Raat ki siah chadar ne Julia ke wajood ko kisi purane dukh ki tarah lapait rakha tha. Neend koson door thi. Har baar jab woh aankhen band karti, andhere mein wahi safeed file aur us par likha siyah naam MARK… kisi jalti hui lau ki tarah numayan ho jata.
Subah hui, magar roshni darr ke saaye kam na kar saki. Julia ek baar phir clinic ke bahar khari thi. Darwaza dheere se khula, aur wo andar daakhil huii. Andar wahi makhsoos boo thi antiseptic, purani lakri ki polish, aur be-daagh safai. Magar aaj us khushboo ke neeche kuch aur bhi tha. Ek kadwi, tez aur be-chain kar dene wali mehak.
“Henry?”
Julia ki awaaz khali corridor mein goonji. Jawab mein sirf ek gehra sannaata mila. Reception khali tha. Cabin band thay. Woh seedha us makhsoos section ki taraf barhi jahan kal usne maut ki aahat suni thi. Aaj darwaza locked nahi tha. Halka sa khula hua, jaise kisi ne usay dawat di ho… ya shayad koi jaldi mein band karna bhool gaya tha.
Kamra roshan tha, magar ajeeb tor par saaf. Kal ke wo adhay jale hue kaghazat, wo raakh, wo chemical ki boo sab gaayab tha. Table bilkul clean thi.
“Yeh…” Julia ne dheere se kaha, uska dil seene ki deewar se takra raha tha. “Kal yahan sab tha…”
Koi saboot mita raha tha. Safai itni mukammal thi ke darr aur barh gaya. Usne jaldi se wahi drawer khola. Files ab bhi wahin theen. Usne ek ek kar ke patients ke naam dekhe, dates parkheen… aur phir woh mili.
“MARK”
Usne file kholi. Pehle kuch safhay psychological notes thay. Magar agle hi page par kuch aisa tha jis ne Julia ko aur confuse kar diya.
Ek tasveer.
Tasveer mein Hazel thi. Aur uske sath… Mark. Dono ke chehron par woh sukoon tha jo sirf tab aata hai jab dunya ka darr khatam ho jaye. Mark ki aankhon mein Hazel ke liye mohabbat thi, aur Hazel ke honton par ek mutmain muskurahat.
“Yeh… bhai ke paas kyun hai?” Julia ka gala khushk hone laga. Usne agla page palta. Haath se likhe gaye notes numayan hue:
“Subject emotionally attached.”
“External influence: Mark.”
“Risk factor: HIGH.”
“Treatment: CYANIDE.”
Uski aankhon ke samne andhera chane laga. Cyanide se treatment? Bhai ne… cyanide ka istemal… kis liye??
Agla page: Timeline. Julia ne appointments dates dekhin. Phir ruk gayi. Dobara dekha. Dates ko kaat kar dobara likha gaya tha. Jo waqt hazel ki appointment ka tha, woh haqeeqi waqt se 48 ghante pehle ka tha. Aur us appointment k baad hazel ki koi or appointment nahi thi.
Ek pal mein Julia ka zehan maazi ki ek dhundli gali mein ja nikla.
Dr. Henry clinic ki khirki ke paas khara tha. Bahar lawn mein Hazel aur Mark ek saath kharay thay. Hazel be-parwah hans rahi thi. Henry ki aankhen thandi theen jese kisi nasoor ko dekh raha ho.
“Tum samajhti nahi ho, Hazel,” Henry ne bohot dheeme se khud se kaha, uski awaaz mein koi jazba nahi tha. “Yeh larka tumhein barbaad kar dega. Yeh ek infection hai… aur infection ko khatam karna parta hai.”
Us khyal se Julia ka jism barf ki tarah thanda par gaya.
Har cheez ek khofnaak sanchay mein dhal rahi thi. Hazel ka clinic aana… Mark ke zehni dabao ke liye Henry se madad maangna… Henry ka un dono ko observe karna… clinic ki lab se Cyanide ka gayab hona..
“Yeh sab…” Julia ki aankhon se aansu behne lage. “Yeh sab bhai ne kiya?”
Uski rooh cheekh rahi thi Inkaar kar do! Yeh jhoot hai! Magar file uske hathon mein cheekh cheekh kar haqeeqat bayaan kar rahi thi. File uske hathon se phisal kar zameen par gir gayi, kaghazat farsh par bikhr gye.
Uski aankhon ke samne do chehre thay. Ek woh bhai jis ne bachpan mein usay chalna sikhaya tha, jo har mushkil mein uska sahara tha. Aur dusra… ek khushk chehra, ek aisa shakhs jo ‘theek’ karne ke naam par zindagiyaan mita deta tha.
“Bhai… aap ne aisa kyun kiya? Kyun?!”
Uski awaaz ek tootti hui siski ban kar reh gayi. Jawab mein sirf clinic ki khamoshi thi. Magar is khamoshi ke peeche ek chehra tha jo ab mukammal taur par numayan ho chuka tha. Woh chehra Dr. Henry ka nahi tha… woh us maseeha ka tha jo maut baant’ta tha.
Julia ne deewar ka sahara liya aur farsh par dher ho gayi. Sach uske samne tha, nanga aur be-reham. Magar sawal ab bhi wahi tha… maseeha jab qatil ban jaye, to insaaf kaun karega?
Corridor mein kisi ke bhari qadmon ki aahat sunayi di.
“Tum phir se wahan ho, Julia?”
Henry ki awaaz corridor mein goonji. Julia ne tadap kar darwaze ki taraf dekha. Dr. Henry wahan khara tha, uske honton par wahi shafqat bhari muskurahat thi, magar aankhen barf ki tarah sard theen.
Asli dahshat ab shuru hui thi.