Wo Raat Jo Kabhi khatam na hoi

Chapter 1 - Darwaza

Raat ke 2 baj rahe the.
Ghar mein sirf main thi. Ammi gaon gai hui thi.

Bijli gai hui thi, aur mombatti ki roshni mein kamra ajeeb sa lag raha tha.

Tabhi... 
Dhak... Dhak...

Koi bahar darwaza baja raha tha.

Main darwaze ke paas gai. Chotay se hole mein se jhanka.

Bahar... koi nahi tha.
Sirf andhera tha.

Main wapas lotne hi wali thi ke peechay se awaz aai:
"Aapa... darwaza kholo na..."

Meri to rooh kaanp gai.
Kyunki ghar mein mere siwa koi nahi tha...

---

*Chapter 2 - Khurach*

Mombatti bujh gayi thi.  

Andhera itna gehra tha ke apna haath bhi nazar nahi aa raha tha.

Par aawaz... wo aawaz ab mere kaan mein nahi thi.  

Wo mere *dimag* ke andar thi.

*"Main andar aa gaya hun Aapa..."*  

Saans meri thi. Alfaaz kisi aur ke.

Main ne daud ke light ka switch dabaya. Click. Click. Click.  

Light nahi aayi. Bijli gayi hui thi.

Tabhi mere paon ke neeche kuch geela mehsoos hua.  

Jhuk ke haath lagaya... chipchipa tha. Garam tha.  

Ungli soonghi... lohe aur namak jaisi badboo.

Khoon tha.

Aur farsh pe... mere pairon se shuru ho kar darwaze tak...  

*khurach ke nishan* the. Jaise koi apne nakhunon se farsh cheerta hua aaya ho.

Wo nishan mere kamre se nikle... seedha rasoi ghar gaye...  

aur wapis mere kamre mein aa gaye.

Circle bana diya tha usne. Main us circle ke beech mein khadi thi.

Tabhi aaina jo saamne tha... us pe bhaap jam gayi.  

Kisi ne saans chhodi thi aaine pe. Andar se.

Aaine pe ungli se likha gaya:  

*"DARWAZA KHOLNE KI ZAROORAT NAHI THI"*  

Har lafz likhte waqt aaine ke peechay se nakhun ki khurach ki aawaz aa rahi thi... *Khrrrr... Khrrrr...*

Aur phir... likhna ruk gaya.  

Aaine ke peechay se do laal bindiyan chamki.  

Phir wo bindiyan... aaine ke is side aa gayi.

Mere peechay.

Main ne palat ke dekha nahi.  

Kyunki aaine pe likha hua "DARWAZA KHOLNE KI ZAROORAT NAHI THI"  

ab mitt raha tha... aur naye lafz ban rahe the:  

*"MAIN KABHI BAHAR THA HI NAHI"*

---

*Chapter 3 - Aks*

Main peechay nahi muri.  

Himmat hi nahi thi.

Phir peechay se garam saans mehsoos hui.  

Jaise kisi ne meri gardan ke paas saans li ho.

Meri nazar aaine pe pari.  

Us mein main khari thi.  

Mere haath mein knife tha.

Achanak... aaine mein mere reflection ne khud pe knife maar diya.  

_Khunk..._

Mera reflection aaine ke andar mere saamne gir gaya.  

Khoon behne laga... chipchipa, garam.

Lekin main to bilkul theek khari thi.  

Bilkul zinda.  

Mere haath mein knife ab bhi tha... lekin us pe khoon nahi tha.

Aaine ka sheesha... cracks padne laga.  

Mere girte hue reflection ki aankhein khuli thi.  

Aur wo mujhe dekh ke... muskuraya.

Phir wo phusphusaya, seedha mere dimag mein:  

_"Ab tumhari baari hai, Aapa."_

--

*Chapter 4 - Siski*

Bijli wapis aayi. Flick... flick... phir roshni.  

Main ab bhi usi circle ke beech khari thi. Paon ke neeche khoon sookh chuka tha, chipchipahat ab bhi thi.  

Aaine ka sheesha toot kar bikhar gaya tha. Har tukre mein mera chehra tha... har chehre ki aankhein khuli thin. Aur har chehra muskuraya.  

Lekin main nahi muskurayi thi.  

Tabhi mere peechay se "siski" ki awaz aayi. Halki... jaise koi ro raha ho.  

Main palti. Kamra khaali tha. Darwaza ab bhi band tha.  

"Siski" phir aayi. Is baar mere apne gale se.  

Main ne apna munh band kiya... phir bhi awaz nikli.  

Mere dimag mein wo jumla goonj raha tha: _"Main andar aa gaya hun Aapa..."_  

Awaz meri thi. Lehja kisi aur ka.  

Main ne haath mein knife dekha. Pehle us par khoon nahi tha. Ab tha. Garam, taaza.  

Lekin main to theek khari thi. Zinda. Phir ye khoon...?  

Nazr aaine ke sab se bare tukre par gayi. Us mein main khari thi... aur mere kandhe par koi haath tha.  

Lambi ungliyan, teerhe nakhun. Mera haath nahi tha wo.  

Wo haath dheere dheere meri gardan tak aaya... aur kaan mein phusphusaya:  

_"Tumne darwaza nahi khola Aapa... is liye main khud andar aa gaya."_  

_"Main kabhi bahar tha hi nahi. Main to hamesha se tumhare andar tha."_  

Meri saans rukne lagi. Kyunki ye baat sach lag rahi thi.  

2 baje raat... bijli gayi... Ammi gaon gayin... darwaza baja...  

Sab ek ke baad ek yaad aa raha tha. Lekin har yaad ke saath ek aur yaad takra rahi thi:  

Main khud mombatti jala rahi thi. Main khud darwaze ka hole dekh rahi thi.  

Aur main khud hi phusphusa rahi thi: _"Aapa... darwaza kholo na..."_  

Khurach ki awaz phir aayi. "Khrrrr... Khrrrr..."  

Is baar awaz aaine ke peechay se nahi thi.  

Mere nakhun farsh noch rahe the. Circle main ne banaya tha. Khoon se lafz main ne likhe the.  

Aaine ka tukra "khann" se toot gaya.  

Aur us tootne ki awaz ke saath mere zehen mein sab saaf ho gaya.  

Bahar koi nahi tha.  

Darwaza koi nahi baja raha tha.  

"Ab tumhari baari hai Aapa" koi aur nahi keh raha tha... main khud keh rahi thi.  

Kyunki main akeli nahi reh sakti thi.  

Main ne aankhein band kin. Jab kholi to kamra normal tha.  

Na circle tha, na khoon, na toota aaina.  

Sirf main thi... aur mere haath mein knife.  

Aur darwaze par "Dhak... Dhak..." phir shuru ho gayi.  

Main muskurayi. Knife mazbooti se pakra.  

Aur dheere se boli: _"Aao Aapa... main darwaza kholti hun."_  

Lekin is baar awaz meri nahi thi.  

--- 

Bilkul, Chapter 4 mein hint de diya tha ke sab zehen ka khel hai. Ab Chapter 5 mein full reveal karte hain.

*Chapter 5 - Aapa*

"Main darwaza kholti hun."  

Mere honton se awaz nikli... lekin ye meri awaz nahi thi.  

Knife mere haath mein kaanp raha tha. Darwaze par "Dhak... Dhak..." ki awaz ab tez ho gayi thi.  

Main ne aankhein band ki. Gehra saans liya.  

Aur jab aankh kholi... kamra badal chuka tha.  

Na khoon tha. Na circle tha. Na toota hua aaina.  

Farsh saaf tha. Deewar pe meri tasveer lagi thi... Ammi ke saath.  

Main neeche baith gayi. Haath kaanp rahe the.  

Knife farsh pe gir gaya. "Khanak" ki awaz hui.  

Mere zehen mein Ammi ki awaz goonji:  

"Beta Aapa, tum theek ho? Raat bhar soyi nahi ho."  

Main ne dekha... Ammi saamne khari thin. Muskurati hui.  

Lekin Ammi to gaon gayi thin na? 2 baje raat thi na? Bijli gayi thi na?  

Phir sab kuch samajh aaya.  

Darwaza koi nahi baja raha tha.  

"Khurrr... Khurrr..." ki awaz mere nakhun ki thi, jo main ne khud farsh pe maare the.  

"Main andar aa gaya hun Aapa" main khud apne aap se keh rahi thi.  

Circle main ne khud banaya tha... mombatti ke pighle mombatti se.  

Aaina main ne khud toda tha. Kyunki us mein jo mujhe dikh raha tha... wo main nahi thi.  

Wo "doosri Aapa" thi. Wo jo akelapan se paida hui thi.  

Doctor ne kaha tha: "Dissociative episode. Akela rehne ka dar. Tum apna hi saaya bana leti ho... aur us se baatein karti ho."  

Main ne us din dawai nahi khai thi. Ammi gaon gayi thin. Ghar mein main akeli.  

To zehen ne khud ki "Aapa" bana li.  

Ek aisi Aapa jo darwaza bajati thi... taake main akeli mehsoos na karun.  

Ek aisi Aapa jo kehti thi "main andar aa gaya hun"... taake mujhe lage koi mere saath hai.  

Sab jhoot tha. Sab khayaal tha.  

Khoon... wo laal marker tha.  

Circle... wo dhaaga tha.  

Khurach... mere hi nakhun the.  

Main ne haath se chehra pakra. Aansoo aa gaye.  

"Main paagal nahi hun Ammi... main sirf akeli thi."  

Ammi mere paas aayi. Mera sar apne seenay se lagaya.  

"Paagal nahi ho beta. Thak gayi ho. Aaj se main kahin nahi jaungi."  

Main ne khirki se bahar dekha. Subah ho gayi thi.  

Darakht wese hi hil raha tha. Sehen wesa hi tha.  

Darwaza band tha. Koi "Dhak Dhak" nahi ho rahi thi.  

Sirf mere zehen mein ek halki si siski reh gayi thi...  

Us "doosri Aapa" ki... jo ab chali gayi thi.  

Main muskurayi. Aur dheere se boli:  

"Alvida Aapa... ab main akeli nahi hun."  

Kamra khaali tha. Lekin dil bhara hua tha.  

*The End... ya shayad shuruat*  

*Note:*  

Ye kahani yahin mukammal hoti hai.  

Aapa ki jung khatam ho chuki hai. Na koi darwaza bajega, na koi siski aayegi.  

"Doosri Aapa" sirf akelapan ka saaya thi jo ab khatam ho gaya.  

Ab sirf umeed aur chain hai.  

Shukriya parhne ka ❤️