Shehar Jo Saans Nahi Leta

Gaadi ruki. Sab utare. Chandanpur ki galiyan aasamaan ke neeche thi — lekin woh aasamaan kuch alag sa tha. Na poori tarah raat, na poori tarah din. Ek aisi roshni jo na suraj se aati, na chandaa se — jaise khud jagah apni roshni khud generate kar rahi ho.

Vikram aage badhaa.

Zara camera uthaye peeche.

Arjun... Arjun nahi badha.

"Arjun?"

Vikram ne palat ke dekha. Arjun wahan tha — aankhe band, haath jode. Woh kuch bada bada bol raha tha. Lips hilti thi par aawaz nahi aati thi.

"Bhai, theek ho?"

Arjun ki aankhein khuli. Par khaali thi. Seedhi. Staring at nothing.

Phir ek jhatke ke saath, woh normal ho gaya. Jaise light band ho ke on ho. "Haan. Haan, haan — sorry. Bas... lag raha tha kuch. Kuch dekha... nahi, nahi tha kuch."

"Kya dekha?"

"Peele kapde."

Silence.

"Gaadi mein bhi tha," Vikram ne kaha.

Arjun ne kuch nahi kaha.

Aage badhte badhte — teesri gali — Zara ki camera screen par ek image freeze ho gayi. Woh photo le rahi thi ek toote ghar ki. Photo mein ghar tha. Toota hua. Lekin khidki mein — pehli floor ki khidki mein — ek chehra tha.

Na mard. Na aurat. Sirf ek chehra.

Aankhein thi — itni badi ki poori aankhon mein sirf pupil tha, koi white nahi. Naak seedhi, khinchi hui. Muh band, lekin corners mein kuch tha — kuch geela. Kuch kaala.

Zara ne palat ke ghar ki taraf dekha.

Khidki khaali.

Woh camera wapas screen par layi.

Image abhi bhi thi.

Woh chehra... thoda aur paas aa gaya tha.

"Vikram—"

"Mujhe dekh liya," usne kaha. Woh pehle se screen dekh raha tha. Apni screen par. Alag angle. Wahi chehra.

Dono screens. Dono cameras. Ek chehra.

Alag angles se.

❖ ❖ ❖

Arjun ne bag se ek potha nikala. Purana. Uspar chamde ka cover tha — chamda jis rang ka tha woh rang insani chamde se bohot milta tha lekin Vikram ne yeh baat apne andar hi dabaaye rakhi.

Andar — kaghaz par — handwriting thi. Moti. Kaali. Kahin kahin dhundhli. Kahin kahin itni gehri ki kaghaz ke dono taraf nishaan tha.

Vikram ne padha:

❖ ❖ ❖

"Main Ratan Das, in baaton ki gawahi deta hoon jo meri aankhon ne dekhi aur meri aatma ne jheli.

Yakshini — jise is jungle ke log 'Maa Vanadevata' kehte hain — woh aadi kaal se is zameen ki rakhwali karti hai. Woh darakhton mein rehti hai. Hawa mein rehti hai. Zameen ki gehraai mein rehti hai. Woh manushya ki tarah nahi socha karti — woh jungle ki tarah sochti hai. Akeli. Gehri. Bina kisi daaya baaya ke. Jo zameen ka dushman hai, woh uski dushman hai. Jo zameen ka dost hai, woh uski raksha hai. Lekin us raat — October 1987 mein — jo aayi, woh kisi zameen ka hissa nahi thi. Woh hawa mein aayi. Aag ki tarah. Arab ki Jinn. Iska naam main nahi jaanta. Kisi ne nahi bataya. Par jo cheez iske aane se pehle aayi — woh ek khusboo thi. Attar aur rud'h dhoop ki. Aur uss khushboo mein dafan ek nafa — ek bhook — jo insani aatmaon ko ek ek karke leti jaati hai.

Yakshini ne ladhna shuru kiya. Jungle kaanpa. Main jungle ke bahar bhaaga. Jab main laut ke aaya — subah — panch log the. Sab theek the dekhne mein. Sab khaali the andar se.

Yakshini jeeti nahi.

Jinn mari nahi.

Dono abhi bhi hain. Ek teesre ke intezaar mein.

Jo bhi is zameen par qadam rakhega... woh teesra ban jaayega. Woh dono ka medium ban jaayega. Dono use apne liye use karengi. Aur insani jism itna bhar nahi sakta — na Yakshini ko, na Jinn ko. Toh woh toot jaayega.

Jaao. Yahan mat aao. Agar aa gaye ho, toh bhaago. Agar bhaag nahi sakte, toh ek cheez yaad rakho —

Yakshini zameen maangti hai. Jinn roshni maangti hai.

Dono ko rokne ka yahi tarika hai — na zameen do, na roshni do.

Andhera. Poora andhera. Aur khadi zameen se ek pao ka faasla. Hamesha.

Tab tak — sirf tab tak — tum dono ke beech mein nahi."

❖ ❖ ❖

Vikram ne kaghaz neeche rakha.

"Yeh sach hai?" usne Arjun se pucha.

Arjun ne jawab nahi diya.

Kyunki Arjun — jo unke saath tha — woh ab ghar ki taraf dekh raha tha. Us ghar ki taraf jahan khidki thi. Khali khidki.

Aur woh muskura raha tha.

Aisa muskurana jo Arjun ka nahi tha.