Aakhri Call

Woh hasi thi, par aankhen serious. Shanaya ko agar koi cheez pasand nahi thi toh woh thi logon ka kaam ko “just process” kehna. Woh desk pe aake baithne wali ladki nahi thi. Woh har baar apne bag se ek pen, ek highlighter, aur ek complaint sheet nikaalti thi jaise uske paas saboot pehle se tayari mein pade ho.

Do din baad usne mujhe pantry ke side wale corridor mein pakda. Uske haath mein chai thi, par cup hil raha tha.

“Ek minute,” usne bola.

Main uske saath corridior ke end tak gayi. Floor pe fluorescent light aise pad rahi thi jaise sab kuch thoda sick ho.

Shanaya ne apne phone pe ek screenshot khola, phir meri taraf ghumaya. Complaint summary. Ek hi client ke teen tickets. Teenon alag alag wording, par same end note: resolved.

“Dekho,” usne kaha.

Maine screen dekhi. “Ye kya?”

“Ye kaam koi aadmi kar raha hai, bas naam alag daal raha hai.” Usne screen ko scroll kiya. “Calls ko kabhi ‘resolved’ bol dete hain, kabhi ‘customer unavailable’. Par call duration dekh. Fraud hai.”

“Rajeev ko bola?”

Usne ek short laugh di. “Rajeev? Woh khud dashboard ka perfume hai. Dekhne mein professional, andar se bas cover-up.”

Maine uski taraf dekha. “Toh phir?”

“Main audit tak jaungi.”

“Tu akeli?”

“Akeli hi sahi.”

Uski ungli screen pe ek line pe ruki. “Aur ye dekh. Last login. Supervisor ID. Export request.”

Maine uske shoulder ke upar se dekha. Rajeev ka naam tha.

Shanaya ne mere chehre ko dekha aur bola, “Ab mat bolna ki tu nahi dekhi.”

“Mainne dekhi,” maine quietly kaha.

“Phir? Help karegi?”

Mainne usse waise dekha jaise aise sawal ka answer aasaan ho. Help karna matlab side lena. Side lena matlab kisi ke against jaana. Aur office mein side lena, sach bolne se zyada dangerous hota hai.

“Main… dekhungi,” maine kaha.

Shanaya ne sar hila diya. “Dekhna mat. Note karna.”

Usne mujhe ek printout diya. “Agar kal main na rahun, ye Deshmukh ko dena.”

Maine startled ho ke uski taraf dekha. “Kya matlab?”

Woh thoda smile ki, but not warm. “Office mein sab log itne honest nahi hote. Aur jo honest hote hain, woh zyada der tak useful nahi rehte.”

Mujhe us waqt uski baat thriller jaisi lagi thi. Ab lagta hai woh bas thaki hui thi. Aur thakawat aksar aadmi ko pehle se warning mein bolne lagti hai.

Agli subah jab main shift pe aayi, Shanaya ne mujhe pantry mein roka. Uske chehre pe raat bhar jagne wali safedi thi.

“Rajeev ko mat trust karna,” usne bina formalities ke kaha.

“Kyoon?”

Woh ek second ke liye chup rahi. “Kyuki usne kal raat mera login use karke complaint export kiya.”

Mera muh khul gaya. “Kya?”

“Mainne dekh liya.” Uski awaaz low thi, lekin sharp. “Aur ek aur cheez—tumhara login bhi us file mein tha.”

Maine hansi jaisi ek dead sound nikali. “Mera?”

“Haan. I don’t know how. Par tha.”

“Mainne kuch nahi kiya.”

“Main keh rahi hoon ki main jaanti hoon.” Usne chai ka cup zyada tight pakda. “Par office mein ‘mainne nahi kiya’ ka koi weight nahi hota. Weight hota hai jo screen pe dikhe.”

“Tu kya karne wali hai?”

“Main Deshmukh ko milungi.”

“Police?”

“Police hi sahi.”

Maine uska face dekha. Woh dramatic nahi lag rahi thi. Bas bahut exhausted, aur us exhaustion mein ek tarah ki clarity thi.

“Shanaya, agar sach mein kuch hai toh—”

“Sach mein kuch hai,” usne kaat ke kaha. Phir thoda dheere, “Aur agar main kal na aayi, toh mere drawer se red folder nikal ke rakh lena.”

“Tu aise mat bol.”

“Kaise bolun?” usne pucha. “Office mein aise hi bolna padta hai na? Softly. Taaki koi uncomfortable na ho.”

Uski aankhon mein ek second ke liye pani chamka, par woh royi nahi. Bas chai ka cup table pe rakh ke chali gayi.

Us shaam jab hum log overtime pe the, woh mere desk ke paas aayi. Usne kuch bola nahi. Sirf apna pen mere palm mein rakh diya—blue body, cap cracked. “Agar koi pooche, mainne diya tha.”

Maine pen ko dekha. “Kyun?”

“Kyuki agar main kal nahi aayi,” usne halki awaaz mein kaha, “toh kisi ko yaad rahe ki main yahan thi.”

Mujhe kuch bolna chahiye tha. Kuch normal. “Aise mat bol.” “Tu aa jayegi.” Lekin mere muh se sirf itna nikla, “Main red folder rakh lungi.”

Woh thoda sa muskuraayi. “Good. Aur haan—agar Rajeev tujhe files dikhaye, screen pe bas naam mat dekhna. Time dekho. 4:12. Yaad rakhna.”

Usne chai ka last sip liya aur chali gayi.

Do din baad usne resign mail bhej diya. Teen din baad uska number unreachable ho gaya.

Mainne uska red folder drawer mein rakha. Aur usko ignore karne ki puri koshish ki. Ye bhi ek tarah ka survival hota hai. Tum kuch dekhte ho, phir kaam pe laut aate ho, kyunki rent, shift, aur salary ke beech morality ka space bahut chhota hota hai.

Par phir wahi call aaya.

Aur uske baad Deshmukh.

Deshmukh

Inspector Deshmukh ka station old Pune side mein tha. Walls pe damp ke daag, fan ki awaaz, aur corridor mein aisa smell jo chai aur file-dust ka bachpan ho. Main bina soye wahan pahunchi. Meera ne mujhe bottle aur dupatta diya tha. Zyada kuch nahi bola. Woh aise moments mein zyada practical ho jaati thi.

Deshmukh 48 ke the. Moustache neat, eyes thodi thaki hui, jaise unhone bahut saare aadmiyon ko jhooth bolte hue dekha ho aur ab unka jhooth unko bore karta ho.

“Baitho,” unhone kaha.

Main baithi.

“Repeat,” unhone bola.

Maine number, scooter, address, coffee, sab bataya. Woh file khol ke sunte rahe.

“Tum pehli nahi ho,” unhone kaha.

Mera sar utha.

“Teen mahine pehle ek aur agent ko aisi calls mili thi. Personal details. Internal references. Threat tone. Usne resign kar diya.”

“Kaun?”

“Shanaya Mehta.”

Naam sunke mere pet mein kuch thanda sa ghoom gaya.

Deshmukh ne call logs ki photocopy meri taraf slide ki. “Rajeev Nair ka naam multiple baar aa raha hai.”

Mainne paper dekha. “Kya bol rahe ho?”