Raat Ka Rahi Aur Shraapit Rasta

Raat ka waqt tha. Ghadi mein lagbhag 1 baje the. Andhera itna gehra tha ki sadak ke kinare khade ped bhi sirf parchaiyon jaise lag rahe the.

Arjun apni bike par ek lambi highway road par safar kar raha tha. Woh ek chhote shehar se Delhi ki taraf ja raha tha.

Hawa tez chal rahi thi aur raat ka sannata ajeeb sa darr paida kar raha tha.

Arjun ne apni jacket aur kas ke band ki aur bike ki speed thodi badha di.

“Bas thoda sa aur… subah hone se pehle pahunch jaunga,” usne khud se kaha.

Tabhi usne aage ek purana sa board dekha.

Board par dheere dheere paint mita hua tha, lekin phir bhi kuch shabd dikh rahe the.

“Is raste par raat mein safar karna mana hai.”

Arjun halka sa hansa.

“Log bhi na… faltu ki afwaah phailate rehte hain.”

Usne board ko ignore kiya aur bike aage badha di.

Jaise hi woh us raste par ghusa, hawa aur tez ho gayi. Pedon ki shaakhein hawa mein hilte hue ajeeb si awaaz kar rahi thi.

Sarr… sarr… sarr…

Arjun ko ek pal ke liye ajeeb sa ehsaas hua.

Jaise koi usse dekh raha ho.

Usne peeche mud kar dekha.

Sadak bilkul khali thi.

“Kuch nahi hai… bas mera waham hai,” usne khud ko samjhaya.

Thodi door jaane ke baad usne dekha ki raste ke kinare ek purani haveli khadi thi.

Haveli ka bada sa lohe ka gate aadha khula hua tha.

Hawa chalti to gate dheere dheere hilta.

Creeeeeek…

Gate ki awaaz raat ke sannate mein aur bhi darawani lag rahi thi.

Arjun ne bike dheemi kar li.

Tabhi usne dekha…

Gate ke paas koi khada tha.

Safed kapdon mein ek aadmi.

Arjun thoda ruk gaya.

“Bhai sahab… yahan se highway ka seedha rasta kidhar hai?” Arjun ne poocha.

Woh aadmi dheere dheere uski taraf muda.

Uska chehra andhere mein saaf nahi dikh raha tha.

“Yeh rasta theek nahi hai…” usne dheemi awaaz mein kaha.

“Yahan raat mein koi nahi aata.”

Arjun thoda muskura diya.

“Ab to aa gaya hoon… bas aage ka rasta bata dijiye.”

Woh aadmi kuch pal chup raha.

Phir usne seedha raste ki taraf ungli dikhayi.

“Seedha jao… lekin peeche mat dekhna.”

Arjun ne thoda hairan hoke kaha, “Kyun?”

Lekin tab tak woh aadmi wahan se gayab ho chuka tha.

Arjun ne turant aas paas dekha.

Wahan koi nahi tha.

“Yeh itni jaldi kahan gaya?” Arjun ne dheere se kaha.

Uska dil ab thoda tez dhadak raha tha.

Lekin usne phir bhi bike start ki aur aage badh gaya.

Rasta aur bhi sunsaan hota ja raha tha.

Ped aur ghane ho gaye the.

Street lights bhi kaafi door door thi.

Tabhi usne peeche se footsteps ki awaaz suni.

Thak… thak… thak…

Jaise koi sadak par chal raha ho.

Arjun ne bike ki speed badha di.

Lekin awaaz fir bhi aa rahi thi.

Thak… thak… thak…

Usne mirror mein dekha.

Kuch bhi nahi tha.

Uska gala sookhne laga.

“Shayad koi jaanwar hoga,” usne khud ko samjhaya.

Tabhi achanak uski bike khud hi band ho gayi.

Engine bilkul chup ho gaya.

“Abey yeh kya…” Arjun ne ghabra kar kaha.

Usne bike dobara start karne ki koshish ki.

Lekin bike start nahi ho rahi thi.

Raat ka sannata aur gehra ho gaya.

Hawa ki sarsarahat aur pedon ki khadbadahat saaf sunai de rahi thi.

Tabhi usne dekha…

Sadak ke beech mein koi khada tha.

Safed kapde.

Bilkul wahi aadmi.

Arjun ka dil zor se dhadakne laga.

“Tum… tum yahan kaise?” Arjun ne darr ke saath poocha.

Woh aadmi dheere dheere uske paas aaya.

Is baar chandni ki halki roshni uske chehre par pad rahi thi.

Aur Arjun ka khoon jam gaya.

Us aadmi ka chehra bilkul zakhmi tha.

Aankhen bilkul safed.

Jaise koi murda khada ho.

“Main yahin rehta hoon…” usne dheemi awaaz mein kaha.

Arjun peeche hat gaya.

“Tum… tum insaan nahi ho…”

Woh aadmi halka sa muskura diya.

“Main bhi kabhi tumhari tarah ek raat ka rahi tha.”

Hawa achanak aur tez chalne lagi.

Ped zor zor se hilne lage.

“Saalo pehle… main bhi isi raste par safar kar raha tha.”

Uski awaaz dheere dheere goonj rahi thi.

“Logon ne mujhe bhi warning di thi… lekin maine nahi suni.”

Arjun ka dil zor zor se dhadak raha tha.

“Phir kya hua?” Arjun ne ghabra kar poocha.

Woh aadmi dheere se Arjun ke bilkul kareeb aa gaya.

“Phir main bhi isi raste ka hissa ban gaya…”

Arjun ka saans rukne laga.

“Matlab?”

Woh aadmi dheere se uske kaan ke paas jhuk kar bola…

“Jo bhi raat mein is shraapit raste par aata hai…”

“Woh kabhi wapas nahi jaata.”

Tabhi achanak Arjun ki bike khud hi start ho gayi.

Engine zor se garajne laga.

Arjun ne turant bike ghumayi aur poori speed se wahan se bhaag gaya.

Usne peeche dekhne ki himmat nahi ki.

Lagbhag 20 minute baad woh highway par pahunch gaya.

Wahan kuch trucks aur gaadiyan chal rahi thi.

Usne rahat ki saans li.

“Shukr hai… bach gaya,” usne kaha.

Subah hone tak woh Delhi pahunch gaya.

Agli subah usne chai ki dukaan par newspaper uthaya.

Front page par ek khabar chhapi thi.

Arjun ka haath kaanp gaya.

Headline thi:

“Kal raat ek aadmi ki laash purane jungle wale raste par mili.”

Arjun ka dil tez dhadakne laga.

Usne poori khabar padhi.

“Police ke mutabik aadmi ki maut raat 1 baje ke aas paas hui thi. Uski bike bhi paas mein mili.”

Arjun ne hairani se kaha, “Lekin… main to bach gaya tha…”

Tabhi uski nazar newspaper mein chhapi tasveer par gayi.

Aur uske haath se newspaper gir gaya.

Tasveer mein jo laash dikh rahi thi…

Woh Arjun ki hi thi.

Us pal Arjun ko achanak kal raat ki ek baat yaad aayi.

Woh aadmi baar baar keh raha tha…

“Peeche mat dekhna.”

Arjun dheere dheere palta.

Aur usne chai ki dukaan ke sheeshe mein apna reflection dekha.

Lekin wahan koi reflection nahi tha.

Uski saans ruk gayi.

Tabhi peeche se ek aadmi ki awaaz aayi.

“Bhai sahab… highway ka rasta kidhar hai?”

Arjun dheere se muda.

Ek naya musafir raat ke safar par nikla hua tha.

Arjun kuch pal chup raha.

Phir usne dheere se usi purane raste ki taraf ungli dikhayi.

Aur halka sa muskura kar bola…

“Seedha jao…”

“Lekin peeche mat dekhna.”