Chapter - 36
Main kamre mein baitha hua tha, mera shareer kaanp raha tha. Aaj pehli baar maine kisi ko bataya tha ki main ek cuck hoon, aur yeh baat mere dil ki dhadkan ko tezi se badha rahi thi. Maine Rahman bhaijan se cuck banne mein madad ki baat toh keh di thi, lekin main samajh nahi paa raha tha ki aakhir main kar bhi kya sakta hoon. Upar se mujhe us kameene Rahul se darr bhi lag raha tha; woh toh mujhe ek baar pehle bhi maar chuka tha.
Shaam ke waqt main ghar mein akela tha. Meri biwi aur woh kameeni Samreen, Khala ke yahan gaye the, aur Rahman bhaijan apne kaam pe laut chuke the. Main kamre mein baitha soch raha tha—ab kya kiya jaye? Yahi sochta hua main ghar se bahar nikla aur Rahman bhaijan ke kehne par chabhi kone mein chhupa di. Phir main Ayesha Khala ke ghar ki taraf chal pada, paidal hi—sochta hua ki aakhir karein toh kya karein.
Chalte-chalte main usi jagah pahunch gaya jahan pichhli raat woh gaadi khadi thi, aur jahan us kameene Rahul ne mujhe buri tarah pita tha. Uss jagah ko dekhte hi mere andar gussa bhadak utha, aur badle ki aag dil mein daud gayi. Main kuch pal wahin khada raha, phir hall ki taraf chal pada. Mera shareer us dard ka gawah tha jo mujh par hue zulm ka saboot tha. Kuch hi palon mein main hall pahunch gaya. Aaj bheed kam thi kyunki walima ke liye sirf niji parivar ko bulaya gaya tha. Main wahan logon se baatein karne laga, lekin meri nazar us haramzade Rahul ko dhoondh rahi thi.
Dhoondhte-dhoondhte meri nazar us kameene par pad hi gayi. Woh hall ke bahar kursi par baitha phone chala raha tha. Use dekhte hi mera gussa aur bhadak gaya. Uske chehre par ek badmaashi bhari hansi thi, jaise woh samajh raha ho ki main uska kuch nahi bigaad sakta. Lekin aaj maine than li thi—uski yeh hansi cheen loonga. Maine zor se cheekha, “Yahi hai woh!” Meri cheekh sun kar log meri taraf dekhne lage, aur woh kameena bhi mujhe ghoorne laga.
Main ek pal ke liye ruka, dimag tezi se daud raha tha. Phir maine bheed ki taraf mud kar zor se kaha, “Ae ladka ek chor hai! Kal raat isne mujhe dhamki di, meri jeb se paise churaye! Aur yeh wahi haramzada hai jo mohalle mein chain chheen raha tha!” Maine uski taraf ungli uthayi aur bola, “Dekho, ab bhi hans raha hai, jaise kuch kiya hi nahi!” Yeh chain chhori wali baat maine jaan boojh kar jodi thi, kyunki main janta tha ki yeh logon ka gussa bhadka degi.
Bheed mein khusur-phusur shuru ho gayi. Kuch log us ladke ki taraf dekhne lage, kuch mere paas aaye aur poochne lage, “Kya baat hai, Imran? Sach mein yeh chor hai?” Maine apni kahaani mazboot ki: “Haan, bhaijaan, kal raat jab main yahan se ghar jaa raha tha, isne mujhe roka. Bola, paise nahi diye toh jaan se maar dega! Phir usne mujhe thappad maara aur meri jeb se paise nikaal liye. Aur yeh wahi hai jo Khala ki beti ki chain chheen kar bhaga tha!” Meri awaaz mein dard aur gussa dono the, aur chain chhori ka zikr sunte hi bheed ka gussa bhadak utha.
Woh ladka ab kursi se uth khada hua. Usne mujhe ghoorte hue kaha, “Jhooth bolta hai yeh! Maine kuch nahi kiya!” Lekin uski awaaz mein ghabrahat thi. Bheed ab uske aas-paas ghera banane lagi. Ek aadmi aage badha aur us ladke se bola, “Sach bol, tune chain chhori ki thi?” Woh safai dene laga, lekin chain chhori ka naam sunte hi bheed ka sabr toot gaya. Ek neeche se cheekh aayi, “Maar saale ko!” Aur bas, yeh kaafi tha. Bheed ek saath us par toot padi. Koi uske haath pakad raha tha, koi uski peeth pe laat maar raha tha. Woh cheekhta raha, “Main nahi, main nahi!” lekin kisi ne uski ek na suni.
Main thodi door khada yeh sab dekh raha tha. Mera dil tezi se dhadak raha tha—gussa, darr, aur ek ajeeb si tasalli ka mila-jula ehsaas tha. Us kameene ne mujhe maara tha, dhamkaya tha, aur aaj maine usse sabak sikhaya tha. Kuch der baad bheed chhati, aur woh ladka zameen par pada tha, haanfta hua. Uska chehra khoon se lathpath tha. Phir usne dheere se sar uthaya aur mujhe ghoor kar dekha. Uski aankhein—jaise woh mujhe kha jayein. Mera dil ek pal ke liye darr se kaanp utha. Uske chehre mein nafrat thi, aur mujhe laga jaise woh ab bhi mujhe dhamka raha ho. Log mujhe shabashi dene lage, “Shabash, Imran! Tune sahi kiya!” Lekin main chup tha. Us ladke ki woh aankhein ab bhi mujhe dara rahi thi. Mere andar ek sawal uth raha tha—kya maine sahi kiya.
