Raat ke 10:47 baj rahe the jab bus ne apni aakhri lambi saans li aur jhatke ke saath ruk gayi. Engine ki gharrr-gharrr awaaz dheere-dheere khamoshi me ghul gayi. Conductor ne thoda jhuk kar bahar jhaanka aur phir tez awaaz me bola—
"Last stop! Aage jungle ka raasta hai. Yahin utarna hai to utar jao!"
Bus me bas do hi log bache the. Ek buddhe aadmi jo turant utar kar andhere me gaayab ho gaye… aur dusri thi Ananya.
Ananya ne apna sling bag kandhe par dala. Phone ki battery sirf 18% thi. Network — zero.
"Perfect," usne dheere se kaha.
Woh bus se neeche utri. Mitti ki halki si sugandh hawa me ghuli thi, jaise kuch der pehle hi baarish hui ho. Door kahin se raat ke keede-makodon ki awaaz aa rahi thi. Ek ajeeb sa sannata tha — aisa sannata jo shor se bhi zyada dara deta hai.
Bus chali gayi.
Uski red tail light dheere-dheere chhoti hoti gayi… aur phir poori tarah gaayab.
Ab wahan sirf Ananya thi. Aur andhera.
Usne apni dadi ki baat yaad ki —
"Beta, wahan raat ko mat rukna. Wo jagah theek nahi hai."
Par Ananya practical ladki thi. She didn't believe in ghosts. She believed in logic.
Aur logic yeh tha —
Haveli uske dadaji ki thi. Saalon se band padi thi. Agar property bechni hai to kisi ko to dekhna hi padega.
Gaon yahan se lagbhag do kilometer door tha. Jungle ke beech se ek kachcha raasta jaata tha jo seedha haveli tak pahunchta tha.
Ananya ne phone ki torch on ki.
Raasta patla tha. Dono taraf ghane ped. Hawa chalti to unki shaakhen ek dusre se takra kar ajeeb si kharak paida karti.
Jaise koi dheere se chal raha ho.
Jaise koi peecha kar raha ho.
Ananya ne do-teen baar peeche mud kar dekha. Har baar bas andhera hi tha.
"Stop overthinking," usne khud ko daanta.
10 minute chalne ke baad use laga jaise jungle aur ghana ho gaya hai. Hawa thandi hoti ja rahi thi. Usne apni jacket thodi tight kar li.
Tabhi uska phone blink hua.
Battery 10%.
"Great. Bas ab yeh bhi band ho jaaye."
Woh tez kadam badhane lagi.
Phir achanak…
Use laga kisi ne uska naam liya.
"…Ananya…"
Woh turant ruk gayi.
Dil zor se dhadakne laga.
Usne aas-paas dekha.
"Kaun hai?" usne zor se poocha.
Koi jawab nahi.
Sirf hawa.
Shayad imagination.
Par phir… pedon ke beech ek safed sa saya hilta hua dikhayi diya.
Ananya ne torch us taraf ghumayi.
Kuch nahi.
"Bas… bas dimaag ka khel hai."
Woh phir chalne lagi.
Aur phir usne use dekha.
Door andhere me ek badi si imarat ka dhundhla sa aakar.
Haveli.
Wo itni badi thi ki andhere me bhi uska saya aasman se takrata hua lag raha tha. Chaaron taraf jungle. Beech me tanha khadi ek purani, tooti-phooti haveli.
Gate lohe ka tha. Upar zung laga hua. Naam ki plate aadhi tooti hui.
"Sharma Haveli."
Uska surname.
Uska ghar.
Ya shayad… ab nahi.
Ananya gate ke paas pahunchi. Gate band tha.
Usne haath lagaya hi tha ki—
"Creeeeeeak…"
Gate apne aap dheere se khul gaya.
Uska haath hawa me hi ruk gaya.
Hawa tez chal rahi thi.
"Bas hawa."
Par gate poora khul kar ruk gaya.
Jaise kisi ne andar se khola ho.
Ananya dheere se andar gayi.
Andar ek bada sa aangan tha. Beech me sookha hua fountain. Chaaron taraf baramda aur upar balcony.
Saari khidkiyan band.
Bas ek khidki halki si khuli hui.
Aur us khidki ke parde dheere-dheere hil rahe the.
Jaise koi abhi-abhi wahan se hata ho.
Ananya ka gala sukh gaya.
"Yeh sab hawa hai. Old structures react to wind pressure."
Usne khud ko fir se samjhaya.
Darwaza bhaari lakdi ka tha. Usne zor lagaya.
Darwaza dhad se khula.
Andar andhera.
Poora ka poora hall dhool se dhaka hua. Furniture par safed chadar. Diwaron par purani tasveerein.
Aur ek ajeeb si smell.
Na purani lakdi ki.
Na sirf dhool ki.
Kuch aur.
Jaise band jagah me saalon se koi saans le raha ho.
Ananya dheere-dheere andar badhi.
Uske kadmon ki goonj poore hall me phail rahi thi.
Thak… thak… thak…
Achanak upar se kisi cheez ke girne ki awaaz aayi.
"Thudd!"
Woh jhat se ruk gayi.
"Hello?"
Khamoshi.
Usne torch upar ki balcony par daali.
Aur usne dekha.
Balcony ke kone me koi khada tha.
Ek patla sa saya.
Bilkul seedha.
Bilkul chup.
Ananya ki saansein ruk gayi.
"Kaun hai wahan?!"
Torch thodi hil gayi.
Aur jab usne phir se focus kiya—
Wahan kuch nahi tha.
Kone me sirf ek purani murti rakhi thi.
Shayad wahi saya laga hoga.
Shayad.
Par uska dil maan nahi raha tha.
Woh dheere se seedhiyon ki taraf badhi.
Har kadam par seedhiyan cheekh rahi thi.
Jaise har step use warn kar raha ho —
"Wapas jao."
Par woh rukne wali nahi thi.
Upar pahunch kar usne pehla kamra khola.
Khaali.
Dusra kamra.
Khaali.
Teesra kamra…
Darwaza aadha khula.
Andar andhera thoda kam tha.
Jaise wahan roshni ho.
Par bijli to thi hi nahi.
Ananya ne darwaza dheere se khola.
Kamra bilkul saaf tha.
Baaki sab kamron ke muqable.
Bed par dhool nahi.
Table par ek diya rakha tha.
Aur diya… jal raha tha.
Ananya ka dimaag blank ho gaya.
"Yeh impossible hai…"
Woh dheere se andar gayi.
Tabhi darwaza uske peeche "dhad" se band ho gaya.
Woh palti.
Handle ghumaya.
Darwaza locked.
"Hey! Open!"
Usne zor lagaya.
Darwaza nahi khula.
Tabhi peeche se halki si hasi ki awaaz aayi.
"heh… heh…"
Woh dheere se mudhi.
Diya bujh chuka tha.
Kamra poora andhera.
Aur us andhere me—
Do chamakti hui aankhen.
Seedha use dekh rahi thi.
Ananya cheekhne wali thi…
Par awaaz gale me atak gayi.
Woh aankhen dheere-dheere paas aane lagi.
Har second me thodi aur kareeb.
Uska dil itni zor se dhadak raha tha ki use laga wo behosh ho jayegi.
Phir achanak—
Phone band ho gaya.
Poora andhera.
Aur us andhere me bas ek fuspusaahat—
"Tum aa hi gayi…"
Ananya ne apni saari himmat jodi aur zor se darwaza pe laat maari.
Ek jhatke me darwaza khul gaya.
Woh seedhiyon ki taraf daudi.
Neeche hall me pahunch kar usne dekha—
Gate band tha.
Andar se.
Aur balcony par…
Wahi saya phir se khada tha.
Is baar clearly.
Lambe baal.
Safed kapde.
Aur gardan tedhi.
Jaise haddiyan toot chuki ho.
Ananya ki aankhon se aansu nikal aaye.
"Yeh sach nahi hai… yeh sach nahi hai…"
Saya dheere-dheere seedhiyan utarne laga.
Ek-ek kadam.
Haddiyon ke tutne ki awaaz ke saath.
Crack… crack…
Ananya peeche hatti.
Gate tak pahunchi.
Gate nahi khula.
Saya bas do kadam door tha.
Uska chehra ab clearly dikh raha tha.
Aankhen kaali.
Bilkul bina safedi ke.
Aur honton par ek ajeeb si muskuraahat.
"Yeh ghar ab tumhara nahi…"
Usne apna haath Ananya ki taraf badhaya.
Aur jaise hi uski ungli Ananya ke maathe ko chhune wali thi—
Sab kuch andhera ho gaya.
…
Jab Ananya ki aankh khuli…
Woh haveli ke aangan me khadi thi.
Subah ho chuki thi.
Gate khula hua tha.
Jaise kuch hua hi na ho.
Usne apne haath dekhe.
Sab theek.
Phone ground par pada tha.
Battery dead.
Woh dheere se peeche mudhi.
Haveli shaant thi.
Bilkul normal.
Jaise raat ki sab baatein ek bura sapna thi.
Par jab usne upar balcony ki taraf dekha—
Wahan koi khada tha.
Din ke ujale me.
Bilkul seedha.
Aur usne haath hila kar Ananya ko bye kaha.
Ananya ka khoon jam gaya.
Kyuki balcony par khadi wo ladki…
Bilkul us jaisi dikh rahi thi.
Same face.
Same kapde.
Same bag.
Aur uske honton par wahi muskuraahat.