Update-22 Zulmaat Ka Devta:
"Arre.....arre....nariyal nahin khopadi hai bhaaiii...." Imran ke muh se itna hi nikal saka tha. Is ke baad us ka mastishk andhkaar me doobta chala gaya tha.(Aage........)
Dusre din bhi wo suraj na dekh sake. Kyon ki aasman me baadal the. Gufaa ke muh se nikalte hi unhen ehsaas hua tha ki ab wo ghane jangalon me nahin hain. Lekin un ka raasta durgam jhaadiyon se guzarta tha. Pichhli raat bhi wo so nahin sake the. Is liye is samay kadam uthana bhi unke liye kathin ho raha tha.
Daisy ki haalat to shuru se hi kharab thi lekin ab Monica ke chehre par bhi murdani chhaayi dikhayi de rahi thi.
Safdar Imran ko le kar uljhan me tha. Ho sakta hai ki us ki koi himaakat(murkhta) ant-tah usay le hi doobi ho. Josef bhi subah hi se usi ke baare me baaten kar raha tha.
Haam Monica ke sath hi rahne ki koshish karta hua nazar aa raha tha. Baaki log aise bezaar se chal rahe the maano is safar ka ant phaansi ke phande par hi hone waala ho.
"Lady Monica...." Haam kah raha tha "Pahle ham sab mar jaayenge tab kahin tum tak kisi ka hath pahunch sakega." "Hmmm...."
"Tumhen pareshan na hona chaahiye."
"Haam....kya tum samajhte ho ki main maut se darti hun?"
"Phir kya baat hai......main tumhare chehre par taazgi dekhna chaahta hun."
"Main apne liye nahin......us ke liye pareshan hun."
"Ohh.....naukar isi liye hote hain ki maalik ke kaam aayen." Haam bola.
"Naukar.....?" Monica ne hairat se kaha "Tum galat samjhe. Wo mera naukar nahin dost hai. Aisa dost jo kayi baar mere liye apni zindagi khatre me daal chuka hai."
"Ohh...main samjha tha ki us naukar me 'surkhaab ke pankh' lage huye hain." Haam ne vyang se kaha.
"Itni bedardi se uska zikr na karo." Monica ne bharrayi huyi aawaz me kaha....."Tum bhool gaye ki us ne tumhari bhi jaan bachayi thi."
"Wo to lady Monica ki buddhimani thi."
"Bilkul nahin.....mere farishton ko bhi pata nahin tha ki tumhare aur Moren ke bich kya hai."
"Lekin tum aayi hi kyon thi?"
"Hamen khazaane ki talash me yahaan aana tha....lekin boat ka bandobast mumkin nahin tha.....isi silsile me mujhe Gaskar ke paas jaana pada tha."
"Kyaa...?" Haam ne hairat se kaha "Bhala Gaskar ko kya pata ki main kahan ka safar karne waala tha......."
"Mujhe nahin pata ki wo kaise jaanta tha.....shayad moren ne hi bataya ho......."
"Haannn....ye possible hai. Wo to shuru se hi mujhe dhoka deta raha tha."
Phir donon hi khamosh ho gaye. Dusri taraf Daisy bhi Imran ki hi charcha kar rahi thi.
Dopahar ko wo phir ek jagah ruke. Ye khula maidan tha aur jangali unke charo tafa ghera banaaye rahe. Hathiyar ab bhi un jangaliyon ke hi kabze me the aur wo bahut hoshiyari se un ki nigrani kar rahe the.
Josef ko khane ki chinta nahin thi. Wo to ek bade se jug me rum undel kar ek taraf jaa baitha tha.
Monica ek ped ke tane se tek lagaye baithi weeran aankhon se shoonya me ghoor rahi thi. Daisy dhire dhire chalti huyi uske paas aayi. Kuchh pal usay dekhti rahi. Phir boli "Tumhen nidhaal dekh kar dil aur bhi doobne lagta hai."
"Ooonn..." Monica is tarah chaunki thi jaise usay wahaan kisi aur ke hone ka ehsaas hi na raha ho. Kuchh pal khaali khali nazron se usay dekhti rahi phir ek lambi saans le kar boli......"Mujh se galati huyi thi. Mujhe tumhare suggestion ko maan lena chaahiye tha."
"Beeti baato ko duhraana hi fizool hai." daisy ne kaha "Dekho main pahle hi kah rahi thi ki wo locket mere alawa kisi ko bhi raas na aayegi."
"Haa....aannn.....locket usi ke paas tha"
"Main bhi usi ke liye dukhi hun."
"Kyon....?" Monica chaunk kar usay ghoorne lagi.
"Wo kitna ajeeb tha......jab tak hamaare sath raha....hamen nidhaal nahin hone diya. Chaahe hansa kar ya gussa dila kar hamen musibaton ki taraf se dhyaan baant'ta raha tha. Kuchh nahin to us par gussa hi aata tha aur thodi der ke liye darawane aur anishchit bhavishya ki soch dimaag se hat jaati thi. Iss samay bhi wo hamen itna nirash na hone deta." "Tum to aise bol rahi ho maano wo mar hi gaya ho." Monica ne aankhen nikaalin.
"nn....nahin....ohh....galat na samjho.. Matlab ye ki main bhi us ke liye pareshan hun."
"Wo kabhi nahin mar sakta...........samjhiiii...." Monica halak phaad kar cheekhi. Us ki aankhen laal ho gayi thin. Hont is tarah kaanp rahe the jaise atyadhik aawesh ne dimaag par bura prabhaav daala ho.
"Ohh.....mai ne ye kab kaha...." Daisy kahti huyi uthi aur bhaybheet si pichhe hatne lagi.
"Nahinnn....tum sab yahi samajhte ho." Monica usi dhang se cheekhi. "Magar main kahti hun wo kabhi nahin mar sakta.....kabhi nahin.....wo sadharan aadmi nahin hai."
Phir wo khamosh ho gayi aur pahle hi ki tarah ped ke tane se tik kar aankhen band kar lin.
"Kya baat thi?" Safdar ne Daisy se puchha.....jo ab usi ke paas khadi kaanp rahi thi.
"Sab par sanak sawaar ho gayi hai." Us ne haanfte huye kaha "Sab jangali ho gaye........ab ye khamakha kaatne ko daud rahi hai."
"Main ne tumhen pahle hi samjhaya tha ki us se zyada baat karne ki zaroorat nahin. Wo sadharan auraton se bilkul alag hai. Lekin baat kya thi?"
Us ne poori baad duhra di.
Safdar ne ek lambi saans li aur kuchh sochne laga. Daisy boli "Isi liye main chaahti thi ki locket mere hi paas rahe. Dusron par zaroor tabaahi laayega."
"Hmmm......dekho tum thak gayi ho. Meri samajh se ye log kuchh der aaram karenge. Tum bhi so jaao."
Achanak Josef ne rona shuru kar diya. Wo poora jug khatam kar chuka tha. Shayad ye jaagte rahne aur thakawat hi thi jis ke kaaran usay achha khaasa nasha ho gaya tha.......warna usay nasha hota nahin tha. Rone ka dhang itna bhonda tha ki jangali bhi hans pade.
"Ab isay kya ho gaya." Haam se mazaak udaane ke dhang se Safdar se kaha.
"Puchho.....shayad tumhari baat ka jawaab de hi de." Safdar ne laparwaahi se kandhe jhatke.
"Main har ek ki baat ka jawab de sakta hun." Josef Bho....bho.....rota hua bola. "Puchho kya puchhna hai." Kuchh puchhne ki jagah sab hans pade. Yahaan tak ki Monica ke honton par bhi halki si muskaan aa gayi.
"Mujhe rone do..." Josef hichkiyaan leta hua kah raha tha "Main shayad yateem ho gaya hun...........wo mera baap tha......wo mera baap tha."
"Kyon bakwaas kar raha hai?" Monica paagalon ki tarah cheekhi......aur jhuk kar ek bada sa patthar uthaane lagi.
Safdar jhapat kar un ke bich aata hua bola "Kya kar rahi ho.......wo nashe me hai."
Wo sidhi khadi ho kar donon hath hilaati huyi chillaayi "To phir main bhi paagal ho gayi hun.....har us aadmi ka sar kuchal dungi jo us ke baare me buri baat sochega........samjhe.....tum sab sun lo."
"Haan.....haan....thik hai koi nahin sochega." Safdar us ka baazu pakad kar dusri taraf le jaata hua bola. "Main usay achhi tarah jaanta hun. Wo isi upaaye me laga hoga ki hamen is musibat se chhutkaara dilwaye. Sath rah kar kuchh nnahin kar sakta tha." Monica thandi pad gayi. Safdar kaafi der tak usay samjhaata raha. Is bich Josef bhi khamosh ho gaya tha.
Dopahar ke baad safar phir shuru hua. Josef Safdar ke sath hi chal raha tha....aur ab uski maansik sthiti thik thi.
Achanak Safdar ne us ke kandhe par hath rakh kar kaha "Josef.....tumhen jangalon ka anubhav hai. Mujhe bataao ki ye kaise jangal hain. Itna safar tai kar chuke hain lekin ek bhi hinsak pashu (Darinda) ki aawaz sunai nahin padi aur na hi takraao hua." "Tum ne badi achhi baat sochi Mr Safdar. Haan ye badi ajeeb baat hai. Main bhi isi ke baare me sochta raha hun. Main ne un se puchha bhi tha. Kahne lage ye sab usi devta ki kripaa hai jo khud bhi dhuwaan hai aur dhuwen me rahta bhi hai. Us ne saare darindon ko khatam kar diya. Ab wo bedhadak jangal ke sab se ghane bhaag me bhi ghus sakte hain. Aur Mr Safdar us ki aawaz ekdam dheemi ho gayi "Main in jangaliyon ko bhi sandeh ki nazar se dekhta hun." "Kyon? Kis baare me sandeh?" Safdar ne puchha.
"Ye Nigeria ke hi jangalon ke log lagte hain."
"Hazaaron kilometer ki doori tai kar ke yahaan aa base hain?" Safdar ne mazaak udaane ke andaaz me kaha.
"Ye bhi sahi hai ki aisa asambhav hai." Josef sar hila kar bola. "Aqal kaam nahin karti. Kabhi main bhi devtaaon ka pujaari tha. Lekin mujhe aaj tak koi devta dikhai nahin diya. Lekin ye apne devta ko dekhte bhi hain. Pichhli raat waala kafan-posh tumhen yaad hi hoga."
"Haan.......kya wahi tha un ka devta?"
"Nahin....usay to wo sab devta ka senapati kahte hain."
(Jaari)