Kali Parchai Ka Raaz

Raat ka samay tha. Gaon ke bahar ek purani haveli khadi thi, jise log “Bhootiya Haveli” kehte the.

Us haveli ke bare mein ajeeb kahaniyan mashhoor thi. Log kehte the ki raat ke samay us haveli ki khidkiyon mein ek kali parchai nazar aati hai.

Koi uske paas jane ki himmat nahi karta tha.

Main us waqt apne dost Ravi ke ghar gaon mein chuttiyan mana raha tha. Gaon ki shaant raat aur hawa ki sarsarahat mein ek ajeeb sa sukoon bhi tha aur darr bhi.

Ek shaam Ravi ne achanak kaha,
“Arre, tujhe pata hai gaon ke bahar wali haveli ke bare mein?”

Maine hansi mein pucha,
“Kaunsi? Wahi jise tum log bhootiya bolte ho?”

Ravi ka chehra ekdum serious ho gaya.

“Haan… wahi. Kal raat mere chacha ne wahan ek kali parchai dekhi thi. Khidki ke paas khadi thi.”

Main hans pada.

“Yaar tum gaon wale bhi na… har purani jagah ko bhootiya bana dete ho.”

Ravi ne dheere se kaha,
“Tu hans raha hai, lekin sach bolun… raat ko wahan se ajeeb awaazein aati hain.”

Uski baat sunkar mujhe thodi curiosity hui.

Maine turant kaha,
“Chal phir aaj raat chal ke dekhte hain. Pata chal jayega sach kya hai.”

Ravi ne pehle mana kiya.

“Nahi bhai… log kehte hain jo bhi raat ko wahan gaya, usne kuch na kuch ajeeb zaroor dekha.”

Par meri zid ke aage usse maan na pada.

Raat ke kareeb 11 baje hum dono chupke se ghar se nikal gaye.

Aasmaan mein badal the aur chand kabhi dikhta, kabhi chup jata.

Hawa tez chal rahi thi.

Door khadi purani haveli andhere mein aur bhi zyada darawani lag rahi thi.

Jab hum uske paas pahunche, to darwaza aadha khula hua tha.

Hawa ke saath woh dheere dheere kirrr… kirrr… ki awaaz kar raha tha.

Ravi ne dheere se kaha,
“Yaar… mujhe acha nahi lag raha. Wapas chalte hain.”

Maine usse tasalli di.

“Arre kuch nahi hai. Bas purani building hai.”

Hum dheere dheere andar ghus gaye.

Andar ka mahaul bahut hi ajeeb tha.

Deewaron par purani tasveerein lagi thi jo dhool se dhaki hui thi.

Hawa chalti to kahin se thak… thak… ki awaaz aati.

Aisa lag raha tha jaise koi upar chal raha ho.

Ravi ne dar kar kaha,
“Sun… footsteps jaisi awaaz aa rahi hai.”

Main bhi ab thoda serious ho gaya.

Humne torch nikali aur seedhiyon ki taraf badhe.

Seedhiyan purani aur tootne jaisi lag rahi thi.

Har kadam par charr… charr… ki awaaz aati.

Jab hum upar pahunche, to ek lambi gallery thi.

Gallery ke end par ek kamra tha jiska darwaza band tha.

Achanak hawa tez chalne lagi.

Aur usi waqt… humne dekha.

Gallery ke end par… ek kali parchai khadi thi.

Bilkul chup.

Bilkul seedhi.

Uska chehra andhere mein nazar nahi aa raha tha.

Ravi ka haath kaanpne laga.

“Bhai… tune dekha?”

Maine dheere se kaha,
“Haan…”

Hum dono wahi khade reh gaye.

Phir achanak woh parchai dheere dheere hilne lagi.

Aur kamre ke andar chali gayi.

Darwaza khud ba khud dhad se band ho gaya.

Ravi almost chillane wala tha.

“Chal yahan se! Abhi ke abhi!”

Par meri curiosity ab aur badh chuki thi.

“Ek minute… bas dekhte hain andar kya hai.”

Hum dheere dheere us kamre ke paas gaye.

Darwaza band tha.

Andar se koi awaaz nahi aa rahi thi.

Maine darwaza dhakka diya.

Darwaza dheere se khul gaya.

Kamre ke andar andhera tha.

Torch ki roshni mein bas ek purani kursi aur ek bada aaina nazar aa raha tha.

Lekin…

Wahan koi nahi tha.

Ravi ghabra gaya.

“Parchai kahan gayi?”

Main bhi hairan tha.

Tabhi achanak thak… thak… thak…

Jaise koi seedhiyon se upar aa raha ho.

Hum dono ekdum chup ho gaye.

Footsteps dheere dheere paas aa rahe the.

Phir ek awaaz aayi.

Ek halki si hansi.

“Tum log yahan kya kar rahe ho…”

Ravi ne darr ke maare poocha,
“Kaun hai wahan?”

Koi jawab nahi aaya.

Bas footsteps aur paas aa gaye.

Maine torch gallery mein ghumayi.

Lekin wahan koi nahi tha.

Phir achanak kamre ke andar ka aaina hilne laga.

Jaise kisi ne usse dhakka diya ho.

Aaine mein hamari reflection dikh rahi thi.

Lekin…

Ek aur reflection bhi tha.

Hamare peeche…

Ek kali parchai khadi thi.

Humne turant peeche mudkar dekha.

Wahan koi nahi tha.

Ravi ka chehra safed pad chuka tha.

“Bhai… yeh normal nahi hai.”

Maine phir aaine ki taraf dekha.

Is baar parchai aur paas aa chuki thi.

Uska chehra dheere dheere nazar aane laga.

Aur tab jo maine dekha… usne meri saansein rok di.

Woh chehra mera hi tha.

Bilkul mera.

Lekin uski aankhen bilkul kaali thi.

Ravi ne bhi dekha aur cheekh pada.

“Yeh… yeh tera chehra kyu hai?!”

Usi waqt kamre ka darwaza zor se band ho gaya.

Hawa aur tez ho gayi.

Aaine mein woh parchai muskurane lagi.

Aur usne dheere se kaha…

“Main yahan bahut saalon se akela tha…”

“Ab tum aa gaye ho.”

Achanak aaina toot gaya.

Kamra andhere mein doob gaya.

Hum dono kisi tarah bhaag kar haveli se bahar nikle.

Us raat ke baad Ravi kabhi us haveli ke paas nahi gaya.

Main bhi gaon se wapas shehar aa gaya.

Lekin us raat ke baad ek ajeeb cheez hone lagi.

Har raat sone se pehle jab main aaine mein apna chehra dekhta…

To kuch seconds ke liye meri reflection mere saath move nahi karti.

Jaise woh mujhe dekh rahi ho.

Aur kal raat…

Pehli baar…

Us reflection ne dheere se muskura kar kaha…

“Ab main tumhare saath hoon.”