“Andhere Ghar Ka Raaz”
Raat ka waqt tha… ghadi ne 1 bajne ki halki si awaaz di, aur poora ghar khamoshi mein doob gaya. Srinagar ke ek purane mohalle mein ek chhota sa ghar tha—Ahmed family ka. Bahar se dekhne mein bilkul aam, lekin andar kuch aisa tha jo kisi ko bhi bechain kar de…
Yeh kahani hai Irfan Ahmed, uski biwi Shazia, aur unki chhoti beti Areeba ki.
Irfan ek seedha-saadha aadmi tha, bank mein naukri karta tha. Shazia ghar sambhalti thi, aur Areeba bas 6 saal ki masoom si bachchi thi. Sab kuch bilkul normal chal raha tha… jab tak woh ek raat nahi aayi.
Us raat Shazia ne mehsoos kiya ke kitchen se halki si awaz aa rahi hai. Jaise koi bartano ko dheere dheere hila raha ho. Usne socha shayad billi ghus aayi ho… lekin jab woh kitchen mein gayi, toh sab kuch bilkul theek tha. Ek bhi cheez apni jagah se hili hui nahi thi.
Woh thoda ghabra gayi… lekin phir khud ko samjhaya: “Shayad mera waham hai.”
Lekin yeh sirf shuruaat thi.
Agli kuch raaton tak, ajeeb cheezein hone lagi. Kabhi darwaza apne aap halkasa khul jata, kabhi Areeba apni neend mein kisi se baat karti rehti. Shazia ne ek raat clearly suna:
“Mat aao… mujhe dar lagta hai…”
Shazia turant uth kar Areeba ke paas gayi. “Beta, tum kisse baat kar rahi ho?”
Areeba ne aankhen kholi, seedha deewar ki taraf dekha… aur dheere se boli:
“Woh uncle… jo hamesha yahan khade rehte hain…”
Shazia ka khoon jam gaya.
Usne turant Irfan ko jagaya aur sab bataya. Irfan ne hans kar kaha, “Bachchi hai, sapna dekha hoga.”
Lekin us raat ke baad, Irfan bhi chain se nahi so paya.
Ek din Irfan ne decide kiya ke woh ghar ke purane malik ke baare mein pata kare. Mohalle ke ek buzurg ne usse bataya:
“Yeh ghar pehle Bashir naam ke aadmi ka tha… woh akela rehta tha… aur ek din achanak uski maut ho gayi. Log kehte hain ke uski rooh abhi bhi yahin bhatakti hai…”
Irfan ne yeh baat sun kar ignore karne ki koshish ki… lekin uske dil mein ek ajeeb si bechaini baith gayi.
Us raat, jab sab so rahe the… Irfan ki aankh achanak khul gayi. Usne mehsoos kiya ke kamra thoda thanda ho gaya hai. Jaise kisi ne AC chalu kar diya ho… lekin AC toh tha hi nahi.
Usne dheere se palat kar dekha…
Aur uska dil ruk gaya.
Darwaze ke paas ek aadmi khada tha. Safed kapde… lambe baal… aur chehra andhere mein chhupa hua.
Irfan chillana chahta tha… lekin awaaz hi nahi nikal rahi thi.
Woh aadmi dheere dheere aage badhne laga…
Tabhi achanak light on ho gayi.
Shazia ne Irfan ko hila kar jagaya, “Kya hua? Tum itne paseene mein kyun ho?”
Irfan ne idhar-udhar dekha… koi nahi tha.
“Woh… woh yahin tha…” Irfan ne hichkichate hue kaha.
Ab dono samajh chuke the… yeh sirf waham nahi hai.
Agli subah, Shazia ne faisla kiya ke woh ek maulana ko bulayegi. Maulana sahab aaye, unhone poora ghar dekha, kuch duayein padhi… aur phir ruk kar bole:
“Yahan koi hai… jo jaane ko tayyar nahi.”
Shazia ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye, “Humein kya karna hoga?”
Maulana ne kaha, “Aap log daro mat… lekin is ghar mein akelay rehna ab safe nahi hai.”
Us raat sab ne mil kar Quran ki tilawat ki… ghar mein thodi der ke liye sukoon aa gaya.
Lekin aadhi raat ke baad…
Phir se wohi awaaz…
Is baar zyada tez.
Kitchen ke saare bartan zor zor se girne lage. Darwaze apne aap band aur khul rahe the. Areeba zor zor se ro rahi thi:
“Woh uncle gussa ho gaye hain!”
Irfan ne himmat karke kitchen ki taraf kadam badhaye… lekin jaise hi usne darwaza khola…
Usne jo dekha, usne uski rooh hila di.
Ek aadmi, bilkul wahi jo usne raat ko dekha tha… chhat se ulti latak raha tha… aur seedha Irfan ki taraf dekh raha tha.
Uski aankhen bilkul kaali thi.
Aur usne dheere se kaha…
“Yeh ghar mera hai…”
Irfan cheekh pada aur peeche gir gaya.
Agli subah, bina kuch soche samjhe… Irfan ne ghar chhodne ka faisla kar liya. Unhone jaldi jaldi samaan bandha aur wahan se nikal gaye.
Lekin kahani yahin khatam nahi hoti…
Kuch din baad, Shazia ne mehsoos kiya ke Areeba phir se apne aap se baat kar rahi hai.
“Uncle… aap yahan kaise aa gaye?”
Shazia ka dil dub gaya.
Usne dheere se poocha, “Kaun uncle, beta?”
Areeba muskura kar boli…
“Wohi… jo humare purane ghar mein rehte the… ab woh humare saath hi aaye hain…”
Us raat, naye ghar mein bhi… wohi thandi hawa chalne lagi.
Aur darwaza dheere se khul gaya…
Jaise koi andar aa raha ho.
THE END… ya shayad nahi.


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