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Main Shruti hoon, 24 saal ki ek journalism student. Hamare college mein Halloween week chalu tha, aur last event tha – dare night. Truth-or-dare, lekin campus ke bahar, us haveli mein jise locals ‘Rana ki Haveli’ kehte hain. Woh jagah 40 saal se khaali padi hai. Sunne mein aata tha ki kisi zamane mein wahan Rana Parikshit naam ka zamindar rehta tha, jiske poore parivaar ne ek hi raat mein apna khaatma kar liya tha. Tab se log kehte hain, wahan ajeeb si awaazen aati hain.
Main dare ke chakkar mein mazaaq samajh kar haan keh baithi. Mera task tha – raat ke barah baje haveli ke chhat tak jaake ek video banana.
12:07 AM – Main haveli ke lohe ke gate ke paas pahunch chuki thi. Gaon ke do local ladke aur mere do dost bahar wait kar rahe the. Mere haathon mein torch aur phone tha. Haveli ka darwaza kulta nahi tha, isliye main pichhle diwar se chadh ke andar gayi. Andar sab kuch viran tha, dhool se bhaara hua, aur ek ajeeb si thandi hawa… jaise kisi ne gale mein phoonk maar di ho.
Main seediyon ki taraf badhi. Seediyan purani aur kar-karaahat bhari thi. Har kadam par lagta jaise mujhe koi dekh raha ho. Mere phone ke flashlight mein ek bada portrait dikhai diya – ek purush aur ek chhoti ladki. Neeche “Parikshit aur Ira – 1975” likha tha. Mujhe kuch ajeeb sa mehsoos hua…
12:16 AM – Jab main chhat tak pahunchi, hawa aur tez ho gayi thi. Maine video on kiya aur bolna shuru kiya, “Main Shruti hoon, aur yeh hai dare night ka final task…”
Tabhi peechhe se kisi ki sarsaraahat suni. Jaise koi ladki hansi ho dheere se. Main palti… koi nahi tha. Par jaise hawa mein kisi ki khushboo thi – jaise peele gulabon ki. Tabhi phone pe vibration hua.
Screen pe likha tha: “Incoming Call – Ira.”
Main kaan tak phone le gayi, par awaz sirf static thi… aur ek dum se ek bachi ki halke se boli gayi line:
“Tum bhi chhod doge mujhe…?”
Main kaan se phone hata ke dekhi – call cut ho chuki thi. Par mere haath maara gaya tha – koi meri fingers pakad raha tha peeche se. Main tez se chillaayi, “Kaun hai?!”
Answer mein wahin bachi ki awaaz, bilkul kaan ke paas – “Mujhe mat chhodo… phir se nahi…”
Main poore jor se neeche bhaagi. Har step par aisa lag rahaa tha jaise mere peeche koi daud raha hai, lekin main jab bhi palat ke dekhti – sirf khaali andhera.
Bahar nikalte hi gir gayi. Mere dost bhaag ke aaye. Maine kuch nahi bataya, sirf kaha – “Chalo yahaan se.”
Par is raat ke baad sab badal gaya. Mera phone har raat 12:16 AM pe ring karta, caller ID – “Ira.” Har baar wahi awaaz, “Tum bhi chhod doge mujhe?”
Maine number block kiya, phone badla – koi faida nahi. University counselor kehti thi – “Subconscious hai, stress hai.” Par unhe kya pata, jab kamre mein raat ko poore room mein peele gulabon ki khushboo fail jaaye, ya mirror pe likha mile – “Mujhe yahan se nikaalo.”
Main haveli wapas gayi – us portrait ke paas. Pichhe ki diwar par kuch likha tha – “Ira zinda jali thi iss chhat mein – 1975.”
Darwaza todha, chhat ke kone mein ek purani lakdi ki sandook thi. Jab maine khola, toh andar ek chhoti si haddi wali bachi ki body aur ek yellow ribbon mila. Us ribbon mein likha tha – “Ira. 6 years.”
Mujhe sab samajh aa gaya – us raat uske parivaar ne aatmahatya nahi ki thi. Ira ko zinda jala diya gaya tha… aur uski aatma wahi atki thi, kisi ke ek sath ki talaash mein. Shayad sirf ek dosti, ek waada, ki koi usse bhoolega nahi.
Maine uski body temple ke pandit ko de ke antimsanskar karwaya. Pandit ne mantra padhe, aur bola, “Ab woh shant ho jaayegi.”
Us raat Ira ka call aaya, lekin is baar sirf ek halki hansi… aur phir kabhi koi call nahi aaya.
5 mahine beet gaye hain. Main wahi dare video edit kar rahi thi journal ke liye, jab background mein mujhe fir wahi line sunai di – “Tum bhi chhod doge mujhe?”
Maine pause kiya… rewind kiya… suna—nahi thi pehle. Par ab hai. Mujhe laga sab khatam ho gaya tha. Shayad Ira ab bhi chhat se utar nahi paayi… ya ho sakta hai… ab wo mujhmein ghuse ja rahi ho.
Mujhe har raat peele gulab ki khushboo aati hai.
Main bas itna kahungi – agar kabhi dare ke chakkar mein us haveli ka rukh karna chaho… toh palat ke mat dekhna.
Shayad Ira ab kisi naye dost ki talash mein hai.
