The Nightmare

Raat bahut zyada andheri thi.

Zor-zor se baarish ho rahi thi. Aisi baarish

jaise aasman khud toot kar gir raha ho.

Us sunsaan road par ek aurat gaadi bahut tez chala rahi thi. Aankhon se aansu beh rahe the, haath steering par kaanp rahe the. Baarish aur uski siskiyon ki awaaz ek ho chuki thi.

Itni tez speed thi ki use ehsaas hi nahi hua

kab saamne se ek aur gaadi aa gayi.

Crash.

“Aaah!”

Cheekh ke saath woh aurat neend se uth kar bed par baith gayi. Poora jism paseene se bheega hua, saans tez, aankhon mein darr.

Yeh aurat koi aur nahi, Arjun ki maa—Priya thi.

Uski cheekh sunte hi Arjun bhaagta hua room mein aaya aur bina kuch kahe maa ko zor se gale laga liya.

“Shhh… Maa, main hoon na,” Arjun ne dheere se kaha.

Thodi der mein baaki sab bhi room mein aa gaye.

Arjun ne maa ko paani diya, use shaant karne ki koshish ki.

Peechhe se Seema (Rahul ki wife) boli,

“Kya hua mummy ji ko?”

Rahul ne turant aankhon se Seema ko chup rehne ka ishara kiya, lekin Seema ruki nahi.

“Mujhe samajh hi nahi aata,” woh bolti rahi,

“aisa kya hua tha 7 saal pehle jo aaj bhi mummy ji ko itne darawne sapne aate hain.”

Rahul use chup karane ki poori koshish kar raha tha, lekin Seema bolti ja rahi.

Arjun kuch bolne hi wala tha ki Priya ne uska haath pakad liya.

Arjun ne aankhen band ki, gehri saans li aur kaha,

“Sab log apne rooms mein jao. Maa ko rest chahiye.”

Seema phir bolne wali thi—

Arjun ne uski taraf dekha.

Uski aankhon mein sirf gussa tha.

Thanda, khatarnaak gussa.

Seema ke muh se awaaz hi nahi nikli.

Arjun ne Rahul ki taraf dekh kar kaha,

“Rahul, apni wife ko room se bahar le jao.

Warna uski upcoming film ke liye theek nahi hoga.”

Rahul bina kuch bole Seema ka haath pakad kar bahar le gaya.

Ab room mein sirf teen log the:

Arjun. Priya. Aman.

Arjun ne apne father ki taraf dekha.

“Aaj raat aap kahan gaye the?” usne sakht awaaz mein poocha.

“Maa ko akela chhod kar?”

“Aapki wajah se hi maa ki yeh haalat hai,”

Arjun bola.

“Aur phir bhi aap unka dhyaan nahi rakh sakte.”

“Maine sab dekha tha us din,” Arjun ne dheere lekin teekhe andaaz mein kaha.

“Aur agar aapne meri maa ko dobara dukh pahunchaya—”

“Toh main kabhi maaf nahi karunga.”

“Mujhe is shaadi ko khatam karne mein ek pal bhi nahi lagega.”

Author’s Point of View

Apne bete ko itne gusse mein dekh kar Priya ne dheere se kaha,

“Arjun…”

Maa ki awaaz sunte hi Arjun ne aankhen band ki, apna gussa sambhala aur uski taraf mud gaya.

“Beta,” Priya boli,

“tumhare papa study room gaye the.

Bedroom ki light mujhe disturb kar rahi thi.”

Arjun ne pyaar se maa ke honton par haath rakh diya.

“Bahut raat ho gayi hai, Maa. So jao. Subah baat karenge.”

Usne maa ko sulaya, blanket odhaya aur uske maathe par kiss kiya.

Phir woh apne father ke paas gaya.

“Aaj se aap raat ko koi kaam nahi karenge,” Arjun ne kaha.

“Jo bhi kaam hoga, mujhe bata dijiyega.”

“Good night.”

Aur Arjun room se bahar chala gaya.

Arjun ke jaate hi Aman ne side table se medicine uthayi aur Priya ko di.

Priya ne chupchaap medicine le li.

Aman uske paas baith gaya, uska haath pakad kar bola,

“Ab tabiyat theek lag rahi hai?”

“Mujhe laga tha waqt ke saath sab theek ho jayega,” woh dheere se bola,

“par kuch bhi nahi badla.”

“Arjun tumhare liye bahut zyada possessive hota ja raha hai…”

Priya ne uski taraf dekha.

“Galat mat samajhna,” Aman ne kaha,

“par aaj mujhe uska Seema se baat karne ka tareeqa pasand nahi aaya.”

“Tum sahi keh rahe ho,” Priya ne kaha.

“Maine bhoolne ki koshish ki… bahut koshish ki.”

“Par woh incident aaj bhi mujhe pareshan karta hai.”

“Uska pyaar hi use sabse door kar raha hai,” kehte-kehte Priya ro padi.

“Please mat ro, Priya,” Aman ne kaha.

“Agar tumhara bodyguard dekh lega na,” woh halka sa muskuraya,

“toh hum sab ko tumhare aansuon mein duba dega.”

Priya hans padi—aasuon ke beech.

Aman uth kar bola,

“Bahut raat ho gayi hai. So jao.”

Usne Priya ko sulaya aur khud bed ke doosre side let gaya.

Kamra shaant ho gaya.

Lekin beeta hua kal—

abhi bhi jaag raha tha

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