Chapter 2: Blood in the Bazaar

Janamdin ke din Arjun mujhe subah-subah mahal se le gaya, bolta hai: "Aaj tere liye surprise hai."

Aasman laalima se bhara tha. Mera favourite jodhpuri jacket pakda ke, ek halka sa smile diya: "Chal, Amit. Aaj sirf tere liye." Mann mein socha, shayad bazaar ki jalebi khilayega ya nayi ghodi dikhayega. Dil bachpan ki tarah dhadak utha.

Par Rajpur ki lambi sadak pe ghode daudate hi, usne turant Priya ko ek kone mein pareshaan hote dekh liya.

Bazaar ka usual hungama—dukaan wale chilate, auto ki cheekh, teli ke samose ki khushboo—sab dhundhla gaya. Ek tola badmaash Priya ko paan ki dukaan par gher ke khada tha, unki awaaz tez, hansna bhadda.

Arjun ne mujhe rok diya, aankhon mein bijli, bolta hai: "Tu mat ja." Uski ungli meri lagaam par tight ho gayi. Jabda kas gaya, aankh mein toofan.

Par jab MLA ka beta Priya ki baaju se chhoo gaya, Arjun khud bhadak utha.

Us ghamandi ko dekha—baap ki takat ka ghamand, Priya ki baaju chhoo li—Arjun ka sabr toot gaya. Ghode se kood pada. Bheed peeche hat gayi, kadam ki goonj pathar par.

Arjun ne usko khoob peeta—haddiyan tak baj gayi, fir bhi chain nahi aaya, kamar se chaku nikaal liya.

Ek pal mein, mukke aur laath, MLA ke bete ki cheekh, bazaar mein sunapan. Arjun ne chaku nikaala, toh bhagwaan ki ghanti bhi ruk gayi. Chaiwala chillaya, "Chai, garam chai!" Ek bakri marigold ke phool sugh rahi thi.

Main dauda, beech mein ghusa, bola: "Bas karo, Arjun! Public mein khoon mat karo, Yuvraj ho, sab dekh rahe hain."

Uska haath pakda, kaanp raha tha. "Arjun, bas! Tera naam, tera baap, pura raj gharana—sab ki izzat daav pe hai." Bheed ki aankhein jal rahi thi, kuch darr mein, kuch hungama dekhne ke chakkar mein.

Par Arjun ki aankhein laal thi. "Hatt ja, nahi toh tujhe bhi khatam kar dunga."

Awaaz mein barf thi, bilkul anjaan. Ek pal ko Arjun gayab, sirf ek shikaar karta sher bach gaya. Bheed se cheekh nikli. Priya ne munh chhupa liya, aankhein phail gayi.

Socha tha, dosti ka saath, bachpan ki roti, monsoon ki masti—kuch toh yaad hoga. Par bina soche, chaku ghusa diya mere kandhe ke andar. Laal lahu chha gaya.

Dard bijli sa laga, kurta laal ho gaya. Duniya ghoom gayi, awaaz dooor lagne lagi. Zubaan pe khoon ka swaad, pair dagmagaye.

Phir Arjun ne chaku uthaaya, Priya ne peeche se uski baaju pakad li.

Choodi ki khankh, haath ka kaanpna. "Arjun..."—uski awaaz dheemi thi, par poore bazaar mein goonj gayi. Pakad pyaar bhari thi, par majboot bhi.

Arjun ne chaku chhod diya.

Usne Priya ko dekha, uske chehre par sooraj ki roshni thi. Saans bhi dheemi ho gayi, jaise maafi maang raha ho.

Main lahu mein bheegta, jameen par girte girte sambhal gaya.

Khoon garam tha, baazu mein chhipak raha tha. Pair kaanp rahe the, bheed ke samne girne ka sharm. Sar ghoom raha tha.

Arjun Priya ko dekh raha tha, baaki sab bhool gaya tha—bheed, khoon, main bhi. Sirf Priya thi uski nazar mein. Dil chub gaya—yeh hai asli hero ki kamzori.

Unki nazar mili, phir tuta.

Bheed ne saans li, kuch log sharm se munh pher gaye, kuch aankh maar ke muskura diye. Maine zakhm dabaya, intezaar kiya.

Arjun ne Priya ka haath pakda, bheed se nikal gaya. Usne mujhe ek baar bhi nahi dekha, Priya ko ghode par bithaya.

Haath naram tha, izzat bhari. Khoon ki parwah nahi, sirf Priya. Bheed chup, izzat aur curiosity mein dooba.

Arjun ne mujhe thandi nazar se dekha: "Amit, MLA ke bete ko ghar chhod aao, aur unse maafi mang lo."

Awaaz mein raja ki thandak thi, dosti ka namak nahi. Bheed gungunaya—taqat ka rang badal gaya tha.

Kandhe ka dard saans le raha tha. Uski baat se phir se dagmagaya.

Seene mein jalan, zubaan sukh gayi. Barish ki hawa bhi bojh lagne lagi. Sir hila diya, khud ko sambhalte hue.

Par Arjun ne lagaam kheench li aur bina peeche dekhe chala gaya.

Ghode ki chaal mein ghoonj thi, main aur MLA ka beta mitti mein padhe the. Pal mein sab khatam.

Uski akeli peeth dekhte hue, ek lambi saans li.

Ek kutta pair soongh gaya. Moongphali bechne wale ki dukan se khushboo aayi, bazaar phir se zinda ho gaya. Mera dard, bheed ke shor mein kho gaya.

Saat saal—kya din the. Hero ko jeetne do, mujhe side role bana diya, chalega. Par chaku toh nahi maarna tha, yaar!

Chaku ki yaad, dhokhe ka jhatka, zakhm se gehra tha. Hans bhi sakta tha, ro bhi sakta tha. Shayad isi ko kehte hain, "Dost dost na raha..."

Sach mein, bahut dard ho raha hai.

Aasman bhi saath de raha tha, baadal ghane ho gaye, ek garam aansu galey par gir gaya. Jaldi se poch liya, kisi ne dekh liya toh?