shahar ke oopar poornima ka chaand chhaaya hua tha, jab ethan aur lukaas, do kolej ke chhaatr, jo alaukik shaktiyon ke shaukeen the, apane vishvavidyaalay ke paas ek mand roshanee vaale kaife mein der raat kofee pee rahe the. hava kukhyaat revenashed sains kolej kee phusaphusaatee kahaaniyon se goonj rahee thee, ek parityakt medikal skool jisake baare mein aphavaah hai ki vah shaapit hai.

kaife mein ek kamazor, buzurg vyakti aage jhuka aur dheemee aavaaz mein bola. “vah jagah… yah sirf bhootiya nahin hai. yah kaheen zyaada buree cheez ka dvaar hai.” dar ke maare usakee aavaaz phat gaee. “ve kahate hain ki jin logon ne prayog kie, unakee aatmaen kabhee nahin jaateen.”

ethan ne chetaavanee ko nazarandaaz karate hue upahaas kiya. “logon ko bhoot kee kahaaniyon ko badha-chadhaakar bataana pasand hai.”

haalaanki, lukaas ko jigyaasa huee. “chalo ise dekhate hain. bas ek nazar daalate hain. sabase bura kya ho sakata hai?”

edrenaalaeen aur jigyaasa se prerit hokar, donon raivenashed sains kolej ke khandaharon kee or chal pade, raat ke aasamaan mein isakee kaalee chhaaya dikhaee de rahee thee. jaise hee ve jang lage get se gujare, unhen chaaron or se thand ne gher liya, hava sadan kee badaboo se bharee huee thee.

bhavy pravesh dvaar ek guphaanuma khaalee jagah thee, jisake daravaaje apane tika se latak rahe the. andar, deevaaron par gahare ghaav the, jaise kisee ne gusse mein unhen noch liya ho. door se tapakate paanee kee pratidhvani ne bhayaanak sannaata toda.

“shaayad yah ek badhiya vichaar nahin tha,” ethan ne badabadaate hue kaha, thand mein usakee saans dikhaee de rahee thee.

 lukaas ne apane phon kee torch pakadate hue saavadhaanee se aage kadam badhaaya. “aaraam karo. yah bas ek parityakt imaarat hai.”

 jaise-jaise ve andar gae, hava bhaaree hotee gaee. galiyaaron mein ek halkee phusaphusaahat sunaee dee.

kya tumane suna?

lukaas muda, usakee nabj badh rahee thee. ethan ne dheere se sir hilaaya. phusaphusaahat tez hotee gaee, ab ek doosare par ovaralaip hone vaalee aavaazon ka koras, aspasht shabdon ka badabadaana.

phir, unhonne use dekha.

ek ladakee daalaan ke ant mein khadee thee, usakee peeth unakee or thee. usake lambe, ulajhe hue baal usake chehare ko chhipa rahe the, usaka shareer ajeeb tarah se sthir tha.

lukaas ne ek asthir kadam aage badhaaya. “Mis? kya aap theek hain?”

 ladakee hil gaee. dheere-dheere, usaka sir ghoom gaya – bahut zyaada, bahut asvaabhaavik roop se. usakee aankhen, khokhalee shoonyataen, un par tikee huee theen.

usaka maans laharaaya, pighalate mom kee tarah ghul gaya jab tak ki keval ek vichitr kankaal nahin rah gaya, jisaka jabada ek khaamosh cheekh mein khula hua tha.

 kamare mein araajakata chha gaee. daravaaze apane aap band ho gae, deevaaron par chhaayaen rengane lageen, aur sadate hue maans kee asahaneey badaboo hava mein bhar gaee.

“bhaago!” ethan chillaaya, lukaas ko haath se ghaseetate hue.

 ve galiyaare se neeche bhaage, lekin aisa lag raha tha ki imaarat unake chaaron or ghoom rahee hai. galiyaare mud gae, daravaaze gaayab ho gae, aur phusaphusaahaten peedaadaayak vilaap mein badal gaeen.

aakhirakaar, ve ek mand roshanee vaale foyar mein thokar khaakar gir pade. raahat kee lahar unake bheetar bah gaee – jab tak ki unake peechhe ek gaharee, karkash hansee goonj nahin uthee.

ek aadamee pravesh dvaar ke paas khada tha, ek puraanee suraksha vardee pahane hue. usakee upasthiti aashvast karane vaalee honee chaahie thee, lekin kuchh bahut galat tha. usaka chehara – usakee tvacha – pighal rahee thee, jisake neeche kachchee maansapeshiyaan aur haddiyaan dikhaee de rahee theen.

“aapako yahaan nahin hona chaahie tha,” gaard ne karkash svar mein kaha, usaka munh ek vichitr muskaan mein badal gaya. usaka maans aur bhee dheela ho gaya, jo beemaar karane vaale glob ke roop mein pharsh par tapak raha tha.

ethan aur lukaas chillae kyonki duniya andhere mein ghoom rahee thee.

jab ve jaage, to ve ek aspataal ke kamare mein the. narsen paas mein phusaphusa rahee theen, unake chehare chinta se peele pad gae the.

ek doktar aaya. “revenashed sains kolej ke paas tum behosh pae gae the. kya hua?”

 yaaden vaapas aa gaeen, unake haath kaamp rahe the kyonki ve un bhayaavah ghatanaon ko yaad kar rahe the jo unhonne dekhee theen.

doktar ne bolane se pahale nars se nazaren milaeen. “revenashed sains kolej mein koee suraksha gaard nahin hai. vahaan kaam karane vaala aakhiree vyakti… tees saal pahale mrt paaya gaya tha.”

ethan aur lukaas stabdh hokar chupachaap baithe rahe, kamare kee garmee ke baavajood unake shareer thande the.

“aur kaife mein vah boodha aadamee?” lukaas ne achaanak poochha.

doktar ne bhaunhen sikodeen. “kaun sa kaife?”

sachchaee unake oopar ghutan bhare kohare kee tarah chha gaee. phusaphusaahat, ladakee, suraksha gaard – inamen se kuchh bhee dekhane ke lie nahin tha.

aur phir bhee, kuchh aisa tha jo unhen yah dikhaana chaahata tha.

jab ve apane aspataal ke bistar par lete the, to ek baar phir hava mein ek halkee

phusaphusaahat goonjee.

 “tumhen yahaan nahin hona chaahie tha.”