Raat dheere-dheere Bhangarh ke purane qile par utar rahi thi. Suraj ke aakhri rang pathron par phail kar dheere se gaayab ho gaye.
Aisha ne apne phone ki flashlight on ki aur saamne padi toot chuki deewar ko dekha.
"Yeh jagah sach me itni darawani hai?" usne dheere se kaha.
Uske saath khada Kabir thoda hans pada.
"Log bas kahaniyan banate hain. Ghost waghera kuch nahi hota."
Lekin uske shabd khatam hote hi ek thandi hawa chalne lagi.
Aisha ko achanak ajeeb sa ehsaas hua… jaise koi unhe dekh raha ho.
Qile ke andar har taraf toote hue mahal, mandir aur khali kamre the. Andhera badhta ja raha tha aur hawa me mitti ki purani smell thi.
Kabir ne kaha,
"Chalo andar chalte hain. Shayad koi interesting cheez mile."
Dono dheere-dheere qile ke andar ghus gaye.
Footsteps ki awaaz khali raaston me goonj rahi thi.
Achanak Aisha ruk gayi.
"Tumne suna?" usne phusphusate hue pucha.
"Kya?" Kabir ne pucha.
"Koi… kisi ne mera naam liya."
Kabir ne sir hila diya.
"Yahan hum dono ke alawa koi nahi hai."
Lekin Aisha sure thi.
Usne clearly suna tha…
"Aisha…"
Jaise koi bahut door se bula raha ho.
Uska dil tez dhadakne laga.
"Shayad hawa ki awaaz hogi," Kabir ne kaha aur aage chalne laga.
Qile ke andar ek purana mandir tha jiska darwaza aadha toot chuka tha. Andar bilkul andhera tha.
Kabir ne flashlight us taraf ghuma di.
Aur tabhi…
Unhe zameen par kuch purana likha hua dikha.
Dhool hata kar Kabir ne padha.
"Jo bhi is jagah suraj dhalne ke baad rukta hai…
wo kabhi wapas nahi jaata."
Aisha ka gala sukh gaya.
"Yeh mazaak nahi lag raha," usne kaha.
Tabhi peeche se kisi ke chalne ki awaaz aayi.
Dono ek saath mud gaye.
Flashlight ki roshni andhere me ghoom gayi…
Lekin wahan koi nahi tha.
Kabir ne zor se kaha,
"Kaun hai wahan?"
Koi jawab nahi aaya.
Sirf hawa ki awaaz.
Phir achanak Aisha ke phone ki flashlight blink karne lagi.
Ek second ke liye roshni gayab hui…
Aur us ek second me Aisha ne kuch dekha.
Mandir ke andar…
Ek safed saaya khada tha.
Lambi si parchai… jiska chehra bilkul nazar nahi aa raha tha.
Roshni wapas aayi.
Saaya gayab.
Aisha ki saanse tez ho gayi.
"Kabir… wahan koi tha."
Kabir ne flashlight dubara mandir ke andar daali.
"Wahan koi nahi hai," usne kaha, lekin uski awaaz me bhi ab darr tha.
Tabhi hawa aur tez chalne lagi.
Mandir ke andar se dheere se ek awaaz aayi…
"Yahan se chale jao…"
Dono jam gaye.
Awaaz bilkul saaf thi.
Aur phir ek aur awaaz…
Is baar zyada gusse me.
"WARNA TUM BHI YAHI PHAS JAOGE… HAMESHA KE LIYE."
Aisha aur Kabir ne ek dusre ki taraf dekha.
Ab unhe samajh aa gaya tha…
Log Bhangarh ke baare me jhooth nahi bolte.
Yeh jagah sach me shaapit thi.
Aur shayad…
Ab unke liye wapas jaana itna aasaan nahi hoga.
To be continued… 👻