Mera naam Smita hai.
Log kehte hain main thodi zyada curious hoon, thodi zyada daring… aur shayad thodi zyada bewakoof bhi. Lekin main maanta hoon—jab tak khud na dekho, tab tak kisi cheez par vishwas nahi karna chahiye. Ghosts, spirits, shadows—yeh sab sirf kahaniyan hoti hain, aisa main hamesha sochti thi.
Par uss garmiyon ki chhutti, jab main apne mama ke ghar aayi, tab meri yeh soch hamesha ke liye badal gayi.
Mama ka ghar ek chhote se sheher ke outskirts par tha. Sheher ke log simple the, par unki baatein… hamesha adhoori, hamesha dara dene wali. Jaise kuch kehna chahte ho, par kehne se darte ho.
Aur un sab baaton ka centre tha—
ek purani villa.
Log use bas "woh villa" kehte the. Naam lene se bhi darte the.
Villa sheher se thoda door, ek sunsaan road ke end par thi. Din me bhi woh jagah ajeeb lagti thi, par raat ko… koi bhi uss taraf jaane ki himmat nahi karta tha.
Kaha jaata tha ki Amavasya ki raat, uss road ki lights apne aap flicker karne lagti hain. Kabhi kabhi logon ne wahan se piano ki awaaz, payal ki halki chhan-chhan, aur kisi ladki ke rone ki awaaz suni thi.
Main yeh sab sunkar bas muskura deti thi.
"Mama, seriously?" maine ek din haste hue kaha, "Ghost stories aaj ke zamane me kaun maanta hai?"
Mama ne meri taraf dekha. Unki aankhon me mazaak nahi tha.
"Smita," unhone dheere se kaha, "har kahani jhooth nahi hoti."
Usi ghar me meri cousin sister Ananya bhi rehti thi. Ananya mujhse bilkul opposite thi—seedhi, soft-spoken, aur bahut zyada darpok. Agar horror movie ka trailer bhi chal jaaye, toh woh aankhen band kar leti thi.
Ek shaam hum dono terrace par baithe the. Neeche road par streetlight jal rahi thi. Ananya ne achanak kaha,
"Tum jaanti ho… woh villa hamare ghar se sirf 2 kilometer door hai."
Mere kaan khade ho gaye.
"Really? Perfect," maine excited tone me kaha.
Ananya ka chehra pale ho gaya.
"Perfect? Smita, wahan log jaate nahi hain."
"Isliye toh jaana chahiye," maine hansi me kaha. "Kuch toh hoga jo sabko dara raha hai."
Ananya ne meri taraf dekha, jaise main pagal hoon.
"Tum wahan jaane ka soch bhi mat."
Par jab Amavasya ki date paas aane lagi, meri curiosity aur badh gayi.
Us raat hawa me ajeeb si thandak thi. Aasmaan bilkul kaala tha, ek bhi taara nahi. Main window ke paas khadi thi jab maine dekha—
door ki road light… flicker kar rahi thi.
On.
Off.
On.
Off.
Mere lips par smile aa gayi.
"Bas illusion," maine khud se kaha.
Par ussi waqt…
piano ki halki si awaaz hawa me ghul gayi.
Mera dil ek second ke liye ruk sa gaya.
Maine Ananya ke room ka darwaza khola.
"Ananya, did you hear that?"
Woh bed par baithi thi, blanket pakde hue.
"Smita… please tell me tum mazaak kar rahi ho."
Uski awaaz kaanp rahi thi.
"Maine piano suna," maine calmly kaha.
"Woh villa me piano hai," Ananya ne almost whisper me kaha. "Log kehte hain… woh apne aap bajta hai."
Maine torch uthai.
"Chalo."
Ananya almost ro padi.
"Pagal ho gayi ho kya? Amavasya ki raat hai!"
"Bas dekh kar aa jayenge," maine kaha. "Nothing will happen."
Kuch minute baad hum dono us sunsaan road par chal rahe the. Torch ki roshni sirf kuch kadam aage tak ja rahi thi. Baaki sab… andhera.
Hawa chal rahi thi, aur pedon ke patte aapas me takra kar ajeeb si awaaz kar rahe the—jaise koi dheere dheere taali baja raha ho.
Phir humne use dekha.
Woh villa.
Uska gate aadha khula tha. Paint utra hua. Khidkiyan jaise andheron se bhari aankhen.
Mujhe dar nahi laga… balki excitement ho rahi thi.
Par Ananya ka haath meri kalai me kas gaya.
"Smita… mujhe achha feel nahi ho raha."
Hum dheere dheere andar gaye. Darwaza khud-ba-khud creeeek ki awaaz ke saath khul gaya.
Aur tab…
piano ki awaaz bilkul paas se aayi.
Har note saaf tha. Perfect. Jaise koi professional baja raha ho.
Hum stairs chadh gaye. Upar ek room se halki si roshni aa rahi thi.
Maine door push kiya.
Room ke beech me ek purana piano tha.
Keys move kar rahi thi.
Par…
wahan koi nahi tha.
Ananya cheekhne wali thi, par maine uska muh band kar diya.
"Relax," maine kaha, par meri awaaz khud thodi heavy thi.
Tab achanak piano ruk gaya.
Room me ek thandi hawa chali.
Aur peeche se ek awaaz aayi—
"Tum dono yahan kyun aayi ho?"
Maine dheere se peeche mudkar dekha.
Ek shadow… dheere dheere wall par move kar rahi thi.
Uski awaaz ladki ki thi. Dard bhari. Gussa bhari.
"Hum… hum bas—" Ananya bol bhi nahi pa rahi thi.
"Mera naam Smita hai," maine kaha, himmat jutakar.
"Hum kisi ko disturb karne nahi aaye."
Shadow hansi.
Par woh hansi… khushi ki nahi thi.
Woh hansi… yaadon se bhari hui thi.
Lights flicker hui.
Piano phir se bajne laga.
Aur mujhe pehli baar laga—
shayad kuch cheezein kahani nahi hoti.
Shayad kuch yaadein…
marne ke baad bhi zinda rehti hain.
Aur shayad…
yeh sirf shuruaat thi.