Khushi apne room mein bed par baithi thi,lekin woh sirf ro nahi rahi thi woh dheere-dheere andar se toot rahi thi.
Thodi der pehle jo usne suna tha, wahi alfaaz zehar ban kar baar-baar uske kaanon mein tapak rahe the. Har awaaz, har sentence uske dil ko phir se cheer deta tha.
Woh rote hue apni yaadon mein doob rahi thi— apna bachpan… maa-papa ke saath bitaye pal… unka pyaar, unki muskaan.
Kaafi der tak aansuon mein doobi rehne ke baad, achanak uske andar kuch marr gaya… aur usi jagah kuch aur paida hua.
Ab woh sirf ek roti hui beti nahi thi. Ab woh sach chaah rahi thi. Aur sach ke saath-saath…badla.
Usne mann hi mann kasam khai— maa-papa ki maut ka sach bhi,aur apni zindagi ka haq bhi, woh wapas lekar rahegi.
“Yeh soch kar woh bed se uthi, jaise kuch uske andar hamesha ke liye mar chuka ho.
Woh bina awaaz ke bathroom chali gayi. Dheere-dheere usne apna dulhan ka joda utaara— woh kapde nahi the, woh umeedein thi. Woh joda jo kabhi sapnon ka tha,ab sirf bojh ban chuka tha.
Sheeshe ke saamne khadi hokar woh khud ko dekhti rahi… lambe waqt tak.
Aankhon mein na aansu the, na cheekh, na sawaal.
Sirf ek thandi si khamoshi thi—aur us khamoshi ke peeche ek aisa andhera jo sirf dekha nahi jaata, mehsoos kiya jaata hai.
Us pal Khushi royi nahi. Us pal Khushi tooti nahi. Us pal Khushi mar kar kisi aur cheez mein badal gayi.”
Kuch der baad woh bahar aayi. Jaise waqt us pal dheere chalne laga ho. Light blue anarkali uske jism par shaant si padhi thi, aur Khushi… woh bilkul shaant lag rahi thi. Na chehre par koi bhaav, na aankhon mein koi aansu.
Bas ek gehri khamoshi. Aisi khamoshi jo toofan se pehle aati hai.
Har kadam uska halka tha, lekin uske andar kuch bahut bhaari chal raha tha. Us shaanti ke neeche ek khamosh toofan dheere-dheere saans le raha tha.
Usne bag uthaya, almari se kuch documents nikale— kagaz ke tukde nahi the woh, uski jung ke hathiyaar the. Unhe bag mein daal kar woh bina kisi ko bataye khamoshi se room se nikal gayi.
Aankhon mein ab aansu nahi the. Laal aankhein is baat ka saboot thi ki woh kitna ro chuki hai.
Lekin ab wahan sirf ek cheez thi junoon.
Hotel ke back gate se woh bahar nikli aur ek taxi mein baith gayi.
“Starfish,” usne driver se kaha.
Starfish—ek bar-cum-pub-cum-hotel tha.
“Cab mein baithte hi usne phone nikala aur Pooja ko call kiya.‘Pooja, thodi der mein Starfish aa jao. Mujhe tumse milna hai,’ usne apni assistant se kaha. Pooja ne bina koi sawaal kiye turant jawab diya, ‘Okay ma’am, main aa rahi hoon.”
Kuch hi der mein, Starfish ke ek kone mein Khushi aur Pooja aamne-saamne baithi thi.
Khushi ne bina kuch chhupaye ek-ek baat Pooja ko bata di. Sab kuch sunkar Pooja bilkul shock ho gayi.
“Toh ab aap kya karne wali hain, Khushi ma’am?” usne poocha, awaaz mein jhootha concern tha.
Khushi ne dheere, lekin bahut saaf alfaazon mein use apna poora plan samjha diya—kaise woh apni saari property wapas legi aur kaise har dhokhebaaz ko uski saza milegi..
Sab sunne ke baad Pooja boli,Ek minute ma’am,” aur uth kar washroom chali gayi. Thodi der baad woh wapas aayi aur boli, Main aapke saath hoon, ma’am.
Aap thoda relax kijiye, maine aapke liye soft drink order kar di hai.”
Khushi ne mana kiya, lekin Pooja ke baar-baar kehne par usne thoda sa pee liya.
Aur wahi ghalti uski zindagi ko phir se andhere ke muh mein dhakel rahi thi.
Soft drink peete hi kuch hi palon mein uska sar ghoomne laga. Jism jalne laga. Saansen bhaari hone lagi.
“Uske jism mein achanak ek aisi garmi fail gayi, jaise kisi ne uski nas-nas mein dheere-dheere zehar utaar diya ho.”
“Pooja… mujhe kuch theek nahi lag raha.Usne pareshaan hokar kaha,
Please, isi hotel mein mere liye ek room book kar do.”
Pooja ke chehre par ek halki si ajeeb muskaan aa gayi.
Ma’am, maine pehle hi book kar diya hai, woh boli.
“Aap third floor par, room number 309 mein chali jaiye.
Main baaki formalities complete karke aa rahi hoon.”
Yeh sunkar Khushi bhaari kadmon se uthi aur lift ki taraf badh gayi.
Third floor… left side… room 309.
Jaise hi Khushi wahan se gayi, Pooja ne turant apna phone nikala aur Nidhi ko call kiya.
“Khushi room mein ja rahi hai,” usne kaha.
“Mera payment aur mera five percent share bhoolna mat.”
Doosri taraf se, Nidhi ki hasi sunai di.
“Haan-haan,” Nidhi boli, “tera payment bhi milega aur tera hissa bhi.”
Asal mein,
Pooja Nidhi ki purani dost thi. Woh pehle hi washroom mein jaakar Nidhi ko sab kuch bata chuki thi—har woh baat jo Khushi ne us par bharosa karke kahi thi.
Aur usi waqt Nidhi ne Pooja se kaha tha— Khushi ki soft drink mein nashili dawa milane ke liye.
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