Raghav hamesha se manta tha ki samay bas ek seedhi lakeer hai—jo beet gaya, wo wapas nahi aata.
Lekin us raat, usne jo dekha, usne samay ki paribhasha hi badal di.
Barish zoron se ho rahi thi. Bijli ki chamak me uska purana ghar aur bhi darawna lag raha tha.
Dadaji ki mrityu ko das saal ho chuke the, aur aaj pehli baar Raghav akela us kamre me aya jahan sab log "bhootia kamra" kehte the.
Kamre ke ek kone me rakhi lakdi ki sandookchi ab bhi waisi hi thi.
Raghav ko nahi pata kyon, lekin aaj uska mann use kholne ko kar raha tha.
Kriiiee…
Sandookchi khuli.
Andar purane kagaz, kuch photos…
Aur beech me rakhi thi ek ajeeb si ghadi.
Ghadi gol thi, bhari thi…
Aur sabse ajeeb baat—uski suiyan peeche ki taraf chal rahi thi.
"Ye kya mazak hai…"
Raghav ne ghadi uthai.
Jaise hi uski ungliyan ghadi ko chhui—
Tik… tik… tik…
Awaz tez hoti gayi.
Kamra ghoomne laga.
Deeware dhundhli ho gayi.
Raghav cheekh bhi nahi paya.
Jab uski aankh khuli, to barish ruk chuki thi.
Lekin wo apne kamre me nahi tha.
Wo ek khuli sadak par khada tha—
Kacchi sadak, lalten ki roshni, bailgaadiyan…
Sab kuch bahut purana lag raha tha.
Tabhi kisi ne pukara—
"Raghav!"
Wo chonka gaya.
Ye naam… yahan kaun jaan sakta tha?
Usne peeche mudkar dekha.
Uske samne ek jawan aadmi khada tha—
Sidha sharir, tez aankhen…
Aur wahi chehra jo usne bachpan se photo me dekha tha.
"D… Dadaji?"
Raghav ki awaaz kamp rahi thi.
Aadmi muskuraya.
"Lagta hai ghadi ne tumhe chuna hai."
Dadaji use apne chhote se ghar le gaye.
Raghav ko yaqeen ho gaya tha—
Wo 50 saal peeche aa chuka tha.
Dadaji ne sach bataya.
"Ye ghadi samay ki rakhwali karti hai,"
Unhone kaha.
"Har peedhi me koi ek hota hai jo ise sambhalta hai."
"Lekin kyon?"
Raghav ne poocha.
Dadaji ki aankhen gambhir ho gayi.
"Kyoki samay agar bigda, to duniya tik nahi payegi."
Raghav ko laga ye sab kisi kahani jaisa hai.
Lekin wo kahani ka hissa ban chuka tha.
Agla din, Raghav ne kuch aisa dekha jisne use hila diya...