Title: "Purani Haveli ka Raaz"
Mera naam Aarav hai. Har saal ki tarah iss baar bhi summer vacation mein mummy-papa ne decide kiya ki hum gaon jayenge — dadi ke ghar. Sach bolun toh mujhe gaon jaana zyada pasand nahi tha, kyunki wahan na fast internet tha, na friends. Lekin iss baar jo hua, usne meri zindagi ki sabse ajeeb kahani bana di.
Hamare gaon mein ek bahut purani haveli thi — Chaudhary Haveli. Yeh haveli mere dadaji ke bade bhai ki thi. Bachpan se hi sab log kehte the ki haveli mein koi nahi rehta, par raat ko wahan lights jalti dikhti hain.
Main samajhta tha ki yeh sirf gaon walon ki banayi hui kahani hogi.
Par jab hum wahan pahunche, toh mujhe pehle din hi kuch ajeeb laga.
---
Pehli Shaam
Shaam ko sab rishtedaar ikattha hue — chacha, bua, cousins sab. Dinner ke time maine casually pooch liya,
"Dadi, woh purani haveli mein kaun rehta hai?"
Poore room mein achanak silence ho gaya.
Dadi ne bas itna kaha,
"Us jagah ke baare mein zyada sawaal nahi poochte."
Mujhe samajh nahi aaya. Mere cousin Rohan ne dheere se kaha,
"Raat ko wahan mat jaana… log kehte hain koi dekh raha hota hai."
Uski baat sunkar sab hans diye, par mujhe laga woh mazaak nahi kar raha.
---
Raat ka Pehla Suspense
Us raat mujhe neend nahi aa rahi thi. Window se bahar dekha toh door haveli ki taraf ek halka sa peela light jal raha tha.
Maine socha — agar haveli khaali hai, toh light kaise?
Curiosity mujh par haavi ho gayi.
Main chupke se bahar nikla. Rohan bhi jag raha tha, toh woh bhi mere saath aa gaya.
Hum dono torch lekar haveli ki taraf chal pade.
Jaise hi gate ke paas pahunche, hawa achanak tez ho gayi. Gate khud-ba-khud halkasa hil raha tha.
"Chal wapas chalte hain," Rohan bola.
Tabhi andar se kisi cheez girne ki awaaz aayi.
Hum dono jam gaye.
---
Haveli ke Andar
Darwaza aadha khula tha.
Andar dhool jami hui thi, jaise saalon se safai nahi hui. Par ek ajeeb baat thi — floor par naye footprints the.
"Koi toh yahan aata hai," maine kaha.
Tabhi upar se footsteps ki awaaz aayi.
Dhup… dhup… dhup…
Humne torch upar daali, par koi nahi tha.
Achanak ek kamre ka darwaza zor se band ho gaya.
Rohan darr ke maare bhaag gaya, par meri nazar ek purani photo frame par padi. Usmein mere dadaji aur ek aur aadmi khade the — bilkul unke jaise dikhne wale.
Neeche naam likha tha: Raghunath Chaudhary.
Maine kabhi yeh naam nahi suna tha.
---
Agle Din ka Sach
Subah maine papa se poocha,
"Raghunath kaun the?"
Papa thoda nervous ho gaye.
"Kuch purani family baatein hain… bhool jao."
Par ab meri curiosity aur badh chuki thi.
Bua ne chupke se mujhe bataya ki Raghunath dadaji ke bade bhai the. Saalon pehle family mein property ko lekar jhagda hua tha. Uske baad woh haveli mein akela rehne lage… aur ek din achanak gayab ho gaye.
Na unka pata chala, na unki koi khabar.
Tab se haveli band hai.
---
Dusri Raat
Us raat maine decide kiya — sach jaan kar rahunga.
Is baar main akela gaya.
Haveli mein enter karte hi mujhe mehsoos hua jaise koi mujhe dekh raha ho.
Upar wale kamre se light aa rahi thi.
Main dheere-dheere seedhiyan chadha.
Darwaza thoda khula tha.
Andar ek table par purani diaries rakhi thi… aur ek lantern jal rahi thi.
Maine diary kholi.
Usmein likha tha:
"Apne hi logon par bharosa karna sabse badi galti thi…"
Mera dil tez dhadakne laga.
Diary ke pages mein family ke naam likhe the — mere dadaji, chacha, sabke.
Jaise kisi ne apni kahani likhi ho.
Tabhi peeche se awaaz aayi —
"Tumhein yahan nahi aana chahiye tha."
Main palat gaya.
Ek buddhe aadmi khade the.
---
Sabse Bada Twist
Main darr gaya, par woh aadmi shaant the.
Unhone kaha,
"Main Raghunath hoon."
Mujhe yakeen nahi hua.
Unhone bataya ki property dispute ke baad family ne unhe galat samjha. Woh gusse mein haveli chhodkar nahi gaye — balki yahin chupkar rehne lage.
Unhe laga family sirf paison ke liye unse judi hai.
Saalo tak woh logon se door rahe, bas raat ko gaon se samaan le aate.
"Main dekhna chahta tha… kya kisi ko meri yaad hai," unhone kaha.
Mujhe samajh aa gaya — haveli haunted nahi thi.
Woh sirf ek akela insaan tha.
---
Sach Samne Aata Hai
Agle din maine sabko sach bataya.
Pehle kisi ne believe nahi kiya.
Par jab papa aur chacha haveli gaye, toh Raghunath dada sach mein wahan mile.
Sab emotional ho gaye.
Saalo ki galatfehmi ek din mein khatam ho gayi.
Dadaji ro pade.
"Humne socha tum humein chhodkar chale gaye…"
Raghunath dada ne bas itna kaha,
"Kabhi-kabhi insaan ghar mein hote hue bhi akela ho jata hai."
---
Last Suspense
Sab kuch theek ho gaya… par kahani yahin khatam nahi hui.
Gaon se wapas aane wali raat, main balcony mein khada tha.
Haveli ki taraf dekha.
Is baar wahan koi light nahi thi.
Sab normal lag raha tha.
Par jaise hi main mudne laga, haveli ki sabse upar wali window mein ek shadow dikhi.
Main socha shayad Raghunath dada honge.
Par next morning pata chala —
woh toh raat ko hi papa ke saath sheher aa chuke the.
Toh phir…
Haveli ki window mein kaun tha?
Aaj tak mujhe uska jawab nahi mila.
Aur jab bhi family gathering hoti hai, sab haveli ki baat karne se bachne lagte hain.
Kabhi-kabhi lagta hai…
har family ke paas ek raaz hota hai —
jo poori tarah kabhi saamne nahi aata.
END