Garmi ki wo dopahar bilkul thami hui thi. Patna ki rehne wali Meera, jise poori building 'Bihari Bhabhi' ke naam se jaanti thi, apne balcony mein khadi sookhte kapdon ko dekh rahi thi. Uska pati mahino se kaam ke silsile mein bahar tha, aur uski choodiyon ki khanakh ab ghar ki khamoshi mein chubhne lagi thi.
Meera ki aankhon mein ek aisi gehri pyaas thi jo sirf Bihar ki mitti aur wahan ki purvai hawaon mein milti hai—thodi nam, thodi ziddi. Usne apni suti (cotton) saree ka pallu thik kiya, jo paseene ki wajah se uski kamar se chipak gaya tha.
Tabhi niche wali floor se bullet ki awaaz aayi. Arjun.
Arjun ek pakka Punjabi munda tha—6 feet lamba, chauda seena, aur dastaane pehne huye hath jo bullet ke handle par jachate the. Uska mizaaj bilkul makkhan jaisa, par gussa bilkul mirchi. Wo hamesha Meera ko "Bhabhi ji" kehta tha, par uski awaaz mein ek aisi bhari-pan (bass) thi jo Meera ke pait mein ajeeb si hulchul kar deti thi.
Ek Garam Shaam ka Ittefaq
Us shaam baarish shuru ho gayi. Bijli chali gayi aur poori building andhere mein doob gayi. Meera ne ek mombatti jalayi hi thi ki darwaze par dastak hui.
"Bhabhi ji, wo inverter check karne aaya tha, aapka side shayad line cut gayi hai," Arjun bahar khada tha, baarish mein halka bheega hua. Uska safed kurta uske jism se chipka hua tha, dikha raha tha ki wo kitna mazboot hai.
Meera ne darwaza khola. Mombatti ki halki roshni mein Meera ka chehra chamak raha tha. Usne koi gehna nahi pehna tha, sirf ek kala dhaga uski gori kalai mein bandha tha.
"Aaiye na, Arjun ji. Hum toh darr hi gaye thhe is andhere mein," Meera ne dhire se kaha. Uska Bihari lehja (accent) thoda zyada hi naram ho gaya tha.
Arjun andar aaya. Kamre mein Meera ke jism aur chameli ke tel ki ek mithi khushbu basi hui thi. Jab wo inverter ke paas jhuka, Meera uske bilkul kareeb khadi thi, rasta dikhane ke liye mombatti pakde huye.
Nazdikiyan aur Khamoshi
"Bhabhi ji, thoda paas aaiye, dikh nahi raha," Arjun ne kaha. Uska gala thoda khushk (dry) ho raha tha.
Meera thoda aur kareeb aayi. Arjun ko apne kaan ke paas Meera ki garam saansein mehsoos ho rahi thi. Donon ke beech ki khamoshi itni gehri thi ki bahar girti baarish ki har boond saaf sunayi de rahi thi. Arjun ne mud kar dekha. Meera ki aankhein seedha uski aankhon mein thi. Un aankhon mein darr nahi tha, balki ek aisi dawat (invitation) thi jo lafzon mein bayaan nahi ki ja sakti.
"Aap itna kyun kaam karte hain, Arjun ji? Thoda araam bhi kar liya kijiye," Meera ne sargoshi (whisper) mein kaha. Uska hath galti se Arjun ke kandhe se chhu gaya.
Arjun ne wahi ruk kar Meera ka hath tham liya. Meera ki kalai nazuk thi, par Arjun ki pakad mazboot aur garam. "Araam kahan milta hai Bhabhi ji, jab dil mein aisi aag lagi ho jo baarish mein bhi na bujhe."
Meera ne apni nazrein nahi hatayi. Usne dekha ki Arjun ki aankhon mein ek Punjabi munde ki himmat aur ek lover ki narm-dili donon thi.
"Toh bujha lijiye na," Meera ne bahut dhire se kaha. Uska pallu thoda aur niche sarak gaya, par usne thik nahi kiya.
Deewar Ke Paar
Arjun ne ek kadam aur aage badhaya, Meera ko deewar se sata diya. Uske ek hath ne Meera ki kamar ko thama, jahan saree thodi bheeghi hui thi. Meera ne apni aankhein moond li aur ek gehri saans bhari. Wo Bihar ki sharam aur Punjab ki mardangi ka ek aisa milan tha jise andheri raat aur baarish ne apne parde mein chhupa liya tha.
Uss raat, bijli toh nahi aayi, par uss band kamre mein jo chingari bharki thi, usne donon ki zindagi hamesha ke liye badal di. Ye sirf padosiyon ka rishta nahi tha, ye do pyaase ruhon ka ek-doosre mein ghul jaane ka kissa tha.