Chapter 5 - The silent treatment

Jaise hi Pragati tayar hoti hai hospital jaane ke liye-Rahul ne kaha tha ki vo ek ghante mein nikalne wale hain-uske haath kaanp rahe hain. Suit ki zip band karte waqt uski ungliyan thartharati hain.

*Kya kar rahi hoon main?* Pragati apne aap se puchti hai, aaine mein apni reflection dekhte hue. *Sab theek hai ya nahi? Kahin Papa ko pata chal gaya toh... kahin unko mujhse nafrat toh nahi ho jayegi?*

Uske dil mein ek khaali darr baith gaya hai-ek aisi khamoshi jo cheekhna chahti hai par nikal nahi paati. *Kya karoon? Kahan daal diya aapne mujhe, Bhagwan ji? Itni mushkil... sirf meri hi life mein kyun?*

Vo darwaze ki taraf dekhti hai. Rahul neeche wait kar raha hoga. Par kuch uske andar toot raha hai

Rahul neeche aata hai, apni watch check karta hua. "Pragati!" Uski awaaz mansion ki deewaroon se takrati hai. "Pragati!"

Koi jawaab nahi.

Vo phir se awaaz lagata hai, is baar thoda aur tez. "PRAGATI!"

Khamoshi.

Uske chehre par pehli baar shak ki lakeer ubharti hai. Vo seedhe upar jaata hai, Pragati ke kamre ki taraf. Darwaza kholta hai-kamra khaali hai. Bed theek se bana hua. Sab kuch apni jagah par. Par Pragati kahin nahi.

"Yeh kahan gayi?" Rahul apne aap se bolta hai, uski awaaz mein pehli baar ghabrahat hai.

Vo sabko bulata hai-naukar, guards, staff. "Pragati ko dekha kisine?"

Sab mana karte hain. Kisi ne nahi dekha.

Rahul guards ke paas jaata hai, unki collar pakad kar. "Tumne dekha usse?"

"Nahi sir, humne-"

THAPPAD.

Guard gir jaata hai. Rahul itna soft nahi tha jitna log sochte the. Sab usse darte the-aur aaj unhe pata chal raha tha kyun.

"Ye tumne achha nahi kiya, Ms. Pragati," Rahul danton ke beech se bolta hai. "Ab tumhe main bataunga."

Rahul CCTV room mein jaata hai, apne security head ko dhakka dete hue. "Dikha mujhe. Sab footage. Abhi."

Screens par rewind hota hai footage. Aur phir-wahan hai vo. Pragati. Mansion ke bahar jaate hue. Jab guards ki shift badal rahi thi, tab vo bina kisi ke nazron mein aaye chup chap bhaag gayi.

Rahul ki mutthi screen ke paas band hoti hai. Uski saans tez ho jaati hai.

"Pura Chandigarh mein mere guards nikaal do. ABHI!" Vo chillata hai. "Main khud bhi jaa raha hoon."

Vo apni car mein baithta hai uske sath driving seat par Virat baki sab Rohit karan aur vidhit peecha baihe tha . Uske dimaag mein sirf ek hi baat ghoom rahi hai: *Ye ladki aaj isse nahi chodunga. Aaj isko apna vo roop dikhaaunga jisko dekh kar ye kabhi ye kaam nahi karegi.*

Raat ho jaati hai. Rahul Chandigarh ki sadkon par ghumta rehta hai, har jagah dekhta hai. Pragati apna phone bhi le kar nahi gayi thi-koi trace nahi, koi signal nahi.

*Kahan gayi yeh?* Rahul sochta hai,

Phir uske phone par call aati hai. Ek informer.

"Sir, Pragati train mein baith kar Lucknow ja rahi hai."

Rahul ki aankhon mein ek ajeeb si chamak aati hai-gusse aur satisfaction ki. "Achha... mujhse bach kar apne ghar wapas jaana chahti ho?"

Vo turant apne pilot ko call karta hai. "Private jet ready karo. Haryana. Abhi ke abhi."

Train ka stop Haryana mein tha. Aur Rahul wahan pehle pahunch jayega.

Train Haryana station par rukti hai. Pragati apni seat par baithi hai, khidki se bahar dekh rahi hai. Uske chehre par pehli baar thodi si shanti hai-ek jhoothi shanti, jo khatam hone wali hai.

*Bas thodi der aur,* vo sochti hai. *Bas thodi der aur aur main ghar pahunch jaungi. Papa ke paas. Safe.*

Par tabhi usse bahar commotion sunai deta hai. Awaazein. Cheekhein. Guards.

Uska dil baith jaata hai.

*Nahi... nahi nahi nahi...*

Aur phir vo usse dekhti hai. Rahul. Platform par. Puri train mein dhoondta hua. Usne train rukwa di hai.

Pragati ke haath kaanpne lagte hain. Uski saans ruk jaati hai. Vo apni seat par choti si ho jaana chahti hai, gayab ho jaana chahti hai.

*Bhagwan... please...*

Par Rahul uski taraf aa raha hai. Uski aankhein usse dhoondh chuki hain.

Jab unki nazar milti hai, Pragati ko pehle toh bahut bura lagta hai-vo ro rahi thi, tears uske gaalon par beh rahe the. Par phir uska jaw stretch ho jaata hai shock se. Vo bol nahi paati.

Rahul gusse se usse pakad leta hai, uska haath itni zor se ki uski kalai mein dard hota hai. "Chalo."

"Nahi... Rahul please... mujhe jaane do..." Pragati bolne ki koshish karti hai, par uski awaaz sirf ek whisper hai.

Par Rahul kuch sun nahi raha. Vo usse ghaseet kar le jaata hai. Train ke baaki passengers dekh rahe hain-kuch dar se, kuch sympathy se. Rahul ke dost bhi saath hain, aur unhe bhi bura lag raha hai. Unhe Pragati par daya aa rahi hai.

"Rahul, shant ho ja," karan kehta hai.

Par Rahul kisi ki nahi sunta. Vo Pragati ko jet mein le jaata hai, usse seat par dhakka dete hue.

"Ek shabd mat nikalna," Rahul danton ke beech se kehta hai, uska chehra Pragati ke bilkul paas. "Wrna tum mera vo roop dekhogi jo aaj tak kisine nahi dekha."

Pragati sirf hilti hai, tears rok nahi paati. Uske andar kuch toot gaya hai-hope, himmat, sab kuch.

Mansion mein wapas aate hi, Rahul Pragati ko seedhe uske kamre mein le jaata hai. Darwaza band karta hai. Lock.

Pragati kamre ke corner mein khadi hai, kaanp rahi hai. Uski aankhein darwaze par lagi hain-par koi escape nahi hai.

Rahul uski taraf dekhta hai, uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb sa gussa aur possession hai.

"Tumhe pata hai, Pragati," vo kehta hai, apni shirt ki buttons kholte hue, "maine pehle socha tha tumhe surrogate mother banwaunga. Tumhari izzat meri haathon se na jaye. Par tum vo deserve nahi karti."

Pragati ke andar sab kuch jam jaata hai. *Nahi... yeh nahi ho sakta...*

"Rahul... please..." Uski awaaz kaanp rahi hai. "Please mujhe jaane do..."

Par Rahul uski taraf badhta hai. Pragati peeche hatne ki koshish karti hai, par uski peeth deewar se lag jaati hai. Koi jagah nahi.

Rahul uske paas aata hai, uske suit ki zip pakad leta hai.

"NAHI!" Pragati chillati hai, uske haath Rahul ke haathon ko rokne ki koshish karte hain. "PLEASE! CHHOR DO MUJHE!"

Par Rahul jabardasti uske kapde utaarta hai. Pehle suit. Pragati rone lagti hai, bahut tez se. Vo chatpati hai, usse dhakka dene ki koshish karti hai.

"CHHOR DO! PLEASE!" Uski awaaz kamre mein goonjti hai, par koi nahi aata. Koi nahi bachata.

Dheere dheere Rahul uski bra utaarta hai. Phir pant. Phir underwear. Sab kuch.

Pragati ab aur bhi zyada chatpatne lagti hai, par Rahul nahi rukta. Vo usse kiss karta hai-kabhi lips par, kabhi neck par. Pragati ka sar ek taraf ghoomta hai, vo usse door karna chahti hai, par Rahul usse pakde rehta hai.

*Yeh nahi ho raha... yeh nahi ho raha...* Pragati apne aap se kehti hai, par uska shareer sach bol raha hai. Yeh ho raha hai.

Rahul uske breasts ko suck karta hai, unhe dabata hai. Pragati ki aankhein band hain, tears behte ja rahe hain.

Aur phir Rahul uske andar enter ho jaata hai-ek baar mein, bina rukhe.

"AAAHHH!" Pragati dard ke wajah se chillati hai. Uska poora shareer akad jaata hai. Dard... itna dard...

Rahul uske saath puri raat intimate hota hai. Pragati chilati rehti hai, rone lagti hai, usse chhodne ki minnat karti hai. Par Rahul nahi rukta.

Jab Rahul ka ho jaata hai, vo so jaata hai-Pragati ko waise hi chhodkar, toota hua, bikhra hua.

Pragati wahan leti hai, apne shareer ko mehsoos karti hui-har jagah dard hai. Uski aankhein khuli hain, par vo kuch dekh nahi rahi. Sirf ceiling. Sirf khaali space.

*Mera jurm kya tha?* Vo sochti hai, tears phir se behne lagte hain. *Mera jurm kya tha jo mujhe itni badi saza di?*

Uske andar kuch khatam ho gaya hai. Vo ab vo Pragati nahi rahi jo pehle thi. Vo ab sirf ek khaali shell hai-tooti hui, bikri hui.

*Main ab muh dikhane ke kaabil nahi bachi,* vo sochti hai, apne aap ko kambal mein lapette hue. *Kuch nahi bacha ab. Kuch bhi nahi.*

Aur vo wahan leti rehti hai-akeli, tooti hui, andheron mein khoyi hui.

To be continued.....

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