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Mera naam Raghav hai. Ek aam sa corporate job karta hoon, shaant zindagi, thoda stress, thoda boredom. Har hafte ki tarah, is baar bhi Friday ko main apne hometown gaya tha maa se milne. Hamara purana ancestral ghar, jo sheher se kuch door ek kasbe mein hai. Bade bade kamre, deewar par purani tasveerein, aur ek purani ghadi jo half past twelve pe hamesha ruk jati thi.
Maa ke kehne par mein uss raat purane guest room mein soya. Kaafi samay ho gaya tha us kamre ka darwaza khole hue. Bas thoda dhool hata kar bistar bichha liya. Kamre ka ek kone mein ek bada purana almari tha — lakdi ka banaya hua, peeche kuch likhe hue naam, “Meera 1956”. Maa se poocha toh boli, “Teri dadi ka samaan tha, kab ka bhool chuki hoon.” Mujhe thoda ajeeb laga, par maine kuch kaha nahi.
Raat ko lagbhag 2 baje meri aankh khuli. Pata nahi kyun. Khidki band thi, lekin hawa thandi ho gayi thi. Pankha nahi chal raha tha, par mujhe ek dum se halka sa sussurahat ka awaaz sunayi diya — ek aurat ki hansi… dheemi, bass jaise koi kaan ke paas sarghoshiyan kar raha ho. Maine turant light on ki, par kuch bhi nahi tha.
Main soch hi raha tha ki laga kuch ne pair chu liya ho. Main jhat se uth kar khada ho gaya. Par room mein sirf mein tha… aur vo almari. Pehli baar dekha, to uss almari ka ek pankh khula hua tha. Mujhe yaad tha maine use band kiya tha. Mujhe uske andar jaakar dekhne ka mann nahi tha – ek ajeeb sa ghabrahat ho raha tha.
Main bed pe bhaith gaya. Tabhi woh hansi phir sunayi di, is baar zyada paas se. Saaf tha — koi aur bhi tha room mein.
Main ne himmat jutayi aur almari ki taraf chala. Jaise jaise main kareeb gaya, meri sans rukti gayi. Almari ke andar ek safed dupatta nazar aaya… khud ba khud hilta hua. Par hawa toh thi hi nahi. Main ne almari puri kholi… aur tab meri cheekh nikal gayi.
Ek aurat ki jali hui laash wahan madi hui thi. Chehra adha jala hua, aankhen khuli hui… mujhse takti hui. Mera gala sookh gaya. Main bhaagne laga, par darwaza khul hi nahi raha tha. Mujhe kisi ne peeche se pakad liya — thande haath, lekin zabardasti ka zor.
Vo awaz phir sunayi di, “Kyu le aaye mujhe wapas? Maine toh apni khudki maut chuni thi… lekin ab tum bhi mere saath jaoge.”
Main chillata raha. Maa ne subah darwaza khola toh mujhe behosh paya. Main hospital mein tha. Mere haath par jalne ke nishaan the. Jab maine sab bataya, maa ka chehra safed pad gaya.
Unhone bataya, Meera dadi ki behen thi – jo ussi almari mein khud ko band karke zinda jal gayi thi. Kaha jata tha, usse kisi se prem tha jise usse chhod diya. Tab se uska kamra band kar diya gaya. Varshon se kisi ne use nahi khola tha… jab tak maine us raat us darwaze ko nahi khola.
Main wapas sheher aa gaya hoon. Par har raat, jab main neend mein hota hoon, mujhe vo dupatta fir se nazar aata hai — bed ke kone pe, halki hansi ke saath. Kabhi kabar khud par bharosa karna mushkil ho jata hai, kyunki mujhe lagta hai… main abhi bhi wahan uss kamre mein hoon. Vo almari ab bhi khuli hai. Aur Shayad… ab main bhi uske andar hoon.
