Kaise Saadhi Karn Pishachini

Purnima ki raat thi, lekin aasman mein chand ki roshni thodi dhundli thi, jaise badal kisi kaali saazish ka hissa ho. Somesh apne purane khet-khaliyan ke beech bane ek tootey-phoote kamre mein baitha tha. Uske saamne ek purani, dhool se bhari kitaab khuli thi jise usne shahar ke ek kabadi bazaar se kafi mehngi keemat par kharida tha.

Kitaab ka naam tha—"Gupt Shanti aur Karn Pishachini Vidya".

Somesh hamesha se shortcut dhoondne wala insaan tha. Use mehnat se zyada kismat aur chamatkar par bharosa tha. Use pata chala tha ki agar koi 'Karn Pishachini' ko saadh leta hai, toh woh pishachini uske kaan (karn) mein aakar duniya ke har raaz bata sakti hai. Kaunsa share market upar jayega, kahan khazana chhupa hai, ya kal kiske saath kya hone wala hai—sab kuch uske bas mein hota.

Lekin kitaab ke pehle panne par ek chetavani likhi thi: "Yeh vidya lalach ke liye nahi, balki samarpan ke liye hai. Jo ise lalach se sadhta hai, woh khud sadh jata hai."

Somesh ne us chetavani ko hansi mein uda diya. Usne diya jalaya aur mantra padhna shuru kiya.

"Om Hreem Kleem Karn Pishachini, Mam Karne Kathay Kathay Swaha..."

Raat gehri hoti gayi. Kamre mein achanak thand badh gayi. Somesh ko mehsoos hua ki koi uske bilkul peeche khada hai. Ek aisi gandh aayi jaise koi sadi hui laash paas mein ho. Usne himmat nahi haari aur jaap jaari rakha. Achanak, uske baayein kaan (left ear) ke paas ek thandi sansanahat hui.

"Mujhe kyun bulaya, Somesh?"

Awaaz aisi thi jaise koi sukhe patton par chal raha ho—phat-phati aur bhayanak. Somesh ki reedh ki haddi mein thandak daud gayi. Usne aankhein band kiye hue hi kaha, "Main tumhe saadhna chahta hoon. Mujhe duniya ke har gupt raaz jaanne hain."

Hawa mein ek bhayanak hansi goonji. "Theek hai. Main tere kaan mein har sawal ka jawab doongi. Lekin yaad rakhna, main sirf sach bolungi, aur meri keemat har roz badhti jayegi. Kya tu taiyaar hai?"

Somesh ne bina soche kaha, "Haan, main taiyaar hoon!"

Agli subah jab Somesh utha, use sab kuch badla hua laga. Usne TV chalaya aur news aane se pehle hi uske kaan mein ek fusfusahat hui— "Agle do ghante mein is building mein aag lagegi." Aur thik do ghante baad wahi hua. Somesh ki khushi ka thikana nahi tha. Usne is shakti ka istemal karke satta (betting) lagana shuru kiya. Do din mein woh lakhpati ban gaya.

Lekin teesre din se keemat vasoolne ka silsila shuru hua.

Raat ko jab Somesh sone gaya, toh use mehsus hua ki koi uske bistar par baitha hai. Uske kaan mein phir wahi awaaz aayi, "Somesh... main bhookhi hoon."

Somesh ne pucha, "Tumhe kya chahiye? Main bhandara karwa doon? Mithai chadhau?"

Pishachini ki hansi kamre ki deewaron se takrayi. "Nahi... mujhe mithaas nahi, laal rang chahiye. Aaj raat tera ek paltoo janwar mera bhog banega."

Somesh ka ek pyaara kutya tha, 'Sheru'. Agli subah Sheru khet mein mara hua mila, uska pura sharir aise sookh gaya tha jaise kisi ne uske shareer se ek-ek boond khoon nichod liya ho. Somesh darr gaya, lekin usne khud ko samjhaya ki ameer banne ke liye kuch kurbaani toh deni padti hai.

Dheere-dheere Somesh ki daulat badhti gayi, lekin uske saath-saath uski haalat bigadne lagi. Woh thik se so nahi paata tha. Har waqt uske kaan mein hazaaron awaazein goonjti rehti. Kabhi kisi ki maut ki khabar, toh kabhi kisi ka raaz.

Ek raat, Pishachini ne kaha, "Somesh, aaj ka raaz sunna chahta hai?"

Somesh ne rote hue kaha, "Nahi, mujhe ab kuch nahi jaanna. Mujhe baksh do. Main sab kuch chhodne ko taiyaar hoon."

Karn Pishachini uske kandhe par chadh gayi. Somesh ko uske lambe nakhun apne chamde mein gadte hue mehsus hue. Usne uske kaan mein kaha, "Sadhna beech mein nahi chhoot-ti. Tune mujhe dosti ke liye nahi, lalach ke liye bulaya tha. Aaj ka raaz yeh hai ki... tere ghar ke neeche jo tu khazana dhoond raha hai, wahan khazana nahi, tere baap ki laash hai jise tune saalon pehle property ke liye maara tha."

Somesh ka chehra safed pad gaya. Yeh woh raaz tha jo usne khud se bhi chhupa rakha tha.

Pishachini ne kaha, "Ab mera bhog badh gaya hai. Mujhe ab janwar nahi, insaan ka khoon chahiye. Aur kyunki tere paas koi aur nahi hai, toh main tera hi khoon piyungi... thoda-thoda... har roz."

Us raat ke baad Somesh kabhi bahar nahi dikha. Gaon wale kehte hain ki us puraane kamre se ab bhi mantra padhne ki awaazein aati hain, lekin woh mantra nahi, balki ek aadmi ki cheekhein hain.

Ek mahine baad jab police ne darwaza toda, toh wahan sirf ek kankal (skeleton) pada tha. Ajeeb baat yeh thi ki kankal ke baayein kaan ki jagah par ek gehra nishaan tha, jaise kisi ne wahan se haddi bhi kutar di ho. Uske paas wahi kitaab khuli thi, aur us par khoon se ek nayi line likhi thi:

"Jo raaz jaanne ki zidd karte hain, woh khud ek raaz ban jaate hain."