Raat ke kareeb 11 baj chuke the...
Delhi ki sadken tez barish ki boondon se bheeg chuki thi. Aasmaan me garanti bijli baar-baar andhere ko cheer rahi thi. Thandi hawa ke saath barish ki boonden poore shehar ko apni baahon me samete hue thi.
Isi andhere ko cheerti hui ek kaali luxury car BMW sunsaan sadak par tez raftaar se daud rahi thi.
Us gaadi me baitha tha woh shaks...
Jiske naam se poori Delhi kaanp uthti hai
"KARAN RATHOR".
Delhi ka sabse bada mafia.
Police usse pakadne ka sapna dekhti thi, dushman usse khatam karna chahte the aur bade-bade businessman bhi uske naam se darte the.
Lekin duniya Karan ko jitna beraham samajhti thi...
Asal me woh usse bilkul alag tha.
Us raat Karan apne office se ghar laut raha tha.
Tabhi uski nazar sadak ke doosri taraf padi.
Ek ladki buri tarah dari hui apni jaan bachane ke liye bhaag rahi thi.
Uske peeche kuch gunde daud rahe the.
Dar ke maare uske kadam fisle...
Aur woh sadak ke kinaare gir padi.
Karan ne kuch pal us ladki ko dekha.
Phir bina ghabraye apne bodyguard ki taraf dekhte hue kaha,
"Jaakar dekho... woh ladki kaun hai."
"Ji, Boss."
Do bodyguards turant gaadi se utar kar us ladki ki taraf badhe.
Lekin jaise hi woh uske paas pahunche, utne hi der me woh gunde bhi wahan aa pahunche.
Ek gunda hanste hue bola,
"Bahut bhaag li... ab kahan jayegi bachkar? Ab to tujhe hamare saath hi chalna padega. Ab bhag kar bhi kahan jayegi? Yahan tujhe bachane wala koi nahi hai."
Ladki ka darr uski aankhon me saaf dikh raha tha.
Tabhi Karan ke bodyguards un gundo ke saamne aa kar khade ho gaye.
"Ruko... is ladki ko haath lagane ki galti mat karna."
Ek gunda gusse me bola,
"Kaun rokega hume?"
Bodyguard ki awaaz me zara bhi darr nahi tha.
"Hamare Boss."
Itna sunte hi kaali luxury Car BMW ka darwaza dheere se khula.
Barish ki boonden us kaale shirt par gir rahi thi.
Karan dheere-dheere gaadi se bahar utara.
Uske chehre par na gussa tha...
Na ghabrahat...
Sirf ek ajeeb si khamoshi.
Aur wahi khamoshi uski sabse badi taqat thi.
Karan abhi us ladki ki taraf badha hi tha...
Ki achanak gundo ne hamla kar diya.
Goliyon ki awaaz se poori sadak goonj uthi.
Karan ke bodyguards ne turant morcha sambhal liya.
Barish, goliyan aur cheekhon ke beech ladai shuru ho chuki thi.
Ek gunda Karan ki taraf badha...
Lekin agle hi pal Karan ne usse aisa sabak sikhaya ki baaki sabke chehre ka rang udd gaya.
"Ye... ye Karan rathor hai!"
Naam sunte hi saare gunde jaan bachakar wahan se bhaag nikle.
Barish ab bhi waise hi baras rahi thi.
Karan ne dheere-dheere us ladki ki taraf kadam badhaye.
Woh ab bhi darr ke maare kaanp rahi thi.
Karan uske saamne ruk gaya.
Usne jhukkar us ladki ki taraf dekha...
Aur shaant awaaz me poocha,
"Tum theek ho?"
Karan ke muh se nikle sirf do shabd...
"Tum theek ho?"
Ladki ne dheere se apni aankhen uthakar Karan ki taraf dekha.
Uski saanse tez chal rahi thi. Chehre par darr saaf nazar aa raha tha.
Woh kuch kehna chahti thi...
Uske hoth hile...
Lekin awaaz bahar hi nahi aa saki.
Agle hi pal uski aankhon ke saamne andhera chha gaya.
Aur woh behosh hokar seedha Karan ki baahon me gir padi.
Karan ne turant use sambhal liya.
Ek pal ke liye uski nazar us masoom chehre par tik gayi.
Barish ki boonden uske chehre par gir rahi thi, lekin uske chehre ka darr ab bhi saaf dikh raha tha.
Karan ne bina waqt gavaaye apne bodyguards ki taraf dekha.
Uski awaaz hamesha ki tarah shaant thi...
"Tum dono doosri gaadi se aana... Main ise lekar ghar ja raha hoon."
"Ji, Boss."
Karan ne dheere se us behosh ladki ko apni baahon me uthaya...
Aur use lekar apni kaali luxury Car BMW ki taraf badh gaya.
Kuch hi pal baad gaadi tez raftaar se Delhi ki bheegi sadkon ko cheerti hui us jagah se nikal chuki thi...
Us jagah ki taraf...
Jahan sirf bahut kam logon ko jaane ki ijazat thi.
Karan apne parivaar ke saath rehta tha.
Uska ek bahut bada aalishaan ghar tha, jahan uska poora parivaar rehta tha.
Lekin aaj woh us ladki ko wahan nahi le ja sakta tha.
Isliye usne gaadi ko apne doosre ghar ki taraf mod diya.
Woh jagah sirf Karan ki thi.
Ek aalishaan penthouse...
Jahan woh apne saare business aur office ka kaam sambhalta tha.
Jahan hamesha shanti rehti thi.
Aur jahan uske bharosemand naukar aur staff ke alawa kisi aur ko aane ki ijazat nahi thi.
Kuch der baad BMW us penthouse ke bahar jaakar ruk gayi.
Gate khulte hi security guards ne jhukkar kaha,
"Good Evening, Boss."
Karan ne bina kuch kahe sirf halka sa sir hila diya.
Usne phir se us behosh ladki ko apni baahon me uthaya...
Aur seedha lift ki taraf badh gaya.
Lift ka darwaza khula.
Kuch hi palon me woh apne floor par pahunch chuka tha.
Woh seedha apne bedroom ki taraf badha.
Usne bahut sambhal kar us ladki ko bed par lita diya.
Barish ki boondon se uske baal aur kapde poori tarah bheeg chuke the.
Karan kuch pal tak khamoshi se uske chehre ko dekhta raha...
Jaise uske man me ek hi sawaal baar-baar uth raha ho...
"Aakhir ye ladki hai kaun...?".
Karan kuch der tak us behosh ladki ke chehre ko dekhta raha.
Uske chehre par ab bhi darr saaf nazar aa raha tha...
Jaise woh kisi bahut bade khauf se guzri ho.
Tabhi achanak uske hoth dheere se hile.
Behoshi ki haalat me hi woh toot-ti hui awaaz me boli,
"Chacha ji... Chachi ji... mujhe jaane dijiye... please... mujhe chhod dijiye... bahut dard ho raha hai..."
Uski awaaz itni kamzor thi ki har lafz ke saath uska dard mehsoos ho raha tha.
Agle hi pal uski band aankhon ke kone se aansu ki ek boond nikal kar uske gaal par beh gayi.
Uski saanse tez chalne lagi.
Poora chehra pasine se bheeg gaya.
Jaise woh kisi bure sapne me phans gayi ho.
Ye sab dekhkar pehli baar Karan ke chehre ki sakhti halka sa toot gayi.
Woh turant bed ke paas baith gaya.
Usne dheere se uske maathe par aaye baalon ko hataaya...
Aur bahut hi shaant awaaz me bola,
"Koi baat nahi... yahan tumhe koi kuch nahi karega."
Kuch pal rukkar usne phir kaha,
"Tum yahan bilkul safe ho... shaant ho jao..."
Jaise hi Karan ki awaaz uske kaanon tak pahunchi...
Uski bechain saanse dheere-dheere saamanya hone lagi.
Kamre me phir se khamoshi chha gayi...
Lekin Karan ke dimaag me ab ek hi sawaal baar-baar ghoom raha tha...
"Aakhir is ladki ke saath hua kya hai...?"