Main seedhiyan chadhti gayi.
Chaar manzil. Har manzil pe wahi smell — geeli deewar aur kisi ke ghar se aata hua tadka. Meri taangein bhaari thi aur mujhe pata tha ki main ruk nahi sakti, kyunki ruk gayi toh wapas chali jaungi.
Chhat ka darwaza khula tha.
Woh diwar ke paas baitha tha, ghutne mod kar, jaise ladke baithte hain. Uske haath mein ek phone tha. Purana phone, cracked screen, ek neele cover ke saath jo main pehchaanti thi kyunki maine woh cover khud Neha ko diya tha.
Woh khada ho gaya.
“Main sorry bolne ki koshish kar raha tha,” usne kaha. “Ek saal se.”
Main kuch nahi boli.
“Us raat main uske saath tha.” Uski awaaz tooti hui thi. “Hum yahin the. Isi chhat pe. Woh apne ghar se ladh kar aayi thi aur mujhe call kiya tha aur main aa gaya tha.”
“Woh yahan aayi thi?”
“Woh hamesha yahan aati thi.” Usne chhat dekhi, jaise usse dikh raha ho jo mujhe nahi. “Jab bhi ghar mein kuch hota. Bachpan se. Tumhe nahi pata tha?”
Mujhe nahi pata tha.
“Woh raat ko wapas nikli. Maine kaha tha ruk ja, subah chali jana. Usne kaha mummy pareshan ho jayegi.” Usne saans li. “Maine usse chhod nahi aaya. Main bas khada rehkar dekhta raha ki woh chali gayi.”
Woh rukha.
“Das minute baad woh accident ho gaya.”
Hawa chal rahi thi aur neeche sadak pe koi horn baja raha tha aur duniya waise hi chal rahi thi.
“Uska phone yahin reh gaya tha,” usne kaha. “Yahan, isi diwar pe. Woh bhool gayi thi. Main usse laut kar dene wala tha.”
Usne phone mere aage badhaya.
“Maine har mahine recharge kiya. Mujhe pata hai yeh pagalpan hai. Par jis din yeh number band ho jata, us din sach mein sab khatam ho jata.” Uski aankhein laal thi. “Maine tumhe message tab kiya jab mujhe laga ki main ab jhel nahi sakta. Aur phir main darr gaya. Main tumhe bata nahi paya ki main kaun hun.”
Maine phone liya.
Woh bahut halka tha. Mujhe yaad nahi tha ki phone itne halke hote hain.
“Tumne uski jagah baat ki,” maine kaha. “Mere saath. Jaise woh ho.”
“Haan.”
“Woh galat tha.”
“Main jaanta hun.”
Maine screen on ki. Woh chat khuli. Aur sabse upar, ek draft — likha hua, bheja nahi gaya. Ek saal purana. Neha ka likha hua, us raat.
“Didi main theek hun. Kal baat karte hain. So ja.”
Usne bheja nahi tha.
Main wahin baith gayi, chhat pe, us diwar ke saath jiske peeche meri behen ne apni aakhri raat guzari thi, aur maine woh message padha jo mujhe ek saal pehle milna chahiye tha.
Phir maine reply kiya. Usi chat mein. Jaanti hui ki koi nahi padhega.
“Main bhi theek hun. So ja.”
Aur maine phone band kar diya.