Dahadti hui awaaz mein Tara boli, “kyun nahi chal sakti main tumhare saath?”. Main kya kehta usko, mujhe khud bhi nahi pta tha. Han kyun nahi chal sakti wo mere saath, mere desh, mere logo ke beech. Kya jinhone mujhe itna pyaar diya, wo pyaar mohtaaj hai insaan ka? Ya phir ek tawaif kehkar uss har aurat ko bedakhal kar dega ye samaaj jo uske banaye hue qaide- qanoon par chalna manzoor nahi karegi?
Maine uska haath thaama, aur usse pucha, “kya tum kabhi badlogi nahi? Vaada kro, kabhi tumhari awaaz inn cheekhte chillate logon ke beech kam nahi padegi? Vaada karo ki tum aur tumahri zindagi ke beech koi nahi aa sakega?”
Ye sab vaade maine apni jholi mein daale aur apne tarakki pasand logo ke beech le gaya, aur unse sawaal kiya. “Kya kehte ho sahab? Kis mazhab ki hogi ye mallika? Kis kokh se nikli hogi itni tez chingari?” Unke muh neeche gir gaye, kehte bhi toh kya, kothe par toh wo khud bhi jaate the. Unn tawaifon ke aangan mein holi toh unhone bhi kheli thi, aur Tara, meri Tara, darna nahin jaanti thi.
Jab pehli dafa dekha tha ussey, hass kar puch rahi thi ki ye jhola taange kahan chale aa rahe ho lekhak sahab? ” Yahan aapko kahaniyan nahi, kirdaar hee milenge.” Maine bhi toh tab behad muskura kar kaha tha ki, “mohtarma kirdaron ki talaash mein hee bhatkta hun, afsane toh khud bun liya karta hun.” Jab bhi jee machalta, Tara ki baaton se araam milta tha. Meri kahaniyon ko baakhubi samjha karti thi, aur behad lihaaz se kaha karti thi ki, “lekhak sahab aap aurton ko itne behtar tareeqe se kaise jaante hain? Jis kisi ki bhi kitaab padhi hai, hamesha usmein angrezi zulm aur huqumat ke qisse batore hain, aapki kahaniyan logo ko afsurda nahi lagtin?”
Afsurda, mujhe bass yahi lafz khatakta raha uss raat. Azaad mulq chahiye toh khud ko azaad kyun nahi karte hum? Koi hamein azaadi farmaye, iska intezar kyun kartey hum?
Tara se door chala gya, sawaal jo usne mere zehn mein chaanp diye the uske jawaab uss tawaifkhaane mein kahan milte. Azaadi ki talaash mein gya tha, aur qaid hokar aa gaya.