Surang ke andhere kone se nikalti hui wo parchhai ab dheere-dheere roshni me aa rahi thi. Aarav aur Meera dono ka dil zor-zor se dhadak raha tha. Aarav ne apne haath me pakdi hui purani chaabi ko aur mazbooti se pakad liya.
Jaise hi parchhai thodi aur kareeb aayi, uska chehra nazar aane laga. Wo koi aam insaan nahi tha. Uska chehra aadha andhere me chhupa hua tha aur uski laal chamakti aankhen seedha Aarav ki taraf dekh rahi thi.
"Tumne meri chaabi le li…" usne dheemi aur bhari awaaz me kaha. Uski awaaz aisi thi jaise kisi purane mahal ki deewaron se takra kar wapas aa rahi ho.
Meera darr ke maare peeche hat gayi.
"Aarav… hume yahan se bhaagna chahiye," usne dheere se kaha.
Lekin Aarav ko samajh aa gaya tha ki bhaagna itna aasaan nahi hoga. Surang ke peeche ka raasta pehle hi band ho chuka tha.
Laal aankhon wala saya dheere-dheere aage badhne laga.
"Yeh chaabi is mahal ka sabse bada raaz kholti hai… aur koi bhi ise le kar zinda bahar nahi ja sakta," usne kaha. Aarav ne himmat karke jawab diya,
"Humne kuch chori nahi ki. Hume bas yahan se bahar nikalna hai."
Saya ek pal ke liye ruk gaya. Phir usne ajeeb si hansi hasi.
"Bahar?"
"Is mahal me aane wale log bahar ka raasta bhool jaate hain…"
Achanak surang ki deewaron par bane purane symbols chamakne lage.
Neeli roshni poori surang me phail gayi.
Meera hairaan reh gayi.
"Yeh kya ho raha hai?"
Aarav ne dekha ki uske haath me pakdi hui chaabi bhi halki si chamak rahi thi.
Jaise hi chaabi chamki, surang ki ek deewar se patthar khisakne ki awaaz aayi. "Ghrrrrrr…"
Deewar dheere-dheere khulne lagi.
Uske peeche ek aur bhi purani aur gehri surang nazar aayi.
Laal aankhon wala saya achanak gusse me aa gaya.
"Ruko!"
Lekin tab tak Aarav aur Meera samajh chuke the ki yeh chaabi kisi secret raaste ko khol rahi hai.
"Meera, jaldi!" Aarav chillaaya.
Dono turant naye khule raaste ki taraf daud pade.
Unke peeche se saya bhi tez kadmon se unka peecha karne laga. Surang aur bhi zyada andheri thi. Torch ki roshni me bas patthar aur mitti dikh rahi thi.
Daudte-daudte achanak Aarav ruk gaya.
Uske saamne ek bada sa gol kamra tha.
Kamre ke beech me ek purana patthar ka takht bana hua tha. Takht ke upar ek kaala sa kitab rakha hua tha.
Kitab ke upar bhi wahi symbols bane hue the jo darwaze par the.
Meera ne dheere se kaha,
"Yeh kitab shayad is mahal ka raaz bata sakti hai…"
Aarav dheere-dheere takht ke paas gaya.
Jaise hi usne kitab ko haath lagaya, kamre me tez hawa chalne lagi।
Kamरे ki deewaron par lage mashaal apne-aap jal uthe. Aur tabhi unke peeche se wo laal aankhon wala saya phir se kamre me aa gaya.
Is baar wo aur bhi zyada gusse me tha।
"Tum logon ne bahut badi galti kar di…" usne garaj kar kaha।
"Wo kitab mat kholna!"
Lekin Aarav ko ab yakeen ho gaya tha ki is kitab me hi mahal ka raaz chhupa hai।
Usne dheere-dheere kitab ka pehla panna khola।
Jaise hi panna khula, kitab se tez neeli roshni nikli।
Kamre ki deewaron par ajeeb-ajeeb tasveerein dikhne lagi—
purane zamane ka mahal…
log…
aur ek shraapit darwaza…. Meera ne ghabra kar kaha,
"Aarav… lagta hai yeh kitab is mahal ki kahani dikha rahi hai…"
Kitab ke pannon par likha tha—
"Jo bhi Andhere Ka Darwaza kholta hai, wo mahal ke shraap ka hissa ban jata hai…"
Aarav ka dil ek pal ke liye ruk sa gaya।
"Matlab…?" Meera ne poocha।
Aarav ne dheere se kitab ka agla panna palta।
Us par ek bhayanak tasveer bani hui thi।
Tasveer me do log dikh rahe the…
aur unka chehra bilkul Aarav aur Meera jaisa tha।
Meera ki saans ruk gayi।
"Yeh… yeh kaise ho sakta hai?". Tabhi peeche khada saya zor se hansa।
"Kyuki tum dono ab is mahal ki kahani ka hissa ban chuke ho…"
Kamre ki roshni achanak laal ho gayi।
Aur takht ke peeche ek naya darwaza khulने laga…
Aarav aur Meera samajh gaye the—
Asli raaz abhi khulna baaki hai।
(To be continued…)
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