Share This Article
Shaadi ke baad humne ek chhota sa ghar rent par liya. Subah ki dhoop mein chamakta tha, aur gali mein sab pyare log the. Meri biwi Neha aur main naye rishte aur naye ghar ke sapne dekh rahe the. Ghar purana tha par sundar tha… ya shayad bahar se dekhne par sundar lagta tha.
Pehli raat hi kuch ajeeb laga. Raat ke 2 baje kisi darwaze ke bandh hone ki awaaz aayi. Main utha, par sab darwaze khule the. Neha ne kaha, “Padosi honge shayad,” lekin mere dil mein ek sankuchit sa ehsas tha, jaise koi hum dono ko dekh raha ho.
Agli kuch raaton tak har roz ek darwaza ya to khula milta, ya khulne ki awaaz aati. Neha has kar taal deti, par uski aankhon ka dark main mehsoos kar sakta tha. Ek raat main late office se ghar aaya. Neha mujhe drawing room mein mili nahin. Poore ghar mein talaash kiya. Jab purani almari khol ke dekha, toh shayad meri zindagi ka sabse bada jhatka laga.
Andar Neha… gum thi. Aur uske bagal mein diya jal raha tha, hawa ke bawajood na bujh raha tha.
“Maine yeh almari nahi kholi,” uski awaaz thartharati thi. “Main bas andar chali gayi… aur darwaza band ho gaya. Koi tha andar.”
Us raat hum ne almari bandh kar diya, taala laga diya. Par agle din subah… lock kahin gaya hi nahi tha. Almari khuli thi. Aur andar ek purane zamaane ka khat tha – lekin na naam, na taareekh.
“Main wapas aaunga. Tum is ghar mein hamesha mera intezar karogi,” khat mein likha tha.
Mujhe laga ki yeh kisi purane maalik ka hoga, ya koi prem kahani thi. Par jaise jaise din guzar rahe the, ghar ka har kona bhar raha tha kisi anjaani hiss se.
Ek baar Neha ne kaha, “Kabhi kabhi lagta hai, koi mujhe dekh raha hai jab tum paas nahi hote.” Main distract karne ki koshish karta, par khud raat mein footsteps sunta jo seediyon par the, par koi tha nahi.
Fir ek shaam, Neha ghar par nahi thi. Main drawing room mein tha jab almari ki taraf dekha… khuli thi wo. Usmein ek aadmi khada tha. Unchi height… andhera chehra… par aankhen… aankhen waise hi thi jaise Neha ki. Main cheeka, par tab tak wo gayab tha. Sirf almari ka darwaza wapas bandh ho gaya, bina awaaz ke.
Main elaaj karwana chaha. Pujari bulaya. Unhone ek cheez boli jo mere hoosh uda gayi – “Yeh ghar kisi aur ka tha. Aur wo laut chuka hai.”
“Kon?” maine poocha.
“Jo khud ki patni ke liye ghar banaya tha. Par maut ke baad bhi wahan reh gaya jab uski patni dusre ghar chali gayi. Ab jo bhi is ghar mein dikhayi deta hai… usse wo apni patni samajh leta hai.”
Mere haath thande ho gaye. Agar unka kehna sahi tha, toh kya Neha khatre mein thi?
Ek raat Neha ne mujhe jagaya. “Shiv, main ja rahi hoon,” usne kaha. Uski aankhen laali se bhari thi, aur haathon mein diya tha – wahi diya jo humne almari mein dekha tha. Main cheeka, “Neha, ruk jao!”
Par usne almari ki taraf kadam badhaye. “Woh aaya hai mujhe lene… mujhe yaad kar raha tha sab saalon se.”
“Tum pagal ho gayi ho? Yeh sab sirf soch hai tumhari!”
Neha ek muskaan ke saath almari ke paas gayi, aur darwaza khula… andhera uske charon taraf chhata gaya. Usne mujhe dekha… aankhon mein sukoon tha. “Ab main akeli nahi hoon,” usne kaha. Darwaza band hua. Aur is baar… awaaz hui hi nahi.
Main almari tak bhaaga. Khola. Andar koi nahi tha. Sirf ek khat tha ussi handwriting mein – “Shukriya. Mera intezar khatam hua.”
Neha us din ke baad kabhi nahi mili. Police, neighbours, sab ne search kiya. Par koi clue nahi mila. Darwaza, almari, sab kuch rewind jaisa lagta.
Main aaj bhi usi ghar mein rehta hoon. Har raat almari dekhta hoon – taala laga deta hoon. Par subah… hamesha khula milta hai.
Aur usi almari mein – ek naye khat ke saath – Neha ki muskurati tasveer hoti hai.
Main sochta hoon… kya sach mein woh kisi aur ki thi?
Ya yeh ghar… uska tha?
Darwaze kabhi band nahi hote is ghar ke…
Kyuki kisi na kisi ka intezaar hamesha rehta hai.
