Kallu ko jab haathkadi mein interrogation room ke andar laya gaya, toh uske kadam bilkul laparwah the. Shirt ke upar ke do button khule hue, jism par police ki maar ke nishaan, lekin chehre par wahi dheet muskaan.
Darwaza band hote hi usne pehle gehre laal rang ki designer saree mein baithi Mohini ko dekha, phir khaki uniform mein kadi khadi Inspector Radhika par nazar tikayi.
Dono khubsoorat aurat—ek raees, classy aur bechain; doosri sakht, shaatir aur andar se aag mein sulagti hui.
Hawaldar ne jaise hi haathkadi ki chaabi ghumayi, metal ke khulne ki aawaaz aayi aur haathkadi neeche gir gayi. Kallu ne apni dono kalaiyon ko halka sa sehlaaya, apni shirt ke khule do button par haath ferte hue aazaad hathon se chair kheenchi aur baith gaya.
Dono haath table par tikate hue usne aazaadi se aage ki taraf jhuk kar pehle gehre laal saree mein baithi Mohini ko dekha, phir khaki uniform mein khadi Radhika par nazar tikayi.
Uske chehre par wahi bekhauf, besharm muskaan thi. Usne dono ki taraf dekhte hue ek teekhi saans li aur behaya lehje mein bola:
"Wah re kismat... ek taraf laal saree ki garmahat, toh doosri taraf khaki uniform ki sakhti. Aaj toh lagta hai dono saahiba ek saath hi mera hisaab karne aayi hain..Ab batao saahiba, pehle kaun shuru karegi?"."
Kallu ki iss bekhauf, aazaad andaaz aur teekhi nazron ne ek hi pal mein Mohini aur Radhika dono ke andar tanaav aur garmahat badha di.
Radhika ne table par apna haath zor se maarte hue kadi aawaaz mein kaha,
"Chup karo badmash... tumhe yahan poochtaach ke liye laya gaya hai. Chupchap jo poocha jaaye uska jawab do."
Kallu ke chehre se wahi bekhauf muskaan gayab nahi hui. Usne apni chair par thoda aur aaram se piche tikte hue aazaad haathon ko table par aapas mein fasaya aur seedhe Radhika ki aankhon mein dekhte hue bola,
"Poochhiye madam... poochhiye. Par jawab toh tabhi doonga jab poochne waali ka dhyan sawaal par ho, mere iss bikhre hue roop par nahi."
Itna bolkar usne Mohini ke khule baalon aur gehre blouse par ek teekhi nazar maari, phir Radhika ki uniform ke buttons par nazar tikate hue apni zabaan se honth par halka sa haath phera:
"Vaise... iss chhote se kamre mein garmi kuch zyada hi hai. Mohini ma'am ke saree ka pallu sarak raha hai, aur Inspector saahiba ke face par paseena... ab bataiye, pehle kisse baat shuru karoon? Ya dono ek saath hi mujhe chhan ne waali hain?"
Kallu ki yeh ekdum besharm aur khuli baat sunte hi kamre mein sannata chha gaya.
Mohini ne ghabrakar apna pallu kaske pakad liya, uski saans bhari ho gayi aur dil tezi se dhadakne laga—Kallu ki iss behaya nazron aur lehje ne uske andar wahi us din waali bechaini aur garmahat bhar di thi.
Doosri taraf, Radhika ka jism ek pal ke liye poori tarah stiff ho gaya. Uski teekhi nazrein Kallu par tik gayi, lekin uske dimaag mein Kallu ke saath hue un do moments ki garmahat aur uski mardana chhooan daud gayi.
Ek hi jhatke mein dono aurton ke andar darr, tanaav aur ek anjaan sa aakarshan ek saath bhadak utha.
Sannata itna gehra tha ki dono aurton ke bhari saans lene ki aawaaz saaf sunai de rahi thi.
Radhika ne turant apne chehre par aaye paseene ko hathaile se poonchha aur apni aawaz ko jitna ho sake kaddak banate hue Mohini ki taraf dekha. Usne table par rakhi file ko khola aur dhieme par zeherile lehje mein bolna shuru kiya:
"Kallu ki bakwaas toh aapne sun li Mohini ji... Ab zara mujhe yeh samjhaayein ki jab yeh badmash kal police ki custody se bhaga tha, toh yeh bridge ke paas aapki car ke paas kya kar raha tha?"
Radhika ka yeh sawaal sunte hi Mohini ka chehra safed pad gaya. Usne ghabra kar pehle Radhika ko dekha, phir neeche Kallu ki taraf.
Kallu ne table par apna ek haath tek kar apna chin us par tika liya. Usne Mohini ke ghabraye hue chehre ko dekhte hue ek teekhi smile di, jaise woh dekhna chahta ho ki yeh classy socialite ab kya jhooth bolti hai.
Mohini ke ghabraye honth hile,
"Woh... woh main toh wahan se bas guzar rahi thi... Isne achanak meri car ke samne aakar..."
"Car ke samne aakar aapka haath pakda tha?"
Radhika ne Mohini ki baat beech mein hi kaat di. Uski teekhi nazrein Mohini ke darr ko saaf padh rahi thi.
"Ya aapne khud gaadi rok kar isse paise diye the?"
Mohini ke gale se aawaaz nikalna band ho gayi. Usne kaske apne designer purse ki zip ko pakad liya.
Tabhi Kallu ne ek halki si seeti bajaayi aur chair par piche tikte hue besharmi se bola,
"Malkin .. itna kyun dara rahi hain inhein? Gareeb ki madad karna agar jurm hai, toh phir bolye... abhi qubool kar leta hoon."
Kallu ke iss tarah beech mein bolne aur Mohini ko bachane ke andaaz ne Radhika ke dimaag mein ek aur dhaka diya. Radhika ko laga ki Kallu na sirf uske saath balki Mohini ke saath bhi wahi behaya game khel raha hai.
Radhika apni chair se achanak khadi ho gayi. Uske dono haath table par tik gaye aur woh Kallu ke chehre ke bilkul kareeb jhuk kar boli,
"Tum chup raho Kallu... tumhari zabaan bahut chal rahi hai aaj. Abhi ek danda padega toh saari mardangi nikal jayegi."
Lekin Kallu ke chehre par darr ki jagah wahi besharm garmahat aa gayi. Usne Radhika ke uniform ke collars par aayi uski teekhi saans ko feel kiya aur seedhe Radhika ki aankhon mein dekhte hue dhieme se phusphusaya,
"Dande se toh sirf jism toot-ta hai Inspector saahiba... aag toh aapki iss nazron se lagti hai."
Uss chhote se kamre mein tanaav apne sabse oonche star par pahunch chuka tha.
Kallu ke chehre par wahi bekhauf smile rahi. Usne Radhika ki aankhon mein aankhein daal kar, ekdam thande aur besharm lehje mein kaha:
"Aur waise bhi mai bhaga nahi tha... aap logo ne muje chor diya tah."
Kallu ke munh se yeh baat sunte hi interrogation room mein ek pal ke liye poora sannata chha gaya.
Radhika ki aankhein krodh aur tanaav se fail gayi. Uske dimaag mein kal raat ki woh saari baatein ghoom gayi—jab Kallu ko chhodne aur uske saath hui uss garmahat bhari aamne-samne ki piche ka sach sir utha raha tha. Uska jism gusse aur bechaini se aeth gaya.
Mohini ne ghabra kar Radhika ki taraf dekha.
Uske dimaag mein sawaal koundne laga ki kya police waalon ne khud Kallu ko chhoda tha?
Radhika ne table par kaske mutthi bheechi, uski saans aur bhari ho gayi. Usne Kallu ke chehre ke aur paas jhukte hue, dhieme par behad sakht aur zeherile lehje mein phusphusaya,
"Apni zabaan ko sambhal kar rakh Kallu... warna jo thodi bohot saans bachi hai, woh bhi yahin thaaney mein nikal jayegi."
Lekin Kallu ke chehre se wahi dheet muskaan gayab nahi hui. Usne apni teekhi nazrein Radhika ke chehre se hatakar paas baithi Mohini par tikayi, jaise woh dono aurton ko ek saath apne isshaare par nacha raha ho.