Purnima Ki Raat Aur Woh Bhookhi Aatma

Bhooto ke Saath Darru Party

Yeh kahani tab ki hai jab main aur mere teen dost—Rahul, Vicky, aur Sameer—ne decide kiya ki hum is baar kuch 'alag' karenge. Roz wahi clubbing aur dhaba thik tha, par Sameer, jo thoda adventurous (ya pagal) tha, usne ek ajeeb suggestion diya.

"Bhai, tumne Malabar Hill wale us purane bunglow ki kahani suni hai? Wahi jo 20 saal se band pada hai. Log kehte hain wahan jo jata hai, wo hosh kho baithta hai. Kyun na aaj raat wahan baith ke darru piyein?"

Rahul thoda fattu tha, usne turant mana kar diya. "Nahi bhai, police ka chakkar hoga aur upar se wo jagah haunted hai."

Par Vicky aur main excited ho gaye. Raat ke 11:30 baje humne apni gaadi uthayi, do bottle whiskey li, thoda chakna aur nikal pade us manhoos thikane ki taraf.

Sannata aur Pehli Sip

Bunglow ke bahar jungle jaisi jhariyan thi. Deewaron par kai (moss) jami hui thi aur gate se aisi awaaz aayi jaise koi sadiyon se ro raha ho. Hum andar ghuse. Andar ki hawa bahar se zyada thandi thi. Dhool aur sadan ki boo aa rahi thi.

Humne hall ke beechon-beech ek purani purani table saaf ki aur mehfil jama li. Mobile ki flashlight on thi.

"Cheers boys!" Sameer ne glass bhara.

Pehla peg andar jate hi sabka darr thoda kam hua. Hum purane kisse yaad karke hasne lage. Tabhi, kitchen ki taraf se kisi ke chalne ki awaaz aayi. Thap... thap... thap...

"Kaun hai?" Rahul ki awaat kaanp rahi thi.

"Arre billi hogi, pi na chup chap," Vicky ne mazaak udaya. Par hum sabne dekha ki darwaza apne aap thoda aur khul gaya tha.

Uninvited Guest

Teesra peg chal raha tha. Achanak, hall ke kone mein rakhi ek purani rocking chair apne aap hilne lagi. Creak... creak... creak...

Hum sab shant ho gaye. Flashlight wahan maari toh dekha kursi khaali thi, par wo aise hil rahi thi jaise koi us par baith ke jhul raha ho.

Tabhi, ek bhari aur thandi awaaz aayi, "Mujhe nahi pilaoge?"

Humari fatt ke chaar ho gayi. Table ke dusre kone par, jahan pehle koi nahi tha, ek aadmi baitha tha. Usne purane zamane ka suit pehna tha, par uska chehra... uska chehra itna safed tha jaise khoon ka ek katra na ho. Uska ek kaan kata hua tha aur ankhon ki jagah sirf do kale gaddhe the.

"B-b-bhai... aap kaun?" Sameer ne himmat karke pucha.

Wo aadmi hasa. Uski hasi aisi thi jaise kanch toot raha ho. "Main is ghar ka malik hoon. Bahut saalon baad koi mehman aaye hain. Pilaoge nahi?"

Hum darr ke maare hil nahi pa rahe the. Rahul toh rone laga tha. Par humein laga agar humne ise mana kiya toh ye humein maar dega. Vicky ne kaanpte hathon se ek glass bhara aur uski taraf badhaya.

Usne glass uthaya aur ek baar mein gatak gaya. Ajeeb baat ye thi ki darru uske gale se neeche nahi ja rahi thi, balki uske phate hue gale se bahar gir rahi thi, par wo girte hi hawa mein gayab ho rahi thi.

Party Ab Shuru Hui Hai

Dheere dheere, hall mein aur bhi log dikhne lage. Ek aurat jiska sar tedha tha, ek bacha jiske pair ulte the, aur ek budha jiske sharir se keede nikal rahe the.

"Dosto, mehfil toh ab jami hai!" Malik ne chillaya.

Poore hall mein ek ajeeb, badbudar khushi phail gayi. Wo bhoot humare saath baith gaye. Wo log aapas mein baatein kar rahe the, par unki bhasha humein samajh nahi aa rahi thi. Aisa lag raha tha jaise hum kisi aur duniya mein pahunch gaye hain.

Sameer ko pata nahi kya hua, wo nasha mein ya darr mein unke saath nachne laga. Humne use rokne ki koshish ki par uska haath pakadte hi mera jism barf jaisa thanda ho gaya.

Wo bacha mere paas aaya aur bola, "Uncle, mere saath chhupa-chhupi kheloge? Jo hara, uska dil mera."

Main wahan se bhagne ki koshish karne laga, par pair jaise zameen se chipak gaye the. Vicky ne dekha ki uski whiskey ki bottle ab khoon se bhari hui thi.

"Nikalna hoga yahan se! Ye party humein khatam kar degi!" Vicky chillaya.

Maut Ka Khel

Tabhi hall ki saari light (flashlight) band ho gayi. Andhere mein sirf un bhooto ki laal aankhein chamak rahi thi.

"Kahan ja rahe ho? Party toh abhi shuru hui hai," us aurat ne mere kaan ke paas phusphusaya. Uski saans mein sadan thi.

Hum chaaron ne ek dusre ka haath pakada aur andhere mein darwaze ki taraf bhaage. Piche se unki bhayanak hasi aur cheekhein sunayi de rahi thi. Aisa lag raha tha ki deewarein humein rok rahi hain. Rasta khatam hi nahi ho raha tha.

Tabhi Rahul gira. "Bhai, mera pair... koi kheench raha hai!"

Humne dekha, zameen se saikdon safed hath nikal rahe the jo Rahul ko andar kheench rahe the. Humne poori takat lagayi aur use bahar khaincha. Piche mud kar dekha toh wo Malik bhoot hawa mein tairta hua humari taraf aa raha tha, uske haath mein ek purana khanjar tha.

"Tumhe kya laga? Darru muft ki thi? Keemat toh deni hogi!"

Humne peeche dekhe bina bunglow ka main darwaza toda aur bahar nikal gaye. Humne apni car start ki aur wahan se aise bhage jaise peeche maut ho.

Agli Subah

Jab suraj nikla, hum hospital mein the. Rahul ka pair poora neela pad chuka tha, jaise kisi ne use behadd zor se jakda ho.

Humne police ko bataya, par jab wo wahan gaye, toh wahan kuch nahi tha. Na koi table, na darru ki bottles, aur na hi koi bhoot. Par ek cheez thi jisne humari rooh kapka di.

Sameer ki pocket mein ek purana, sadiyon purana kanch ka glass tha. Aur us par khoon se likha tha:

"Agli party meri taraf se. Jald milenge."

Tab se lekar aaj tak, humne darru ko hath nahi lagaya. Aur har raat, jab 12 bajte hain, humein apne kamre ke bahar wahi creak... creak... ki awaaz sunayi deti hai. Hum samajh gaye hain, wo party khatam nahi hui... bas thodi der ke liye ruki hai.