Shraapit Haveli Jahan Se Aaj Tak Koi Wapas Nahi Aaya

Raat ka andhera dheere dheere sheher par chha raha tha. Hawa mein thandi si sarsarahat thi aur aasman par badal chhaye hue the.

Sheher ke kinaare ek purani aur toot-ti hui haveli khadi thi. Log usse Shraapit Haveli kehte the.

Bachpan se hi log uske baare mein ajeeb kahaniyan sunate aaye the.

Kaha jata tha ki jo bhi us haveli ke andar gaya… kabhi wapas nahi aaya.

Ek raat main aur mere teen dost – Rahul, Aman aur Neha – chai ki tapri par baithe hue the.

Rahul ne hasi mazak mein kaha,
“Yaar tum logon ne us purani haveli ke baare mein suna hai? Kehte hain wahan bhoot rehte hain.”

Aman zor se hansa.

“Bhoot? Bhai 2026 chal raha hai… ab bhi tum log ye sab maante ho?”

Neha thodi serious ho gayi.

“Lekin sach mein log kehte hain ki wahan ajeeb awaazein aati hain.”

Rahul ne aankhon mein chamak ke saath kaha,
“Chalo phir aaj raat chal kar dekhte hain.”

Mujhe shuru mein thoda darr lag raha tha.

Lekin doston ke saamne darr dikhana thoda ajeeb lagta hai.

Maine dheere se kaha,
“Theek hai… chalte hain.”

Raat ke kareeb 12 baje hum chaaron us haveli ke saamne khade the.

Purani deewarein toot chuki thi. Khidkiyon ke sheeshe bhi aadhe toot gaye the.

Hawa jab chalti thi to khidkiyon se krrr… krrr… ki ajeeb awaaz aati thi.

Neha ne dheere se kaha,
“Mujhe achha feel nahi ho raha.”

Rahul ne darwaza dhakka dekar khola.

Darwaza zor se krrrrrr ki awaaz karta hua khul gaya.

Andar pura andhera tha.

Aman ne apni torch on ki.

Haveli ke andar dhool ki moti parat jam chuki thi.

Jaise yahan saalon se koi nahi aaya ho.

Deewar par purani tasveerein latak rahi thi.

Un tasveeron mein logon ke chehre ajeeb lag rahe the… jaise wo hume dekh rahe ho.

Neha ne halki si awaaz mein kaha,
“Yaar mujhe lag raha hai koi hume dekh raha hai.”

Aman ne hans kar kaha,
“Tumhara dimaag horror movies se bhar gaya hai.”

Hum dheere dheere aage badhne lage.

Tabhi achanak upar ki manzil se thak… thak… thak… footsteps ki awaaz aayi.

Hum sab ekdum ruk gaye.

Rahul ne dheere se poocha,
“Kya tum logon ne bhi suna?”

Maine sir hilaya.

“Haan…”

Haveli mein to koi hona nahi chahiye tha.

Phir ye footsteps kiski thi?

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

Hum seedhiyon ki taraf badhe.

Har kadam par seedhiyan chrrr… chrrr… ki awaaz kar rahi thi.

Jaise wo bhi humse keh rahi ho — wapas chale jao.

Jaise hi hum upar pahuche, hawa aur thandi ho gayi.

Rahul ne ek kamre ka darwaza khola.

Andar pura andhera tha.

Tabhi achanak kamre ke kone se khilkhilane ki awaaz aayi.

Neha zor se chillayi.

“Kaun hai wahan?!”

Torch ki roshni jab kone mein padi… wahan koi nahi tha.

Sirf ek purani kursi dheere dheere hil rahi thi.

Aman ne hansi rokne ki koshish ki.

“Shayad hawa se hil rahi hogi.”

Lekin hawa to bilkul band thi.

Tabhi achanak peeche se kisi ke daudne ki awaaz aayi.

Dhad… dhad… dhad…

Hum sab palat kar dekhe.

Corridor mein ek saya tez gati se guzra.

Rahul ka chehra peela pad gaya.

“Tumne dekha?”

Maine dheere se kaha,
“Haan…”

Ab sabke chehron par darr saaf dikh raha tha.

Tabhi haveli ka main darwaza zor se DHADAM ki awaaz ke saath band ho gaya.

Neha almost ro padi.

“Hume yahan se bahar jana chahiye!”

Hum tezi se neeche ki taraf bhaage.

Lekin jab hum neeche pahuche… darwaza sach mein band tha.

Aur darwaza andar se khul hi nahi raha tha.

Aman zor zor se darwaza khinchne laga.

“Yeh khul kyu nahi raha?!”

Tabhi haveli mein ek ajeeb si fuspusaahat goonjne lagi.

Jaise kai log ek saath dheere dheere kuch bol rahe ho.

“Hume… chhod… kar… mat… jao…”

Neha ka haath kaanp raha tha.

“Yeh awaaz kahan se aa rahi hai?”

Torch ki roshni idhar udhar ghoom rahi thi.

Tabhi deewar par latki tasveeron ke chehre badalne lage.

Unki aankhen humari taraf ghoom gayi.

Rahul peeche hat gaya.

“Yeh… yeh kaise ho raha hai?”

Tabhi achanak upar se ek aur awaaz aayi.

Is baar footsteps nahi.

Kisi ke ghiste hue chalne ki awaaz.

Ghrrr… ghrrr…

Jaise koi dheere dheere seedhiyon se neeche aa raha ho.

Hum sab seedhiyon ki taraf dekhne lage.

Andhere mein ek lamba sa saya dikh raha tha.

Wo dheere dheere seedhiyon se neeche aa raha tha.

Rahul ne darr ke maare poocha,
“Tum… kaun ho?”

Koi jawab nahi aaya.

Wo saya aur kareeb aa gaya.

Ab torch ki roshni us par padi.

Uska chehra bilkul safed tha.

Aankhen poori kaali.

Aur honton par ajeeb si muskaan.

Neha zor se chillayi.

Aman ne mujhe pakad kar kaha,
“Bhag!”

Hum sab peeche ki taraf bhaage.

Haveli ka pichla darwaza toot chuka tha.

Hum wahan se bahar nikal gaye.

Bahar aate hi hum seedha sadak ki taraf bhaage.

Kaafi der baad jab hum rukke… sabki saansein tez chal rahi thi.

Rahul ne kaha,
“Hum dobara kabhi us haveli ke paas nahi jayenge.”

Sabne turant haan mein sir hila diya.

Us raat ke baad humne kabhi us jagah ka naam bhi nahi liya.

Lekin kahani yahin khatam nahi hoti.

Kuch mahine baad sheher ke akhbar mein ek chhoti si khabar chhapi.

Usmein likha tha…

“20 saal pehle chaar dost iss haveli mein ghuse the aur kabhi wapas nahi aaye.”

Maine jab purani tasveer dekhi… meri rooh kaanp gayi.

Tasveer mein wahi chaar log khade the.

Unmein Rahul tha.

Aman tha.

Neha thi.

Aur…

Chautha aadmi main tha.

Lekin mujhe yaad hi nahi ki wo tasveer kab li gayi.

Aur sabse darawani baat…

Tasveer ke neeche likha tha:

“Yeh chaaron log us raat ke baad kabhi zinda nahi mile.”