Zulmaat Ka Devta
Kerosine lamp ki raushni us ghata-top andhere me aisi hi lag rahi thi jaise gahre kaale badalon se dhake huye aasman me kahin koi nanha sa udaas taara nazar aa jaaye.
Daisy apni nazar ko bhi usi raushni hi tak seemit rakhna chaahti thi. Us me itni himmat nahin thi ki baahar phaile huye andhere ki taraf aankhen bhi utha sakti. Un logon ne yahi badi kripaa kiya tha ki usay ek chhota sa tent de diya tha. Is par majboor nahin kiya tha ki wo bhi unhin khemon me se ek me raat guzaare.....jo samaan dhone waale mazdooron ya khud un ke liye tha. Magar Daisy soch rahi thi ki kya usay neend aa sakegi? Agar darawani sochen dimaag se jhatak bhi diye jaayen to ye samudra tat se takraane waali lahron ka shor aur dusri taraf jangal se aane waali bhayanak aawazen kab sone dengi. Wo nahin jaanti thi ki jis tapoo me film ki shooting hone waali hai wo itna weeran aur itna darawana hoga.
Sham dhalte hi wo kinaare par utre the aur Daisy ne director ke bartaav me saaf antar mahsoos kiya tha. Bas aisa hi laga tha jaise uski poori vyaktitva hi badal gayi ho. Yahaan pahunchne se pahle uske lahje me badi mithaas thi. Aur Daisy ne anumaan lagaya tha ki wo nishchit hi koyi high qualifide aur shareef aadmi hai.
Port Sayeed me usi ne us se karobaari baat cheet ki thi.....aur iss film ke liye agreement kiya tha jis ki shooting ek nazdiki taapu me hone waali thi.
Ye se kuchh bas achanak sanyog se hua tha. Daisy ek shaam shahar ke ek chhote se cafe me chai peene ke liye ruk gayi thi.
Magar wahan rukna kewal sanyog nahin tha. Office se waapasi par lagbhag har din wo sham ki chai wahin piya karti thi. Hamesha ki tarah us sham ko bhi akeli hi thi. Shayad hi kabhi kisi ne uske sath koi mard bhi dekha ho. Wahaan ke kisi customer ne bhi kabhi us se mil baithne ki koshish nahin ki thi, Iska kaaran shayad yahi ho sakta tha ki Daisy ka rakh-rakhaao opposite gender ke liye attractive nahin rahta tha. Bahut sundar aur aakarshak ladki thi lekin nain naksh me teekhapan bhi tha. Chup baithi ho to aisa lagta tha ki andar hi andar kisi baat pe kudh rahi ho. Aisa lagta thi ki jahaan koi us se bola ki bas phaad hi khayegi. Ye aur baat hai ki us se baat cheet karte samay kabhi kisi ne lahje me tez mizaaji hi halki si jhalak bhi na mahsoos kiya ho.
Lekin us sham jo kuchh hua usay anhoni hi kahna chaahiye. Us ne cafe me aa kar ek khali mez chuni thi aur wahaan ke eklaute waiter ka intezaar kar rahi thi. Lekin us se pahle hi ek ajnabi uski taraf badha tha.
"Madam....kya aap mujhe thoda sa time dengi?" us ne kuchh jhuk kar bade hi gentle dhang se puchha tha aur wo nervous ho gayi thi.
Dress aur style se wo koi sabhya aadmi hi laga tha.
"jj....ji....yy....yes sure....." wo zabardasti muskura kar haklaayi thi.
Us ne baithne se pahle ek baar phir se anumati maangi thi.....aur apna card us ki taraf badha diya tha.
"Ohhh...." Daisy ki aankhen hairat se phail gayi thin kyon ki wo to Misr(Egypt) ka ek seb se popular film director tha aur wo khud bhi us ke banaayi huyi films bahut pasand karti thi.
Kuchh formal baat cheet ke baad wo khula tha.
"Main aaj kal ek nayi film ki tayari kar raha hun madam aur us ke liye mujhe naye chehron ki talash hai. Aap ko agar film se interest hai to aap ye bhi jaanti hongi ki mere select kiye huye naye chehre ek hi film me star ho jaate hain." "jj....ji haan.....main jaanti hun."
"Mujhe ek heroine ki talash hai."
"Ohh.....to phir....mm...main kya kar sakti hun?" Us ne bechaini se puchha.
"Main aap ko kayi dinon se dekh raha hun. Maaf kijiyega.....I think ki us film ke liye aap se adhik suitable heroine aur koi nahin ho sakti. Again sorry for my straight talk."
Daisy ke liye ye ek bahut hi sansani-poorn anubhav tha. Kyonki us ki sab se pasandida entertainment film dekhna hi thi. Aur aam ladkiyon ki tarah wo bhi apne herine banne ki sambhavanaaon ko lekar hawaai mahal banaya karti thi.
Atlast dusre din hi wo usay apni maa ke paas le gayi aur budhi aurat ne ek bhaari rakam ke badle apni sahmati prakat kar di thi. Maamlaat tai ho gaye the. Lekin Daisy ne isay raaz hi rakha tha. Wo nahin chaahti thi ki ye baat uske firm ke asstt manager tak pahunche jo usay har keemat par firm hi me dekhna chaahta tha. Daisy uska kaaran bhi jaanti thi lekin khud asstt manager us samay tak nahin khula tha.
Anyway Daisy ne agreement sign kar diye the aur director ke anusar ek 'nazdiki taapu' ke safar ki taiyari kar rahi thi. Ye aur baat hai ki safar ka ant 8-10 ghante ke bajaaye 3 din baad hua. Raaste me usay yahi jawaab mila ki wo raah bhatak gaye hain aur ab kaafi ghumaao phiraao ke baad unka boat tapoo tak pahunch sakegi. Usay vishwaas nahin hua tha aur wo chintaaon me ghir gayi thi. Phir usay ye baat bhi buri tarah khatakne lagi thi ki 20 logon ki party me wo akeli ladki hai. Kya story me kewal ek hi aurat hogi? Us ne iske baare me bhi puchha tha jis ka jawab ye mila tha ki kuchh log aage bhi jaa chuke hain jin me 6-7 ladkiyaan bhi shaamil hain.
Lekin yahaan pahunch kar usay iss party ke alaawa door door tak aur koi nahin dikhayi diya tha. Wo to pahle hi se uljhan me thi.
Phir kinaare par utarte hi wo uss party ke baare me kyon na puchhti jo kuchh din pahle yahaan aa chuki thi.
Jawab me director ne usay iss buri tarah jhidki di thi ki wo sannaate me aa gayi. Us ne us ke lahje me darindagi mahsoos ki thi. Wo usay aisa hi khunkhaar laga tha ki phir wo us se aankhen milaane ki bhi himmat na kar saki thi.....aur ab us ki samajh me na aa raha tha ki usay kya karna chaahiye.
Saahil ki taraf se aane waali tez hawaayen tent ko buri tarah jhinjhod rahi thin. Lamp kabhi ka bujh gaya hota agar wo mamooli banawat ki hoti.
Achanak Daisy ne kadmon ki aahat suni aur seedhi ho kar baith gayi. Us ka dil tezi se dhadak raha tha. Phir jaise hi kisi ne tent ka parda hataya wo uth khadi huyi.
Aane wala wahin par ruk gaya. Ye wahi director tha jisay uske sathi Mr Bin Haam kah kar sambodhit karte the. Boat par hi Daisy ko pata chala tha ki us ka koi dusra naam bhi hai warna film director ki haisiyat se wo usay Yusuf Gamil ke naam se jaanti thi. Wo kisi jaduyi aakarshan ki tarah uske chehre par nazar tikaaye rahi. Is samay wo kitna darawana lag raha tha. Aisa hi lag raha tha jaise Daisy ne usay pahli baar dekha ho.
Yahi chehra us ne Port Sayeed me bhi aksar dekha tha. Lekin wahaan us par kitni narmi mahsoos hoti thi. Us ne aksar socha tha ki wo bad-soorat zaroor hai lekin kitna achha dil rakhta hai seene me jis ki jhalkiyaan aankhon me hi dekhi jaa sakti hain. Magar ab wo aankhen kitni bhayanak lag rahi thin. Moti si bhaddi naak.....tang peshani....bhaari jabde aur baayen nathune ke jod pe ek bada sa kaala ubhra hua til, Kitna khauf-naak chehra tha.....wo kaanp gayi.
"Kya tum dar rahi ho?" Bin Haam ne bharrayi huyi aawaz me puchha.
Daisy kuchh na boli. Wo buri tarah haanf rahi thi.
"Darne ka koi kaaran nahin." Wo muskuraaya. "Ye adventure bhi tumhen zindagi bhar yaad rahega." "Wo dusri ladkiyaan kahaan hain?" Daisy ke muhh se badi kathinaayi se nikal saka.
"Dusri ladkiyan...!" Bin Haam aage badhta hua bola..."Kya dusri ladkiyon ka hona tumhara darr door kar dega?"
Daisy phir kuchh na boli. Bhala is sawal ka jawab hi kya hota. Bin Haam ne canvas ke chhote se folding stool par baithte huye kaha. "Tumhare baare me mera anuman tha ki tum adventure pasand karti ho.....baith jaao." Daisy waise hi khadi rahi.
Achanak Bin Haam ne krodh bhari aawaz me kaha "Baith jaao....kya tum ne suna nahin." Daisy chup chap baith gayi.
"Kya tumhen apna baap Gasper yaad hai?" Haam ne kuchh der baad puchha.
"Kyon....?" Daisy chaunk padi. "Aap unhen kya jaanen....wo to das saal huye..........."
"Haan main jaanta hua uski maut ke das saal ho gaye. Main ne puchha tha wo tumhen yaad hai?"
"Main nahin samajh sakti un ka charcha kyon chheda hai aap ne...pahle to kabhi......"
"Ladkiiiiiii....kewal mere sawaalon ke jawaab do." Haam ne uski baat ko kaat'te huye kaha.
Achanak Daisy ne bhi jhunjlaahat mahsoos ki. Wo soch rahi thi ki wo is tarah ke betuke sawaal kyon kar raha hai. "Main apne baap ka zikr sunna pasand nahin karti.....aur na hi un ke sambandh me kisi sawaal ka jawaab doongi. Haam usay tez nigaahon se ghoor raha tha.
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