Pehli Raat Aur Khamosh Saaye

Puraane darwaze ke choolon se nikalne wali 'churaakh' ki awaaz ne raat ke sannaate ko cheer diya. Nimra ne apna baari sa suitcase wahin zameen par rakh diya aur gehra saans liya. Yeh shehar se door ek makhsoos ilaqe mein bani ek sadiyon purani haveli thi, jise uske walid ne haal hi mein bohot saste daamon khareeda tha. Haveli ke baahar deewaron par jami purani kai aur andar ki khamoshi pehli hi nazar mein dil mein ek ajeeb sa darr paida kar rahi thi. "Nimra! Jaldi andar aao, baahar thand barh rahi hai," uski ammi ne andar se awaaz di. Nimra ne apna bag uthaya aur andar dakhil ho gayi. Haveli ke andar ka mahool baahar se bhi zyada ajeeb tha. Oonchi chatein, purane zamane ke jhaad-fanoos jin par dhool jami hui thi, aur har taraf aisi khamoshi jaise is jagah barson se koi zinda cheez na rahi ho. Unho ne haveli ke neeche wale hisse ke do kamre saaf kiye aur wahin rukne ka faisla kiya. Raat ke taqreeban do baje, jab poora ghar gehri neend so raha تھا, Nimra ki aankh achanak khuli. Use aisa laga jaise uske kamre ke baahar corridor mein koi aahista aahista chal raha hai... *'Thup... thup... thup'*. Usne darr kar apna kambal honton tak khinch liya. "Shayad ammi ya abba hain," usne khud ko tasalli di. Lekin agle ہی lamhe, corridor mein chalne wale qadam uske kamre ke darwaze ke paas aakar ruk gaye. Darwaze ke niche mojud choti si jagah se, Nimra ne dekha ke do siyah (black) saaye wahan khare hain. Wo kisi aam insan ke paanv nahi the, balki behad lambe aur ajeeb se saaye the. Nimra ki dharkanein teiz ho gaeen. Usne himmat kar ke poocha, "Ammi... aap hain?" Koi jawab nahi aaya. Lekin agle hi pal, darwaze ke handle par kisi ne hath rakha aur use aahista se neeche ghumane laga... *'Khat'*. Darwaza andar se lock tha, is liye khula nahi, lekin handle lagatar upar neeche hota raha, jaise baahar mojud cheez andar aane ke liye bechain ho. Nimra ka darr ke mare gala khushk ho gaya aur wo cheekh bhi na saki. Phir achanak... baahar se ek aisi ajeeb aur rone ki awaaz aayi, jise sun kar Nimra ke jism ke rongte khare ho gaye! --