Julia ne seedha uski taraf dekha. Aaj us nazar mein woh ehtiraam aur narmi nahi thi jo ek behn ki aankhon mein apne bhai ke liye hoti hai. Aaj wahan sirf ek khofnaak sawal tha.
“Kya…” uski awaaz dheemi thi, magar deewar se takra kar goonj rahi thi. “Hazel… yahan ai thi?”
Henry ruk gaya. Sirf ek lamhay k liye. Usne bilkul aaram se apna coat utara aur usay kursi ki pusht par aise rakha jaise har silwat ka hisaab usay maloom ho.
“Patients aate rehte hain, Julia,” usne sedhe lehje mein jawab diya, nazrein apni mez par rakhi ek pen par jamaye hue. “Tum jaanti ho, yahan roz hazaron log aty hain.”
Julia ne apna bag khola aur wahi file nikal kar mez par de maari. Awaaz khali kamre mein kisi dhamake ki tarah sunayi di.
“Yeh sirf patient nahi thi, Henry.”
Henry ki nazar file par gayi, phir wapas Julia par. Us ki barfili aankhon mein koi jhurjhuri, koi ghabrahat nahi thi. Woh bilkul be-harkat khara raha.
“Tum ne files jalayi,” Julia ne qadam aage barhaya, uska jism kaanp raha tha. “Appointment ki timeline badli. Saboot mitaye. Aur Cyanide…” Uski awaaz toot gayi, dam ghutne laga. “Maine suna hai… hazel ko cyanide diya gya tha”
Sannaata cha gaya. Bahar sadak par guzarti gaadiyon ka shor door kisi dusri duniya ka lag raha tha. Kamre ke andar sirf Julia ki tez saansein theen aur Henry ka woh khofnaak thahrao.
Henry ne ek gehri saans li aur kursi par baith gaya. Bilkul aaram se. Jaise kisi mareez ka mushkil sawal hal karne wala ho.
“Main ne usay bachaya,” usne bohot narmi se kaha.
Julia ka dil ek jhatkay se dharakna bhool gaya. “Aap ne… kya kaha?”
Henry ne sar uthaya. Uski aankhein thandi theen, bilkul khali. “Tum samajh nahi sakti, Julia. Kuch log dunya mein sirf ek infection ki tarah hote hain. Aur hazel bohot masoom thi, wo infection hazel ko andar se khokhla kar raha tha.”
“Mark…” Henry ne wo naam boht hakarat se liya. “Woh ladka Hazel ke liye ek bemari tha. Woh uski shakhsiyat, uski zindagi, sab kuch barbaad kar deta. Woh usay us andhere mein le jata jahan wo khud rehta tha.”
“Nahi…!” Julia cheekhi, uske aansu behne lage. “Woh us se mohabbat karta tha! Woh dono khush thay!”
Henry ke honton par ek Be-reham muskurahat aayi.
“Mohabbat?” usne dheere se kaha, goya kisi na-samajh bacche ko samjha raha ho. “Mohabbat insaan ko tameer karti hai, Julia. Mohabbat sukoon deti hai. Jo cheez tumhein jurm, be-chaini aur khatre ki taraf le jaye, woh mohabbat nahi, woh ek zehni khalal hota hai. Maine sirf us khalal ko khatam kiya.”
“Aap ne ek zinda insaan ko maar diya…” Julia ki siskiyan nikal gayin.
“Main ne usay azaad kiya,” Henry ne foran jawab diya. Uski awaaz mein ab bhi wahi clinical calmness thi. “Usay us mustaqbil se azaad kiya jo dukh aur zillat se bhara tha. Usay us aadmi se door kiya… jo uske liye zeher tha.”
Julia ka jism darr se larazne laga. “Zeher…?”
Henry ne halka sa sar jhukaya, jaise kisi report par dhyan de raha ho. “Cyanide… Maut hamesha takleef-deh nahi honi chahiye, Julia. Kabhi kabhi maut hi behtareen ilaj hoti hai.”
Julia ne peeche hatna chaha, magar uske paon zameen mein gadh gaye thay. Uski aankhon ke samne apne bhai ka woh chehra tha jo ab ek maseeha ka nahi, ek qatil ka tha ek aisa qatil jo apne har qatal ko ‘theek’ keh raha tha.
“Aap ne plan kiya… aap ne sab kuch pehle se socha tha…”
Henry ne dheere se sar hilaya bilkul seedha, Aankhon mein na pachtawa tha, na koi insani naram-pan. Sirf ek thandi, hisaab kitaab karti hui soch.
“Main psychologist hoon, Julia. Log samajhte hain main dimagh bachata hoon… ghalat. Main un dimaghon ko mita deta hoon jo khud apni tabahi ka faisla kar chuke hote hain. Main unhein bachata nahi… main unhein khatam karta hoon.”
Uski halki si muskurahat ubhri bejaan, khaufnaak.
Maine wohi kiya jo zaroori tha. Safai ki hai maine… aur safai hamesha khoobsurat hoti hai, chahe tareeqa kitna hi ganda kyun na ho.
Julia ke liye yeh sab bardaasht se bahar ho gaya. “Aap pagal ho gaye hain… aap ko ilaj ki zaroorat hai!” usne ne rote huye kaha.
Henry khara hua aur dheere se Julia ke qareeb aaya. Uska wajood kamre ki bachi-khuchi roshni ko nigal raha tha. “Nahi. Main bilkul theek hoon. Dar-asal… pehli baar mujhe lag raha hai ke maine apna farz nibha diya hai.”
Henry ne Julia ke sar par haath rakhna chaha, wahi shafqat bhara lamha jo Julia ke liye kabhi sukoon ka baais tha. Magar aaj woh haath kisi saanp ki tarah mehsoos hua. Julia jhatkay se peeche hati.
“Touch mat karna mujhe… door raho mujhse!”
Henry ka haath hawa mein hi ruk gaya. Uske chehre par ek pal ke liye ajeeb si hairat aayi, jaise usay dukh hua ho ke uski behn sy samajh nahi rahi.
Julia ne apna bag uthaya aur bhaagte hue darwazay ki taraf badhi.
“Julia…” Henry ne peeche se pukara. Uski awaaz ab bhi wahi narmi liye hue thi, magar ab us mein ek dahshat-naak sanjeedagi thi. “Main ne jo kiya, woh sahi tha. Ek din tum bhi samajh jaogi ke maine tumhein aur is shehar ko ek bimari se bachaya hai.”
Julia ne mud kar nahi dekha. Woh clinic ki seedhiyon se utarti hui bahar nikal gayi. Raat ki thandi hawa uske jism se takrayi, magar uske andar ki barf nahi pighli.
Sadak sunsaan thi. Chiraghon ki zard roshni mein Julia ke aansu motiyon ki tarah chamak rahe thay. Usne kaanpte hathon se phone nikala aur number dial kiya.
Do rings… teen… aur phir call connect hui.
“Mark…” Julia ki awaaz sardi aur khauf se phat rahi thi.
Doosri taraf se sirf saans lene ki awaaz aayi. Ek gehri, bhari khamoshi.
“Mark… hazel” Julia ne apni aankhein band keen, jaise khud ko is sach ke liye tayar kar rahi ho jo ab ek naye khoon-kharabay ka rukh tay karega. “Hazel ka qatil mere samne khara tha.”
Khamoshi. Line ke doosri taraf se ab sirf ek sarsarahat aayi, jaise Mark ke andar ka tufaan ab dobara jaag raha ho.
“Qatil… Dr. Henry hai.”
Julia ne phone band kar diya aur ghutnon ke bal sadak par dher ho gayi. Kahani ab badlay se nikal kar ek khofnaak zehni jung mein dakhil ho chuki thi. Aur is baar, dushman koi gang nahi, balkay woh maseeha tha jis ke haath hamesha se be-daagh thay.