Chhalaava: Ek Ankahee Dastan

Raat ka andhera dheere dheere poore gaon par chha chuka tha. Thandi hawa pedon ke patton ko hila rahi thi aur door jungle se ajeeb si awaazein aa rahi thi.

Gaon ke log iss jungle se raat ko door rehna pasand karte the.

Kehte the ki wahan kuch aisa rehta hai jo insaan nahi hai.

Kuch log use “Chhalaava” kehte the.

Ravi aur uske do dost Aman aur Deepak gaon mein naye aaye the. Sheher ke ladke the, isliye gaon walon ki baaton par unhe zyada bharosa nahi hota tha.

Ek shaam chai ki dukaan par baithkar Ravi ne hansi mein kaha.

“Yaar yeh log bhi na… har jungle mein bhoot bana dete hain.”

Aman muskura kar bola, “Haan bhai. Agar sach mein bhoot hota na to kab ka YouTube par viral ho chuka hota.”

Chai wala buddha aadmi unki baat sun raha tha.

Usne dheere se kaha, “Beta mazaak mat udaao… woh jungle aur haveli theek jagah nahi hai.”

Deepak hans pada.

“Baba, aap bhi na. Koi purani kahani hogi bas.”

Buddhe ne unki aankhon mein seedha dekhte hue kaha.

“Jo bhi hai… raat ko wahan mat jaana.”

Lekin jawaani mein zidd bhi hoti hai aur curiosity bhi.

Usi raat teeno ne decide kiya ki woh jungle jaakar us purani haveli ko dekhenge.

Raat ke kareeb 11 baje teeno torch lekar jungle ki taraf chal pade.

Jungle ka raasta andhera aur sunsaan tha.

Pedon ki chhaya zameen par ajeeb shapes bana rahi thi.

Hawa ki sarsarahat aur kabhi kabhi kisi janwar ki awaaz raat ko aur bhi darawana bana rahi thi.

Aman ne dheere se kaha.

“Yaar sach bolu… thoda creepy lag raha hai.”

Ravi hans kar bola.

“Abhi to shuru hua hai.”

Kuch der chalne ke baad unhe door ek purani haveli dikhai di.

Haveli aadhi toot chuki thi. Khidkiyan tuti hui thi aur darwaza aadha khula hua tha.

Aisa lag raha tha jaise saalon se koi wahan nahi aaya.

Deepak ne torch haveli par daali.

“Bas yehi hai woh famous haunted haveli?”

Ravi bola, “Chalo andar chalte hain.”

Teeno dheere dheere haveli ke andar ghus gaye.

Andar ghana andhera tha.

Deewar par purane nishaan the aur zameen par dhool jam chuki thi.

Jaise hi woh andar badhe, achanak peeche ka darwaza zor se DHADAM se band ho gaya.

Teeno ekdum se ghabra gaye.

Aman ne palat kar dekha.

“Ye kisne band kiya?”

Ravi ne darwaza kholne ki koshish ki, lekin woh hil bhi nahi raha tha.

Tabhi upar ki manzil se halki si footsteps ki awaaz aayi.

Thak… thak… thak…

Deepak ne dheere se kaha.

“Kya yahan koi aur bhi hai?”

Ravi ne torch upar ki seedhiyon par daali.

“Chalo dekhte hain.”

Teeno seedhiyan chadhne lage.

Har kadam par lakdi ki seedhi kirrrr ki awaaz kar rahi thi.

Upar pahunchkar unhe ek lambi gallery dikhai di.

Gallery ke end par ek kamra tha jiska darwaza aadha khula hua tha.

Andar se halki si roshni aa rahi thi.

Aman ne fuskara kar kaha.

“Yaar kisi ne diya jalaya hua hai kya?”

Ravi dheere dheere darwaze ke paas gaya.

Jaise hi usne darwaza khola… kamra bilkul khaali tha.

Na koi diya… na koi aadmi.

Bas ek purana aaina deewar par laga hua tha.

Deepak ne halki si hansi ke saath kaha.

“Lagta hai hum hi bewajah darr rahe hain.”

Tabhi achanak Aman ruk gaya.

Uski awaaz kaamp rahi thi.

“Ravi… peeche mat mudna.”

Ravi ne poocha.

“Kyu?”

Aman ne dheere se kaha.

“Aaine mein… koi khada hai.”

Ravi ne dheere se aaine ki taraf dekha.

Aaine mein un teenon ke peeche ek aadmi jaisa saya khada tha.

Lekin jab teeno ne palat kar dekha… wahan koi nahi tha.

Aman ki saansein tez ho gayi.

“Yeh kya tha?”

Tabhi gallery mein se phir footsteps ki awaaz aayi.

Is baar zyada tez.

Thak… thak… thak…

Jaise koi unki taraf aa raha ho.

Teeno darr ke maare kamre se bahar bhag gaye.

Gallery mein koi nahi tha.

Lekin hawa achanak bahut thandi ho gayi thi.

Deepak ne kaha.

“Chalo yahan se nikalte hain.”

Teeno seedhiyan utar kar neeche aaye.

Lekin neeche pahunchkar unhone dekha ki haveli ka main door gayab tha.

Uski jagah bas ek andheri deewar thi.

Aman ne ghabra kar kaha.

“Darwaza kahan gaya?”

Tabhi peeche se kisi ki halki si hansi sunai di.

Ek dheemi… khaufnaak hansi.

Ravi ne palat kar torch ghumayi.

Andhere mein ek aadmi khada tha.

Uska chehra saaf nahi dikh raha tha.

Lekin uski aankhen chamak rahi thi.

Aman ne darr ke maare poocha.

“Kaun… kaun ho tum?”

Woh aadmi dheere se bola.

“Tum log mujhe dhoondhne aaye the na…”

Deepak ne kaha.

“Hum bas yahan ghoomne aaye the.”

Woh aadmi dheere dheere unke paas aane laga.

Uski chaal ajeeb thi… jaise woh chal nahi raha… zameen par phisal raha ho.

Ravi ne poocha.

“Tum yahan rehte ho?”

Woh aadmi muskuraaya.

“Main yahan nahi rehta…”

“Main yahin hoon.”

Tabhi Ravi ko kuch ajeeb laga.

Usne torch neeche ki.

Us aadmi ke pair zameen ko chhoo hi nahi rahe the.

Aman cheekh pada.

“Chhalaava…”

Us pal haveli mein tez hawa chalne lagi.

Darwaze khud ba khud band hone lage.

Footsteps, khurachne ki awaazein, aur ajeeb si hansi har taraf goonj rahi thi.

Teeno jaan bachakar bhagne lage.

Achanak Ravi ka pair fisla aur woh gir gaya.

Aman aur Deepak bahar bhaag gaye.

Ravi peeche reh gaya.

Usne mudkar dekha.

Woh aadmi uske bilkul saamne khada tha.

Uska chehra ab saaf dikh raha tha.

Aur woh chehra…

Ravi ka hi tha.

Woh muskuraya.

“Main tumhara intezaar kar raha tha.”

Ravi ki cheekh poori haveli mein goonj uthi.

Agli subah gaon wale jungle ke paas se guzre.

Unhe Aman aur Deepak behosh mile.

Jab hosh aaya to dono bahut dare hue the.

Unhone bas itna kaha.

“Ravi… Ravi andar reh gaya…”

Gaon walon ne haveli mein jaakar dekha.

Andar koi nahi tha.

Na Ravi… na koi aur.

Bas deewar par laga hua ek purana aaina tha.

Aur us aaine mein…

Teen parchaiyaan khadi thi.

Aman.

Deepak.

Aur unke peeche…

Ravi.

Lekin asli khauf tab hua jab Aman ne dheere se kaha.

“Yeh mumkin nahi…”

Deepak ne poocha.

“Kya?”

Aman ka chehra safed pad chuka tha.

“Kal raat jab hum bhaag rahe the…”

“Ravi hamare peeche nahi tha…”

“Woh to sabse aage bhaag raha tha.”