"Kuchh sunaoon? " Dheere se vo mere kaano mein boli. Matlab main samjhta tha. Uski taraf dekh kar muskuraya aur uske honth choom liye.
"Sunao" Vo kya sunane wali main achhi tarah janta tha. Aur meri ummeed ke mutaabik, usne phir vahi lines dohrayi.
Yun na mil hamse, khafa ho jaise,
Saath chal, mauj-e-saba ho jaise.
Log yun dekh kar has dete hain,
Tune mujhe bhula diya ho jaise,
Ishq ko shirk ki hadh tak na badha,
Yun na mil hamse, khuda ho jaise.
Maut aayi bhi toh is naaz ke saath,
Mujhpe koi ehsaan kiya ho jaise.
Hichkiyan raat bhar aati rahi,
Tumne mujhe yaad kiya ho jaise.
Zindagi guzar rahi hai is tarah,
Bina jurm koi saza ho jaise.
Kuchh der baad drawing room mein rakhi ghadi ne subah ke 5 bajaye.
"Its time" Mere dimag ne jaise mujhe yaad sa dilaya.
"You wanna see the sun rise?" Maine usse puchha toh kisi chhoti bachchi ki tarah usne fauran haan mein sar hila diya.
"Come" Keh kar main bistar se utha. Vo bhi mere pichhe pichhe hi uth gayi sur kapde pehenne lagi.
"Its strange. I dont feel cold at all" Vo boli toh maine ek nazar uski taraf uthayi aur uskO ko dekha. 10 saaal mein koi farak nahi. Vahi jism, vahi khoobsurati, vahi chamak, vahi nazakat.
"Aise kya dekh rahe ho?" Usne mujhe apni taraf dekhte paya toh boli.
"Nothing. You are beautiful" Maine apna 10 saal purana jawab dohraya.
"I know" Usne bhi meri baat ka jawab usi 10 saal purani baat se diya. "Do you also not feel cold or is it just me?"
"Nahi sardi hai hi nahi" Haqeeqat toh ye thi ke bahar bahut thanda mausam tha par maine saaf jhooth bol diya.
Taiyyar hokar ham dono ghar se nikle aur thodi der chal kar ek pahad ki aakhri chhor par pahunche. Mera ghar jahan bana hua tha vahan door door tak koi aur ghar nahi tha. Bas sunsan sadak ke kinare ek pahad ke uper bana chhota sa cottage.
Uska haath pakde main pahad ki kinare par aakar khada ho gaya. Ham dono ke aage ab ek gehri khaayi thi par uski taraf na dhyaan uska tha, na mera. Saamne aasman par chand ab bhi poora tha aur halki halki sooraj ki laali bhi phelni shuru ho gayi thi. Ye ek aisa nazara tha jab aasman par raat ka chand aur subah ka sooraj, dono ek saath dekhe ja sakte the.
"Its so beautiful, isnt it?" Vo muskurate hue poori duniya se bekhabar saamne aasman ki aur dekh rahi thi. Main 2 kadam pichhe ko hua aur apni jeb par haath rakha. Revolver ab bhi maujood thi.
Main jeb mein haath dala aur revolver bahar nikali.
"Its time" Aasman mein ugte sooraj ki taraf dekhte hue maine socha.
"Sorry Jaan" Ek nazar uspar daalte hue main zor se bola.
Vo meri taraf palti. Mera revolver wala haath uper uth chuka tha. Nishana uske maathe ki taraf tha.
Uske chehre par hairani ke bhaav aaye aur kuchh kehne ke liye usne munh khola. Hamesha ki tarah is baar bhi meri uski baat ko sunne, jawab dene ya vajah batane ki himmat nahi thi. Isse pehle ke vo kuchh bol paati, meri anguli ne revolver ka lever khincha.
Hawa mein goli ki aawaz goonji. Revolver se nikli goli uska maathe par lagi aur uska khoobsurat chehra bigad gaya.Pichhe ko jhatka khaate hue vo ladkhadayi aur khaayi mein ja giri.
Main apni jagah par vaise ka vaisa hi khada raha. Saamne door pahadon ke beech suraj nikalna shuru ho chuka tha aur 2 aansoo meri aankhon se nikal kar mere gaal par ludhak gaye. Ek gunaah ki isse ajeeb saza shayad hi kabhi kisi aur ko mili ho ke use vahi gunaah baar baar dohrana pade. Kuchh der tak vahin khada main lambi saans lekar apne aapko shaant karta raha. Jab dhadkan kaabu mein aa gayi toh maine aage badhkar khaayi mein jhaanka.
Neeche patthar toh nazar aa rahe the par uski laash ka kahin naam-o-nishan nahi tha. Vo toh jaise girte hue kahin hawa mein hi gayab ho gayi thi. Maine apne haath ki taraf dekha. Jo Revolver kuchh pal pehle mere haath mein thi, ab nahi thi.
"Maut aayi bhi toh is naaz ke saath,
Mujhpse koi ehsaan kiya ho jaise"
Mujhe uske kahe bol yaad aaye. Ek nazar maine apne chaaron taraf daali ke kahin kisi ne dekha toh nahi aur palat kar vaapis cottage ki taraf chal pada jahan pahunch kar mujhe har cheez phir vaise hi karni thi jaise ki vo 10 saal pehle us raat thi jab maine uska khoon kiya tha. Jahan vo har saal isi raat har baar laut aati thi aur vo raat phir vaise hi guzarti thi jaise ke 10 saal pehle hamari anniversary par guzarti thi. Jahan har saal isi raat vo jaise apni maut ki kahani dohrane phir chali aati thi. Ek aisa silsila jo khatam hone ka naam hi nahi le raha tha. Ek aisi galti jo ki toh maine 10 saal pehle thi par ab har saal karni pad rahi thi.
"Zindagi guzar rahi hai is tarah
Bina jurm koi saza ho jaise."