Us Band Kamre Se Aati Woh Awaaz

Woh raat aaj bhi yaad hai. Ghar mein sab so chuke the, bas main aur meri chhoti behen jaag rahe the. Bahar halki baarish ho rahi thi aur corridor mein ek ajeeb si thandak thi. Tabhi pehli baar woh awaaz sunai di.

“Thak… thak… thak…”

Woh awaaz us band kamre se aa rahi thi jo kaafi saalon se khula hi nahi tha. Kamra drawing room ke end mein tha, aur uska darwaza hamesha locked rehta tha. Papa kehte the ki us room mein purana saman pada hai, isliye use disturb mat karo. Lekin us raat awaaz kuch alag hi thi. Jaise koi andar chal raha ho, ya phir kisi ne deewar par nails se khuracha ho.

Meri behen ne mera haath pakad liya. Uski aankhon mein darr saaf dikh raha tha. Maine dheere se kaha, “Shayad hawa ki awaaz hogi.” Lekin sach bolun, mujhe khud apni baat par yakeen nahi tha.

Kuch der baad awaaz aur clear ho gayi. Ab usmein halki si ghisne ki sound bhi aa rahi thi. Jaise koi chair ko zameen par kheench raha ho. Maine himmat karke corridor ka light on kiya aur band kamre ke darwaze ke paas gaya. Darwaze par purana brass lock laga tha, aur us par dhool ki moti layer jam chuki thi.

Lock bilkul untouched tha.

Phir bhi andar se awaaz aa rahi thi.

Us pal mujhe pehli baar laga ki shayad ghar mein hum dono ke alawa koi aur bhi hai. Maine Papa ko uthaya. Woh neend mein the, lekin meri awaaz mein darr sun kar turant uth gaye. Main, Papa aur behen teeno us darwaze ke saamne khade the. Awaaz ab ruk-ruk kar aa rahi thi, jaise andar koi humare paas aane se pehle soch raha ho.

Papa ne flashlight li aur lock ko dhyaan se dekha. Phir unhone kaha, “Ye room kabhi kabhi purane pipes ki wajah se awaaz karta hai. Zyada mat socho.” Lekin tabhi andar se ek aur sound aayi—tap… tap… tap… Jaise koi glass par ungli maar raha ho.

Ab Papa bhi serious ho gaye. Unhone local carpenter ko call kiya, jo subah jaldi aaya. Lock khola gaya, darwaza slowly open hua, aur hum sab ek kadam peeche hat gaye. Andar andhera tha, lekin kuch seconds baad flashlight ki roshni mein sach saamne aa gaya.

Room ke corner mein ek purani wooden trunk rakhi thi, aur uske andar ek chhota sa space tha jahan se ek stray cat ghus aayi thi. Woh cat andar phans gayi thi aur bahar nikalne ke liye trunk aur bed ke beech scratch kar rahi thi. Uski movement se jo awaaz aa rahi thi, woh raat bhar humein kisi aur cheez jaisi lag rahi thi.

Sabne ek saath gehri saans li. Behen ne relief mein hansa diya, aur Papa ne apne sar par haath rakha. Main bhi muskura diya, lekin sach ye tha ki darr abhi poori tarah gaya nahi tha. Kyunki agar woh cat thi, to phir usse pehle jo thak-thak ki awaaz aayi thi, woh kiski thi?

Carpenter ne trunk hataaya, aur uske neeche ek purana loose wooden plank nikla. Woh halka sa khisak raha tha, isi wajah se room se strange sound aa rahi thi. Hawa aur humidity milkar us sound ko aur bhi creepy bana rahi thi.

Us raat ek simple sa reason tha, lekin usne poore ghar ko hila diya. Aur main aaj bhi sochta hoon—kabhi-kabhi dar ka real source koi bhoot nahi hota, balki woh cheez hoti hai jo hum samajh nahi paate.

Phir bhi, us band kamre ko humne uske baad kabhi lightly nahi liya. Har baar jab uske paas se guzarta hoon, ek pal ke liye ruk jaata hoon. Shayad aadat pad gayi hai, ya shayad us raat ki awaaz ab bhi kahin ghar ki deewaron mein chhupi hui hai.