Haveli ka wo bhari saagwan ka darwaza jab 'thak' ki awaaz ke saath band hua, toh dono ki saansein atak gayi. Andar sannata itna gehra tha ki unhe apni hi dhadkanon ki awaaz saaf sunayi de rahi thi. Wo hansi... wo koi insaani hansi nahi thi. Wo ek aisi awaaz thi jaise koi sadiyon se pyaasa ho aur aaj usey shikaar mil gaya ho.
Vicky ne darwaze ki kundi zor-zor se jhatki, par wo hilne ka naam nahi le rahi thi. "Sameer, zor laga!" Vicky chillaya, lekin Sameer toh jaise pathar ka ho gaya tha. Uska dhyan darwaze par nahi, balki us diary par tha jo neeche giri hui thi. Ghabrahat mein usne dekha ki diary ke panno se halka-halka dhuaan nikal raha tha, jaise wo kisi ne abhi-abhi jalayi ho.
Andhera aur Atit ka Saaya
"Vicky, dekho..." Sameer ne kaanpti ungli se deewar ki taraf ishara kiya. Haveli ki dhool bhari deewaron par purani tasveerein tangi thi, jo pehle shayad unhe dikhi nahi thi. Har tasveer mein wahi aadmi tha—Sameer jaisa dikhne wala. Farq sirf itna tha ki har agali photo mein wo aadmi thoda aur boodha hota ja raha tha, lekin uske kapde bilkul wahi the jo Sameer ne aaj pehne the.
Tabhi, haveli ke upri maale (floor) se kisi ke chalne ki aawaaz aayi. Thap... thap... thap... Aawaaz seedhiyon se niche ki taraf aa rahi thi.
"Kaun hai?" Vicky ne himmat juta kar poocha. Usne kone mein padi ek purani lakdi utha li.
Aawaaz ruki nahi. Seedhiyon ke andhere se ek saaya nikal kar saamne aaya. Wo wahi aadmi tha jo photo mein tha, par ab wo haddiyon ka dhancha lag raha tha. Uska chehra jhurriyon se bhara tha, par uski aankhen bilkul Sameer jaisi chamak rahi thi.
Ek Khofnaak Sach
Wo aadmi dheere se muskuraaya aur bola, "2000... bilkul sahi waqt par aaye ho, Sameer. Maine ise likha tha, aur mujhe pata tha tumhara darr hi tumhe yahan khinch layega."
Sameer ki awaaz nahi nikal rahi thi, par usne himmat karke pucha, "Aap... aap kaun ho? Aur mera jaisa birthmark aapke haath par kaise?"
Budhe ne apna haath aage kiya. Uske haath par wahi nishaan tha, par wo ab ek gehri chot ka nishaan lag raha tha. "Main tum hoon, Sameer. Ya yun kaho, main wo 'Sameer' hoon jo is haveli se kabhi bahar nahi nikal paya."
Vicky ne beech mein bola, "Ye bakwas hai! Sameer mere saath hai, ye koi jaadu-tona nahi hai."
Budha zor se hansa. "Saal 2000 mein tum dono is haveli mein aaye the. Diary mili, darwaza band hua... aur phir tumne ek galti ki. Tumne wo purana radio chalu kiya jo kone mein rakha hai."
Sameer ki nazar kone mein rakhe usi purane radio par gayi jo uske ghar jaisa hi tha. Budhe ne kaha, "Is haveli mein waqt ruka hua hai. Jo andar aata hai, wo tab tak bahar nahi ja sakta jab tak usey apna 'badla' (replacement) nahi mil jata."
Khel ab Shuru Hua Tha
Achanak, wo purana radio apne aap bajne laga. Usmein se wahi gana baj raha tha jo us saal ka hit tha, lekin beech-beech mein cheekhne ki aawazein aa rahi thi. Haveli ki khidkiyan tezi se khulne aur band hone lagi.
Vicky ne Sameer ka haath pakda, "Sameer, bhag yahan se! Ye koi bhoot nahi, ye dimaag ka khel hai."
Lekin jaise hi wo peeche mude, darwaza gayab ho chuka tha. Wahan sirf ek thos deewar thi. Sameer ne chillakar kaha, "Humein bahar nikalne do!"
Budha dhire-dhire gaayab hone laga, lekin jaate-jaate usne ek aakhri baat kahi: "Diary ka aakhri panna abhi baaki hai... usey padho, aur chun lo ki tum dono mein se kaun yahan rukega aur kaun bahar jayega. Kyunki ye haveli sirf ek ko hi riha karti hai."
Suspense ka Naya Mod
Sameer ne kaanpte haathon se diary uthayi. Aakhri panna ab tak khali tha, par ab us par khoon jaisi laal siyahi se kuch likha ja raha tha. Jaise-jaise Sameer padhta gaya, uske chehre ka rang ud gaya.
Usne Vicky ki taraf dekha. Vicky ki aankhen achanak badli hui lag rahi thi. Vicky ne wo lakdi jo pakdi thi, usey Sameer ki taraf tana aur dhire se bola, "Sameer, mujhe maaf kar dena... par mujhe yahan nahi rukna."
Sameer ko samajh nahi aaya ki Vicky aisa kyun bol raha hai, tabhi usne diary ka wo aakhri panna dekha. Us par likha tha:
"Jo pehle vaar karega, wahi darwaza kholega. Dusra hamesha ke liye is haveli ka hissa ban jayega."
Vicky ki shakal dhire-dhire us budhe aadmi jaisi hone lagi thi, ya shayad wo Sameer ka weham tha? Sameer ne peeche hat-te hue deewar par ek purana aaina dekha. Aaine mein Sameer ko apna nahi, balki Vicky ka aks dikh raha tha.
Tabhi haveli ki batti (light) ek jhatke ke saath chali gayi. Andhere mein sirf Vicky ki saanson ki aawaaz aa rahi thi aur radio par ek awaaz goonji:
"31st December 1999 beet chuka hai... ab tumhara waqt shuru hota hai."
(To be continue)