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Mujhe kabhi bhoot-pret mein vishwas nahi tha. Main logical insaan hoon. Lekin jab Mausi ne kaha ki unki kothi mein kuch ajeeb ho raha hai, mujhe lagaa unka mann ghaabra gaya hai. Mausi ka gaon sheher se kuch 80 km door hai, ek purana aur viran sa ilaka — haalaanki waqt ke saath wahan ke logon kaafi modern ho gaye hain, par kuch kahaniyan wahan ab bhi zinda hain.
Main raat ko bus se nikla aur subah-pahle pehar uss gaon pahuncha. Mausi khud mujhe lene aayi thi. Unka chehra utra hua tha. Unhone kaha, “Abhishek, darwaze raat ke khud ba khud khul jaate hain. Band bhi kar do, phir se khul jaate hain. Koi awaaz nahi hoti, bas ek thandak si chaa jaati hai ghar ke andar.”
Main hans pada. “Kisi ne latch theek se nahi kiya hoga, Mausi.”
Lekin ek raat wahan thaam ke rahoonga — ye soch ke main unke saath chala gaya.
Vo kothi purani thi — unke saas-sasur ke zamane ki. Bade bade darwaze, lakdi se bane hue, aur har kona kisi na kisi kahaani se bhara hua. Andar ek ajeeb si khushbu thi… jaise itra bhi ho aur sandaas bhi.
Pehli raat shaant rahi. Main upar wale kamre mein tha, jo aksar khaali rehta tha. Raat ke kareeb 2 baje, ek khaarish si mehsoos hui. Mera darwaza khula tha… jabki maine andar se latch lagaya tha. Uthke check kiya — latch ab bhi tha, par darwaza aadha khula hua tha.
“Shayad main theek se band nahi kar paaya,” maine socha.
Agle din, Mausi ne poocha, “Kuch huwa raat ko?”
Maine kaha, “Darwaza khul gaya tha — but itna unusual nahi.”
Unke chehre par ek chinta ki lakeer gehri ho gayi.
Dusri raat, maine taala lagaya. Chabi apne paas rakhi. 1 baje raat ko, bahar se kadmo ki halki halki awaaz aa rahi thi. Mausi ke ghar mein koi aur nahi tha, toh kisi aur ke hone ka sawal nahi. Dheere se darwaza ki taraf dekha toh andar se taala khul gaya. Mujhe us waqt laga kisi ne chabi chura li hai…
Par chabi mere haath mein thi.
Darwaza dheere se khul gaya. Thandak ka ek jhonka room mein andar chala aaya. Maine torch jalaya — ek safed sa saya saamne se guzra. Bas ek pal ke liye — jaise kisi ne baarish ke baad ki sard hawa mein haath ghumaya ho.
Main neeche bhaaga, roshni jalayi, Mausi ko uthaya. Unhone mujhe bataya ek kahaani:
“Saalon pehle yeh kothi mere pati ke dadi ne banwayi thi. Shaadi ke 2 mahine baad, unki choti behen, Rukmini, iss kamre mein aayi thi kuch din ke liye. Us raat unhone andar se darwaza band kar liya tha. Subah tak awaaz nahi aayi. Jab darwaza toda gaya — tabhi pata chala… vo marr chuki thi. Koi nishaan nahi mila uski maut ka.”
Mujhe ab samajh aaya — main usi kamre mein so raha tha.
Teesri raat, maine recording set ki. Raat ke 12 bajte hi, temperature camera ke hisaab se 6 degree se neeche gir gaya — jabki baaki ghar normal temperature pe tha. Darwaza phir se khula — aur is baar camera ne kuch record kiya.
Ek saya — pehle darwaze ke paas. Phir camera ke samne. Ek halki si awaaz…
“Kyuuuuuuuuuu… koi nahi aaya mujhe lene?”
Mera jism sun ho gaya. Subah hote hi main camera le kar Mausi ke paas gaya. Vo dekhkar kaapne lagi. “Voice… Rukmini ki hai,” unhone kaha.
Agle din Mausi ne pandit bulwaya. Pandit ne kothi ko poora ghoom kar dekha, aur kaha, “Uski aatma yahan band hai. Jo kamra tha, vo uska antim band kamra ban gaya hai. Jab tak koi uska darwaza saach mein kholta nahi, vo aage nahi badh paayegi.”
“Humein kya karna hoga?” maine poocha.
“Wahi darwaza raat ke 12 baje khol ke, usse bulana padega. Uska saman — ek purani diary, ek payal, aur kuch yaadein — us jagah rakh ke.”
Raat ko tayyari ki gayi. Kamra wohi tha — jahan main so raha tha. Humne diya jalaya, uski diary uske takiye pe rakhi. Pandit mantra padte rahe.
12 bajkar 05 minute par… ek aurat ki cheekh goonji.
“Main ab jaa sakti hoon… tumne darwaza khola.”
Kamre ki roshni ek pal ke liye bujhi. Aur jab wapas aayi — woh saya chala gaya tha.
Uske baad 3 raat tak koi darwaza nahi khula, koi thandak nahi aayi.
Lekin aakhri raat, jab main nikalne se pehle ek baar us kamre ko dekhne gaya… diary band thi. Maine haath badhaya use kholne ke liye.
Aur andar likha tha — “Main gayi nahi hoon. Bas so gayi hoon… darwaza mat band karna.”
Main raat ko bina kisi se kuch kahe, wapas sheher chala gaya.
Aaj bhi kabhi kabhi phone karta hoon Mausi ko. Poosta hoon, “Darwaze khulte hain kya?”
Wo kehti hain, “Nahi beta, ab bas ek darwaza hai jo kabhi band nahi hota…”
Mujhse fir koi sawal nahi hota.
