Rizwan ne mahal ke andhere se bhaari hall mein kadam rakha.
Footsteps ki tap-tap goonj itni tez thi jaise koi uske peeche chal raha ho.
"Kaun hai…?"
Uski awaaz halki si kaamp gayi, par woh khud ko sambhalte hue aage badh gaya.
Hall ke beech mein ek purana sa jharokha tha, usse thodi roshni aa rahi thi. Roshni me dhool ud rahi thi, jaise hawa bhi iss mahal mein saans lene se darti ho.
Rizwan ne torch jali. Torch ki roshni seedha hall ke kone mein padhi…
Aur usne dekha—
Ek bada sa darwaza, jisme purani lohe ki jaanjirein latak rahi thi.
Darwaza aadha khula tha.
Par aadhe khule darwaze ka maksad kya hota hai?
Bulawa… ya fasaana?
Rizwan dheere se darwaze ke paas gaya.
Jaise hi usne haath lagaya…
Darwaza khud-ba-khud poora khul gaya.
"Andhere ka darwaza…"
Uske muh se khud nikal gaya.
Darwaze ke andar ek lambi si gallery thi—
Diwaarein mitti aur khoon ke purane daag se bhari hui, jaise yahan kisi ne kahani nahin… matam likha ho.
Gallery ke aakhri side se halka sa sur sur awaaz aa rahi thi.
Jaise koi saans le raha ho.
Ya phir…
koi hila raha ho.
Rizwan ne himmat juti aur aage badh gaya.
Torch ki roshni gallery ke aakhri hisse par padhi…
Aur woh jam gaya.
Wahan zameen par mitti se bana ek bada sa gola pada tha, jisme se koi cheez dheere-dheere bahar nikalne ki koshish kar rahi thi.
Zameen hilli.
Gallery hilli.
Aur gola phat kar crack hone laga.
"Andar kaun hai…?" Rizwan ki awaaz is baar sach mein dar gayi.
Gole ke andar se ek haath bahar aaya —
lakdi jaisa sukhha hua haath, jaise saaloon se kisi ne usse roshni na dikhayi ho.
Phir ek awaaz aayi…
Bahut halki…
Bahut toot-ti hui…
"Riz… waan…"
Rizwan ka dil gardan tak aa gaya.
Usne torch neeche gira di.
Woh haath zameen par raghad kar Rizwan ki taraf badhne laga.
Rizwan peeche hatne laga…
Ek-ek kadam…
Par haath zyada tez.
Hand suddenly grabbed Rizwan's ankle.
Torch ki broken light us chehre par padi—
Do aankhen… par andhere jaisi.
Ek chehra… par zinda ya murda, kehna mushkil.
Aur honton par ek ajeeb si muskurahat.
Rizwan cheekh pada—
"Chhooodd dooo!!!"
Gallery ki saari deewarein uski cheekh gungunane lagi…
Aur phir ek dum se sab andhera ho gaya.
…To Be Continued