Ek ladka tha Rahul… ek ladki thi Lalita… dono ki kahani shuru hui pyaar se, lekin khatam hone se pehle ek aisa raaz saamne aaya jise jaan kar Rahul ki duniya hi badal gayi…
Aur sabse badi baat — Lalita shayad woh thi hi nahi jo Rahul samajhta tha…
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Rahul ek simple sa ladka tha. Rajasthan ke ek chhote se gaon mein rehta tha. Uski zindagi bahut seedhi thi — subah uthna, college jaana, shaam ko doston ke saath chai pe baatein karna. Rahul ko kabhi pyaar par zyada bharosa nahi tha.
Lekin ek din sab kuch badal gaya.
College ke library mein Rahul ek kitab dhoondh raha tha. Tabhi usne dekha ek ladki corner mein baithi hui thi. Safed suit, khule baal aur aankhon mein ajeeb si khamoshi.
Uska naam tha Lalita.
Rahul ne pehli baar usko dekha aur bas dekhta hi reh gaya. Lalita bhi kabhi-kabhi Rahul ki taraf dekh kar halki si smile kar deti.
Agale kuch dino mein dono ki baat shuru ho gayi.
Pehle sirf "Hello", phir "Kaise ho?", aur dheere-dheere baatein ghanton tak chalne lagi
Rahul ko pata hi nahi chala kab woh Lalita se pyaar kar baitha.
Lalita bhi Rahul ko pasand karti thi, lekin uske andar hamesha ek darr rehta tha. Kabhi-kabhi woh achanak serious ho jaati.
Ek din Rahul ne poocha:
"Lalita, tum kabhi apne ghar ke baare mein kyun nahi batati?"
Lalita thodi der chup rahi. Phir dheere se boli:
"Rahul… agar ek din main achanak tumhari zindagi se chali jaun toh tum kya karoge?"
Rahul hans pada.
"Pagal ho kya? Tum kahin nahi jaogi."
Lekin Lalita ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.
Us din Rahul ko samajh nahi aaya ki Lalita aisa kyun bol rahi thi.
Phir ek raat Rahul ko Lalita ka message aaya:
"Kal shaam 7 baje purane mandir ke paas milna. Mujhe tumse kuch zaroori baat karni hai."
Rahul agle din bahut excited tha.
Shaam 7 baje woh mandir pahunch gaya.
Lekin Lalita wahan nahi thi.
Rahul ne phone kiya — phone band.
Usne socha shayad woh late ho rahi hogi.
30 minute…
1 ghanta…
Lalita nahi aayi.
Rahul ghar laut aaya, lekin us raat usko neend nahi aayi.
Agle din Rahul college gaya.
Usne sabse poocha — "Lalita kahan hai?"
Lekin kisi ko Lalita ke baare mein kuch pata hi nahi tha.
Rahul hairan ho gaya.
Usne library ke register mein Lalita ka naam dhoondha…
Lekin wahan bhi Lalita ka naam nahi tha.
Jaise woh kabhi college mein thi hi nahi.
Rahul ka dimaag ghoomne laga.
Usne us number par phir call kiya jisse Lalita baat karti thi.
Is baar phone kisi aur ne uthaya.
Ek aadmi ki awaaz aayi
"Tum Rahul ho?"
Rahul ghabra gaya.
"Haan… Lalita kahan hai?
Kuch seconds tak phone par khamoshi rahi.
Phir aadmi ne dheere se kaha:
"Tumhe sach mein Lalita ke baare mein nahi pata…?"
Rahul ka dil zor-zor se dhadakne laga.
"Kaunsa sach?"
Aadmi ne kaha:
"Lalita… 3 saal pehle hi mar chuki hai."
Rahul ke haath se phone gir gaya.
Uski aankhon ke saamne sirf Lalita ka chehra ghoom raha tha…
Lekin agar Lalita 3 saal pehle mar chuki thi…
Toh Rahul pichhle 2 mahine se kis se mil raha tha…?
Aur sabse bada sawal…
Kal raat Lalita ne jo message bheja tha… woh kisne bheja…?
Rahul ke haath kaanp rahe the. Uske dimaag mein bas ek hi baat ghoom rahi thi —
"Lalita mar chuki hai…"
Rahul ne turant phone uthaya aur us number par dobara call kiya.
Lekin is baar phone switch off tha.
Rahul ko samajh nahi aa raha tha kya sach hai aur kya jhooth.
Us raat Rahul so nahi paya.
Raat ke lagbhag 2 baje Rahul ka phone achanak vibrate hua.
Screen par ek message aaya.
Sender ka naam dekhte hi Rahul ka dil ruk sa gaya.
Lalita.
Message mein sirf itna likha tha:
"Rahul… purane haveli ke paas mat jaana… wahan sab jhooth hai."
Rahul ki saanse tez ho gayi.
Usko yaad aaya — us aadmi ne phone par kaha tha ki Lalita mar chuki hai.
Lekin agar woh mar chuki hai…
toh message kaun bhej raha hai?
Rahul ne decide kiya ki sach pata karna hi padega.
Agle din Rahul gaon ke ek buddhe aadmi ke paas gaya jo gaon ki purani kahaniyan jaanta tha.
Rahul ne usse poocha:
"Chacha… kya aap Lalita ko jaante the?"
Buddhe aadmi ka chehra ekdum serious ho gaya.
Usne dheere se poocha:
"Tum Lalita ko kaise jaante ho?"
Rahul ne saari baat bata di — library,
baatein, mandir aur phone.
Yeh sunte hi buddhe aadmi ke haath se chai ka cup gir gaya.
Woh dheere se bola:
"Beta… Lalita bahut achchi ladki thi… lekin uski maut normal nahi thi."
Rahul ka dil zor se dhadakne laga.
"Matlab?"
Buddha aadmi Rahul ke paas jhuk kar dheere se bola:
"3 saal pehle… Lalita ki laash usi purani haveli ke andar mili thi."
Rahul ke pairon tale zameen khisak gayi.
"Lekin sabse ajeeb baat pata hai?"
Rahul ne ghabra kar poocha:
"Kya?"
Buddha aadmi dheere se bola:
"Uski maut ke baad bhi kai logon ne usko haveli ke aas-paas dekhne ka daawa kiya hai."
Rahul ki saanse ruk si gayi.
Usne turant phone nikala.
Tabhi ek aur message aaya.
Phir se Lalita.
Message mein likha tha:
"Rahul… agar tum mujhse sach mein pyaar karte ho… toh aaj raat 12 baje haveli aa jana."
Rahul ka dil aur dimaag dono lad rahe the.
Ek taraf darr tha…
Dusri taraf Lalita.
Raat ke 11:50 par Rahul haveli ke bahar
khada tha.
Haveli puri andheri thi.
Darwaza aadha khula hua tha… aur hawa se
chee… chee… ki awaaz aa rahi thi.
Rahul ne himmat karke darwaza dhakka diya.
Andar sab kuch purana aur dhool se bhara hua tha.
Tabhi usko seedhiyon ke upar kisi ke chalne ki awaaz aayi.
Tap… Tap… Tap…
Rahul dheere-dheere seedhiyan chadne laga.
Aur jaise hi woh upar pahucha…
Usne dekha…
Safed suit mein koi ladki khadi thi.
Rahul ka dil ruk gaya.
Woh dheere se bola:
"Lalita…?"
Ladki dheere-dheere mudhi…
Aur uska chehra dekhte hi Rahul ki cheekh nikal gayi.
Kyuki…
Woh Lalita thi… lekin uski aankhen bilkul
kaali thi.
Aur usne dheere se kaha:
"Rahul… tumhe yahan nahi aana chahiye tha."
Tabhi achanak Rahul ke peeche se kisi ne zor se darwaza band kar diya.
Rahul ne mud kar dekha…
Aur andhere mein 3 aur log khade the.
Unme se ek aadmi bola:
"Aakhir tum aa hi gaye Rahul… ab tumhe Lalita ki maut ka sach pata chalega."
Rahul ka dil zor-zor se dhadakne laga.
Lekin usko abhi tak ek baat samajh nahi aa rahi thi…
Agar Lalita mar chuki thi…
Toh uske saamne khadi yeh ladki kaun thi…?