Khooni Baragad | Bloody Banyan

Gaon ke bahar ek purana baragad ka ped tha. Itna purana ki shayad usse bhi yaad nahi hoga ki woh kab laga tha.

Log use “Khooni Baragad” kehte the.

Bachpan se hi maine us ped ke baare mein ajeeb kahaniyan suni thi. Koi kehta raat ko wahan se kisi aurat ke rone ki awaaz aati hai. Koi kehta kisi aadmi ki parchai ped se latakti dikhti hai.

Aur kuch log to yeh bhi kehte the ki jisne bhi raat ke baad us ped ke paas jaane ki himmat ki… woh kabhi wapas nahi aaya.

Main us waqt sheher mein padhai karta tha. Sach kahun to mujhe in baaton par zyada bharosa nahi tha.

Ek baar chuttiyon mein main gaon aaya.

Raat ko khane ke baad main aur mera bachpan ka dost Ravi ghar ke bahar baith kar baatein kar rahe the. Thandi hawa chal rahi thi aur gaon mein gehra sannata tha.

Tabhi maine hasi mein pooch liya.

“Ravi, woh Khooni Baragad wali kahani sach hai kya?”

Ravi ka chehra achanak serious ho gaya.

“Bhai, mazaak mat kar. Log sach mein darte hain us jagah se.”

Main hans pada.

“Arey yaar, ped se koi kaise dar sakta hai?”

Ravi dheere se bola.

“Ped se nahi… us cheez se jo ped ke paas rehti hai.”

Uski baat sun kar meri curiosity aur badh gayi.

“Mujhe dikhana padega phir to.”

Ravi turant khada ho gaya.

“Pagal ho gaya hai kya? Raat ke 11 baje hain.”

Main muskura kar bola.

“Bas dekh ke aa jayenge.”

Ravi ne mana kiya… lekin aakhir mein meri zid ke saamne haar gaya.

Hum dono torch lekar gaon ke bahar chal diye.

Raat ka andhera dheere dheere gehra ho raha tha. Door kahin se kutte bhonk rahe the aur hawa mein ajeeb si thandak thi.

Kuch hi der mein woh ped dikhne laga.

Bada sa baragad ka ped… uski jhoolti hui jadden zameen ko chhoo rahi thi.

Torch ki roshni padte hi woh aur bhi zyada daravna lag raha tha.

Ravi dheere se bola.

“Bas yahin hai… Khooni Baragad.”

Main ped ke paas gaya aur hans kar bola.

“Dekha? Kuch bhi nahi hai.”

Tabhi achanak hawa tez chalne lagi.

Ped ki jadden hilne lagi jaise koi unhe hila raha ho.

Ravi ne ghabra kar kaha.

“Chal yahan se… mujhe achha nahi lag raha.”

Tabhi humein ek awaaz sunayi di.

“Tak… tak… tak…”

Jaise koi dheere dheere chal raha ho.

Main torch ghumane laga.

“Koi hai kya?”

Koi jawaab nahi aaya.

Sirf hawa ki sarsarahat aur ped ki pattiyon ki awaaz.

Hum wapas mudne hi wale the ki Ravi achanak ruk gaya.

“Arjun…”

Uski awaaz kaap rahi thi.

“Meri taraf torch kar.”

Maine torch uski taraf ki.

Aur jo maine dekha… meri saansein ruk gayi.

Ped ki ek moti jad se… koi cheez latak rahi thi.

Ek aadmi.

Uska shareer dheere dheere hawa mein hil raha tha.

Uska chehra andhere mein tha.

Ravi ne cheekh kar kaha.

“Bhag yahan se!”

Hum dono bhaagte hue gaon ki taraf daud pade.

Kuch door jaane ke baad hum ruk gaye.

Meri saansein tez chal rahi thi.

“Maine kaha tha na… woh jagah theek nahi hai,” Ravi bola.

Main bhi dar gaya tha… lekin curiosity abhi bhi khatam nahi hui thi.

“Lekin woh aadmi kaun tha?”

Ravi chup ho gaya.

Usne dheere se kaha.

“Gaon mein kehte hain… saalon pehle wahan ek khoon hua tha.”

“Ek aadmi ne kisi ko maar kar us ped par latka diya tha.”

“Murder ke baad woh aadmi kabhi nahi mila.”

Raat bhar mujhe neend nahi aayi.

Subah main akela hi wapas us ped ke paas gaya.

Din ki roshni mein sab normal lag raha tha.

Ped ke neeche koi laash nahi thi.

Koi nishaan nahi.

Jaise raat ko jo humne dekha… woh bas ek sapna ho.

Main wapas jaane hi wala tha ki meri nazar zameen par padi.

Wahan mitti mein kuch daba hua tha.

Maine haath se mitti hatayi.

Andar se ek purani tasveer nikli.

Tasveer mein do aadmi khade the.

Ek aadmi ko main pehchaan gaya.

Woh Ravi tha.

Lekin tasveer bahut purani lag rahi thi.

Aur uske paas khada dusra aadmi…

Uska chehra dekh kar mera khoon jam gaya.

Woh main tha.

Lekin tasveer kam se kam 30 saal purani lag rahi thi.

Mere haath kaanpne lage.

Tabhi mere peeche se awaaz aayi.

“Mil gayi tasveer?”

Main dheere se mudha.

Ravi mere peeche khada tha.

Uske chehre par ajeeb si muskaan thi.

“Mujhe pata tha tum yahan zaroor aoge.”

Maine ghabra kar poocha.

“Yeh tasveer… yeh kaise…?”

Ravi dheere dheere mere paas aaya.

“Is ped ka raaz koi nahi jaanta.”

“Har 30 saal baad… yeh ped kisi ko bulaata hai.”

Meri dhadkan tez ho gayi.

“Matlab?”

Ravi ne ped ki taraf dekha.

“30 saal pehle main aur mera dost yahan aaye the.”

“Us raat maine usse maar diya.”

Meri saansein ruk gayi.

“Ky… kya?”

Ravi dheere se hansne laga.

“Phir uski laash isi ped par latka di.”

Uski aankhen ajeeb si chamak rahi thi.

“Tab se har 30 saal baad koi yahan aata hai…”

“Taaki kahani phir se shuru ho.”

Maine peeche hatne ki koshish ki.

Lekin tabhi kisi ne mere pair pakad liye.

Neeche dekha…

Ped ki jadden zameen se nikal kar mere pairon ko lapet rahi thi.

Main zor zor se chillaane laga.

“Ravi! Bachao!”

Lekin Ravi sirf muskura raha tha.

“Dar mat…”

“Ab tum bhi is kahani ka hissa banne wale ho.”

Jadden mujhe dheere dheere ped ki taraf kheench rahi thi.

Meri aankhon ke saamne sab andhera hone laga.

Aakhri baar maine Ravi ko dekha.

Aur usne dheere se kaha.

“Waise… ek baat bataun?”

“Mera asli naam Ravi nahi hai…”

“Mera naam bhi Arjun hi tha.”

Uski baat sun kar meri rooh kaanp uthi.

Aur tab mujhe samajh aaya…

30 saal pehle jis aadmi ko usne maara tha…

Woh main hi tha.

Aur Khooni Baragad ki kahani…

Kabhi khatam nahi hoti.