Rafiq bhai ne kaha tha ki agar phone chalu hai toh tower se andaaza lag sakta hai. Poora address nahi. Bas ilaaka.
“Par yeh main nahi kar sakta,” unhone kaha tha. “Police karti hai.”
“Aur agar police na ho?”
Unhone kuch der mujhe dekha. Phir ek naam likh kar diya. “Yeh ladka meri dukaan pe kaam karta tha. Ab Andheri mein hai. Bol dena maine bheja hai.”
Farhan ek chhote se cyber cafe ke peeche baitha tha jahan teen computer the aur ek printer jo lagatar awaaz kar raha tha. Usne meri baat suni, bina tokay, shuru se aakhir tak.
Phir usne kaha, “Aapko sach chahiye ya tasalli?”
“Sach.”
“Toh pehle ek baat samajh lijiye. Zyada chance yahi hai ki koi bandaa aapki behen ka phone utha kar le gaya. Aur ab woh aapse khel raha hai.”
“Usko woh lift waali baat kaise pata hogi?”
“Phone mein purani chats hongi. Sab kuch likha hoga usme.” Usne kandhe uchkaye. “Log apni poori zindagi phone mein rakhte hain, madam. Jiske haath lag jaye usse aapke baare mein aapse zyada pata chal jata hai.”
Yeh baat mujhe pehle kyun nahi soojhi thi, mujhe nahi pata. Shayad isliye ki main woh sochna chah rahi thi jo main soch rahi thi.
Usne kuch der kaam kiya. Main pichle kamre mein baithi rahi aur printer ki awaaz sunti rahi.
Phir usne mujhe bulaya.
“Last active tower mil gaya.”
Screen pe ek naqsha tha aur uspe ek neela daayra.
Maine daayra dekha. Phir maine use dobara dekha.
“Yeh—”
“Aapko pata hai yeh jagah?”
Main baith gayi.
Woh daayra mere ghar se das minute ki doori pe tha. Usi mein woh sadak thi jahan hamari purani building hai. Jahan hum tab rehte the jab Papa zinda the. Jahan Neha aur main bade hue.
Hum wahan se aath saal pehle nikal gaye the.
“Madam?”
“Yeh humari purani building hai,” maine kaha. Meri awaaz mujhe kisi aur ki lagi.
Farhan kuch der chup raha.
“Toh phone wahan hai,” usne dheere se kaha. “Ya kam se kam, us ilaake mein hai. Aur madam — agar koi chor hota, toh woh phone bechh chuka hota. Ek saal ho gaya. Koi chor ek saal tak recharge karke number zinda nahi rakhta.”
“Toh woh kya karta hai?”
Usne meri taraf dekha aur pehli baar uske chehre pe woh aatmavishwas nahi tha.
“Woh koi hai jo chahta hai ki number zinda rahe.”