Khoyi Hui Gudiya

Raat ka waqt tha. Aasmaan me chand badalon ke peeche chhupa hua tha aur hawa dheere-dheere sarsara rahi thi.

Gaon ke kinaare ek purani haveli khadi thi. Log kehte the ki wahan saalon se koi nahi rehta. Lekin raat ko kabhi-kabhi us haveli se ajeeb awaazein aati thi.

Us raat Rohan aur uske do dost Aman aur Vivek wahan ghoomne ka plan bana kar aaye the.

“Yaar log bina wajah hi dar jaate hain,” Aman hans kar bola.
“Dekhte hain is haveli me aisa kya khaas hai.”

Rohan ne haveli ka bada lohe ka gate dhakka dekar khola. Gate karrr… ki awaaz ke saath dheere se khul gaya.

Andar andhera tha. Deewar par purani mitti aur jale hue nishaan the.

Hawa ke jhonke se kahin koi khidki takra kar band ho rahi thi.

“Thoda ajeeb lag raha hai…” Vivek ne dheere se kaha.

“Dar gaya kya?” Aman ne mazaak udaya.

Teeno apne mobile ki torch jala kar haveli ke andar badhne lage.

Zameen par dhool ki moti parat jam chuki thi. Har kadam par unke footprints ban rahe the.

Achanak Rohan ki nazar ek kone me padi.

Wahan ek chhoti si gudiya padi thi.

Uska chehra mitti se bhara hua tha aur uski ek aankh toot chuki thi.

“Yeh dekho,” Rohan ne gudiya uthate hue kaha.

Vivek ne thoda ghabra kar kaha,
“Yaar ise chhod do… ajeeb lag rahi hai.”

Aman hansa.

“Arey bas ek purani doll hai. Tum log bhi na…”

Rohan ne gudiya ko saaf karne ki koshish ki.

Tabhi hawa ka tez jhonka aaya aur peeche ka darwaza zor se band ho gaya.

DHAAAM!

Teeno ekdum se ghabra gaye.

“Kisne band kiya?” Vivek ne puchha.

“Shayad hawa se hua hoga,” Rohan ne kaha, lekin uski awaaz me bhi darr tha.

Phir achanak upar se kisi ke chalne ki awaaz aayi.

Thak… thak… thak…

Teeno ne ek dusre ki taraf dekha.

“Yahan to koi nahi rehta na?” Aman ne dheere se kaha.

Vivek ne seedhiyon ki taraf torch daali.

Upar ka andhera aur bhi gehra lag raha tha.

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

Teeno dheere-dheere seedhiyan chadhne lage.

Har kadam par lakdi ki seedhiyan cheekh rahi thi.

Jaise koi unhe wapas lautne ki warning de raha ho.

Upar pahunchte hi ek lambi gallery thi.

Gallery ke dono taraf purane kamre the jinke darwaze aadhe khule hue the.

Tabhi Rohan ne mehsoos kiya ki uske haath me jo gudiya thi… woh thodi garam ho rahi thi.

Usne ghabra kar gudiya ko dekha.

Uski toot chuki aankh ki jagah ab andhera sa hilta hua dikh raha tha.

“Tum logon ko lag raha hai… yeh gudiya abhi hilli?” Rohan ne dheere se puchha.

Aman hansa.

“Tu bhi Vivek jaisa darpok ban gaya kya?”

Tabhi gallery ke aakhir me ek kamre ka darwaza apne aap dheere-dheere khulne laga.

KREEEEEK…

Teeno chup ho gaye.

“Shayad hawa hogi…” Vivek ne khud ko samjhate hue kaha.

Rohan ne gudiya ko pakad kar kamre ke andar torch daali.

Kamra purana tha. Deewar par ek badi si tasveer latki hui thi.

Tasveer me ek chhoti ladki thi… jo ek gudiya pakde khadi thi.

Rohan ka dil ek pal ke liye ruk gaya.

Tasveer me jo gudiya thi… woh bilkul usi jaisi thi jo uske haath me thi.

“Yeh… yeh kaise ho sakta hai?” Rohan ne dheere se kaha.

Vivek ne tasveer ke neeche likha naam padha.

“Anaya… 1998”

Tabhi achanak kamre ki khidki zor se band ho gayi.

Aur kamra andhere me doob gaya.

Mobile ki torch bhi ek pal ke liye blink hui.

Phir kisi bachchi ki halki si awaaz sunai di.

“...meri gudiya… wapas do…”

Teeno ke shareer me sardi si daud gayi.

“Tum logon ne suna?” Vivek ne kaanpte hue puchha.

Aman ab pehli baar sach me dar gaya tha.

“Yeh mazaak nahi hai…”

Awaaz phir aayi.

Is baar aur kareeb se.

“...meri gudiya… wapas do…”

Rohan ne ghabra kar gudiya ko zameen par rakh diya.

“Le lo… hume nahi chahiye…”

Ek pal ke liye sab kuch chup ho gaya.

Phir achanak gudiya khud se seedhi khadi ho gayi.

Vivek cheekh pada.

“Yeh kya tha?!”

Gudiya dheere-dheere kamre ke kone ki taraf chalne lagi.

Jaise koi invisible haath use kheench raha ho.

Phir hawa ekdum thandi ho gayi.

Aur kamre ke kone me ek chhoti si parchhai dikhai di.

Ek ladki ki parchhai.

Usne gudiya uthai.

Aur dheere se kaha,

“Ab tum log ja sakte ho…”

Teeno bina peeche dekhe seedhiyon ki taraf bhaage.

Neeche pahunchte hi haveli ka gate khud se khul gaya.

Woh log seedha bhaagte hue bahar aa gaye.

Gaon pahunch kar teeno ne chain ki saans li.

Vivek ne kaha,
“Kasam se… main wahan dobara nahi jaunga.”

Aman ne bhi sir hilaya.

“Lagta hai woh sach me haunted jagah hai.”

Rohan kuch nahi bola.

Uske dimaag me bas wahi tasveer ghoom rahi thi.

Us raat woh so nahi paya.

Subah jab woh utha to uske haath me kuch tha.

Usne dheere se haath khola.

Aur uska dil zor se dhadakne laga.

Uske haath me wahi gudiya thi.

Wahi toot chuki aankh…

Wahi mitti bhara chehra.

Aur gudiya ke honthon par ek halki si muskaan thi.

Jaise woh keh rahi ho…

“Main ab tumhare saath hoon…” 😈