“Phir se bol, Sonal. Woh line theek nahi baithi,” maine kaha. Woh mere saamne khadi thi, peela kurta aur churidar mein, dono haath hawa mein jaise kisi natak ka aakhri scene kar rahi ho.
Sonal ne naak sikodi. “Tanvi, tum dono ke liye yeh shehar chhota padega. Itna hi na?” Awaaz mein jalaal tha, jaise main jaan-bujhkar uska taala bigaad raha hoon. Paldi ke is chhote flat ki khidki se Ahmedabad ki shaam andar aa rahi thi, dhoop dheemi, gali mein kisi ke radio par garba chal raha tha.
Hum dono college ke baad pehli baar itni der akele the. Tanvi ki engagement aaj raat thi, aur toast hum par chhoot gaya tha kyunki baaki dost late the. Main jeans aur kaali shirt mein sofa ke kinare baitha raha, aur Sonal ghoom-ghoom kar line dohraati rahi. Uski dupatta bar-bar kandhon se fisalti, aur har baar woh use wapas kasti.
“Shehar chhota padega wali baat mat maar,” maine kaha. “Tumhe yaad hai na, tu khud yahi kehti thi ki Hindustan ke do kone kaafi hain, ek mein tu, ek mein main.”
Sonal ruki. Dupatta uske haath mein latak gaya. “Main woh is liye kehti thi kyunki tune wada liya tha. Friends. Sirf friends. Tune kaha tha crossing nahi hogi.”
Woh wada saat saal purana tha. Ek hostel ke peeche wali raat, almost, phir uska job letter, phir meri silence. Maine us pal sirf itna samjha tha ki jab tak hum alag shehron mein hain, haath nahi badhaunga. Usne samjha tha forever.
“Maine yeh nahi kaha tha ki tu Ahmedabad aa jaaye to bhi main pathar ban jaunga,” meri awaaz sookhi nikli. “Tune promise ko taala bana diya. Main samajh baitha tha lock alag hai.”
Sonal ke honth khule, band hue. “To ab kya, Kabir? Toast ke beech tu yeh daalna chahta hai?”
“Nahi. Main yeh daalna chahta hoon ki line jhoothi hai. Shehar chhota nahi pada. Tu yahin hai. Main yahin hoon. Wada galat padha gaya.”
Toast ke alfaaz ne purana wada khol diya
Sonal ne dupatta sofa par fenka. Kurta ka peela kapda saans ke saath uth-gira. “Agar main ab bhi nahi chahti, to tu kya karega?”
“Wapas baithunga aur toast yaad karunga.” Maine haath nahi badhaya. “Pressure nahi hai. Party bhi nahi rukegi.”
Woh do kadam aage aayi. Uski aankhen gehre brown thin, gusse aur kisi aur cheez se bhari. “Main chahti hoon. Abhi. Wada rakhne ka matlab yeh nahi tha ki hum khud se bhi jhoot bolein.”
Maine sir hilaya. Haan ke alawa kuch nahi kaha. Uske baad baatein kam ho gayin.
Sonal ne mera collar pakda aur jhuk kar chuma, pehle halki si, phir is tarah jaise saat saal ki dabi hui garmi ek saath nikalni ho. Main khada hua. Uska munh nam tha, lipstick thodi si smeared. Dupatta pairon ke paas pada raha, ek laal kona sofa ke neeche ghusa.
Kurta ke neeche uski kamar patli thi, meri ungliyon ko jagah mil gayi. Usne meri shirt ke pehle do button khole, phir ruki, meri nazar pakdi, aur baaki khud nikal diye. Shirt sofa ki peeth par giri. Jeans ki belt ki khanak flat mein ajib si saaf thi, bahar garba chal hi raha tha.
“Yahan,” Sonal ne sofa ki taraf thukraya, “bedroom tak jaane ka sabr nahi.”
Hum girte-padte divan par aaye. Usne churidar ki nada kholi, main ne uski madad ki, kapda ghutnon se neeche utra. Peela kurta upar gaya, uske baal khul kar gaal par aa gaye. Bra ka hook peeche atka, maine dheere khola. Uski chhatiyon par meri hathon ki garmi padi to woh shor se saans bhari, meri gardan mein munh rakh diya.
Main uski thighs ke beech jhuka. Uski chut garam thi, pehle se geeli, jaise argument ke dauran hi shareer ne faisla kar liya ho. Meri zabaan lagi to uski ungliyon ne mere baal pakad liye. Woh mera naam ko kaat-kaat kar bolti rahi, kabhi complete, kabhi sirf saans.
“Itna tez nahi,” usne ek pal kaha, aur main ruk kar sirf honth se chhoota. Phir usne khud mere sar ko wapas dabaya. Woh contradiction uske andaaz mein tha, pehle rokna, phir maangna, aur dono baar uski marzi saaf thi.
Upar uth kar maine jeans aur underwear ek saath utaare. Mera lund uski pet ke against lagaa, aur Sonal ne haath se pakad kar dheere phela diya. “Condom kitchen ke drawer mein nahi, side table ke dabbe mein hai,” usne kaha, bina sharm ke, jaise toast ki line bol rahi ho. Main cubby se packet nikaala, phaada, aur usne khud chadha diya, ungliyan sookhti nahi thin.
Pehle dhakke par uski aankhen band huin. Main andar gaya, dheere, kyunki saalon ka fasla shareer mein bhi tha. Uski chut ne pakda, chhoda, phir pakda. Sofa ki ek taang halki si chikni, bahar se kisi scooter ki speed ki awaaz nikal gayi aur kho gayi.
Sonal ne pair meri kamar par lapete. “Yahan mat soch, wahan mat soch. Sirf abhi.” Main hilaa, pehle chhota daayra, phir gehra. Uski chhatiyan mere seene se ragad khati thin. Kabhi-kabhi woh hans deti, us hasi mein toast wali tightness nahi thi.
Beech mein position badli, usne mujhe neeche dhakela aur khud upar aa gayi. Peela kurta ab farsh par pada tha, sirf uski nangi kamar aur meri hathon ki pakad. Woh apna taalmela khud set karti thi, kabhi ruk kar, kabhi tez. Main uski thighs pakde raha, uske baal mere chehre par girte rahe.
“Itne saal tune kuch kaha kyun nahi?” usne saans ke beech poocha.
“Kyunki tune forever suna, maine distance.” Jawab toot kar nikla. “Aaj line ne pakad liya.”
Sonal jhuki, chuma, aur usi pal tez hilne lagi. Uski chut mera lund ko kheenchti thi, geeli awaaz sofa ke kapde mein dabb jaati. Main uske stano ko munh diya, zabaan ghumayi, daant nahi lagaye. Uski ungliyon ne mera kandha noch liya, nishan rehne wala, lekin usne maafi nahi maangi.
Neeche se main wapas upar aaya. Uske pair mere kandhon par the, divan ki gaddi sarak rahi thi. Har dhakka uski saans ko kaatta. Main uski clit par angli rakh kar gol ghumata raha, jab tak uska pet kas na gaya. Woh meri shirt ke bina mere seene se lipat gayi, daant mere skin par, awaaz dabi hui.
Uska cum aaya to shareer kanpa, pair sookhe, chut ne baar-baar kasa. Main ruka nahi, lekin dhaara nahi badli, usi gehraai mein raha. Uske baad woh hasi, aankh mein paani, aur bola, “Ab tu bhi. Mat rakh ke.”
Main tezi se hila, condom ke andar hi, uski kamar pakde. Khatam hote waqt meri saans uske gaal par phaili. Dono kuch der aise hi pade rahe, pasine se chipke, bahar radio ab kisi slow geet par tha. India ke is purane shehar mein shaam jaldi gatane lagti hai, lekin kamre mein abhi bhi garmi thi.
Sonal ne meri chhati par ungli ghumayi. “Toast ab jhooth lagega.”
“To doosri line bana lenge. Bina shehar ke.” Maine uske baal hataye. Condom abhi bhi tha, main nikaal kar tissue se lapeta, side table ke kagaz ke pas. Kapde ab bhi farsh par the, koi naya kamra nahi khula.
Gali mein gaadi ki horn baj uthi
Pehli horn halki thi, doosri lambi. Sonal ka shareer kas gaya. “Vikram. Tanvi ka bhai. Usne kaha tha saat baje Paldi se uthayega.”
Ghadi ki taraf dekha to der ho chuki thi. Engagement wait nahi karti. Sonal uth kar churidar khinchné lagi, haath kaanp rahe the lekin kaam tez tha. Main uska kurta uthaya, usne pehna, dupatta jhatak kar kandhe par daala. Lipstick bina, baal khule, woh phir bhi jaane wali thi.
“Tu aa raha hai?” usne darwaze ke paas se poocha, haath knob par, pairon mein chappal.
Main jeans khinchte hue sir hilaaya, nahi ki taraf. Shirt abhi bhi sofa par thi. “Tum jaao. Main yahin se nikal lunga. Agar saath aaya to chehra nahi chhipega.”
Sonal ek second ruki, jaise koi agla jumla banana chahti ho, phir sirf itna kaha, “Tanvi wait nahi karegi.” Seedhiyan uske kadmon se bhari. Gali mein teesri horn baji, gaadi ki engine ki gudgudahat, phir darwaza neeche se band hone ki awaaz.
Khidki se dikha Vikram ki safed car Paldi ki patli gali mein khadi thi, Sonal peele kurte mein usme baithi, baal abhi bhi uljhe. Car nikal gayi, garba wala radio kisi doosri khidki se chal nikla. Main kamre mein akele khada raha, nangi kamar par hawa, toast adhura, wada toot chuka, aur Ahmedabad ki raat ab unke bina bhi chal rahi thi.
Sofa par laal dupatta ka kona ab bhi daba tha. Maine use nahi uthaya. Bahar Hindustan ke shaadi season ki awaazein thi, andar sirf meri saans. Party unke bina shuru hone wali thi, aur main yahin se apna rasta alag nikalne wala tha, bina koi naya wada kiye.