Uzair aur Basement ka Box

uzair --- Factory ki shift hamesha raat 9 baje khatam hoti thi. Uzair sabse bharosemand worker tha. 3 saal me kabhi late nahi hua tha. Ek din supervisor ne kaha: "Uzair, basement me pipe leak ho raha hai, check karke aao." Uzair ne haan kahi aur basement ki taraf chal pada. 3 saal me wo kabhi neeche nahi gaya tha. Bahar lohe ka darwaza tha, zang laga hua. Upar laal rang se likha tha: "MANA HAI - AKELA ANDAR MAT JANA". Uzair ne socha purana rule hoga aur darwaza khol kar andar ghus gaya. Andar hawa bohot bhari thi. Gandi smell aa rahi thi nami aur purane kapde jaisi. Mobile ki torch jalai to lambi seehiyan dikhi. Dheere dheere neeche utarta gaya. Har kadam pe joote se awaaz aati: krrr... krrr... Basement bara tha. Ek taraf purane machine parts, doosri taraf lohe ki almariyan. Pipe dhundte dhundte uzair ek corner me pohancha jahan se paani tapak raha tha. Wapas murne hi laga tha ke nazar ek bare lohe ke box pe padi. Box 4 feet lamba tha, kala rang ka. Upar laal aur kale dhage se bandha hua tha. Box pe ajeeb se nishan bane hue the. Na urdu, na arabic. Uzair ka dil tez dhadakne laga. Dimaag ne kaha chhod do, magar haath khud hi box ki taraf badh gaye. Tala purana tha. Uzair ne jeb se screwdriver nikali aur 10 minute me tala tod diya. Box khola to andar se thandi hawa nikli. Andar ek kala kapra tha aur uske neeche ek chota sa mirror. Frame lakdi ka tha, uspe bhi wahi nishan the. Mirror bohot halka aur thanda tha. Uzair ne socha ghar le jaunga, aur mirror jeb me rakh liya. Agli subah safai wale heran reh gaye. Raat ko jo saman seedha pada tha wo sab ulta-pulta ho gaya tha. Factory khuli to puri jagah me ajeeb si smell thi. Meethi bhi aur kharab bhi. Room freshner ke 3 spray mare gaye tab jaake thodi kam hui. Sabse badi baat ye hui ke uzair late tha. 12 baje aya, chehra pila pada tha, aankhon ke neeche kaale ghere. Dost Bilal ne poocha: "Kahan tha bhai? Tabiyat theek hai?" Uzair bola: "Yaar raat ko soya nahi. 2 baje awaaz aayi khrrrr... khrrrr... Jaise koi loha ghaseet raha ho. Utha to bahar koi nahi tha. Wapas lita to laga koi kaan me phusphusa raha hai: Wa... pis... rakho... Phir laga kisi ne haath pakad ke bed se neeche phenk diya. Poori raat soya nahi." Bilal ne kaha wehem hoga. Magar uzair ke chehre pe dar saaf tha. 2 baje factory me shor mach gaya: "AG LAG GAYI! BASEMENT ME AG LAG GAYI!" Sab bhaage. Guards ne dekha basement ke usi corner se dhuan nikal raha tha jahan box pada tha. Aag 5 minute me bujh gayi. Magar ajeeb baat ye thi ke box ko kuch nahi hua. Laal dhaga bhi wesa hi tha. Agla din phir uzair late aya. Sham 4 baje basement se awaazein aani shuru hui. Dham... dham... dham... Jaise koi bhari cheez utha ke phenk raha ho. Supervisor gaya to sab saman bikhra pada tha, magar wahan koi nahi tha. Darwaza andar se band tha. Baat Malik tak pohanchi. Malik 60 saal ka tha, 30 saal se factory chala raha tha. Usne sabko line me khada kiya aur poocha: "Kon gaya tha basement me?" Sab chup rahe. Phir uzair ne haath utha diya: "Sir, main gaya tha." Office me bulaya gaya. Malik ne poocha: "Box ko kyun chheda?" Uzair ki jaan nikal gayi. Jeb me haath dala, mirror abhi bhi tha. Malik ne dekha aur chehra safed pad gaya. Foran bola: "Molvi sahib ko bulao, abhi." Molvi sahib aaye, mirror dekha aur foran kapde me lapet diya. Bole: "Ye aam mirror nahi hai. Isme kuch band hai. Jisne uthaya hai wo khud jaye. Box khole, mirror wapis rakhe, maafi mange, aur tala laga de. Agar na kiya to ye sirf factory nahi, yahan ka har banda khatam ho jayega." Raath 11 baje uzair akela gaya. Haath kaap rahe the. Box khola, mirror wapis rakha, aur zor se bola: "Mujhe maaf kar do! Galti ho gayi! Main nahi jaanta tha!" Tala lagaya aur bhaag ke upar aa gaya. Us raat ke baad sab theek ho gaya. Na smell aayi, na awaazein. Uzair time pe aane laga. Agli subah Malik ne 10 mazdoor laga ke basement ka darwaza pakka karwa diya. Upar likhwa diya: "YE JAGAH HAMESHA KE LIYE BAND HAI". Aaj bhi factory me kaam hota hai. Magar raat ki shift me koi akela basement ke paas nahi jata. Aur uzair... wo ab bhi wo raat yaad karke so nahi pata. *Khatam.* ---