahi karta.”

Us ne aik thandi sans li asman ki taraf dekha or kaha “Rest in peace, dost.”

Josh ne sar jhukaya nazar mark ki qabar par dali or sath hazel ki qabar ko dekha or chehre par dard bhari muskurahat liye  piche palat gaya.

Barish ki pehli boond Mark ki qabar par giri.

 

Hawa mein ek sarsarahat goonji jaise koi keh raha ho:

“Mohabbat ne usay insaan banaya tha… aur inteqaam ne phir se darinda. Magar maut ne usay bil-akhir wo sukoon diya jo zindagi na de saki.”

 

THE END