Love on Rent

Shahar ki is 50th floor wale penthouse mein jab kanch ki vishal khidkiyon se neeche jagmagate shahar ko dekhti thi, toh mujhe sirf sannata sunai deta tha. 120-hour week wali corporate job, behisaab paisa, aur ek chamchamata career—sab kuch tha mere paas. Lekin raat ke 10 baje ke baad jab sannata mere kamre mein rengta, toh woh mujhe andar se khane lagta tha.

Dil ke isi bhayanak akelepan ko bharne ke liye ek raat maine 'Company' naam ki ek secret service app download ki—jahan per-hour ke hisaab se ek 'Rental Boyfriend' book kiya ja sakta tha.

App ke sakht rules the: koi physical boundary cross karna mana tha, koi asli naam ya personal info share karna mana tha, aur har ghante ka payment fix tha.

Pehli baar jab Kabir mere penthouse ka darwaza khatkhata kar andar aaya, toh meri dhadkane bekaabu ho gayi. Uska saawla rang, bikhre hue ghane baal, uski gehri bhuri aankhein, aur honton par thehri hui woh befikra, rahasyamayi muskaan. Kabir sirf ek khoobsurat chehra nahi tha; woh meri khamoshi ko padhne mein ustaad tha.

Usne mujhe na chhua, na koi phoohad baat ki. Usne bas mere liye wine ka glass bhara, meri aankhon mein jhaanka aur dheemi aawaaz mein kaha, "Tumhe kisi premi ki zaroorat nahi hai Meera... tumhe bas ek aise insaan ki zaroorat hai jo tumhe us waqt sune jab tum khud ko bhi nahi sunna chahti."

Us raat ke 3 ghante kab beet gaye, mujhe pata hi nahi chala. Kabir ka muskurana, uski garam saanson ki nazdeeki jab woh mera coat utar raha tha, aur uska dheere se mere haath ko sirf kuch seconds ke liye thaamna—mere jism aur rooh mein ek bekaabu siharan chhod gaya.

Hafte beet-te gaye. 'Company' app ab mere liye zaroorat nahi, ek sanak ban chuki thi. Har weekend Kabir aata. Per-hour 5,000 rupees ka bill banta, par mere liye woh 3 ghante poori duniya se badhkar the. Dheere-dheere, us service ke woh banawati rules dhundhle padne lage. Mujhe ab sirf uski baaton ki nahi, uski chhuan ki talab hone lagi thi.

Ek toofani raat, jab baarish kanch ki khidkiyon par teezi se takra rahi thi, Kabir mere bahut kareeb aa gaya. Kamre mein mand neeli roshni thi aur whiskey ki halki mehak. Uski ungliyan meri gardan se fisalti hui meri kamar par ruk gayi. Meri saansein ukhadne lagi, aankhein bheench gayi.

"Yeh rules ke khilaaf hai Kabir..." mere kaampte honton se nikla.

Kabir ne meri thodi ko apni ungliyon se oopar uthaya. Uski aankhon mein ek aisa gehra, sammohak aakarshan tha jo mujhe nigalne ke liye taiyaar tha. "Jab tadap dono taraf barabar ho Meera, toh koi rule kaam nahi karta. Aaj raat, main tumhara kiraye ka saathi nahi... tumhara maalikana haq hoon."

Us raat, kiraye ke pyaar ka naqaab utar gaya. Hamare beech ki dooriyan mit gayi. Kabir ka har kiss, uski bekaabu chhuan aur uska junoon mujhe vaasna aur sukh ke us shikhar par le gaya jise maine kabhi mehsoos nahi kiya tha. Main poori tarah se uske pyaar, uske jism aur uski baaton ki gulaam ban chuki thi. Mujhe laga tha ki mujhe meri berang zindagi mein sachha pyaar mil gaya hai.

Lekin main is baat se anjaan thi ki yeh dhokhe ka ek aisa jaal tha jo behad khoobsurati se buna gaya tha.

Teen mahine beet chuke the. Main Kabir ke saath apni poori zindagi basane ka sapna dekhne lagi thi. Maine man bana liya tha ki main use apni zindagi ka sab kuch saump doongi. Ek raat, jab Kabir mere bathroom mein shower le raha tha, uska phone table par lagaatar vibrate hua.

Utsukta mein maine phone uthaya. Screen par aaye message ko dekhkar meri nason ka khoon jam gaya.

Message kisi aur ladki ka tha: "Kabir, Meera ka account khaali hua ya nahi? Meri booking ka time ho gaya hai. Us akele aurat se sara investment data chura liya?"

Meri saansein atak gayi. Maine kaampte haathon se uska phone unlock kiya aur secret gallery kholi. Andar jo tha, usne meri rooh tak ko kaampa diya.

Wahan na sirf mere, balki shahar ki kayi ameer, akele aur emotionally tooti hui auraton ke intimate videos, audio recordings aur bank details majood the. Kabir koi 'Rental Boyfriend' nahi tha—woh ek high-profile psychological blackmailer tha. Woh akele auraton ki kamzori ka fayda uthata, unhe apne jism aur jhoothe pyaar ki lat lagata, aur phir unki bekaabu raaton ke secrets camera mein record karke unhe kangaal kar deta tha.

Mere dimag mein ek bhayanak visphot hua. Jis chhuan ko main sachha pyaar samajh rahi thi, woh meri barbaadi ka sauda tha.

Tabhi bathroom ka darwaza khula. Kabir towel lapete bahar nikla. Usne mere haath mein apna khula hua phone dekha.

Kamre mein ek bhayanak sannata chha gaya.

Kabir ke chehre se woh pyaara, hamdard naqaab poori tarah utar gaya. Uske honton par ek kroor, thandi muskaan aayi. Woh dheere-dheere meri taraf badha.

"Toh... tumne mera secret dekh liya, Meera?" usne apni asli, zaherili aawaaz mein kaha. "Mujhe laga tha tum samajhdar ho. Par tum bhi baaki akele auraton ki tarah sirf ek raat ke pyaar aur thodi si chhuan par bik gayi."

Main peechhe hati, mera sharir gusse aur nafrat se kaamp raha tha. "Tumne meri bhavnaon ka, mere jism ka sauda kiya?"

"Sauda toh tumne shuru kiya tha Meera, per-hour ka kiraya dekar," Kabir hansa, uski aankhon mein koi pachhtava nahi tha. "Ab agar chahti ho ki tumhari woh aatishi raatein internet par viral na ho, toh kal subah tak apni company ke 20% shares mere naam kar do."

Kabir ko laga tha ki baaki auraton ki tarah main bhi apni izzat bachane ke liye uske saamne ghutne tek doongi, roongi aur uski shartein maan loongi.

Lekin woh bhool gaya tha ki dhokha jab had se guzarta hai, toh insaan ka dar khatam ho jata hai.

Maine achanak muskurana shuru kar diya—ek aisi thandi, khaufnak muskaan jisne Kabir ke chehre ka rang uda diya.

"Tumne sahi kaha Kabir... maine tumhe per-hour ka kiraya diya tha," maine bahut shant aawaaz mein kaha aur apne phone ka ek button dabaya. "Aur maine agle 24 ghante ke liye tumhe phir se poori tarah book kar liya hai... par is baar pyaar ke liye nahi."

Isse pehle ki Kabir kuch samajh pata, mere penthouse ka main door ek jhatke se toota. Police aur Crime Branch ki ek poori team kamre mein daakhil ho gayi. Maine woh phone aur saare saboot pehle hi apne private server se seedhe Police Commissioner ko bhej diye the.

Jab police Kabir ke haathon mein hathkadiyan pehnakar use ghasite hue bahar le ja rahi thi, main uske bilkul paas gayi. Maine uske kaan mein phusphusakar kaha, "Tumhari service bahut acchi thi Kabir... par afsoos, aaj ka bill tumhe apni zindagi ki aazadi dekar chukana hoga."

Kabir hakka-bakka hokar mujhe ghoorta reh gaya. Main apni balcony mein aakar khadi ho gayi aur behti baarish ko dekhne lagi—is baar mera akelepan poori tarah khatam ho chuka tha, kyunki mere dil mein ab dhokhe ke dard ki jagah inteqaam ki jeet ki aag jal rahi thi.