Kamra itni gehri khamoshi mein dooba tha ke ghadi ki har tick Mark ke kaano mein hathode ki tarah baj rahi thi. Woh wapas aa chuka tha jism salamat tha, magar rooh reza-reza ho chuki thi.
Roger ka woh aakhri jumla… woh cheekh nahi thi, bal-kay yaqeen se bhari hui sarsarahat thi: “Maine unhe nahi mara…” Usne maut ki aankhon mein dekhte hue yeh kaha tha. Aur marta hua shakhs aksar jhoot ki fursat nahi rakhta.
Josh mez ke doosri taraf khara tha, uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb si chamak thi shayaad sukoon ki. Mez par files, nakshay aur Kapola Island ki tasveerein bikhri hui theen.
“Mark, tum ne aaj police department ki sab se badi mushkil asaan kar di,” Josh ne ek gehri saans lete hue kaha, uski awaaz mein fakhr saaf jhalak raha tha. “Roger ka khatma… My God, tum ne yeh kiya kaise? Jis ne hukoomat ka sukoon barbaad kiya hua tha, tum ne usay khatam kar ke azeem karnama kiya hai. Main to kehta hoon government se tumhare inaam ki baat karunga.” Josh ne halka sa mazak kiya, magar uski hansi khokhli thi.
Mark ne sar nahi uthaya. Woh un tasveeron ko dekh raha tha magar uski sochon ka markaz kahin aur tha.
“Mark…? Mark?!” Josh ne usay mutawajjah karne ke liye thoda zor se kaha.
Mark ne dheere se Josh ki taraf dekha. Uska chehre par hairaani thi. “Agar woh nahi… to phir kaun?”
Josh ki muskurahat thitak gayi. Woh Mark ki be-chaini samajh gaya. Usne ek gehri saans li aur kursi kheench kar baith gaya. “Main dobara check kar chuka hoon, Mark,” Josh ne ab dheemi magar sanjeeda awaaz mein kaha. “Hazel ke murder ka waqt… aur Roger ki location… woh match nahi karti.”
Kamray ki hawa ek dam bhaari ho gayi. Mark ne dheere se sar uthaya. Uske seene mein ek thandi leher daud gayi. “To phir woh kaun hai jis ne Hazel aur Kabeer ko maara? Mujhay messages bheje… aur Josh, tum ne hi mujhay bataya tha ke Kabeer Kapola Island gaya tha.”
Josh ne foran file Mark ki taraf sarkaai. “Main bhi yehi soch raha tha. Yeh dekho CCTV logs, border entries aur satellite timestamps. Har cheez ek hi baat keh rahi hai Roger us raat wahan tha hi nahi jahan Hazel ka qatal hua.”
Mark ki ungliyan dheere se file par phisli. “Phir…?” uski awaaz halki si phati. “Phir kis ne maara?”
Josh kuch dair khamosh raha, phir usne file ka ek naya safa khola. “Ek aur baat hai. Hazel… uska postmortem.”
Mark ki nazrein suii ki tarah Josh par jami theen.
“Tum jante ho hazel or kabeer ki mout mai kya common hai?” Josh ruk kar bola, uski awaaz mein ek ajeeb sa thahrao tha. “Dono ko cyanide poison diya gaya tha.”
Mark ka dil ek lamhay ke liye dharakna bhool gaya.
“Aur roger ne aj tak jitne qatal kiye…” Josh ne dheere se kaha, “kisi aik mai bhi zeher nahi diya gaya”
Mark ne foran sar uthaya, “is se ye baat to sabit hai k dono ka qaatil aik hi hai.”
Josh ne seedha uski aankhon mein dekh kar kaha.“bilkul!.”
Khamoshi itni gehri thi ke dono ko ek dusre ki saans sunayi de rahi thi. Badla, jo itna seedha aur saaf lag raha tha, ab ek dhundli aur khofnaak sazish ban chuka tha. Mark samajh chuka tha k kisi ne usay bari chalaki k sath gumrah kiya tha… par kis ne?
Doosri taraf, shehar ke pur-sukoon kone mein, Julia apne bhai Dr. Henry ke clinic ke bahar khari thi. Yeh wahi jagah thi jahan bachpan main us k waalid Dr. Kayshup blackwood apni clinic chalaty thy, aaj yeh purani imaarat usay us k waalid ki yaad dila rahi thi.
Woh andar aayi. Reception khaali tha. Ek akeli light oopar se jhalak rahi thi, magar koi insani awaaz nahi thi.
“Hello?” Julia ne pukaara. Magar koi jawab nahi aya.
Julia dheere dheere corridor mein agy badhi. Usay ek ajeeb si mehak mehsoos hui hospital ke antiseptic ki nahi, balkay kuch tez, kuch kadwi… jaise koi chemical jalaya gaya ho.
Uski nazar us darwaze par padi jo hamesha khula rehta tha Dr. Henry ki lab. Aaj woh band tha. Julia ne handle ko chhua lekin wo locked tha.
Usne dheere se kaan darwaze se lagaya. Andar khamoshi thi, magar wahi chemical ki boo yahan aur bhi tez thi. Uska dil tezi se dharakne laga apne bhai k liye fiker mand hui. Woh side corridor ki taraf mudi, jahan ek chhota sa record room tha. Darwaza halka sa khula tha.
Julia ne darwaze ko dhakka diya. Andheri kothri mein switch on kiya to roshni ne ek khofnaak manzar dikhaya. Table par kuch kaghazat ki raakh padi thi. Adhe jale hue tukray abhi bhi kuch keh rahe thay.
Julia ne kaanpte hathon se ek tukra uthaya. Us par likha tha: “…Cyanide…” “…injection…” “…cardiac…”
“Injection…?” usne khud se sawal kiya. Cardiac arrest?
Uski nazar kone mein pare CCTV monitor par padi. Screen kaali thi, taarein toti hui theen. Bhai, to har cheez ka record rakhte hain, unho ne yeh disconnect kyun kiya?
Be-chaini aur barh gai. Julia ki nazar ek drawer par padi jo adha khula tha. Woh aage badhi aur files ko palatne lagi. Sab kuch tarteeb se tha, magar sab se peeche, ek purani file daba kar rakhi gayi thi. Jaise kisi ne chupa kar rakhi ho.
Julia ne file nikali. Cover par motay lafzon mein likha tha: “MARK”
Zehn mein sawalon ka ek tufaan utha. Mark? Kya woh Dr. Henry ka mareez tha? Aur agar tha, to Henry ne kabhi bataya kyun nahi?
Woh file ka pehla safa palatne hi wali thi ke ek jaani-pehchaani magar is waqt khofnaak lagne wali awaaz goonji.
“Aray, aaj meri gudiya kaise rasta bhool gayi?”
Julia ka dil goya halaq mein aa gaya. Usne bijli ki tezi se file wapas drawer mein dhaki aur jhatke se peeche palti. Saamne Dr. Henry kharay thay. Wohi makhsoos safed coat, honton par wahi shafqat bhari muskurahat.
“B…bh…bhai!” Julia ki awaaz laraz gayi, usne apni ghabrahat chhupane ki nakaam koshish ki. “Woh… bas aaj kaam se jaldi free ho gayi thi to socha apne bhai se mil loon.”
“Bohot accha kiya,” Henry ne qareeb aate hue narm andaz mein kaha. “Aao, khana khate hain.”
Dr. Henry Julia ko apne cabin mein le gaye. Yeh kamra hamesha ki tarah tarteeb se tha, magar Julia ko har cheez ajnabi lag rahi thi. Deewar par lage medical certificates jaise usay ghoor rahe thay.
“Batao, kya khao gi?” Henry ne kursi sambhalte hue pucha.
“Bhai… jo aapka dil kare,” Julia ne khali nazron se mez ko dekhte hue jawab diya. Uska jism yahan tha, magar dimagh ab bhi us andheri kothri mein us drawer ke paas tha.
Henry ne phone uthaya aur khane ka order diya. Agle aadhe ghante tak dono behn bhai baaton mein mashghool rahe. Henry un ke walid ke qisse suna rahe thay, bachpan ki shararatein yaad kar rahe thay.
Khana aaya. Henry ne bade pyaar se Julia ko khana serve kiya. Dono ne khana khaya or khoob batain ki
“Acha bhai, ab main chalti hoon,” Julia ne uthte hue kaha.
Henry kharay hue aur bade pyaar se Julia ke maathe par bosa diya. “Apna khayal rakhna. Main shaam 6 baje tak ghar aa jaon ga.”
Julia cabin se nikli aur khali corridor mein chalne lagi. Jab woh lab ke samne se guzri, to uske qadam khud-ba-khud dheere ho gaye. Usne palat kar us band darwaze ki taraf dekha jahan se woh chemical ki boo aa rahi thi.
Mark ki file yahan kaise?
Kya Mark bhai ka mareez hai?
Agar hai… to bhai ne kabhi zikr kyun nahi kiya?
Julia clinic se bahar nikal aayi, magar uski zehni uljhan wesi ki wesi rahi.