Uzair aur Basement ka Box

2sra Talla

`10 saal.` Bad

`Wo factory ab sirf kahaniyon me reh gayi thi. Sarkar ne 8 saal pehle hi usay gira diya tha. Bulldozer chalay thay. Deewaren mitti me mil gayi thi. Malba trucks me bhar kar door pheink diya gaya tha.`

`Zameen ek j c ho gayi thi. Ghaas ug aayi thi.`

`Gaon ke buzurg ab bhi us jagah ka naam lete waqt thook dete the. "Nahoosat wali zameen."`

`Bache wahan khelne nahi jate the. Din me bhi nahi.`

`Kyunki raat ko... wahan se awaazain aati thi.`

`Log kehte the hawa ki awaaz hai.`

`Lekin hawa itni thandi kabhi nahi hoti thi.`

`...`

`Phir ek din, sheher se ek gaari aayi. Kala SUV.`

`Gaari se ek banda utara. Safed shirt. Sunglasses. Haath me file.`

`Naam: Danish Ahmed.`

`Umar: 34 saal. Builder. Property kaam. Sheher me 3 projects bana chuka tha.`

`Uske chehre par wo confidence tha jo sirf paise wala banda rakhta hai.`

`Usne zameen ko dekha. Khali. Sasti. Badi.`

`"Yahan Danish Enclave banega." Usne apne thekedaar se kaha.`

`Thekedaar dar gaya. "Sahab... ye jagah theek nahi hai. Log kehte hain..."`

`Danish hansa. Zor se. "Bhoot? 2026 me? Choro yaar. Ye sab purane logon ka waham hai."`

`Usne wo 5 acre zameen aadhi qeemat me khareed li. Koi aur lene ko tayar hi nahi tha.`

`Kaam shuru ho gaya.`

`JCB aayi. Excavator aaya. 20 mazdoor aaye.`

`Pehla din: Zameen saaf hui. Ghaas kati.`

`Dusra din: Buniyad ki nishandehi hui.`

`Teesra din...`

`Subah 11 baje. Machine ruk gayi.`

`Kharkharr... Dham.`

`"Sahab!" Foreman bhaagta hua aaya. "Neeche kuch sakht aa gaya hai. Loha lagta hai."`

`Danish khud gaya.`

`Mazdoor phawron se mitti hata rahe the. Pasine se bheegay hue.`

`2 foot neeche... lakri nikli.`

`Kaali lakri. Purani. Jese sadiyon se mitti me dabbi ho.`

`Aur wo lakri... ek box tha.`

`1 foot lamba. 8 inch chaura. 6 inch uncha.`

`Upar 8 chotay talay bane hue the. Line me. Sab lohe ke. Sab zang se bharay hue.`

`Mazdoor peeche hat gaye.`

`"Isko haath mat lagana sahab." Ek buzurg mazdoor bola. "Ye naalay hai."`

`Danish ne bhoon sikora. "Naalay?"`

`"Haan sahab. Pehle log aise box me jinn band kar dete the. Taweez wale box."`

`Danish zor se hansa. "Bhai ye antique hai. Antique. Ye lakho ka bikega."`

`Usne khud jhuk kar box uthaya.`

`Bojh tha. Andar kuch sakht tha. Hil raha tha.`

`Box ke upar mitti jami hui thi. 1sray talay ke upar kuch likha tha... lekin mitti ne dhak diya tha.`

`Danish ne box ko jhaara. Apni gaari ki diggi me rakha.`

`"Isko office le chalo. Baad me dekhunga."`

`Aur wo bhool gaya.`

`...`

`2 mahine guzar gaye.`

`Danish Enclave ka naqsha ban gaya. Bank se loan approve ho gaya. Plot bikne shuru ho gaye.`

`Danish apne naye bungalow me shift ho gaya tha. Sheher ke posh area me.`

`Wo box... diggi se nikal kar store room me chala gaya tha.`

`Purane suitcase ke peeche. Dhool me daba hua.`

`Danish ko yaad bhi nahi tha.`

`...`

`Raat. 2:17 AM.`

`Danish ki aankh khul gayi.`

`Neend nahi aa rahi thi. Dil bechain tha. Bina wajah ke.`

`Bijli gayi hui thi. Sirf UPS ki halki yellow roshni thi.`

`AC band tha. Pasina aa raha tha.`

`Achanak... usay yaad aaya.`

`Wo box...`

`Store room me.`

`"Kyun na dekh lun?" Usne khud se kaha. "Neend nahi aa rahi waise bhi."`

`Wo utha. Chappal pehni. Store room ki taraf gaya.`

`Store room chota tha. Kachra tha. Purana furniture tha.`

`UPS ki roshni me usne dhunda.`

`Mila.`

`Box. Dhool se bhara hua.`

`Usne box ko utha kar drawing room ki table par rakha.`

`8 talay. Sab band. Zang alood. Sab par ajeeb nishan bane hue the.`

`Danish ne 1sra tala dekha. Sab se upar wala. Thoda sa dheela tha.`

`Jese pehle kisi ne zor se kholne ki koshish ki ho.`

`Danish muskuraya. "Dekhte hain andar kya khazana hai."`

`Usne toolbox se screwdriver nikala.`

`Screwdriver ki nok tala me phansayi.`

`Zor lagaya...`

`Krrrr... Click.`

`Pehla tala khul gaya.`

`Ek pal ke liye... kamre ki hawa ruk gayi.`

`UPS ki roshni halki ho gayi. Jese bijli kam ho gayi ho.`

`Table par rakhe kagaz... khud ur gaye. Bina hawa ke.`

`Danish ruka. "Hawa kahan se aayi?"`

`Khidki band thi. Darwaza band tha. AC band tha.`

`Usne jhuk kar box ke andar dekha.`

`Andhera.`

`Gehra andhera.`

`Usne mobile nikala. Torch on ki. Andar roshni daali.`

`Roshni andar gayi... aur gayab ho gayi.`

`Jese andhere ne roshni ko pee liya ho.`

`Danish ka dil zor se dhadka. "Ajeeb yaar."`

`Usne ungli andar daali.`

`Thanda.`

`Bohot zyada thanda. Jese baraf me haath daal diya ho.`

`Uski ungli kisi cheez se takrayi.`

`Naram thi. Thandi thi. Jism jaisi.`

`Danish ne jhatke se haath bahar nikala.`

`Unglian sun ho gayi thi. Sunn. Jese khoon ruk gaya ho.`

`Usne haath ko dekha. Kuch nahi tha. Na khoon, na nishan.`

`Lekin thandak abhi baaki thi. Haddi tak.`

`Aur phir...`

`Kamre me koi saans li.`

`Huuuhhh...`

`Danish akela tha.`

`Usne gardan ghumai. Peeche dekha.`

`Koi nahi tha.`

`Sirf box khula hua tha.`

`Aur andhere me se... ek awaaz aayi.`

`Bohot dheemi. Phusphusahat.`

`"10 saal..."`

`Danish ka khoon thandha ho gaya.`

`"10 saal baad..." awaaz phir aayi, "Kisi ne mujhe jagaya hai."`

`Awaaz box ke andar se nahi aa rahi thi.`

`Awaaz... uske bilkul peeche se aa rahi thi.`

`Danish ki gardan akdi hui thi. Wo mud nahi paa raha tha.`

`Usne zor lagaya. Dheere se mudaa.`

`Peeche... koi nahi tha.`

`Sirf deewar thi.`

`Deewar par uska saaya tha. UPS ki roshni ki waja se.`

`Lekin...`

`Uske saaye ke saath... ek aur saaya khada tha.`

`Lamba saaya. Patla saaya.`

`Jiska jism nahi tha. Sirf saaya tha.`

`Danish chillaya. "Kaun hai?"`

`Saaya hila nahi. Bas khada raha.`

`Aur phir... saaya ka munh khula. Bina awaaz ke.`

`Aur Danish ke dimagh me seedha lafz aaya:`

`"Me."`

`Danish peeche hua. Takra gaya sofa se. Gir pada.`

`Jab utha...`

`Saaya gayab tha.`

`Sirf box tha. Khula hua.`

`Aur box ke andar... ab andhera nahi tha.`

`Ab wahan... 2 aankhein thi.`

`Kaali aankhein. Bina putli wali. Andhere me chamak rahi thi.`

`Danish ne box zor se band kiya.`

`Dham.`

`Tala phir se band ho gaya. Khud.`

`Kamra wapas normal ho gaya. Roshni theek ho gayi.`

`Danish pasine se bheega hua tha. Saansain phool rahi thi.`

`Usne box ko dekha. Band tha. Purana tha.`

`Usne socha, "Neend nahi aayi hogi. Hallucination hai."`

`Usne box ko utha kar wapas store room me pheink diya.`

`"Subah isko bech dunga." Usne khud se kaha.`

`Wo bedroom me gaya. Let gaya.`

`Lekin neend nahi aayi.`

`Kyunki...`

`Uske kaan me... abhi bhi koi saans le raha tha.`

`Huuuhhh... Huuuhhh...`

`Uske saath. Uske kaan ke bilkul paas.`

`Aur subah jab Danish utha...`

`Uske takiye par... mitti thi.`

`Kaali mitti. Purani mitti.`

`Jaisi us box par lagi hui thi.`

`[Continued...]`

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