Aryan ka saans phoolne laga. Usne apne haathon ko dekha jo baraf ki tarah safed aur dhundle hote ja rahe the. Meera ki aankhon mein ab wo purani chamak nahi thi, balki ek gehra sannaata tha—aisa sannaata jo sirf kabristanon mein hota hai.
"Meera, ye sab kya hai? Main... main kahan hoon?" Aryan ki awaaz kile ki deewaron se takra kar wapas aa rahi thi, jaise koi khali bartan baj raha ho.
Meera ne gramophone ki sui thodi aur aage sarka di. Purane zamane ka ek dard bhara sangeet poore basement mein goonjne laga. Usne Aryan ka hath pakad kar use us painting ke samne khada kar diya.
"Aryan, yaad karo... teen saal pehle ki wo aakhri baarish. Jab tum cafe se nikal kar mere peeche bhage the. Kya tumne kabhi rasta paar kiya tha?"
Aryan ke dimaag mein dhamaka hua. Use dhundli yaadein aane lagin. Ek tez headlight ki roshni, geeli sadak par fisalti hui gaadi ke tyres ki cheekh, aur phir... sab khatam. Usne jhatke se apna hath Meera se chhudaya.
"Nahi! Main zinda hoon! Main har roz us cafe mein jata hoon, wahan ki coffee peeta hoon, logon ko dekhta hoon!" Aryan chilla utha.
Meera ne ek feeki muskurahat ke sath kaha, "Tum wahan baithte zaroor ho, par kya kabhi kisi ne tumhari coffee ka bill maanga? Kya kabhi waiter ne tumse pucha ki 'Sahab, aur kuch chahiye?' Tum sirf ek purani aadat ho Aryan, jo us cafe ke kone mein qaid ho gayi thi. Aur main... main wo zariya hoon jo tumhe ye sach dikhane aayi hoon."
Deewaron ka raaz
Aryan ne ghoom kar dekha. Basement ki deewaron par sirf paintings nahi thi, balki hazaron purane khat (letters) chipkaye gaye the. Usne ek khat uthaya. Us par uska apna naam likha tha, par tareekh aaj se do saal pehle ki thi.
"Aryan, aaj phir tumhari yaad aayi. Cafe gayi thi, par tumhari mez khali thi. Shayad tumne aage badhne ka faisla kar liya hai." — Tumhari Meera.
Aryan ka sar chakra gaya. "Agar main mar chuka hoon, toh tum ye khat kise likh rahi thi? Aur tum... tum zinda ho?"
Meera ne apni aasteen (sleeve) upar ki. Uske kalai par ek purana nishan tha, jaise kisi ne use zor se pakda ho. "Main zinda hoon, Aryan. Par main sirf adhi zinda hoon. Us hadse ne tumse tumhari jaan li, aur mujhse meri rooh. Main tab se isi kile mein reh rahi hoon, un yaadon ko rangon mein utarti hoon jo humne kabhi jiyi hi nahi."
Tabhi, kile ki deewaron se ajeeb si sarsarahat hone lagi. Aisa lag raha tha jaise koi aur bhi wahan maujood hai. Aryan ne dekha ki basement ke andhere kone se kuch saaye (shadows) nikal kar unki taraf badh rahe hain.
"Ye kaun hain, Meera?" Aryan ne darte hue pucha.
Meera ka chehra achanak gambhir ho gaya. "Ye wo adhure waade hain, Aryan, jo tumne mujhse kiye the. Ye wo lamhe hain jo kabhi pure nahi hue. Ye tumhe wapas us duniya mein nahi jane denge jahan tum khud ko zinda samajhte ho."
Achanak, basement ka wo bhari darwaza, jise Aryan ne do chabiyon se khola tha, apne aap band ho gaya. Par is baar bahar se kisi ne use lock kar diya.
Aryan ne darwaze par mukke maare, "Kaun hai bahar? Kholo ise!"
Bahar se ek bhari, par jaani-pehchani awaaz aayi. "Chabiyaan do thi Aryan, par darwaza sirf ek ke liye khulna chahiye tha. Tumne Meera ko kyun dhoonda?"
Aryan sunn reh gaya. Wo awaaz us cafe ke maalik ki thi—wahi budha aadmi jo hamesha counter par baitha rehta tha aur Aryan ko kabhi tokta nahi tha.
"Maalik? Aap yahan kya kar rahe hain? Darwaza kholiye!" Aryan ne chillakar kaha.
Budhe ki hasi poore kile mein goonji. "Main cafe ka maalik nahi hoon, beta. Main is kile ka pehredar hoon. Teen saal se main dekh raha hoon ki ek ladka roz cafe mein aata hai aur ek aisi ladki ka intezar karta hai jo kabhi wahan thi hi nahi. Meera toh us hadse ke agle din hi shehar chhod kar chali gayi thi."
Aryan ne palat kar Meera ki taraf dekha. Meera ab bhi wahi khadi thi, par uski shakal badal rahi thi. Uska chehra ab dhundla hota ja raha tha, jaise wo baf (vapour) ban rahi ho.
"Meera! Ye kya ho raha hai?" Aryan ne uske hath pakadne ki koshish ki, par uske hath hawa mein nikal gaye.
Meera ne rote hue kaha, "Aryan, maine kaha tha na... main tumhare peeche wali mez par baithi rehti thi. Par main wo Meera nahi hoon jise tum pyar karte the. Main sirf tumhare pachtave (guilt) ka ek hissa hoon. Asli Meera toh kab ki ja chuki hai. Usne shaadi kar li, uska ek parivar hai. Wo tumhe bhool chuki hai."
Asliyat ka Kadwa Sach
Aryan ka dil toot kar bikhar gaya. "Toh ye kile ki chabi? Ye note? Ye sab kisne bheja?"
Bahar se budhe ne jawab diya, "Maine bheja. Kyunki tumhari aatma ne us cafe ko qaid kar rakha tha. Jab tak tum is kile mein aakar apna sach swikaar nahi karte, tum bhatakte rehte. Aaj raat, tumhari teesri barsi hai, Aryan. Aaj tumhe chunna hoga."
"Kya chunna hoga?" Aryan ne pucha.
"Ya toh tum is kile ki deewaron mein hamesha ke liye qaid ho jao un yaadon ke sath jo jhoothi hain... ya phir us painting ke andar chale jao, jahan tumhara intezar koi aur kar raha hai."
Aryan ne us painting ki taraf dekha. Usmein ab sirf Aryan ki tasveer nahi thi. Usmein ek aur dhundli akriti (figure) ban rahi thi. Wo akriti Meera ki nahi thi. Wo kisi aise shakhs ki thi jise Aryan nahi jaanta tha, par uski aankhon mein wahi dard tha jo Aryan ki aankhon mein tha.
Andhera aur Ek Nayi Dastak
Basement ki roshni dheere-dheere khatam hone lagi. Meera ki aatma poori tarah gayab ho chuki thi. Aryan ab us andhere kamre mein akela tha. Usne dekha ki uski diary ke panno se dhuwan nikal raha hai.
Usne wo panna uthaya jis par likha tha: "Main hamesha tumhare peeche wali mez par baithi rehti thi."
Achanak use yaad aaya. Meera kabhi cafe mein piche nahi baithti thi. Wo hamesha khidki ke paas baithti thi. Toh piche kaun baithta tha?
Aryan ne andhere mein piche mud kar dekha. Us andhere kone mein wahi purani mez aur kursi rakhi thi jo cafe mein thi. Aur wahan koi baitha tha. Ek ladki, jiske bal bikhre hue the aur wo kuch likh rahi thi.
Aryan darta hua uske paas gaya. "Kaun ho tum?"
Ladki ne sar uthaya. Uska chehra Aryan ke chehre se milta-julta tha. Usne kaha, "Main tumhari wo kahani hoon, Aryan, jo tumne kabhi likhi hi nahi. Tumne Meera ke baare mein itna socha ki tum bhool gaye ki tumhari apni bhi ek hasti thi."
Usne Aryan ko ek aaina dikhaya. Aaine mein Aryan ko apna chehra nahi, balki us budhe pehredar ka chehra dikha.
Aryan piche hat gaya. "Nahi... ye nahi ho sakta! Main jawan hoon! Main 25 saal ka hoon!"
Budhe ki awaaz ab kamre ke andar se aa rahi ti. "Waqt wahan ruk gaya tha Aryan, jahan tum ruk gaye the. Par asliyat mein, teen saal nahi, tees saal (30 years) beet chuke hain."
Aryan ne apne haathon ko dekha. Wo ab dhundle nahi the, balki jhurriyon se bhare hue the. Usne us painting ko dekha. Wo painting purani ho chuki thi aur us par dhool jami thi.
Ant: Ek Ansuljha Suspense
Aryan ne darwaze ki taraf dekha jo ab khula tha. Bahar baraf ki jagah dhoop thi. Par wo dhoop aaj ki nahi thi. Wo dhoop kisi aur zamane ki lag rahi thi.
Usne ek kadam bahar nikala, par jaise hi usne bahar dekha, uska dil baith gaya. Kile ke bahar Shimla ka wo shehar nahi tha jise wo jaanta tha. Bahar sirf ek khali maidan tha, aur door ek kabristan, jahan ek kabr par taaza phool chadhe hue the.
Aryan us kabr ki taraf bhaga. Us par likha tha:
"Aryan Mehra (1990 - 2023) - Unka intezar aaj khatam hua."
Aryan wahi baith gaya. Usne apne jeb mein hath dala. Usmein ab bhi wo do chabiyaan thi. Usne un chabiyon ko dekha. Un par ek chhota sa tag laga tha jo usne pehle nahi dekha tha.
Tag par likha tha: "Room No. 402, Shimla Mental Asylum."
Aryan ne sar uthaya. Use samne wahi budha pehredar dikha, par is baar wo doctor ke kapdon mein tha. Uske hath mein ek injection tha.
"Aryan, chalo wapas chalte hain. Aaj phir tumne wahi purani kahani dohraayi," Doctor ne naram awaaz mein kaha.
Aryan ne apne aas-pass dekha. Kila gayab ho chuka tha. Meera gayab thi. Wo ek safed kamre mein tha. Par tabhi uski nazar khidki par padi. Khidki ke bahar, ek ladki baraf mein khadi use dekh kar muskura rahi thi. Uske hath mein wahi neela phool tha.
Doctor ne pucha, "Tum kya dekh rahe ho?"
Aryan ne muskura kar kaha, "Wo... wo mera intezar kar rahi hai."
Doctor ne bahar dekha. Bahar kuch nahi tha, sirf ek sunsan maidan. Par Aryan ne jab apna hath dekha, toh uski mutthi mein ek asli neela phool tha, jo us baraf ki tarah thanda tha.
Agar sab kuch Aryan ke dimaag ka ek weham (hallucination) tha, toh wo phool kahan se aaya? Aur agar Meera mar chuki thi, toh wo phool taaza kaise tha?
Kahani wahi khatam ho gayi, par sawal wahi reh gaya: Kya Aryan pagal tha, ya phir maut ke baad bhi koi aisi jagah hoti hai jahan yaadon ke kile sach ban jate hain?
Ye kahani yahan ek aise mod par ruki hai jahan se aap taye kar sakte hain ki haqiqat kya thi. Is kahani ka reaz janne ke liye aapko next chapter apdhna hoga.