" manju hum soch rahe the ki aaj raat tum bablu kaka ke sath so jao "
" kaka ke sath? " manju chaunkte hue boli " par unke sath kyun? "
" hume unki tabiyat theek nahi lag rahi. Yahi wajah thi ki humne unka kamra haweli mein karwaya. Tumhe koi pareshani hai? " malini ne aine mein se manju ko dekha. Manju jo baat use batane ayi thi ab vo bata nahi sakti thi, us raat jisne uske sharir ko dabocha tha vo bablu kaka the ye baat vo malini ko batana chahti thi lekin ab bata kar koi faiyda nahi tha. Usne nah mein sar hila diya " hume koi pareshani nahi hai thakurain "
" bahut acha, vaise tum kuch kehni ayi thi? "
" nahi.. vo bas lakdiyan nahi thi to aaj apki roti bhi chule par hi sekh dein "
" hmm " malini ke jawab ke manju wahan se chali gayi. Malini ne uske jatte hi apna kamra band kiya aur almari kholi. Usne kuch saman hataya aur piche chupaye hue mobile phone ko bahar nikala. Usne uska button daba kar on kiya aur ek number milaya. " hum shakuntla devi bol rahe hain "
Din dhal chuka tha aur ane wali raat apne sath kadake ki thand layi thi. Malini hall mein baithi aur manju uske liye khana laga rahi thi. " bas manju "
" thakurain " bablu kaka ne atte hi awaz di.
" kaka aa gaye aap, manju inke liye bhi khana laga do aur khud bhi kha lo " malini ke kehne par manju ne wahi kiya.
" thakurain vo hum puch rahe the ki abhi hum sham ko laute to gaddi nahi thi haweli mein "
" han vo usme kuch dikkat ho gayi thi to humne hi theek karne ke liye di hai " malini ne bablu kaka ke jatte hi gaddi haweli se kuch duri par khadi kar di thi.
" han kuch waqt se vo dikkat de rahi hai, purani bhi kafi ho gayi hai "
" acha kaka ek baat bataiye, agar hamari gaddi bigad jati hai to aap use kahan theek karate hain?"
" gaon ke bahar hi hai hum wahin se theek karwa lete hain " bablu kaka ke jawab se malini ko yakeen ho gaya ki ye wahi garage hoga jahan vo aaj subah gayi thi aur jiska number tehkhane mein se mila tha.
" hmm, akhri baar kab aap gaye the kuch yaad hai? "
" aise to yaad nahi thakurain lekin akhri baar hum nahi gaye the "
" matlab? "
" jahan tak hume yaad hai akhri baar gaddi theek hue kuch saal beet gaye, pakke yakeen se to nahi keh sakte lekin hume itna yaad hai humne chote thakur se pucha tha tab unhone bataya tha ki gaddi ke break mein kuch dikkat hai to vo use na le jaye "
" inhone kaha tha apse? "
" ji thakurain, darasal thakur sahab ne vakeel babu ko bulane ke liye kaha tha, unse baat nahi ho paa rahi thi to hume le jane ke liye bola lekin jab hum bahar aye to chote thakur ne hume kaha ki gaddi ke break mein koi pareshani hai to vo use theek karane le jaa rahe hain aur unhone hi kaha tha ki vo vakeel babu ko bhi atte waqt le ayenge "
" fir? "
" fir kya hua hume nahi pata thakurain par hum uske baad kabhi gaddi theek karane nahi gaye aur na hi humne use chalaya tabse. Aaj apse suna ki usme kuch kharabi hai to lagne laga ki ab us gaddi ka samay aa gaya hai. Thakur sahab ne bade pyar se li thi vo gaddi "
" pyar se li thi ? " malini ne apni baat par zor diya.
" ji thakurain, unko apni gaddi se bada lagav tha. Hume aaj bhi yaad hai jab unki mrityu ke theek us din hamari unse mulakat hui thi to unhone hamse kaha tha ki bablu hamari gaddi ka khayal rakhna jaise is haweli ka dhayan rakha "
" apne pucha nahi ki vo aisa kyun keh rahe hain ? "
" jarurat hi nahi padi thakurain, hum jante the vo udas hai, chote thakur ki khoj been ko lekar unhe kuch mila nahi hai aur aksar insan udasi mein aisi baatein karta hai " bablu kaka ki baat ke baad koi aur baat nahi hui. Sabne shanti se khana khaya aur badhti thand ke chalte sab apne-apne kamre mein chale gaye, manju bas apna kaam nipta kar jane hi wali thi. Uska man reh-reh kar ghabra raha tha ki vo bablu kaka ke sath akele kaise so sakti hai lekin thakurain ko mana bhi nahi kiya jaa sakta. Manju ne kaam khatam kiya aur apna bistar lekar uppar ki taraf chal di. Kamre ka darwaja khula hua tha aur usme se jhankte hue andar dekha to bablu kaka apne khat par laite hue the ankh band karke, shayad so chuke the. Manju ne bina koi shor kiye, kamre ke dusre kone mein apna bistar dala aur wahan laitne lagi.
" kaun hai? "
" kaka mei hun manju? "
" manju tu yahan? kya hua ? "
" kuch nahi vo thakurain ne kaha ki apko kisi chiz ki jarurat padegi to aap ko takleef na ho isliye yahan sone ko kaha hai "
" thakurain ne? " kaka kuch soch mein pade " theek hai tum so jao, kuch jarurat padegi to hum keh denge " kaka ne jawab diya aur karwat badal li. Manju ek pal unhe dekhti rahi vo uski taraf nahi balki viprit disha mein karwat lekar soye the jise dekh uske man ko shanti mili aur usne chadar dhaki aur khud bhi lait gayi. Thakurain ne hume yahan kyun kaha sone ko? Bablu kaka ko to koi takleef nazar nahi ati? Kya unhone jaan kar hume yahan sulaya taki vo bablu kaka ko hume saunp de? Nahi nahi vo aisa kyun karegi bhala lekin agar aisa hua to? Manju ne sochte hue ek nazar phir kaka ki aur dekha jo usi tarah so rahe the. Uske man mein bechaini bhi badh rahi thi aur romanch bhi. Vo kuch der yahi sab sochti rahi aur phir uski ankh lag gayi.
Malini bistar par padi thi aur uski nazar khidki se bahar thi jahan sirf andhkar tha. Vo jiska intezar kar rahi thi vo bas ane hi wala tha lekin tab tak uske dimag mein din wala sapna ghum raha tha jisne use dara dia tha. Uske liye abhi tak ye rehasye tha ki mandir ki surang mein kankal mila hai to vo kiska ho sakta hai? Kya vo kafi waqt se pada tha isliye babuji us admi ke sath mil kar surang ko band karwana chahte the, kaun tha vo admi? Agar vo mil jaye to shayad is kankal se parda hatt jaye jo itne salon se wahan pada hai aur shayad us khuni ka bhi jisne use wahan rakha. Kya pata usi se bikram ka bhi sach samne aa jaye. Eka-ek khidki ke bahar light jalti bhujti hui dikhi, vo samajh gayi ki vo jiska intezar kar rahi thi vo aa chuka hai.
