Raat ki siyahi island par puri tarha phail chuki thi. Jungle ek azdahay ki tarah saans leta hua mehsus ho raha tha. Door maidan se aati hui darindana hansi, sharab ke glass takraane ki khushk sadaaein aur beech beech mein ubharti be-parwah cheekhein… yeh sab is baat ka saboot theen ke yahan insaniyat dum tod chuki thi.
Mark andhere ke saaye mein duba hua tha, uski nishane-baaz aankhen maidan ke har harakat par tiki hui theen. Woh jaanta tha ke jazbaat mein aa kar kiya gaya seedha hamla khudkushi ke siwa kuch na hoga. Aaj usy larna nahi tha, aaj usy shatranj ki tarah har chaal soch kar chalni thi.
Usne dheere se apne ird-gird nazar dorai. Jungle kabhi khamosh nahi hota, woh hamesha kuch na kuch deta hai agar aap ke paas parakhne wali nazar ho. Thodi door ek ghani jhaari par uski nazar thahar gayi. Lambay, nukiley patte aur un ke darmiyan khile halkay gulabi phool.
Mark rengta hua uske qareeb gaya. Ek patta tod kar usne apni ungliyon mein masla.
“Kaner…”
usne bohot dheemi, sedhi awaaz mein kaha. “Oleander.”
Yeh khubsurat phool dunya ka woh khamosh zehar tha jo awaaz nahi karta. Yeh seedha dil ke dharakne ki raftar par hamla karta hai aur insaan ko hosh aane se pehle hi maut ki vadi mein utaar deta hai. Mark ne mutthi bhar patte aur phool tod liye. Ek chaptay pathar par unhe rakh kar dusre pathar se peesna shuru kiya. Har dabaav ke sath ek chipchipa, geela sa sabz rang nikal raha tha.
Zehreela mixture taiyar tha. Mixture dekh kar uske honton par ek sard muskurahat aayi. “Bas itna hi kaafi hai…”
Mark ab maidan ke kinare tak pohanch chuka tha. Uski saans bilkul hamwaar thi na koi ghabrahat, na koi jald-baazi. Usne dekha ke ek guard bheed se thoda hat kar khara tha, nashay ki wajah se uska jism halka sa jhul raha tha.
Mark ek saaye ki tarah uske peeche namoodar hua. Bilkul be-awaaz. Ek haath guard ke munh par aur dusra gardan par.
Gardan tootne ki awaaz itni halki thi ke hawa ne usay apne andar jazb kar liya. Jism dheere se zameen par gira. Mark usay ghaseet kar andhere mein le gya, aur us k kapray khud pehn kar apna chehra dhaka. Usne guard ka jhoota mug uthaya aur dabe paon maidan ki taraf nikal pada.
Ab woh us khooni bheed ka hissa lag raha tha. Nashay ka natak karte hue woh un bade bade drums ke paas pohancha jin mein sharab bhari thi. Kisi ne dhyan nahi diya, kyunke yahan har koi apni hi maut ke nishay mein masroof tha. Mark ne dabe paon har drum ke paas ja kar woh zehreela mixture us mein ghol diya. Ek ghoont… aur maut tay thi.
Woh khamoshi se wapas andheron mein chala gaya aur nateeje ka intezar karne laga.
Pehla aadmi hasa, magar achanak uski hansi ek bhari khansi mein badal gayi. “Saala… yeh kya…”
Dusra aadmi baat poori na kar saka. Uske haath se glass chhuta aur pathar se takra kar pash-pash ho gaya. Teesre ne uthne ki koshish ki magar uske ghutne jawab de gaye. “Saans… saans nahi aa rahi…”
Manzar ek pal mein badal gaya. Hansi, khansi mein badli aur khansi, ghutan mein. Kisi ne apna gala pakra, kisi ne apna seena. Zehar un ke khoon mein daud raha tha, dil ki dharkanon ko rokh raha tha. Un ki aankhen phail gayin, jism larazne lage aur ek ek kar ke woh mitti par dher hone lage.
Koi cheekh nahi uthi, koi bhag-daur nahi hui. Woh samajhne se pehle hi andar se toot rahe thay. Ek ajeeb sa ‘Confusion’, ek gehra ‘Darr’ aur phir… har taraf khamoshi.
Kuch der baad maidan mein sirf hawa ki sarsarahat thi aur zameen par pheli hui laashein. Mark andhere se nikla. Uske qadmon mein koi jald-baazi nahi thi. Woh har jism ke paas gaya, nabz check ki, aur jahan zindagi ki halki si tadap baqi thi, wahan usne apne khanjar se faisla kar diya.
Aaj reham ka darwaza band tha.
Maidan ab ek qabristan ban chuka tha. Mark ne aakhri dafa un be-jaan jismon ko dekha aur phir apna sar uthaya. Door wahi pathreela qila khara tha Roger ka base.
Mark ne ek gehri saans li aur us taraf chal pada. Uski aankhon mein pur-asrar aag thi. Is dafa woh rukne ke liye nahi… maut ka aakhri hisaab chukane ke liye ja raha hai.