Raghav, Tina, Joy aur Khushi college ke dost the. Chhuttiyon mein unhone 15 din ke liye pahaadon mein ek sundar sa ghar rent par liya. Ghar ke charon taraf oonche pahaad, ghane jungle aur khoobsurat nazare the. Ghar mein ek chhota sa swimming pool bhi tha.
Jab woh log wahan pahunch rahe the, raste mein kuch local logon ne unhe roka.
"Beta, akhri wala ghar mat lena... woh ghar shaapit hai."
Property dealer hans pada.
"Arre, gaon walon ki baatein hain. Aap log tension mat lo."
Doston ne bhi baat ko mazaak samajhkar taal diya.
Shaam ko sab taiyaar hokar ghoomne nikle aur der raat wapas aaye. Thak kar sab apne kamron mein sone chale gaye.
Raat ke kareeb 2 baje Raghav ki aankh khuli.
Use kitchen se kisi ke chalne ki awaaz aa rahi thi.
Usne dekha Tina uske paas hi so rahi thi.
Dheere se woh kitchen ki taraf gaya.
Jaise hi woh kitchen mein pahuncha, band nal achanak khud-ba-khud khul gaya.
Paani zor-zor se behne laga.
Khidkiyan dhad-dhad kar hilne lagi.
Raghav darr ke maare cheekh pada.
"Bachao!"
Uski awaaz sunkar Joy, Tina aur Khushi daud kar aaye.
Lekin jab unhone dekha to sab kuch normal tha.
Sabne kaha,
"Yaar, tujhe bura sapna aaya hoga."
Raghav chup ho gaya, lekin uska dil keh raha tha ki kuch galat zaroor hai.
Agli subah sab pahaadon mein ghoomne nikle.
Raaste mein unki mulaqat ek buzurg aurat se hui.
Aurat ne unhe dekhte hi poocha,
"Tum log us akhri ghar mein reh rahe ho?"
Sabne haan mein sir hilaya.
Aurat ka chehra peela pad gaya.
"Woh ghar shaapit hai. Jo bhi wahan jaata hai, aksar laut kar nahi aata."
Sab hansne lage.
Lekin aurat ne phir kaha,
"Aur yaad rakhna... agar tumhe kuch ajeeb dikhe... uski taraf dhyaan mat dena. Jitna dhyaan doge, uski taaqat utni badhegi."
Yeh kehkar woh chali gayi.
Shaam ko jab sab ghar wapas aaye, to ghar ka mukhya darwaza achanak band ho gaya.
Sabne milkar kholne ki koshish ki.
Lekin darwaza hil bhi nahi raha tha.
Tabhi swimming pool ki taraf se kisi ke rone ki awaaz aayi.
Sabne mudkar dekha.
Pool ke paani se ek safed kapdon wali ladki dheere-dheere rengte hue bahar nikal rahi thi.
Uske baal chehre par bikhre hue the.
Uski aankhen poori kaali thi.
Sabki saansen ruk gayi.
Tabhi Raghav ko mehsoos hua ki kisi ne uska pair pakad liya hai.
Woh zor se cheekha.
Chudail ne apna sir dheere-dheere unki taraf ghumaaya.
Uska chehra dekhte hi sab darr ke maare bhaag pade.
Woh log ek kamre mein ghus gaye aur darwaza lock kar diya.
Joy ko achanak us buzurg aurat ki baat yaad aayi.
"Uski taraf mat dekhna... nahi to uski taaqat badhegi."
Sab chup-chaap baithe rahe.
Kamre mein rakha khana khane ki koshish kar rahe the ki tabhi Khushi ne mehsoos kiya...
Uske kandhe par kisi ka geela haath rakha hua hai.
Lekin darr ke maare usne kuch nahi kaha.
Kamre ka mahaul aur bhi bhayanak ho gaya.
Achanak bahar se ek khaufnaak cheekh sunai di.
Agli hi pal chudail kamre ke andar aa gayi.
Usne Tina ka gala pakad liya.
Tina zor-zor se cheekhne lagi.
"Bachao! Bachao!"
Raghav aur Joy ne use chhudane ki bahut koshish ki.
Lekin chudail ki taaqat insaano se kai guna zyada thi.
Tab Khushi ko yaad aaya ki uske bag mein Gangajal ki chhoti si bottle hai.
Usne himmat karke Gangajal chudail par phenka.
Gangajal lagte hi chudail zor-zor se cheekhne lagi.
Uski cheekhon se poora ghar goonj utha.
Mauka dekhkar chaaron dost darwaza todkar bahar bhaage.
Raat ke andhere mein bhaagte-bhaagte woh ek purane mandir tak pahunch gaye.
Mandir ke andar ghuste hi sab kuch shaant ho gaya.
Subah hone par unhone woh ghar hamesha ke liye chhod diya.
Aaj bhi jab woh dost milte hain, us shaapit ghar aur us raat ko yaad karke kaanp uthte hain.
Unka woh honeymoon trip aur vacation...
ek darawani yaad bankar reh gaya.
THE END 👻
Pahaadon Ka Shaapit Ghar