Ruhana ke hosh mei aane se toh jaise Shakuntala ke jaan mei jaan aa gayi. Aab tak darr se unka haal bura ho rakha tha, jaane kaise kaise vichar mann mei aa rahe the par aab jab wo hosh mei aa gayi hai toh koi darr na raha unke mann mei.

Shakuntala ne apni beti ko seene se laga liya aur aasuasan diya ki wo aab usse kuch na hone degi aur na hi uss badmash ko itni asani se chorengi.

Ruhana roi, ye soch ke ki akhir Aashish ka sach sabke samne aaya aur aab usse saza milegi. Par agle hi pal Shakuntala ki baat ne unhe chauka diya.

Ruhana jhat se seedhi ho gai aur Shakuntala ko dekhti rahi.

''Wo toh acha hua uski jacket mil gayi aur usmei uska aadhar card tha. Huhh, maa baap toh itne sareef hai uske, tumhare papa bata rahe the kaise uss ladke ke pita ka bura haal ho gaya tha aur kaise uski maa roo rahi thi. Bechare, bade bhale aadi hai uss ladke ke papa par usne sabko badnaam karke rakh diya, awara kahin ka!!'' Aapne dant pishti hui gusse ko dabane ki koshish karte hue Shakuntala boli.

Ruhana dang reh gayi, samajh gayi ji unki maa Aashish ki nahi balki Vineet ki baat kar rahi hai kyunki jacket toh Vineet ne hi di thi usse uss ghar mei taki wo apne aap ko dhak sake.

''Aap kiski baat kar rahi hai mumma?" Ruhana ne pucha, taki wo confirm kar sake jo wo soch rahi hai.

''Wahi ladka jo jab dekho tumhara picha karta firta hai aur jo hamare ghar bhi aaya tha. Police ne usse pakad liya hai aab toh, wo Sikha ke ghar pe mila unhe.'' Shakuntala ne ghrina ka ghunt peete hue Ruhana se bataya.

Ruhana chakit reh gayi, bechara jo galti usne na ki uski saza paa raha hai aur wo Ashish, wo aab tak bahar hai. Iss soch ne hi Ruhana ki ruh kanp di, wo sehem gayi lekin wo ye bhi janti hai ki agar wo darr ke karan chup reh gayi toh kissi aur ko saza mil jaayegi wo bhi uss galti ki jo usne nahi ki hai.

Bina waqt zaya kiye Ruhana ne thane jaane ki baat ki, Shakuntala dang ho gayi.

''Par beta abhi toh hosh aaya hai tumhe, hum kal bhi toh jaa sakte hai. Abhi tum aaram karo!" Chintapurwak Shakuntala boli par Ruhana ne inkaar kar diya.

''Nahi mumma, gunahgar ko jitni jaldi saza mille utna acha hai. Main nahi chahti wo aur kuch pal chen ki sansein le!!" Shithar karti hui Ruhana boli.

Shakuntala ko kuch samajh na aa raha tha kya kare par apni beri ki nishthata ko dekh wo raazi ho gayi aur Mishra ji ko bulane lagi.

Mishra ji jo abhi abhi Ashish ko vida kar fir hall ke sofe pe baithe the, jhat se khade ho gaye aur Ruhana ke kamre ki aur bhage. Wahan pahuche toh apni beti ko hosh mei dekh phoole na samaye, aankho mei ansu bhar aaye unke. Wo bhag ke Ruhana ke pass gaye aur usse galle se laga ke ro pade. Jaane kyun aab tak wo khud ko rok ke baithe the par aab na rok paaye, unke sabra ka baan toot gaya.

Ruhana bhi apne pita se lipat gayi aur rone lagi - kuch dukh se aur kuch pita ke aansu dekh ke!

Shakuntala bhi dono ko pakad ke rone lagi, uss waqt unhe aisa laga maano kitne varsh badh mil rahe hai ek dusre se ya shayad ye pal fir kabhi aayega hi nahi. Teeno bas ek dusre ko pakad rote rahe.

Kuch waqt beet chala toh Mishra ji ne Ruhana ko khud se alag kiya aur uske mathe ko chum liya.

''Pata bhi hai main kitna ghabra gaya tha tumhe aise dekh ke. Sans atak gayi thi meri tumhe hosh na aaya toh!!" Apna darr vyaktit karte hue Mishra ji bole.

Ruhana ne apne pita ka haath apne haathon mei liya aur ashwasan dilaya ki aab wo bilkul thik hai aur unhe fikra karne ki jarurat nahi hai.

''Kaise fikar na karu main, aaj uss badmash ne toh hamara sansaar bikher hi diya tha wo toh bhala hua ki tumhe kuch na hua. Warna abhi toh bas jail bheja hai usse aise phashi pe chadhwa ke hi dam leta!" Krodh se bharte hue Mishra ji bole.

Tabhi Ruhana ko khayal aaya ki usse Police station jana hai taki wo sach bata sake aur asli mujrim ko saza mille.

Ruhana ne apne pita se aghra kiya ki wo usse police station le chale taki wo apni gawahi de sake. Mishra ji pehle toh hichke fir socha jo kaam karna hai usse kar hi lene mei faida hai, kyun rukk kar nyay ko hone se roke.

Mishra ji aur Shakuntala apni beti ko sahara dete hue fir nikal pade ghar se.
...

Idhar Daroga ji Vineet se sach ugalwana chah rahe the. Waise toh wo jante hai ek baar Ruhana ne sab bata diya toh Vineet ke bayan ke koi maayne nahi rahenge par fir bhi wo uske muh se sach janna chahte the.

''Dekh ladke, Sharma ji ka lihaz karke tujh se shakti nahi barat rahe hai hum. Warna koi aur hota na toh halak mei haath dal ke sach bolwata uss se. Par jo agar aab bhi tune apna muh nahi khola, toh majburan mujhe wahi tareeka apnana padega fir na sochunga Sharma ji ka main!" Vineet ko dhamkate hue Daroga ji bole par wo chup raha.

Vineet chup isliye nahi tha ki wo log uski baat ka vishwas nahi karenge par wo chup isliye tha kyunki usse samajh nahi aa raha tha akhir wo bole kya? Wo kaise bataye usne kya dekha aur kis awastha mei Ruhana ko paya?

Soch ke hi Vineet ke rooye khadi ho jaa rahi thi, aab usse bayan kaise kare wo nahi samajh paa raha! Aisa pehli baar uske saath ho raha tha ki wo koi baat kehne se hichak raha ho. Jaane ye kyun tha par tha jarur.

Vineet ki chuppi dekh daroga ko gussa aa gaya aur usne jor ka ek tamacha uske muh pe maar diya. Achanak se Vineet ko jaise hosh sa aaya aur wo piche hatt gaya.

''Dekh majbur maat kar mujhe, main third degree nahi dena chahta tujhe. Abey apne baap ka toh khayal kar,bechare iss umar mei tumhari badaulat badnaam ho gaye. Tumko toh waise bhi koi ache kaam ke liye janta nahi, unke ache karmo ko bhi mitti mei mila diya tune. Laundey, aab kya unka muh kala karke hi maanega kya?  Seedhi tarah sach bol de!!" Daroga ne Vineet ko fir dhamkaya, iss baar Vineet uttejit ho utha apne pita ka naam sun ke aur chillane laga fir kya tha Daroga ne bhi aar dekha na paar aur wahin chalu ho gaye aur tab tak na ruke jab tak achanak se fir Sharma ji na aa dhamke aur minnate karne lage.

Pehli baar Sharma ji ke aankho mei bhi aansu aa gaye jab apne bete ko iss tarah maar khate dekha toh aur Sharda jo unke saath aai thi wo toh kuch bol hi na pai, ye sab dekh unka toh jaise kaleja hi phatt gaya!!

...

To be continued..