Smoke in the Dark
Din ki shuruaat bilkul roz ki tarah hui.
Ladka apne bistar se utha, fresh hua aur phir apni family ke saath TV ke saamne baith gaya. News chal rahi thi.
Achaanak screen par ek breaking news aayi—
“Aligarh ke Bhujpura chauraha ke paas ek ladki ki aadhi jali laash mili hai.”
Anchor bata raha tha ke ladki ko pehle maara gaya, aur baad mein jala diya gaya.
Ladka chupchaap screen ko dekhta raha.
Woh dheere se bola,
“Papa… aaj kal Aligarh mein murders bahut badh gaye hain na?”
Papa ne TV se nazar hataaye bina kaha,
“Haan beta. Pehle campus mein us teacher ka murder, aur ab yeh ladki…”
Unki awaaz thodi bhaari ho gayi.
“Bichari ke ghar walon par kya beetegi.”
Ladka soch mein pad gaya.
Kuch der tak room mein sirf TV ki awaaz reh gayi.
Papa ne poocha,
“Tum kya soch rahe ho, Sahil?”
Sahil ne sar hila diya.
“Kuch nahi papa… bas wahi.”
Uske baad woh college jaane ke liye tayaar hua aur apne doston ke saath AMU University nikal gaya.
Shehar ke doosre hisse mein, police investigation chal rahi thi.
Laash ke paas ek aadhi jali cigarette padi hui thi.
Aur uske paas hi ek khat.
Police walon ne khat khola.
Woh ek dusre ki taraf hairani se dekhne lage.
Kisi ne kuch nahi kaha.
Sub-Inspector ne aadhi jali cigarette ko dekha…
aur khat ko chupchaap apni jeb mein rakh liya.
Aligarh ki hawa mein us waqt sirf ek cheez thi—
khamoshi.
