Aatma-Chudail Ki Kahani

Raat ka waqt tha. Aasmaan mein badal chhaye hue the aur chand kabhi dikh raha tha, kabhi badalon ke peeche chhup jaata.

Hawa dheere dheere chal rahi thi, lekin uski sarsarahat mein ek ajeeb si bechaini thi.

Gaon ke kinaare ek purani haveli khadi thi. Log kehte the ki wahan koi nahi rehta… lekin raat hote hi us haveli ke andar se ajeeb awaazein aati hain.

Koi kehta tha wahan ek chudail ki aatma bhatakti hai.

Us raat Ravi aur uska dost Aman gaon aaye hue the.

Aman ne haste hue kaha,
“Yaar Ravi, tum log sach mein maante ho ki haveli mein chudail rehti hai?”

Ravi thoda ghabra kar bola,
“Gaon wale bina wajah kahaniyan nahi banate. Kuch toh zaroor hai wahan.”

Aman hans pada.

“Chalo phir aaj raat chal ke dekhte hain. Pata chal jayega sach kya hai.”

Ravi pehle toh mana karta raha, lekin aakhir mein Aman ki zid ke aage haar gaya.

Raat ke kareeb 11 baje dono haveli ki taraf chal pade.

Raasta sunsaan tha.

Pedon ki shaakhein hawa mein hil rahi thi aur unki parchhaiyan zameen par ajeeb si shaklein bana rahi thi.

Jaise hi dono haveli ke paas pahunche, Ravi ruk gaya.

“Yaar Aman… mujhe theek nahi lag raha.”

Aman ne haveli ki taraf torch maari.

Purani deewarein, tooti hui khidkiyaan aur ek bada sa lohe ka darwaza.

Darwaza aadha khula hua tha.

Aman muskuraya.

“Dekha… koi chudail nahi. Bas purani building hai.”

Dono dheere dheere andar ghus gaye.

Andar bilkul sannata tha.

Sirf hawa ki awaaz aur kabhi kabhi kahin se girti hui mitti ki halki si khatak.

Ravi dheere se bola,
“Sun… tumne footsteps suni?”

Aman ruk gaya.

“Kaunsi footsteps?”

Tabhi upar se kisi ke chalne ki awaaz aayi.

Tak… tak… tak…

Jaise koi dheere dheere chal raha ho.

Ravi ka gala sookh gaya.

“Yeh awaaz upar se aa rahi hai…”

Aman ne himmat dikhate hue kaha,
“Chalo dekhte hain.”

Dono seedhiyan chadhne lage.

Seedhiyan purani thi aur har kadam par “kirrr… kirrr” ki awaaz karti.

Jaise hi dono upar pahunche, hawa achanak thandi ho gayi.

Ravi ne mehsoos kiya jaise koi unhe dekh raha ho.

“Yaar Aman… mujhe lag raha hai koi yahan hai.”

Aman ne ek band darwaze ki taraf ishara kiya.

Darwaza dheere dheere hil raha tha.

Jaise hawa usse dhakka de rahi ho.

Aman ne haath badha kar darwaza khola.

Darwaza khulte hi ek tez hawa ka jhonka aaya.

Torch ki roshni kamre mein padi.

Kamra bilkul khali tha.

Bas ek purani kursi aur deewar par ek bada sa sheesha.

Ravi ne rahat ki saans li.

“Dekha… kuch bhi nahi hai.”

Tabhi achanak sheeshe mein kuch hila.

Ravi ka dhyaan turant us par gaya.

Sheeshe mein un dono ke peeche ek aur parchhai khadi thi.

Lambi… aur ajeeb.

Ravi ka dil zor zor se dhadakne laga.

“Aman… peeche mat mudna.”

Aman hairan hua.

“Kyun?”

Ravi dheere se bola,
“Sheeshe mein dekh…”

Aman ne jaise hi sheeshe ki taraf dekha, uska rang ud gaya.

Unke peeche ek aurat khadi thi.

Uske baal zameen tak latak rahe the.

Chehra safed… aur aankhen bilkul kaali.

Aur sabse darawni baat…

Uske pair ulte the.

Aman ki awaaz kaanp gayi.

“Yeh… yeh kya hai…”

Tabhi achanak kamre ka darwaza zor se band ho gaya.

Dhadddd!

Ravi aur Aman dono dar gaye.

Torch haath se gir gayi.

Kamre mein andhera chha gaya.

Andhere mein kisi ki halki si hansi goonj uthi.

“Tum log… yahan kyun aaye ho…”

Awaaz thandi aur khokhli thi.

Jaise kisi gehri khaali jagah se aa rahi ho.

Ravi ka gala sookh gaya.

“Hum… hum bas dekhne aaye the…”

Achanak kisi ne Aman ke kandhe ko chhua.

Aman zor se cheekha.

“Kaun hai?!”

Phir ek aur awaaz aayi…

Bilkul uske kaan ke paas.

“Ab tum dono… wapas nahi ja sakte.”

Tabhi khidki zor se khul gayi.

Chand ki roshni kamre mein padi.

Aur us roshni mein woh aurat khadi thi.

Uska chehra ab aur bhi darawna lag raha tha.

Aankhen seedha Ravi ki taraf dekh rahi thi.

Phir woh dheere dheere unki taraf badhne lagi.

Ravi aur Aman darwaza kholne ki koshish karne lage.

Lekin darwaza hil bhi nahi raha tha.

Aman cheekha,
“Please hume jaane do!”

Aurat ruk gayi.

Usne dheere se apna sar tedha kiya.

Phir woh muskurayi.

Lekin woh muskaan insani nahi thi.

Phir achanak sab kuch andhera ho gaya.

Agli subah gaon wale haveli ke bahar khade the.

Kisi ne raat bhar cheekhne ki awaazein suni thi.

Jab log andar gaye, toh kamra khali tha.

Na Ravi.

Na Aman.

Bas zameen par ek purani torch padi thi.

Aur deewar ke sheeshe par kisi ne khoon se likha tha…

“Ab do aur aatmaen mere saath hain.”

Gaon wale darr gaye.

Us din ke baad kisi ne us haveli ke paas jaana band kar diya.

Lekin kahani yahin khatam nahi hoti.

Kuch mahine baad ek shehri journalist us gaon mein aaya.

Uska naam Neeraj tha.

Woh paranormal kahaniyon par research karta tha.

Gaon walon ne usse haveli ke baare mein bataya.

Neeraj hansa.

“Yeh sab andhvishwas hai.”

Us raat woh akela haveli ke andar gaya.

Camera aur flashlight ke saath.

Andar jaate hi usne recording shuru kar di.

“Main ab is haveli ke andar hoon. Dekhte hain sach kya hai.”

Sab kuch shaant tha.

Tabhi upar se wahi footsteps ki awaaz aayi.

Tak… tak… tak…

Neeraj ruk gaya.

“Interesting…”

Woh seedhiyan chadhne laga.

Upar pahunch kar usne ek kamra khola.

Wahi kamra.

Wahi kursi.

Aur wahi sheesha.

Neeraj ne camera sheeshe ki taraf kiya.

Aur tabhi uska chehra peela pad gaya.

Camera ke screen par usne dekha…

Uske peeche teen parchhaiyan khadi thi.

Ek aurat.

Aur do ladke.

Neeraj dheere se peeche muda.

Lekin wahan koi nahi tha.

Phir usne dobara camera dekha.

Is baar woh teenon parchhaiyan bilkul uske peeche khadi thi.

Aur us aurat ki awaaz camera mein record hui…

“Ab ek aur aatma…”

Us raat ke baad Neeraj kabhi wapas nahi aaya.

Lekin kuch hafton baad police ko haveli ke andar uska camera mila.

Camera ki last recording mein sirf ek cheez dikh rahi thi…

Sheeshe ke saamne khadi woh chudail.

Aur uske paas ab teen nahi… chaar parchhaiyan khadi thi. 👻