Purani Haveli Ka Khaufnaak Raaz

Raat ka andhera dheere dheere gaon par chha raha tha. Thandi hawa pedon ke patton ko hila rahi thi aur door kahin kutte bhonk rahe the.

Gaon ke kinaare ek purani haveli khadi thi… toot-ti deewarein, band khidkiyan aur zung lage darwaze. Log kehte the wahan saalon se koi nahi rehta.

Aur jo bhi raat ko wahan gaya… kabhi wapas nahi aaya.

Aman shehar se apne dost Ravi ke gaon aaya tha. Dono bachpan ke dost the aur bahut saalon baad mil rahe the.

Shaam ko chai peete hue Aman ne haveli ki taraf ishara kiya.

"Ravi… woh haveli kaunsi hai?"

Ravi ka chehra achanak serious ho gaya.

"Uske paas mat jaana Aman."

"Kyun?" Aman hans pada. "Bhoot rehte hain kya?"

Ravi ne dheere se kaha, "Log kehte hain wahan raat ko awaazein aati hain… kadmon ki, darwazon ki… aur kabhi kabhi kisi aurat ki cheekh."

Aman ne mazaak mein kaha, "Perfect jagah hai adventure ke liye."

Ravi ne turant mana kar diya.
"Main serious hoon Aman. Gaon wale us jagah se door rehte hain."

Lekin Aman ki curiosity badh chuki thi.

Raat 11 baje, jab gaon so chuka tha, Aman chupke se ghar se nikla. Haath mein torch thi aur dil mein adventure ka excitement.

Door se haveli aur bhi darawani lag rahi thi.

Uske darwaze aadhe khule the… jaise kisi ne abhi abhi andar entry li ho.

Hawa chalti toh darwaza dheere se "creeeeek…" ki awaaz karta.

Aman ne dheere se darwaza dhakka diya.

Darwaza khulte hi ek tez thandi hawa uske chehre se takraayi.

Andar andhera hi andhera tha.

Zameen par mitti aur purane furniture ke tukde pade the. Deewaron par bade bade jale hue nishaan the.

Aman ne torch ghumayi.

Tabhi…

"THAK!"

Upar se kisi cheez ke girne ki awaaz aayi.

Aman ruk gaya.

Usne upar ki taraf dekha… ek purani seedhi thi jo andhere mein gayab ho rahi thi.

"Shayad billi hogi…" Aman ne khud ko samjhaya.

Lekin uska dil tez dhadak raha tha.

Woh dheere dheere seedhiyan chadhne laga.

Har kadam par seedhi "creeeek… creeeek…" ki awaaz karti.

Upar pahunchte hi usne dekha ek lambi gallery thi. Dono taraf purane kamre the… sabke darwaze band.

Tabhi…

Kisi kamre ke andar se halki si awaaz aayi.

Jaise koi dheere dheere chal raha ho.

Aman ka gala sukh gaya.

"Kaun hai wahan?" usne zor se poocha.

Koi jawab nahi.

Sirf hawa ki sarsarahat.

Aman ne himmat karke sabse kareeb wale kamre ka darwaza khola.

Darwaza khulte hi tez dhool udi.

Kamra khali tha.

Bas ek purana aaina deewar par laga tha.

Aman ne torch ki roshni aaine par daali… aur ek second ke liye uska dil ruk gaya.

Aaine mein uske peeche koi khada tha.

Lekin jaise hi Aman ne palat kar dekha… wahan koi nahi tha.

"Yeh… kya tha?"

Uska saans tez ho gaya.

Tabhi achanak gallery mein kadmon ki awaaz gunj uthi.

"Thak… thak… thak…"

Jaise koi nange pair chal raha ho.

Aman ne torch gallery mein daali.

Koi nahi.

Awaaz phir aayi.

Is baar bilkul uske peeche.

Aman dheere se palta.

Gallery ke end par ek safed saaya khada tha.

Ek aurat.

Lambe baal, safed kapde… aur jhuk kar khadi hui.

Aman ki awaaz hi nahi nikli.

"A… aap kaun ho?"

Aurat ne dheere se sir uthaya.

Uska chehra andhere mein chhupa tha.

Phir usne bahut halki awaaz mein kaha…

"Tum… wapas kyun aa gaye?"

Aman ka dimag ghoom gaya.

"Main… pehli baar aaya hoon."

Aurat dheere dheere uski taraf chalne lagi.

Har kadam par hawa aur thandi ho rahi thi.

"Tum jhooth bol rahe ho…"

"Main sach keh raha hoon!" Aman chilla pada.

Aurat achanak uske bilkul paas aa gayi.

Aur tab Aman ne uska chehra dekha.

Uski aankhein poori kaali thi.

Jaise unmein koi roshni hi na ho.

Aman darr ke maare peeche hatne laga.

"Tum yahan se nahi ja sakte…" aurat ne dheere se kaha.

"Yeh ghar tumhara hai…"

Aman ka dil zor se dhadak raha tha.

"Main yahan ka nahi hoon!"

Aurat muskuraayi.

Ek ajeeb, darawani muskaan.

"Tumhe yaad nahi?"

Tabhi Aman ke dimag mein ajeeb ajeeb tasveerein chamakne lagi.

Purani haveli… aag… logon ki cheekhein…

Aur ek chhota ladka jo haveli ke andar bhaag raha tha.

Aman ka sar dard se phatne laga.

"Nahi… yeh sab jhoot hai…"

Aurat ne dheere se kaha…

"50 saal pehle… is haveli mein aag lagi thi."

"Sab log mar gaye the."

"Bas ek ladka bach gaya tha."

Aman ki saansein ruk gayi.

"Woh ladka… tum the."

Aman peeche hat gaya.

"Impossible…"

Aurat ki aankhon mein gussa bhar gaya.

"Tum bhaag gaye the…"

"Humein yahan jalne ke liye chhod kar."

Tabhi haveli ke andar se aur awaazein aane lagi.

Darwaze khulne lage.

Kadmon ki awaazein… phusphusahat…

Jaise koi aur bhi wahan ho.

Gallery ke andhere se dheere dheere aur saaye nikalne lage.

Aurat… aadmi… bachche…

Sab jale hue chehre ke saath.

Sab Aman ko ghur rahe the.

"Tum wapas aa gaye…" kisi ne phusphusaya.

Aman ka dil tharr gaya.

"Nahi… mujhe jaane do!"

Woh seedhiyon ki taraf bhaaga.

Lekin seedhiyan gayab ho chuki thi.

Uski jagah sirf ek andhera kuaan jaisa gaddha tha.

Peeche se thandi saansein uske kaan ke paas mehsoos hui.

Aurat ki awaaz phir aayi…

"Ab koi kahin nahi jaata…"

"Jo haveli se bhaag jaata hai…"

"Woh ek din wapas zaroor aata hai."

Aman dheere dheere peeche mudha.

Ab woh sab uske bilkul paas khade the.

Unki aankhein seedha uski rooh tak ghus rahi thi.

Aur tab Aman ko ek aur sach yaad aaya.

50 saal pehle…

Woh ladka sirf bhaaga nahi tha.

Usne hi haveli mein aag lagayi thi.

Aur jaise hi usse yeh sach yaad aaya…

Haveli ka darwaza zor se band ho gaya.

Bahar gaon mein logon ne us raat phir wahi awaaz suni.

Purani haveli ke andar se kisi aadmi ki darr se bhari cheekh.

Aur agle din…

Haveli ki ek purani khidki ke peeche…

Logon ne ek naya saaya khada dekha.

Ek jawaan aadmi ka saaya…

Jo bahar dekh raha tha.

Jaise kisi aur ka intezaar kar raha ho.