"So Mr. Rajinder Rana ......?"
"Yes, you are right. My son can not speak, his left arm is useless and he has a limp"
"I didnt know that"
"Not many people do" Mrs Rana ne coffee ka cup apne honthon se lagate hue kaha "Can you believe it? One of the richest people in this country is a handicap. All this money couldnt get him a healthy body. Hamne bahut koshish ki, kaafi jagah ilaaj karaya par nateeja nahi nikla. Na toh hamara paisa hamein apne bete ki aawaz vaapis dila saka aur na hi uske shareer ki koi aur kami door kar paya"
Mujhe samajh nahi aaya kee is baat ka kya jawab doon isliye khamoshi se coffee pita raha. Rajinder Rana ka naam aksar magazines aur newspapers mein chhapta rehta tha aur ek journalist hone ke naate main uske naam se bakhubi vaakif tha par ye baat ke vo ek apaahij tha mujhe bhi nahi maalum thi. Main kya shayad hi koi hoga jise ye baat pata hogi, sivaay Rana Pariwar aur unke kareebi doston ke.
"Khair" Mrs. Rana ne coffee ka cup neeche rakhte hue baat jaari rakhi "Toh hamein judwa bete hue aur hamare pariwar mein khushiyon ka koi thikana nahi raha. Khushi is baat ki ke is baar hamari kokh se 2 jeete jaagte bachche paida hue par usse kahin zyada khushi is baat ki ek hamara ek beta poori tarah se healthy tha, unlike the other kids that i gave birth to"
"Mr. Ravinder Rana?"
"Yeah, or Ravi as i and everyone else used to call him. Zindagi ek baar phir behtar ho gayi. Hamare bachche bade hone lage aur hamein laga ke hamare dukh ke din beet gaye, hamare hisse ka shraap ab hamare sar se hat gaya par ham galat the. Bhagwan ne abhi hamein aur bhi saza deni thi"
Kehte hue unhone ek lambi si saans li. Main chup chap betha unki baat sun raha tha aur apni diary mein notes banata ja raha tha.
"Baat 1991 ki hai. Ek din ham sokar uthe toh breakfast table par hamein Ravi nahi mila, aur phir vo lunch ke liye bhi nahi tha aur dinner bhi hamne uske bina hi kiya. Vo din aur aaj ka din, hamne khana apne doosre bete ke bina hi khaya hai"
"You mean 13th July 1991?"
"13th July?"
"Haan vo us photograph par date 13th July ki thi jo aapne mujhe pehle dikhayi thi aur aapne kaha tha ke us photo ke baad se hi aapke bete lapata hain"
"Oh yeah, that photograph was taken on 13th July but my son went missing on 15th. Hamne aakhri baar use 14th July ko dekha tha aur uske baad phir kabhi nahi"
"Dhoondhne ki koshish?"
"Bahut ki thi. Har vo jagah jahan vo ja sakta tha hamne pata karaya par kahin se koi suraag nahi mila. Police case hua par unhein bhi koi suraag haasil nahi hua. Hamare pati ne aapse pehle bhi kayi baar apne khud ke aadmi use dhoondhne ke kaam mein lagaye par koi hamein vaapis aakar ye nahi bata saka ke hamara doosra beta kahan hain, zinda bhi hai ya nahi"
"Do you have a reason that he would walk away from his family like this?"
"Reason agar talash karenge toh 1000 mil jaayege. Har ghar mein problems hoti hai, koi na koi aisi baat hoti hai jo ghar ke kisi member ko ganwara nahi hoti. He was 21 years old back then, jawan khoon tha. Agar ham vajah dhoondhne bethen toh 1000 mil sakti hai ke kis baat par vo bhadak kar ghar se chala gaya. Par ham un 1000 vajahon mein interested nahi hain. Hamein us ek vajah ki talash hai jiski vajah se vo ye hazron karodon ki property aur jaaydad chhodkar chalta bana aur phir laut kar nahi aaya"
"Aur kya vo ek vajah aapko mili?"
"Aisi vajah sirf aur sirf ek hi ho sakti hai, maut. Koi itna bada bevakoof nahi hota ke aaram aur aish ki aisi zindagi chhod kar chala jaaye. Agar ham ye maan bhi lein ke vo jawani ke josh mein us waqt chala gaya tha toh ab tak use vaapis aa jana chahiye tha. He must be 43 by now, long time to realise all the good things he missed by walking out. Ham ye nahi maan sakte ke apni zindagi ke pehle 21 saal beshumar daulat mein guzarne ke baad vo apni baaki ki zindagi kahin apni mehnat ki kamai par guzaar raha hai, specially when his academic qualifications are not even 12 years of school"
"He didnt go to school?"
"He did but could not continue. Was never a bright student and hated the books. He was a spoilt one, kahin hamare be-intehaan laad pyaar ne use bigaad diya tha, aish-o-aaram ki aadat pad gayi thi use. Isliye toh keh rahe hain ke is daulat se door sirf use ek hi cheez kar sakti thi, uski maut"
"So you mean someone killed him? Or you think he walked out in anger and died later on?"
"I dont know what to think and that is why i called you, to find out"
"Yes, you are right. I am sorry. I was just asking for your opinion"
"My opinion is that he never left this place"
"Never left?" Maine apni diary se nazar utha kar unki taraf dekha "Ji main samjha nahi"
"Jis din vo lapata hua, uski car bahar garage mein hi khadi thi aur hamari baaki sab gaadiyan bhi. Na toh vo apni koi gaadi lekar gaya aur na hi kisi ne use bus mein chadhte dekha aur yahan se bahar jaane ke us waqt yahi 2 raaste the"
"Aapki koi gaadi missing nahi thi?"
"Nahi"
"Aur na hi aapke bete ne yahan se koi Bus li?"
"Nahi"
"Vo paidal bhi toh nikal sakta tha, zaroori nahi ke bus yahin se li ho. Aur yahan toh vaise bhi maine dekha hai ke private jeeps vagerah chalate hain log, as a mode of transport. Ho sakta hai ke usne kisi se lift li ho aur Bus kisi aur jagah se pakdi ho"
"Ho sakta hai par mujhe lagta nahi ke aisa hua hoga" Mrs. Rana ne kaha.
Isse pehle ke main ye puchhta ke unhein aisa kyun lagta hai, vo apni chair se uth khadi hui.
"Come, let me show you around"
Main bhi bina koi aur sawal kiye unke saath uth khada hua.
"Inse toh aap mil hi chuke hain, Liyaqat Ali. Hamare ghar ke ek bahut hi zaroori sadasya" Unhone darwaze ke paas khade Liyaqat ki taraf ishara kiya.
Jis tarah se ab tak unhone pura kissa mujhe Liyaqat ke saamne hi suna diya tha, usse maine andaza toh laga liya tha ke vo Rana khandan ke saath kaafi waqt se hai aur ghar ke har raaz janta hai, ya phir zyadatar. Par jab Mrs. Rana ne use apne ghar ka sabse purana naukar na kehne ke bajay ek bahut hi zaroori sadasya bataya tab mujhe andaza hua ke vo us ghar ke saath kis qadar juda hua tha.
"Liyaqat bachpan se hi is ghar ke sadasya rahe hain. Inke pita hamare sasur ki gaadi chalaya karte the aur ab ye hamara pura ghar hi chalate hain" Mrs. Rana ne haste hue kaha.
Liyaqat koi 50 ke kareeb ka ek hatta katta pathan tha. Kad koi 6 ft, chaudi kad kaathi, kasrati jism aur raubdaar chehra. Chehre par behad safai ke saath rakhi gayi daadhi par moonchh ka ek baal nahi jisse maine ye andaza lagaya ke vo ek poori tarah se apne mazhab ka palan karne wala musselman tha.
"Khushi hui aapse milkar" Kehte hue usne jab mera haath milaya toh yun laga jaise mujhe kisi jurm ki saza de raha ho. Agar kamre mein thodi aur khamoshi hoti toh shayad mujhe uske chaude haath mein chatakti apne haath ki haddiyan sunai pad jaati. Kaha toh usne ye tha ke mujhse milkar use khushi hui par shakal se aisa bilkul bhi lag nahi raha tha.
"Mujhe bhi" Kehkar maine apna haath fauran pichhe khincha aur uske haath ki giraft se chhudaya, isse pehle ke uski zabardast pakad mein meri ek aadhi anguli toot jaati.
"Is ghar mein ham 3 log rehte hain" Ham kamre se bahar aaye toh Mrs. Rana ne kehna shuru kiya "Main, Liyaqat aur mera beta Raj"
"Mr. Rajinder Rana?" Maine confirm karne ke liye puchha.
"Yes. Raj is his nick name and i have always called him that. Rajinder was a name given to him by my husband and even though i never liked it, i still had to go with it. So i found a way to like it a little for my own convenience"
"By shortning it to Raj" Maine muskura kar kaha.
"Right" Unhone jawab mein apni gardan hilayi "Jaisa ke main keh rahi thi, yahan is ghar mein main, Liyaqat aur Raj rehte hain. Aur bhi kayi naukar hai par koi bhi aisa nahi jo kaafi waqt se hamare saath ho. Usually naukar din mein aate hain aur raat hone tak apne apne ghar chale jaate hain. Sab yahin aas paas gaon ke log hain"
"So its just the 3 of you in this big house then?"
"Well until last year it was 4 but after my husband passed, its just now the 3 of us"
"Agar aap bura na maanein toh ek baat kahun?"
"Kahiye"
"I am a little surprised that Mr. Rana lives here"
"I know" Mrs. Rana ne muskurate hue meri taraf dekha. Ab tak ham log unke ghar se bahar nikal kar khule lawn mein aa chuke the. Sooraj doobne laga tha aur aas paas pahadon par laal rang ki roshni bikher raha tha "Being such a rich man you would of course expect him to be living in a modern society, joining clubs, drinking with equally rich friends, flerting around with women, hai na?"
"Well, yes kind of"
"He is of a very shy nature and i think his physical condition has contributed most to that nature of his. Use bachpan se hi apni kami ka ehsaas tha isliye zyadatar apne aap mein rehta tha, chup chup, sharmila sa aur ab bhi vo aisa hi hai. Aur doosra hamare koi business toh hai nahi. Hamari jo bhi income hain sab land lease, interest, dividends se hai isliye use kahin aur jaane ke zaroorat padti bhi nahi"
"And he never married?"
"No, who would want to marry a man whose half body doesnt work?"
"Well considering the amount of wealth he has, i am sure he can have any woman"
"Yes i am sure he can but uske jaise sharmile aadmi ko jise apni kami ka itna zyada ehsaas ho aisi biwi chahiye jo usse pyaar kare, uski daulat se nahi. Jo is ghar mein isliye aaye ke uska khyaal rakh sake, na ke uski daulat se apna khyaal rakhe. Aur aisi ladki milni zara mushkil hai"
"Yeah i guess you are right"
"He was never close to anybody you know, except his brother"
"Mr. Ravinder Rana?"
"Yeah, Ravi. Dono judwa the aur aapas mein dono bhaiyon mein kaafi lagaav tha. Zyadatar waqt aapas mein hi bitaya karte the aur phir Ravi ke yun achanak gayab ho jaane ke baad Raj jaise apne aap mein hi simat gaya"
"When was the last time you met Ravi?"
"The night he disappeared. Us din mere pati aur uske beech kisi baat ko lekar bahut kaha suni hui thi"
"You mean on the 15th?"
"Haan"
"Kis baat par?"
"Honestly i dont know. Main us din kahin bahar gayi hui thi. Jab ghar lauti toh un dono ke chillane ki aawaz bahar tak aa rahi thi. Pata nahi kis baat ko lekar dono baap bete jhagda kar rahe the. Raj bhi tab mere saath hi tha. Main fauran gaadi se utar kar andar aayi par mujhe dekhte hi dono khamosh ho gaye aur Ravi paon patakta ghar se bahar nikal gaya. Raj bhi fauran uske pichhe pichhe gaya. Unke jaane ke baad maine apne pati se jaanna chaha ke kis baat par jhagda ho raha tha par unhone mere lakh puchhne par bhi koi jawab nahi diya"
"Ok, phir?"
"July ka mahina tha aur un dino lagatar baarish ho rahi thi. Mausam us din bhi kharab tha. Ravi ke jaane ke kuchh der baad hi baarish shuru ho gayi. Ye shaam 5 baje ke kareeb ki baat hai. Vo 3 ghante tak jaane kahan gayab raha aur phir raat 8 baje ke kareeb lauta"
"Ok"
"Vo sidha mere kamre mein aaya, ghabraya sa, baarish mein poori tarah bheega hua, jaise kuchh kehna chahta ho mujhse aur shayad keh bhi deta agar usi waqt mere pati bathroom se bahar na aate. Vo darwaze par khada kuchh pal tak mujhe dekhta raha. Maine kuchh kehna chah hi rahi thi ke phir hamare kamre mein bane bathroom se mere pati bahar aa gaye aur vo unhein dekh kar vo vaapis palat gaya"
"And that was the last time you saw him?"
"Yes. 9 baje ke aas paas main uske kamre par gayi, use khane ke liye bulane par vo kamre mein nahi tha. Us raat khane ki table par sirf main, mere pati aur Raj the aur uske baad phir bas ham 3 hi rahe. Us raat ko gaya vo kabhi laut kar nahi aaya"
Kis baat par jhagda hua tha us raat?"
"Nahi jaanti"
"Uske baad toh aapke pati se kabhi aapki baat hui hogi? I am sure jab plice case hua tha toh un logon ne bhi unse yahi sawal kiya hoga"
"Police ko unhone kya bataya main nahi jaanti par mujhe jo jawab diya uspar main kabhi yakeen nahi kar saki"
"Kya jawab diya tha aapko?"
"Ke Ravi batwara chahta tha. Vo chahta tha ke uske hisse ki jaaydad use de di jaaye aur us jaaydad se hone wali aamdani uski apni ho"
"Aisa chahne ki koi khaas vajah?"