Raat ke theek 12:07 baj rahe the.
Ghadi ki sui jaise usi waqt par atak gayi ho.
Kamre me ajeeb si thand phail gayi thi, jabki pankha band tha aur khidki bhi poori tarah band thi.
Main bistar par leta hua tha,
lekin neend aankhon se koson door thi.
Mobile achanak mere haath me kaanp utha.
Unknown Number…
Maine screen ki taraf dekha.
Dil bina kisi wajah ke tez dhadakne laga.
Is waqt koi call kyun karega?
Maine call receive nahi ki.
Lekin agle hi pal—
phone dobara baj utha.
Is baar awaaz mere haath me pakde phone se nahi aa rahi thi,
balki kamre ke us kone se aa rahi thi
jahan teen saal se ek kamra band pada tha.
Kala Kamra.
Mere gale se awaaz nahi nikli.
Shareer jaise sunn ho gaya ho.
"Ye kaise mumkin hai…"
maine khud se kaha.
Mere paas sirf ek hi mobile tha.
Aur wo isi waqt mere haath me tha.
Phir bhi…
Kala kamre ke darwaze ke neeche se
halki si roshni bahar aa rahi thi.
Jabki us kamre me
na bijli thi,
na koi bulb.
Dhapp… dhapp…
Jaise koi andar chal raha ho.
Meri saansen tez ho gayi.
Dil zor zor se dhadakne laga.
Achanak—
Thak… thak… thak…
Darwaze par dastak hui.
Mere poore shareer me sarsarahat daud gayi.
Phir ek awaaz aayi.
Bahut dheemi…
bahut jaani pehchaani…
"Darwaza kholo…"
Main peeche hat gaya.
Kyunki ye awaaz…
meri apni thi.
"Ye koi mazaak nahi ho sakta…"
maine khud se kaha.
Usi pal mobile par ek message aaya.
Unknown:
"Tu der se aaya hai…
hum tera intezaar kar rahe the."
Mere haath kaanpne lage.
Mobile girte girte bacha.
Maine kala kamra ki taraf dekha.
Darwaza abhi bhi band tha,
lekin uski kundi dheere dheere hil rahi thi.
Jaise koi andar se
use kholne ki koshish kar raha ho.
"Ruko…"
mere muh se bas itna hi nikla.
Lekin tabhi doosra message aaya—
"Agar tune darwaza nahi khola,
to jo andar hai…
wo bahar aa jaayega."
Mere pairon ne mera saath chhod diya.
Main zameen par baith gaya.
Phir bhi,
kisi ajeeb taqat ne mujhe khada kar diya.
Main dheere dheere
kale kamre ke darwaze ke paas pahuncha.
Kundi par haath rakha.
Wo barf ki tarah thandi thi.
Aur tabhi—
mere kaan ke bilkul paas
kisi ne fुसफुसाकर kaha—
"Tu der se aaya hai…
hum tera intezaar kar rahe the…"
Mere rongte khade ho gaye.
Darwaza apne aap khulne laga.
Charrrrr…
Aur andar—
Maine khud ko dekha.
Wahi chehra.
Wahi kapde.
Lekin uski aankhen
poori tarah kaali thi.
Wo muskura raha tha.
Aur uske haath me
mera hi mobile tha.
Usne screen meri taraf ghumayi.
Mere pair kaanp rahe the.
Aankhen us par se hat hi nahi rahi thi.
Maine peeche mudkar bhaagne ki koshish ki,
lekin darwaza band tha.
Jaise kisi ne bahar se hi nahi,
andar se bhi raasta band kar diya ho.
"Mera peecha chhod do…"
meri awaaz khud mujhe hi ajnabi lag rahi thi.
Usne sirf muskuraya.
Uski muskurahat me dard nahi,
koi emotion nahi,
sirf ek ajeeb sa yaqeen tha.
Mujhe mehsoos hua
jaise ye sab pehle bhi ho chuka ho.
Jaise ye raat,
ye kamra,
aur ye chehra
mujhe pehle se jaanta ho.
Dil ke andar ek hi sawal ghoom raha tha—
Agar wo main hi hai,
to phir main kaun hoon?
Screen par likha tha—
"Kal koi marega."