Chapter 7
Newspaper me subah hi aa gaya tha ki aaj light raat bhar nahi rahegi. To saare sheher me muhnucchwa ka aatank hone ke baad bhi mohalle ke sabhi log apni apni chataiyyan lekar chhat par sone aa gaye the. Rajat, Malhar aur Kallu ke ghar ek doosre ke bagal me hi the.
"Malhar, bola na sorry!" Kallu Malhar ko manaa rahi thi.
Malhar muh ferkar bola, "Rajat bol de ise mujhe is se koi baat nahin karni."
"Ah! Malhar! Mujhe Chakkar aa rahe hain. Please pakdo mujhe," Kallu gol gol ghoomne lagi, "Main khadi nahi ho paa rahi hoon."
Tabhi Malhar ke ghar se telephone ki ghanti bajne ki aawaz aayi.
Malhar: "Dekh rahe ho iski nautanki Rajat. Tum chahe gol ghoom ghoom kar chhat se neeche gir jaao, main tumse baat nahin karoonga."
Tabhi Kallu ke paas laalten zor se aakar giri.
Uske papa uski mummy ko chilla rahe the, "Sunne do saare mohalle vaalon ko. Roz ki Kicch kich taane... zindagi nark bana rakhi hai is aurat ne."
Kallu ki mummy zor se chillayi: "Haan to mujhe kis baat ka dar hai. Bees saalon se tumhari tumhare ghar walon ki sewa mein ghul gayi main, ek kasar nahin chhori, lekin jabse shaadi hokar is ghar mein aayi hoon ratti bhar ijjat nahin mili mujhe."
Kallu aankhein fade apne mummy papa ki or dekh rahi thi. Saare mohalle vaalon ki nazar unhi par thi. Malhar aur Rajat ko samajh nahi aa raha tha ki ab vo kyaa karein.
Tabhi Malhar ki maa jo phone uthaane neeche gayi huyi thi oopar aakar Malhar ko chillane lagi: Phone lagaaya tha tune apne bhai ke doston ko. Kitni baar kahaa hai ki is ghar se koi Rohit ke baare me naa baat karega na sochega.
Malhar: Par Maa.
"Ab ye galti dobaara huyi to..."
Vahin Kallu ke mummy Papa ki ladai khatarnak mod le chuki thi.
Tabhi Rajat apni naak pakadkar chillaya, "Aah meri naak. Mera muh. Kisi ne bahut zor se nocha mujhe."
Mohalle ke saare logon ki nazar ab Kallu aur Malhar ke gharon se hatkar ab Rajat ki chhat par Jaa tiki thi.
Rajat ke Mummy Papa dono bhaagkar Rajat ki taraf aaye aur uski maa ne Rohit ki naak chookar dekhi, aur chillayi, "Haaye kitna khoon beh raha hai mere bete ka." Raat ke andhere me khoon to kisi ko dikha nahi fir bhi Mohalle wale apni apni rai dene lage
"Are jis ladke ne dhuaandhaar me koodkar jaan di thi na, usi ki bhatakti aatma hai muhnucchwa. Kal Rajat ko dhuaandhaar le jaakar muhnucchwa se maafi maang lena."
Tabhi Physics me phD kar raha Khare sahab ka bhateeja bola, "Are muhnucchwa koi bhoot nahin alien hai. Uske planet ko Rajat ne ghoorkar dekh liya hoga tabhi..."
"Are Muhnucchwa kisi paagal scientist ne apni lab mein insaan aur keede ka hybrid banaaya hai..."
Lekin Kallu aur Malhar na chahte huye bhi Muhnucchwa ke aane ke shukraguzaar the.
.....
Aur agle din school me, Kallu ne Malhar ko ek kaagaz ki chit pakdayi. Malhar ne use kholkar dekha to usme ek phone number likha hua tha.
"Ye kiska number hai?" Malhar ne poocha.
"Are tum Deepak Chatterji ko jaante ho...vahi jiska uski hone vaali patni ne apne premi ke saath milkar uske ghar par hi katl kar diya tha. Ye usi ke ghar ka number hai?"
"To tum uska number mujhe kyon de rahi ho?"
"Are tumhe pata nahi chalaa...jo bhi is no. Par phone karta hai, Deepak Chatterji use aage kya hone wala hai. Ye bataata hai. Aur agar kisi ka koi apna bemaut maara gaya ho to vo ye bhi batata hai use kisne maara tha ya vo kyon mara tha. Ab vo kahaan aur kaisa hai..."
"Matlab mere bhai ne apni jaan kyon li vo ye Deepak Chatterji ka bhoot mujhe batayega. Aur ye bhi ki ab mera bhai kaisa hai..." Malhar ki aawaz me kucch tootne sa laga tha.
"Try karne me kya jaata hai?" Kallu ne Malhar ka Kandha dabaakar kaha.
Rajat bola, "Sach kahoon to tum log in sab chakkaron me na hi pado to better hai. Bhoot voot kucch nahi hota..."
"To fir tumhe kal raat kisne kaata tha? Vaise, tumhari naak par to koi nishaan nahi h ab..." Kallu boli.
"Vo to...theek hai. Jaisa tum log theek samjho."
School office ke bagal me landline phone tha jo tha to vaise in case kisi student ki tabiyat bigad Jaye to uske parents ko phone karne ke liye magar vahaan hamesha, 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th ke ladkon ka hi jamaawda Laga rehta tha. Aaj bhi nazaara kucch vaise hi tha aur jaise hi Kallu, Malhar aur Aakash aaye, sab zor zor se gaane lage, "Dooba dooba rehta hoon..." Lekin jaise hi Malhar ne sabko ghoor ke dekha aur ek ek ladke ka naam lene laga, to har koi vahaan se khisak liya.
Do phone rakhe the vahaan par. Malhar ne parchi se dekhkar number lagaya to line dead thi. Fir Malhar ne doosre phone par redial button dabaa diya. Kucch der Malhar shaant khada raha, fir Kallu ko receiver dekar bola, "Lady bhoot hai koi. Mujhse pooch rahi hai ki Akele ho tum? Mere dost banoge? Ab bhoot ko friendship friendship kyon khelni hai?"
Kallu ne receiver haath mein liya aur jameen se ek pamphlet uthaya jisme frock pehne ek lambi ladki ka chitra banaa tha aur likha tha, "kya tum akele ho? Mujhse Dosti karoge? Call me at *********"
Kallu ne phone kaata aur khud no. dial kiya aur Malhar ko receiver de diya.
Malhar ne ghabrate huye poocha, "Mera bhai...haan usne building se koodkar...kyon? Main usse baat kar sakta hoon?"
Jab vo sab vaapis ground me aaye, to Malhar bola, "Mere bhai ka favourite colour. Meri age...sab sahi bataayi us bhoot ne. Keh raha tha ki Bargi dam ke paas wali pahadi par mujhe apne saare sawaalon ke jawaab milenge."
"To is Sunday ham sab vahin chalenge!" Kallu boli.
"Par tumhari mummy, Malhar?" Rajat ne poocha.
"Unhe kucch pata nahin chalega," Kallu aur Malhar ek saath bole.
"Aur haan," Malhar ne hichkichate huye kaha, "Deepak Chatterji ke bhoot ne ye bhi kaha ki raat ko baarah baje vo mera teen baalti neela khoon peene aayega."