**Chapter 28: Cook**
Video ko us jagah dekhne ke baad, maine video roka, ek cigarette jalayi, aur dil ko shant karne ki koshish ki. To, un dono ke beech kuch bhi asli mein nahi hua. Yeh bas jismani tha, ek doosre ke tanav ka ek saath nikala gaya. Mujhe ek ajeeb si nirasha, rahat, aur thodi si khushi ka ehsaas hua ki Rita ne aakhir mein khud ko rok liya. Fir bhi, kal raat ek bada badlav tha. Unhone ek seema paar ki, ek doosre ki khwahishon ko pehchana. Mera plan, anjaane mein, ek bada kadam aage badh gaya.
Shayad yeh sabse behtar natija tha. Rita ki zarooratein poori ho rahi thi, jo use bhatakne se rok raha tha, aur Pitaji ko apne saathi ke kho jaane ke baad thodi rahat mil rahi thi. Jaise Rita ne kaha, jab tak mujhe pata nahi, unke kaam aakhir mein parivar ke liye faydemand the. Fayde nuksaan se zyada the. Main unhe is baat ke liye dosh nahi de sakta ki woh mujhse yeh chhupa rahe the. Shayad Rita ka yeh chhupana ek tarah ka "safed jhooth" tha.
Cigarette ke baad, maine video phir se chalu kiya. Rita ne naha liya, fir bedroom mein wapas aayi aur veerya se daagdar chadar ko dekha. Uski haathon mein kampan thi jab usne almari se nayi chadar nikali aur dheere-dheere bistar badla. Maine dekha ki uske baalon ke neeche se aansoo gir rahe the. Chudai ke baad ka saaf dimaag uske liye guilt ka toofan laaya tha. Usne apni wafadari banaye rakhi, lekin sharam aur khud ko dosh dene ka bojh us par bhari pad raha tha.
Uski aansuon ki boondein gandi chadar par gir rahi thi. Jo kaam jaldi khatam ho jana chahiye tha, usne usse das minute se zyada laga diya. Baad mein, woh bistar ke kinaare baith gayi, tissue ko pakde hue, aur ro padi. Uski kandhe uske rone ki wajah se hil rahe the. Usko rote dekh, mera dil bhi dard se bhar gaya. Kya maine sahi kiya tha? Maine screen ko chhune ki koshish ki, ek bekaar si tasalli dene ka ishara.
Thodi der baad, uski aankhein laal aur sooji hui, usne hamari shaadi ki tasveer ki taraf dekha. Woh khadi hui, ek haath se tissue se apna muh dhak kar, doosre haath se frame mein meri tasveer ko pyaar se sehlaya. Guilty, khud ko dosh dena, lekin saath hi gehra pyaar aur mohabbat uski aankhon mein chamak raha tha. Mujhe darr laga ki shayad woh isse aage nahi badh payegi, ki kuch bura ho sakta hai. Yeh khayal mujhe dar se bhar gaya.
Woh roti rahi, meri tasveer ko chhoo rahi thi, tasveer wala main uske aansoo pochne mein asamarth tha. Thak kar, woh aakhir mein nayi chadar par let gayi, ek taraf karvat le kar, wahan jahan main aksar sota tha. Usne us jagah ko dheere se sehlaya, uske aansuo bhare chehre par ek bittersweet si muskurahat thi. Woh mujhe bahut yaad kar rahi thi. Apne pyaar aur tadap mein khoyi, woh so gayi, uski palkon par aansoo abhi bhi chipke hue the. Sote hue bhi, woh dheere se siskiyaan le rahi thi. Usko aise dekh kar mere dil mein kuch toot sa gaya. Main ghar daud kar jana chahta tha aur use baahon mein bhar lena chahta tha.
Apne kamre mein, Pitaji karvatein badal rahe the, aankhein band karke, gehri saansein le rahe the. Yeh ek tufani raat thi. Maine video phir se roka jab Rita uthi. Woh abhi bhi udaas thi, apni roz ki subah ki routine—naha kar, makeup laga kar—karti rahi. Fir, usne apna phone uthaya, kuch dhoondhne lagi. Usne woh paya, lekin jhijhak gayi, apne honth kaatne lagi, uski ungli call button par ruki hui thi. Woh mujhe call karna chahti thi, lekin himmat nahi juta payi. Usne phone neeche rakha, apne gaalon ko haathon mein liya. Kal raat ka dard abhi bhi usme tha. Aakhir mein, usne ek gehri saans li, phone apne purse mein daala, aur bedroom se bahar chali gayi. Jab woh darwaze par jooti pehen rahi thi, usne Pitaji ke kamre ki taraf dekha. Uska chehra padhne mein mushkil tha: chhupna, takraar, sangharsh, uljhan, aur thodi si bachi hui narmee.
Pitaji aksar subah Rita se milte the aur apne pote Raj ko dekhte the, lekin aaj subah woh apne kamre mein hi rahe. Raj ko kabhi na kabhi laaya gaya tha. Shayad Pitaji abhi Rita ka saamna nahi kar pa rahe the, apni bahu ka saamna nahi kar pa rahe the. Woh soye nahi the, fir bhi. Unhone Raj ko god mein liya, unki nazar bedroom ke darwaze par thi, dard, tadap, chhupna, aur intezaar ka mishran unki aankhon mein tha. Jab unhone Rita ke jaane ki awaaz suni, unhone ek saans chhodi jo woh rok rahe the, fir dheere se uthe aur kamre se bahar chale, unke kadam ladkhada rahe the.
Us sham, Rita aksar 5:00 baje tak ghar aa jati thi. Maine video 5:00 baje roka, lekin woh wahan nahi thi. Main hairan hua. Woh kahan thi? Living room mein, Pitaji bechaini se tehel rahe the, ghadi ki taraf dekh rahe the, soch rahe the ki woh der kyun ho rahi thi. 5:40 baje, aakhir mein chabi ke darwaze mein lagne ki awaaz aayi. Pitaji aur main, apni computer screen se dekh rahe the, dono darwaze ki taraf mud gaye. Pitaji ka kampan saaf dikh raha tha.
Rita, ek hara dress pehne, andar aayi. Pitaji jaldi se mud gaye, Raj ke saath chhota-mota kaam karne ka natak karne lage, lekin unke kampte haath unhe dhoka de rahe the. Rita ne apni heels utari bina unki taraf dekhe. Dono ko samajh nahi aa raha tha ki ek doosre ka saamna kaise kare. Usne apna purse neeche rakha, aankh ke kone se Pitaji ki taraf dekha, aur fir jaldi se apne bedroom ki taraf chali gayi, jaise living room ke bhaari mahaul se bhaag rahi ho. Maine socha ki Pitaji uski har harkat ko dekh rahe honge.
Aksar woh ek doosre ko salam karte the, lekin aaj ek ajeeb si khamoshi thi.
Apne bedroom ke darwaze par, Rita ruki, uska haath darwaze ke handle par tha. Usne ek halki si saans li.
"Pitaji," usne dheere se kaha, uski awaaz mushkil se sunayi di, abhi bhi darwaze ki taraf muh karke, "jab Raj so jayega, kya aap mere liye thodi pasta bana denge? Main aaj bahut thak gayi hoon, khana nahi bana sakti. Bahut din ho gaye aapki pasta khaye." Yeh ek mamooli sa darkhwast thi, lekin isme bahut kuch chhupa tha. Usne turant apne kamre mein ghus liya.
Pitaji mud kar uski taraf dekhe jab usne darwaza band kiya. Woh ek pal ke liye wahi khade rahe, hairan, fir unke chehre par ek rahat bhari muskurahat aayi. Unhone jaldi se Raj ko uske palne mein rakha aur kitchen ki taraf daude uski pasandida pasta banane. Unhe samajh aa gaya. Rita ke shabd ka matlab tha ki woh unhe kal raat ke liye dosh nahi deti, ki cheezein phir se normal ho sakti hain. Yeh chhoti si darkhwast ek sulah ka ishara thi, ek sweekriti. Unhe ek khushi ka jhatka laga.
Apne kamre mein, Rita diwar ke sahare tik gayi, uski saansein tezi se chal rahi thi, uska chehra laal ho gaya. Khamoshi todne mein usse bahut himmat lagi thi. Kitchen se Pitaji ke khana banane ki awaaz sun kar, woh thodi shant hui, uske hothon par ek halki si muskurahat aayi.