Doctor ke shabd mere kaano mein tab bhi baj rahe the.
"48 ghante ke andar agar 3 lakh rupey arrenge na ho paye to han kuch nahi kar payenge"
Mere pairr kap rahe the.
Mein ICU ke bahar khari,meri maa us kaanch ke ghar ke andar leti hui,bistar ke paas lagai hui heart monitor ki awaaz mujhe kisi last countdown ki tarha lag rahi thi.
Naa baap.
Naa rishtedar jo help karna chahte.
Naa meri koi savings.
Aur abhi... Waqt bhi nahi.
Maine jaldi se apne anshu poch liye.kiunki mujhe pata tha Rone se kuch bhi nahi hone wala.
Aur tabhi mera phone suddenly baj utha.
Number unknown tha.
Mein ignore kanehi wali thi lekin kuch to tha usme jo meine phone utha liya.
"Miss Ananya Sharma?" Ek deep but cold sound ne dusri taraf se question kiya
"Yes?"
"This is from Malhotra group of industries.Mr. Rudra Malhotra wants to meet you today."
Mein chonk gayi thi
Malhotra group of industries?the biggest bussiness empire in the city right now?
"There must be some mistake"mein kaapte hue gale me boli." Mein waha kisi ko nahi janti"
"Come to Malhotra towers at 6 PM.Don't be late".
Call kat gaya.
Mein phone ki taraf dkhti reh gayi-but desperate people don't get the luxury of asking questions.
Shaam ke thik 6 baje. Mein khari thi mere life mein dekhi hui sabse alishan building ke samne.Glass walls,marble floors, log mahenge mahenge kapro me.Tab mujhe mere dress ke upar sharm arahi thi.
Mein receptionist ke paas pohuchi, usne mera naam tak nahi pucha direct bola"top floor".
Mein elevator me charke slowly upar tak pohuchi
Darwaza khula, mene dekha mein ek bare se cabin ke samne khari hun.
And then suddenly mene unko dekha.
Rudra Malhotra.
Lamba, strong build, sharp features. Window ke paas khada tha, jaise poora sheher uske control me ho. Uski aankhon me thandak thi—aisi thandak jo insaan ko dara de.
Usne mudkar meri taraf dekha.
Aur uski aankhon me nafrat thi.
"So," usne kaha, "tum Raghav Sharma ki beti ho."
Mera dil ruk gaya.
"Yes… mere papa—"
"Don't call him that," usne gusse se kaha. "Tumhara baap ek criminal tha."
Mere liye woh words thappad jaise the.
"Woh innocent the," maine himmat karke bola. "Unhe phansaya gaya tha."
Rudra hansa—par woh hasi mazak wali nahi thi.
"Innocent?" woh meri taraf aaya. "Tumhare baap ne meri family barbaad ki. Aur aaj, tum mere saamne khadi ho."
Mujhe darr lag raha tha.
"Aapne mujhe kyun bulaya?" maine poocha.
Usne table par ek file phenki.
"Kyunki tumhe paise chahiye."
Meri saans ruk gayi.
"Tumhari maa ki surgery," usne calmly bola, "three lakh lagenge. Aur tumhare paas koi option nahi."
Maine mutthi band kar li.
"Aap kya chahte ho?" maine poocha.
"I want a wife."
Main shock me thi.
"Wife?"
"Contract wife," usne thande tone me kaha.
"Ek saal. Public marriage. No love. No emotions."
Maine sar hila diya. "Main nahi—"
"Tum karogi," usne beech me kaat diya.
"Kyunki main tumhari maa ka treatment pay karunga."
Meri aankhon se aansu beh nikle.
"Aap meri maa ka use kar rahe ho," maine kaha.
"Yes," usne bina sharam ke bola.
"Life fair nahi hoti, Ananya Sharma."
Mera dil toot raha tha.
"Ek saal ke baad?" maine poocha.
"Tum paise le kar chali jaogi," usne kaha.
"Aur main apna kaam pura kar lunga."
"Aapko mujhse kya chahiye?" maine dheere se poocha.
Uske lips par dark smile aayi.
"Tumhe hurt karna," usne kaha.
"Har din."
Meri rooh kaanp gayi.
Par jab maine apni maa ka chehra yaad kiya, mujhe pata tha mere paas koi choice nahi thi.
Main ne pen uthaya.
"I agree," maine kaha. "Sirf ek saal."
Usne mujhe dekha.
"Welcome to hell," usne bola.
"Mrs. Malhotra."
Jaise hi maine sign kiya, mujhe nahi pata tha—
Ye fake marriage meri zindagi badal degi.
Aur jis aadmi ne mujhe sabse zyada nafrat ki…
Wahi ek din mujhe rokne ke liye toot jayega.
Pen meri ungliyon ke beech kaanp raha tha.
Paper par likhe har shabd mere liye kisi saza se kam nahi lag rahe the. Terms aur clauses English mein the, par unka matlab main dil se samajh rahi thi—meri azadi ek saal ke liye bik chuki thi.
"Padh lo," Rudra ne thande tone mein kaha.
"Baad mein ye mat kehna ke tumhe pata nahi tha."
Maine file kholi.
Clause 1: Ye shaadi sirf public ke liye hogi.
Clause 2: Media ke saamne hum perfect couple rahenge.
Clause 3: Main uske saath kisi bhi emotional ya personal expectation nahi rakhungi.
Clause 4: Ek saal ke baad divorce—no questions, no claims.
Meri aankhen ruk gayi.
"Isme likha hai… main kaam nahi kar sakti?" maine dheere se poocha.
"Tum meri wife hogi," Rudra ne seedha jawab diya.
"Tumhara kaam ghar aur image sambhalna hoga."
"Par meri padhai—"
"Main tumhari college fees pay karunga," usne kaha, jaise ye koi ehsaan nahi balki deal ka hissa ho.
"Lekin meri permission ke bina kuch nahi karogi."
Mujhe ghutan mehsoos hui.
"Meri maa?" maine poocha.
"Best private hospital," usne bina expression ke bola.
"Top doctors. Tumhe uski chinta karne ki zarurat nahi."
Ye sunkar meri aankhon se aansu gir pade.
Kam se kam maa safe rahegi.
"Wedding kal hogi," Rudra ne kaha.
Main shock mein thi.
"Kal?! Itni jaldi?"
"Main wait nahi karta," usne kaha.
"Tum bhi nahi kar sakti."
Maine kuch kehna chaha, par shabd gale mein atak gaye.
Rudra ne bell dabayi.
Turant ek middle-aged lady cabin mein aayi—strict face, sharp eyes.
"Ye Mrs. Fernandes, meri personal assistant," Rudra ne kaha.
"Ye tumhara dhyaan rakhegi… aur nazar bhi."
Mrs. Fernandes ne mujhe upar se neeche dekha.
"Shaadi ke baad rules samjha diye jayenge," usne flat tone mein kaha.
Jaise main koi insaan nahi, koi project thi.
"Mujhe hospital jaana hai," maine kaha.
"Maa ko batana hai—"
"Abhi nahi," Rudra ne bola.
"Pehle kaam complete karo."
Usne ek cheque nikala aur table par rakha.
₹3,00,000
Meri saans ruk gayi.
"Isse hospital mein submit kar do," usne kaha.
"Meri team sab handle kar legi."
Cheque dekhte hi meri aankhon ke saamne maa ka chehra aa gaya.
Uski kamzor muskaan.
Uske haath jo hamesha mere sar par hote the.
Agar ye sign na karti… to shayad main use kho deti.
Maine pen uthaya.
Ek second ke liye ruki.
"Ek sawal," maine kaha.
Rudra ne eyebrow uthaayi.
"Agar… agar main aapko pasand nahi karti?" maine poocha.
Uske chehre par halki si muskaan aayi—par aankhon mein sirf darkness thi.
"Is marriage mein pasand ya pyaar ke liye koi jagah nahi hai," usne kaha.
"Tum bas apna role play karogi."
Maine aankhen band ki.
Aur sign kar diya.
Pen paper se alag hua… aur mera dil bhi.
"Good," Rudra ne kaha.
"Ab tum officially meri problem ho."
Mrs. Fernandes mujhe le jaane lagi.
Lift ke andar silence tha.
Glass walls ke through sheher neeche ja raha tha… jaise meri zindagi bhi.
"Shaadi simple hogi," Mrs. Fernandes ne kaha.
"Registry marriage. Media ko sirf photos milengi."
Main chup thi.
"Mujhe naye kapde chahiye honge," maine dheere se bola.
"Already arrange ho chuke hain," usne jawab diya.
"Tumhara size bhi."
Main hairaan thi.
Usne meri har detail kaise jaan li?
Lift ke bahar aate hi mujhe ek alag car mein bithaya gaya. Driver ne bina kuch kahe gaadi start kar di.
"Mujhe hospital—" maine kaha.
"Haan," Mrs. Fernandes ne bola.
"Pehle hospital. Phir directly bridal salon."
Hospital pahunchte hi maine cheque submit kiya.
Staff ka behaviour turant badal gaya.
"Maa ko shift kar diya gaya hai," nurse ne kaha.
"Operation kal subah hoga."
Mere pair kaanp gaye, par is baar relief ke kaaran.
Main ICU ke paas khadi rahi, glass ke us paar maa ko dekhti hui.
"Maa," maine glass par haath rakh kar kaha.
"Aap theek ho jaogi… main promise karti hoon."
Par is promise ki keemat meri zindagi thi.
Raat ko mujhe ek luxury salon le jaya gaya.
Makeup, fitting, jewellery—sab kuch fast-forward mein ho raha tha.
Mirror mein khud ko dekha.
Main khud ko pehchaan nahi pa rahi thi.
Ye woh ladki nahi thi jo subah hospital mein ro rahi thi.
Ye koi aur thi… kisi aur ki wife banne ja rahi thi.
Mera phone vibrate hua.
Unknown number.
Ek message tha:
"Kal se tum Mrs. Rudra Malhotra ho. Apni limits yaad rakhna."
Maine phone bandh kar diya.
Aankhon se aansu gir rahe the, par awaaz nahi nikal rahi thi.
Shayad ye meri zindagi ka sabse bada compromise tha.
Aur ye sirf shuruaat thi.....