Uljhe Dor

8. Kunal ka Roka

  "...Do mahinon tak kisi tarah usko sabke khilaf bhadkaye rakhna mushkil hoga."

  "To shaadi prepone kar lo. Do mahine baad ki jagah sab ek mahine mein kar lo..."

  Aye haye, yahan to alag hi khichdi pak rahi hai. Kaun hain yeh log?

  "...Tumhe sahi lag raha tha, Bela aur Kunal ke beech jo bhi hua wo accident nahi tha. It was planned." Planned meri jutti. Wo to Kunal bas andhe hain, unki aankhen kharab ho gayi hain, kuchh dikhta nahi hai to hamesha hamse takrate rehte hain aur hamein girate rehte hain. "But don't you worry, Adhij." Adhij! Aarohi ka hone wala pati? Yeh kya bol- jhol hai? "Ab hamara nishan pakka hogaya hai. Aise hi dheere dheere aag lagate jayenge aur Bela ko pata bhi nahi chalega kab wo aag mein jal ke rakh ho gayi. Ya shayad use ham apne taraf kar sakte hain..."

  Hamare bare mein raye banane se pehle hamse puchh to lete. Yahan sabki yahi buri aadat hai ki puchhenge nahi, kisi ki baat sunenge nahi, bas seedha dharna banane lagte hain. Apne man mein hi cheezein manke dusron ko burai ke khai mein dhakel do. Aur ham inke saath chai bhi na piye, inka saath kya denge.

  "...Kisne kaha? Ham uska istamaal karke usko phasa sakte hain, agar waisi zaroorat padi to, warna thoda bohot paisa deke ham uska muh band kar denge. Jaise ghar se wo aati hai, kuchh crores uske liye bohot badi baat hogi. Jitna paisa Mehrotras ke paas hai, utni ginti bhi nahi aati hogi usko..."

  Hamein janna bhi nahi hai Mehrotras ke paas kitna paisa hai kyunki hamein unse kuchh nahi chahiye. Aur Dadi to bata rahi thi ki Randhawas Mehrotras ke achhe aur purane dost hain, lekin Randhawa ka launda to aasteen ka saanp nikla. Paison ke liye shaadi? Aise makkar aur lucche log hamne pehle kabhi nahi dekha. Pados ki Minty chachi bhi itni chalu nahi hain.

  "...Ham barbaad karke chhodgenge Mehrotras ko, aur unko pata bhi nahi chalega jab tak wo log puri tarah se doob nahi jayenge."

  "Itne saal ham tadpe hain, ab badle ki aag mein wo tadpenge..."

  Yeh to pure pariwar ke pichhe pada hai. Aisi kya dushmani hain isko Mehrotras ke saath? Itne achhe log hain is pariwar ke sadasya. Aur yeh dusri aawaz kiski hai?

  "Yeh aadmi to bohot chalu cheez hai. Ham Aarohi ke saath aisa nahi hone de sakte, bechari ki puri zindagi kharab ho jayegi is luchhe ke saath rehkar. Kunal ko batana hoga." Bela, pehle yahan se niklo. Agar pakdi gayi to tum Aarohi ko kya apne- aap ko bhi nahi bacha paogi. Pata nahi kitne hile hue aur khatarnak log hain. Hamein to pata bhi nahi ki wo ladki ki awaz kiski hai.

  Bela Kunal ko dhoondhte hue seedhiyon se neeche jati hai. Kunal aur Maan seedhiyon ke samne baithe, jahan Kunal aur Maan ka roka ho jata hai aur sab taaliyan Baja rahe hote hain.

  Bela side se jakar sabke saath khadi ho jati hai. Bela ko dekhkar Maan apni chunni sahi karti hai jaise ki dikhava kar rahi hai, lekin Bela Kunal ko dekhti hai.

  Kunal Bela ki ore dekhta hai aur dono ke nazrein milti hain. Bela ishara deni ki koshish karti hai. Yeh kuchh kehna chahti hai kya? Chhodo, yeh ladki waise bhi pagal hai.

  "Kunal, udhar kya dekh raha hai?"

  "Kuchh nahi, Mom. Bas thoda pyaas laga tha to waiter ko dhoondh raha tha."

  "Aisi baat hai? Mujhe bol deta, main mangwa deti." Sonia Kunal aur Maan ke liye sharbat mangwati hai.

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  Ek to roka itni der se khatam hui, upar se guests jane ka naam hi nahi le rahe the. Kunal se baat nahi ho payi. Kal bohot der ho jayega aur hamein wakt bhi nahi milega Kunal se baat karne ka. Hamein aaj hi unse baat karni hogi.