Sunil Chauhan ki biwi se baat karne ke baad main vaapis apni gaadi ki taraf badha. Vahin nazdeek hi ek ped ke neeche chaai aur cigarette ki dukaan thi. Maine ek cup chaai boli aur aakar gaadi mein beth gaya.
Jeb se nikal kar ek cigarette sulgayi hi thi ke Khan ka phone aa gaya.
"Kahan hai?" Usne mujhse puchha
"Tere bataye address par aaya tha"
"Kaun sa address?"
"Sunil Chauhan wala"
"Mila?"
"Haan address toh mil gaya par Sunil Chauhan nahi mila" Maine ek lambi saans chhodte hue kaha.
"Toh ab vahan uska wait kar raha hai?"
"Nahi vo marr chuka hai yaar.. 4 mahine pehle gaya"
Kuchh der ke liye line par khamoshi bani rahi.
"Tujhe lagta hai iska Saanwli ke case se koi lena dena hai?" Khan kuchh pal ke baad bola.
"Nahi bhi aur haan bhi"
"Matlab?"
"Matlab ye ke jo number Sunil Chauhan ke naam par registered tha us number ka Saanwli ke case se matlab hai par Sunil Chauhan ka nahi"
"Kya bol raha hai yaar?"
"Main ye bol raha hoon ke Sunil Chauhan 70-80 saal ka buddha tha, 10 saal se bistar par pada tha, usi koi aulad nahi thi aur phone vo use karta nahi tha"
"Oh. Matlab koi aur uske naam par number lekar ghoom raha tha?"
"Yep" Maine dheere se cigarette ka kash lagaya taaki Khan ko aawaz na aaye "Aur number prepaid tha isliye kabhi koi phone bill vagerah bhi nahi aaya Chauhan ke paas taaki uske ghar par number ka pata chale"
"Yeah. Well that proved to be a dead lead. Ab kya socha hai?"
Tabhi chaai wala ek cup chaai mujhe gaadi mein dene aa gaya.
"Pata nahi yaar" Maine chaai ka cup uske haath se liya "Ek baat bata. Is number ki call details nikal sakti hain?"
"Pata nahi yaar. Number itne waqt se band hai toh i dont think ke ab koi record milega"
"Koshish karke dekh sakta hai?" Maine puchha.
"Theek hai. Dekhta hoon"
"Vaise tune phone kisliye kiya tha?" Mujhe yaad aaya ke usne ab tak apne phone karne ki vajah nahi batayi thi aur ham sidha Saanwli ke case par baat karne lage the.
"Arrey haan yaad aaya. Saanwli ke case mein hi phone kiya tha. Ek laash mili hai"
"Saanwli?" Maine darte hue puchha.
"Abe agar mujhe pata hota ke Saanwli ki hai toh itni der se main uska case discuss kar raha hota tere saath?"
"Haan ye bhi hai. Kiski hai?"
"Agar mujhe ye pata hota ke kiski hai toh main tujhe kyun phone karke bata raha hota?" Usne phir tana sa mara.
"Ok" Maine chidte hue kaha "Toh tu hi bol le"
"Tu bolne de tab na. Ladki ki laash hai. Samundar kinare mili aur kaafi buri halat mein hai. Kam se kam mahine bhar pehle ki maut hai. Aadha shareer toh samundar mein janwar hi kha gaye"
"Kab mili?"
"Kal mili thi. Mujhe abhi pata chala"
"Oh god" Maine kaha "Saanwli ho sakti hai?"
"Cant say. Tu aake dekh le"
"Shinakht toh main bhi nahi kar paoonga yaar. I never met her. Sirf ek photo hi dekhi hai"
"Toh uski behen ko le aa"
"Nah she is gone back to Saharanpur"
"You said vo dono behne judwa thi right, ekdam ek jaisi?"
"Haan" Mere dimag ki batti jali "You are right. Toh rather than comparing the body to Saanwli, i cud just compare it to Saloni and see if anything matches"
"Right" Khan bola.
"Theek hai. Kahan hai body?"
"Bhagwati municipal general hospital janta hai?" Usne puchha.
Ye ek sarkari hospital tha aur Borivali mein hi tha.
"Vo jo Borivali west mein hai?"
"Haan"
"Haan janta hoon aur main is waqt Borivali mein hi hoon"
"Sahi hai phir toh. Pahunch tu aur main bhi pahunchta hoon"
"Case tere paas hai?"
"Abey nahi. Main toh aiwe hi aa raha hoon. Yahan betha bore hi ho raha hoon. Ghoomna phirna ho jaayega"
"Kamal aadmi hai tu bhi. Ghoomne phirne Morgue jaayega, laash dekhne?" Maine halke se haste hue bola.
"Haan isi bahane tera kaam bhi ho jaayega"
"Mera kaam?"
"Haan tujhe kya lagta hai ke tu jaayega vahan, buland aawaz mein bolega ke laash dikhayi jaaye aur vo thaali mein saja kar tujhe body pesh kar denge?"
"Yeah you are right. Aa ja, main hospital ke bahar wait karta hoon tera" Kehkar maine phone rakh diya.
Jeb se nikal kar ek cigarette sulgayi hi thi ke Khan ka phone aa gaya.
"Kahan hai?" Usne mujhse puchha
"Tere bataye address par aaya tha"
"Kaun sa address?"
"Sunil Chauhan wala"
"Mila?"
"Haan address toh mil gaya par Sunil Chauhan nahi mila" Maine ek lambi saans chhodte hue kaha.
"Toh ab vahan uska wait kar raha hai?"
"Nahi vo marr chuka hai yaar.. 4 mahine pehle gaya"
Kuchh der ke liye line par khamoshi bani rahi.
"Tujhe lagta hai iska Saanwli ke case se koi lena dena hai?" Khan kuchh pal ke baad bola.
"Nahi bhi aur haan bhi"
"Matlab?"
"Matlab ye ke jo number Sunil Chauhan ke naam par registered tha us number ka Saanwli ke case se matlab hai par Sunil Chauhan ka nahi"
"Kya bol raha hai yaar?"
"Main ye bol raha hoon ke Sunil Chauhan 70-80 saal ka buddha tha, 10 saal se bistar par pada tha, usi koi aulad nahi thi aur phone vo use karta nahi tha"
"Oh. Matlab koi aur uske naam par number lekar ghoom raha tha?"
"Yep" Maine dheere se cigarette ka kash lagaya taaki Khan ko aawaz na aaye "Aur number prepaid tha isliye kabhi koi phone bill vagerah bhi nahi aaya Chauhan ke paas taaki uske ghar par number ka pata chale"
"Yeah. Well that proved to be a dead lead. Ab kya socha hai?"
Tabhi chaai wala ek cup chaai mujhe gaadi mein dene aa gaya.
"Pata nahi yaar" Maine chaai ka cup uske haath se liya "Ek baat bata. Is number ki call details nikal sakti hain?"
"Pata nahi yaar. Number itne waqt se band hai toh i dont think ke ab koi record milega"
"Koshish karke dekh sakta hai?" Maine puchha.
"Theek hai. Dekhta hoon"
"Vaise tune phone kisliye kiya tha?" Mujhe yaad aaya ke usne ab tak apne phone karne ki vajah nahi batayi thi aur ham sidha Saanwli ke case par baat karne lage the.
"Arrey haan yaad aaya. Saanwli ke case mein hi phone kiya tha. Ek laash mili hai"
"Saanwli?" Maine darte hue puchha.
"Abe agar mujhe pata hota ke Saanwli ki hai toh itni der se main uska case discuss kar raha hota tere saath?"
"Haan ye bhi hai. Kiski hai?"
"Agar mujhe ye pata hota ke kiski hai toh main tujhe kyun phone karke bata raha hota?" Usne phir tana sa mara.
"Ok" Maine chidte hue kaha "Toh tu hi bol le"
"Tu bolne de tab na. Ladki ki laash hai. Samundar kinare mili aur kaafi buri halat mein hai. Kam se kam mahine bhar pehle ki maut hai. Aadha shareer toh samundar mein janwar hi kha gaye"
"Kab mili?"
"Kal mili thi. Mujhe abhi pata chala"
"Oh god" Maine kaha "Saanwli ho sakti hai?"
"Cant say. Tu aake dekh le"
"Shinakht toh main bhi nahi kar paoonga yaar. I never met her. Sirf ek photo hi dekhi hai"
"Toh uski behen ko le aa"
"Nah she is gone back to Saharanpur"
"You said vo dono behne judwa thi right, ekdam ek jaisi?"
"Haan" Mere dimag ki batti jali "You are right. Toh rather than comparing the body to Saanwli, i cud just compare it to Saloni and see if anything matches"
"Right" Khan bola.
"Theek hai. Kahan hai body?"
"Bhagwati municipal general hospital janta hai?" Usne puchha.
Ye ek sarkari hospital tha aur Borivali mein hi tha.
"Vo jo Borivali west mein hai?"
"Haan"
"Haan janta hoon aur main is waqt Borivali mein hi hoon"
"Sahi hai phir toh. Pahunch tu aur main bhi pahunchta hoon"
"Case tere paas hai?"
"Abey nahi. Main toh aiwe hi aa raha hoon. Yahan betha bore hi ho raha hoon. Ghoomna phirna ho jaayega"
"Kamal aadmi hai tu bhi. Ghoomne phirne Morgue jaayega, laash dekhne?" Maine halke se haste hue bola.
"Haan isi bahane tera kaam bhi ho jaayega"
"Mera kaam?"
"Haan tujhe kya lagta hai ke tu jaayega vahan, buland aawaz mein bolega ke laash dikhayi jaaye aur vo thaali mein saja kar tujhe body pesh kar denge?"
"Yeah you are right. Aa ja, main hospital ke bahar wait karta hoon tera" Kehkar maine phone rakh diya.