Raat ke 2:00 baj rahe the pura shahar gehri neend mein soya tha, lekin purani haveli ke use band kamre mein ek ajeeb si hulchul thi. Hawa mein ek aisi thandak thi jo haddiyon ko cheer de, aur deewaron per bani purani tasvir jaise kisi gehri sajish ki gvaha ban rahi thi.
"Tumhe kya lagta tha? Tum bhag jaaoge?"ek bhari aur khunkhar awaaz kamre mein goonji.
Wahan koi dikh nahin raha tha, lekin use awaaz mein kuchh aisi dahajat thi Jo kisi ka bhi kaleja kaamp de.
kamre ke beecho- beech rakhi aaram kursi apne aap hilne lagi -charrr ...charrr...
Kursi per koi baitha nahin tha, hawa ka dabav aisa tha jaise wahan koi bhari bojh maujood ho. Deewar per latki ghadi ki sui suddenly 12 per ruk gai. tabhi ek parchhai deewar per ubhari - lambhi bhayanak aur gair- insaani.
" Maine tumhara kya bigada hai?"Ek kampte huye ladke ki awaaz andhere se aayi. uska saans lena mushkil ho raha tha, Jaise koi adrishya hath uske gale ko ghot raha ho.
Use ladke ka naam Aryan tha .Aryan ki aankhein darr ke mare phat rahi thi. Usne hath pair marne ki koshish ki lekin uski takat Jaise khatm hoti ja rahi thi. Usne mahsus Kiya ke uske samne khadi wo adrishya cheez dheere - dheere apna roop badal rahi hai. Sanate mein ab ek ajeeb si hansi goonje lagi thi- ek aisi hansi Jo insaani nahin thi.
" Tune nahin bigada per tere khoon mein wo raaz chhipa hai Jo sadiyon pahle dafan kar diya gaya tha. "us bhari awaaz mein dobara kaha.
Tabhi, kamre ki deewar per lagi ek purani tasvir apne aap tedhi ho gai aur usmein se kale rang ka dhuaan nikalne laga. wo dhuaan dheere- dheere ek saaye ki shakl lene laga. Aryan ne dekha ki use saaye ki aankhein bilkul aag ki tarah lal thi. Aryan ka damm ghut raha tha uski drishti dhundli ho rahi thi. uski mutthi mein band ek purana bhej garmi dene laga. Jaise hi use tabiyat se ek sunhari roshani nikalne lagi, use adrishya hath ki pakad dhili pad gayi.
" Ye ...ye kya hai? Aryan ki sans phool rahi thi aur dar ke mare uska bura hall tha. Usne Apne hath se apne gale ko mala. Kyunki ab bhi wahan adrishya pakad ka dard mahsus ho raha tha."
" Aaryan ne himmat jutayi kamre ke kone mein rakhi ek purani ki mez ki taraf bhagha.uskq dil itani jor se dhadak raha tha ki use khud apni dhadkan sunayi de rhi thi.
Tabhi, kamre ki sari mombattiyan ek sath bujh gayi. andhera itna tha ki Aryan ko apna hath bhi dikhyi nahin de raha tha. Lekin use andhere mein do lal aankhein ab Aryan ke bilkul kareeb thi.
' Tum nahin bachoge Aaryan...' wo khunkhar aavaz uske kaan ke paas thi.
Aaryan ne apna taweez jor se pakda or chilaya ,'Kon ho tum? Mere piche kyu pade ho .?'
Aaryan ki cheekh puri haveli mein goonji,
lekin jawab mein sirf thandi or darawani hansi sunayi di.Wo hansi itni bhayanak thi
jaise hazaro sheeshe ek saath toot rahe ho.
"Main kon hoon? ye sawal apne purakho se puchna.Aaryan,"us saaye ne kaha. Ab wo saaya dheere- dheere dhuein ek thus roop ke rha tha. Uska chehra abhi bhi saaf nahin tha, lekin uski lambi - lambi or upar nukile nakhun chamak rahe the.
Aryan mez se chipak kar piche hatne laga. usne mahsus kiya ki uske taweez se nikalne wali roshani khatam ho rahi thi. Shayad uski dar ke wajah se uski dhal kamzor pad rahi thi.
"Tumhare kandhon ne mujh se wo cheez chhini thi jo meri jaan se jayada payri thi.aaj unki aakhri nisaani...yani tum,uski kimmat chukaoge !" Use saaye ne apna hath Aryan ki taraf badhaya.
Aaryan ne aankhein band kar li or chillaya,"Nani!"
Thik usi waqt, haveli ke darwaze par kisi ne zor - zor se dastak di.Thak...thak...thak!
"Aryan ! Aayan, andar ho tum?Darwaza kholo !" bahar se ek ladki ki awaaz aayi. ye Aryan ki dost .Meera thi.
Mera ki awaaz sunte hi wo saaya ek pal ke liye thihak gaya. Uska dhuaan thoda patane laga. Shayad bahar se aane wali roshani ya kisi aur Insan ki maujoodgi se ho sakti kamzor pad rahi thi.
"Meera bhago yaha se! Meera!"Aryan puri taqat laga kar chillaya, lekin uski aawaz
kamre ki deewaro se takra kar wahi dab gayi.
Andhere kamre mein ab ek ajeeb si sharshraht hone lagi.Aryan ne dekha ki us saaye ne apna rukh darwaze ki taraf kr liya tha. wo Aryan ko chhod kar ab Mera ki taraf badh raha tha.
Aryan ko samajh a gaya ki agar usne kuchh nahin Kiya. Toh Mera ki Jaan khatre mein pad jayegi. Usne Apne taweez ko chumma aur man hi man apni dadi Ko yad Kiya. Achanak, usne mahsus kiya ki uske andar ek anokhi himmat a gayi thi.
"Mujhse ladna hai to mujhse lado! use beech mein mat lao!" Aryan ne mez per rakha ek purana pital ka lamp uthaya aur use saaye ki taraf phenk diya.
Pital ka wo bhari lamp saaye ke beech- beech aise nikal gaya jaise wo sirf dhuwan ho.lamp deewar se takraya dhamm! Aur uske tukde pure kamre mein bikhar gaye. Aryan ki ummid toot gayi lekin usne har nahin mani.
"Tumhen kya laga? tum in maamuli cheezo se mujhe rok loge?"Saaye ki aaj ab aur bhi bhayanak ho gayi thi.
'Thbhi darwaza ek jhatak se khula aur mera andar dakhil huyi. Uske hath mein ek torch thi jiske ujale mein kamre ke andhere Ko chir diya. Jaise hi torch ki roshani us saaye per padi, wo cheekhne lga. ek aisi cheekh jo kanon ke parde faad de
"Aryan ye kya ho raha hai?"Mera ne ghab rakar puchha uski najar bikhre huye saaye par , the jo roshani se bachne ki koshish kar raha tha.
"Meera ,peeche hato! ye koi insaan nahi hai!" Aryan chillaya .
Usne mahsus kiya ki uska taweez pahle se jyada garm ho raha tha. jaise wo use kuchh samjhane ki koshish kr rahe ho.Aryan ne taweez ko mutthi mein dabaya or Meera ko torch ki roshani taraf dekha. Usne dekha ki Jahan - Jahan roshani pad rahi thi. vaha wo saaya kamzoor pad rha tha.