Raat ke do baj rahe thay. Baarish itni tez thi ki gaadi ke wipers poori raftaar par chalne ke bawajood saamne ki sadak mushkil se dikhayi de rahi thi. Devansh shehar se door ek sunsaan highway par apni purani gaadi chala raha tha.
Achanak, headlights ki roshni mein usay ek saaya nazar aaya. Ek lamba qad ka aadmi, geela raincoat pehne, sadak ke kinare khada hath hila raha tha. Devansh ne pehle toh nazar-andaz karne ki koshish ki, lekin phir usay taras aa gaya. Usne brake lagayi.
Darwaza khula aur wo musafir andar aa baitha. Uske baal chehre par bikhre thay aur us se geeli mitti ki ajeeb si mehak aa rahi thi.
"Shukriya," musafir ne halki awaaz mein kaha. Uska gala baitha hua tha.
Devansh ne muskurane ki koshish ki. "Koi baat nahi. Itni baarish mein koi taxi nahi milti. Aapko kahan jana hai?"
"Bas... seedha chalte rahein," musafir ne bina devansh ki taraf dekhe kaha.
Zaryab ne gaadi aage badha di. Khamoshi ko khatam karne ke liye usne radio on kiya. Pehle toh sirf shor (static) aaya, lekin phir ek khabar goonji:
"Sarkari elaan: Central Jail se ek khatarnak mujrim faraar ho gaya hai. Usne raincoat pehna hua hai aur uske baayein (left) hath par ek gehra nishaan hai. Agar kisi ko aisa shakhs dikhe, toh fauran qareebi police station ko ittal'a dein..."
Devansh ka dil zor se dhadakne laga. Usne chori chhupe side mirror se musafir ke baayein hath ki taraf dekha. Musafir ne apna hath raincoat ki jeb mein chhupa liya tha, lekin uski hatheli par taaza khoon ki ek boond giri hui thi. Devansh ka gala khushk ho gaya. Uska hath steering wheel par kaanp raha tha. Radio ki awaz ab bhi goonj rahi thi, "...wo mujrim intehai khatarnak hai aur uske paas hathyar ho sakta hai Devansh ne break lagane ki koshish ki, lekin us se pehle hi musafir ne apna geela hath Devansh ke kandhe par rakh diya. Devansh pichhe hata, uska dil zor se dhak-dhak kar raha tha.
"Radio band karo!" musafir ki awaz ab pehle se kahin zyada bhari aur khaufzada thi.
Devansh ne kapkapatay hathon se radio off kar diya. Gaadi mein sirf baarish ki chhat par girne wali 'tap-tap' aur dono ki saanson ki awaz thi.
"Dekho... mere paas paise nahi hain, tum meri gaadi le jao par mujhe chhor do," Devansh haklaya.
Musafir ne dheere se apna sar uthaya. Uske chehre par chot ke nishan thay aur aankhein surkh (laal) thin. Usne apna baayan hath raincoat ki jeb se nikala. Us par khoon toh tha, lekin koi purana nishaan nahi tha—wo toh abhi abhi lagi hui taaza chot thi.
"Main wo mujrim nahi hoon jiske baare mein tum soch rahe ho," musafir ne pichhe mud kar pichli khidki (rear window) ki taraf dekha. "Wo... wo mere peeche hai."
Devansh ne hairat se pucha, "Kaun tumhare peeche hai?"
Musafir ne kaanpti ungli se side mirror ki taraf ishara kiya. "Wo gaadi jo pichle das minute se hamara picha kar rahi hai... jiske paas sirf ek headlight jal rahi hai. Asli mujrim us mein hai, aur wo police wala ban kar ghoom raha hai!"
Devansh ne mirror mein dekha. Sach mein, ek kaali gaadi jiski ek headlight kharab thi, bilkul unki gaadi ke bumper se chipki hui thi. Achanak, pichli gaadi ne blue aur red police lights on kar dein aur siren bajne laga.Pichli gaadi ne bhi apni raftaar badha di. Blue aur red lights andheri raat mein khoon ki tarah chamak rahi thin. Siren ki awaz ab kaano ko phad rahi thi.
"Tumne sahi faisla kiya," musafir ne haanpte hue kaha. Usne apna raincoat khola, toh niche uski shirt par ek badge chamka—wo asal mein ek undercover officer tha! "Mera naam Inspector Adil hai. Main us mujrim ka picha kar raha tha, lekin usne mujh par hamla kiya aur meri gaadi cheen li. Ab wo meri hi wardi aur meri hi gaadi istemal kar raha hai!"
Devansh ka paseena chhoot raha tha. "Lekin hum is tufan mein kahan tak bhaagenge? Aage rasta band hai!"
"Wahan..." Adil ne ek kachchi sadak ki taraf ishara kiya jo ghane jungle ki taraf jati thi. "Wahan gaadi chhupa do!"
Devansh ne achanak steering ghuma diya. Gaadi ke tyre kachchi mitti par phislay, lekin unhon ne gaadi ko ghane drakhton (trees) ke peeche khada kar diya. Devansh ne fauran headlights band kar din.
Andhera itna gehra tha ke dono ko ek doosre ki saansein sunayi de rahi thin. Kuch hi seconds baad, wo 'police' ki gaadi wahan se guzar gayi. Uska siren dheere dheere door hota gaya.
Devansh ne sukoon ka saans liya. "Shukar hai, wo chala gaya."
Lekin Adil khamosh tha. Usne dheere se gaadi ka darwaza khola aur baahar nikal kar khada ho gaya. Baarish ab tham chuki thi, sirf drakhton se pani tapak raha tha.
"Devansh," Adil ne sabaat (patience) se kaha, "Ab tum bahar aa sakte ho. Khel khatam hua.devansh hairat se bahar nikla. "Kaisa khel? Hum bach toh gaye..."
Adil ne apni jeb se ek chhota sa remote nikala aur button dabaya. Door kahin ek dhamaka hua aur achanak poore jungle mein flashlights jal uthin. Devansh ne dekha ke unke chaaron taraf asli police ki gaadiyan khadi thin.
Adil muskura kar bola, "Wo pichli gaadi mera sathi chala raha tha. Hum dekhna chahte thay ke tum kis taraf jaoge. Tumne mujrim ki madad ki ya ek 'zakhmi' ki? Asal mein, humein ittal'a mili thi ke is highway par ek smuggler aaj raat apni gaadi mein diamonds le kar nikalne wala hai..."
Devansh ka chehra safed pad gaya. Usne apni gaadi ki pichli seat ki taraf dekha jahan ek chhota sa bag rakha tha.Devansh ne apne coat ki jeb se ek cigratte nikali aur sukoon se jalayi. Police ki lights uske chehre par pad rahi thin.
"Toh... Inspector Adil," Devansh ne dhuaan chhorhte hue kaha. "Aapko lagta hai ke main wo smuggler hoon jise aap dhoond rahe hain?"
Adil ne apni gun nikaal li. "Humein pakki khabar hai ke diamonds isi purani sedan gaadi mein hain. Devansh, tumne bohat achi acting ki, lift de kar apne aap ko shareef sabit karne ki koshish ki. Ab chup-chap pichli seat wala bag hamare hawale kar do."
Devansh ne zor se qahqaha lagaya. "Inspector sahab, aapne meri gaadi toh check kar li... lekin kya aapne apni gaadi check ki?"
Adil thora thithka. "Kya matlab?"
Devansh ne piche khari 'police' ki gaadi ki taraf ishara kiya jiski ek headlight kharab thi. "Wo gaadi jo aapka sathi chala raha tha... wo meri gaadi nahi thi, lekin uske trunk (diggi) mein jo maal hai, wo mera hai. Aur aapka wo sathi? Wo mera asli partner hai."
Achanak, piche khari police ki gaadi ki lights band huin aur us mein se ek dhamaka hua! Har taraf dhuaan hi dhuaan bhar gaya. Adil aur baqi police wale apni aankhein malne lage.
Devansh ne Adil ko dhakka diya aur tezi se jungle ki taraf bhaga. Lekin wo akela nahi tha. Wo 'zakhmi musafir' jise wo lift di thi, wo bhi Devansh ke saath bhagne laga!
"Ruko!" Devansh ne musafir ko pakad liya. "Tumne kaha tha tum undercover officer ho?"
Musafir (Adil) ne apne chehre se nakli zakham saaf kiye. "Main koi officer nahi hoon Devansh. Main toh wo asli mujrim hoon jo jail se bhaga tha. Maine tumhe isliye chuna kyunki tumhari gaadi par 'Press' ka sticker laga tha, mujhe laga police tumhe nahi rokay gi!"Dekho Adil, ya jo bhi tumhara naam hai," Devansh ne phusphusate hue kaha. "Police sirf ek qadam door hai. Agar hum dono saath rahe toh dono pakde jayenge. Tumhare paas gun nahi hai, aur main itna tez nahi bhag sakta."
Musafir (Adil) ne shaq ki nazar se dekha. "Toh tum kya chahte ho? Main tumhe police ke hawale kar doon?"
"Nahi," Devansh ne muskurate hue apne coat ki andaruni jeb se ek chhota sa silver box nikala. "Ye lo diamonds. Inhein lekar us ghani jhaadi ki taraf bhago. Police tumhare piche jayegi, main doosri taraf se nikal kar apni gaadi tak pahunch jaunga aur tumhe shehar ke bahar miloonga."
Adil ki aankhon mein lalach aa gayi. Usne box pakda aur bina soche samjhe jungle ki gehrai mein bhag gaya.
Devansh wahin khada raha. Usne dekha ke police ki torch ki roshniyan Adil ka picha karne lagi thin. Kuch hi der mein jungle ek cheekh se goonj utha—"Ruk jao! Police!"—aur phir khamoshi chha gay devansh ne sukoon se ek gehra saans liya aur wapas sadak ki taraf chalne laga. Lekin abhi wo gaadi tak pahuncha hi tha ke usay piche se kisi ke qadmon ki aahat sunayi di.
"Bohat hoshiyar ho devansh ," ek bhari awaz aayi.
Devansh palta. Saamne wahi asli police wala khada tha jisne pehle Adil ko check kiya tha. Usne apne hath mein wahi silver box pakda hua tha jo Devansh ne Adil ko diya tha.
"Is box mein diamonds nahi, sirf kanch ke tukde hain," police wale ne box khol kar dikhaya. "Lekin tumne ek baat galat sochi... Adil ne mujhe sab bata diya hai."
Devansh hansne laga. "Adil ne kya bataya? Ke main smuggler hoon? Uske paas koi saboot nahi hai."
Police wala aage badha aur Devansh ki gaadi ka bonnet (engine wala hissa) khola. Usne engine ke andar ek purani tar (wire) ko kheencha. Wahan ek khufia compartment khula, jisme asali heere (diamonds) chamak rahe thay.
"Adil ne ye nahi bataya ke tum smuggler ho," police wale ne apni wardi ka badge utara aur chehre se mask hataya. "Adil ne ye bataya tha ke tum mere purane dushman ho jisne 5 saal pehle mujhe dhoka diya tha."
Devansh ka rang udd gaya. Ye police wala koi officer nahi tha... ye Devansh ka purana partner tha jise sab ne mara hua samajh liya tha!