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Paani ki boonden purani tin ki chhat pe tapak rahi thi. Garmiyon ke mausam mein bhi shahar ki us purani gali mein ek ajeeb si thand thi. Gali ke end mein khadi thi ek tedi-mehdi haveli – jise log ‘Lakshmi Mahal’ kehte the. Par kaafi saalon se wahan koi nahi gaya tha. Kehte hain wahan kuch ‘reh gaya’ tha.
Tanya ne Ravi ke gayab hone ke baad wahan jaana zaroori samjha. Ravi uska bachpan ka dost tha. Uski aakhri location isi gali ke paas dikhi thi. Police ne case close kar diya – “Missing person, no foul play.” Par Tanya jaanti thi Ravi aise hi nahi gayab ho sakta.
Shaam ko saat baje, vo gali se guzri. Kankad ke upar uske jooton ki aawaz goonj rahi thi. Haveli ke gate pe taala tha, lekin rusty lock bas ek jhatke mein toot gaya. Jaise kisi ne usey andar aane ko kaha ho.
Andar poora andhera tha. Torch ka button dabaya to ek patla seerhiyon wala raasta upar ja raha tha. Darwazon pe Nimbu-Mirchi latka tha, purana, sukh gaya. Haveli mein ghanti ki si halki aawazon ke siva kuch nahi tha.
Ek kamra tha – diya jala hua tha. Koi wahan tha. “Ravi?” usne poocha, lekin jawab nahi aaya. Kamre ki deewar pe chhoti-chhoti haathon ki laal chhap thi – jaise kisi ne khoon se banayi ho.
Usi waqt peechhe se kisi ke hansaane ki awaaz aayi. Tanya ne palat ke dekha – koi nahi tha. Lekin fir ek bacha… ha, chhoti si ladki… safed frock mein, uske samne khadi thi. Aankhein kaali, bina palke jhapkaye woh Tanya ko ghoor rahi thi.
“Bhaiya keh rahe the tum aogi,” ladki ne kaha. Uski awaaz mein insani pan nahi tha… jaise radio static ke saath aid milta ho.
“Ravi kahan hai?” Tanya ne poocha, aur uss ladki ne sirf muskara diya. “Yahin to hai. Mujhe mil gaya tha pehle hi. Ab tumhari baari hai. Akele ko khelna achha nahi lagta.”
Tanya ne us ladki se bhaagna chaha, lekin pair zameen mein jaise jam gaye. She could only look—helpless— as four more bache jaise aakaar andhere se ubhar ke uske charo taraf ghire.
Sabki aankhen ek jaise: khaali, bina roshni ke. “Ab tum bhi hamare jaise ban jao,” ek aur bacche ne kaha.
Tabhi kuch girne ki awaaz hui – upar wale kamre se. Jaise koi peti zameen pe giri ho. Tanya ne zor laga ke apne pair hilaaye aur uss awaaz ki taraf bhaagi. Upar jaake, ek kamra khula tha. Aur andar…
Ravi. Bandha hua. Sans le raha tha, lekin aankhon mein darr tha. “Mat aana Tanya! Ye… unka ghar hai! Tum… agli ho.”
Par kuch der mein uski awaaz dab gayi. Ek saaya… lamba, andhera… chhat se utaar ke Ravi ke peeche khada ho gaya. Tanya ne peeche dekha – woh ladki ab uske paas thi. “Tumne mujhe dekha, ab tum ja nahi sakti. Tum ab hum mein se ho.”
Tanya ne Ravi ke haathon ki rassi kaati. Woh girte sambhalte bahar bhaga. Tanya ne peeche mur ke dekha – saare bacche usey ghoor rahe the. Unki aankhen ab laal thi. Woh chillayi, bhagi – gate tak aayi.
Lekin gate… phir se band ho gaya tha.
Raat bhar haveli se cheekhne ki awaaz aati rahi. Agle din Ravi aam raste pe behosh mila. Kuch bhi yaad nahi tha, bas Tanya ka naam lips pe tha.
Haveli… ab waha koi nahi jata. Tanya kabhi nahi mili. Par log kehte hain, andheri raat mein jab pura shahar sota hai… us gali se ek ladki ki hansi ki awaaz aati hai. Jaise kisi ne naya khilona paa liya ho.
Aur log, fir wohi kahani dohrate hain – “Purani haveli ke peeche wali gali mein… kuch hai.”
