THE HEAD MAN

Adhyay 1 – The Head ManPehli raat… Nau Gaon ke logon ne pehli baar us lambi si shakal ko dekha. Sir bada, badan patla, aur aankhen neeli chamak rahi thi.Pehle toh villagers ko laga koi naya aadmi gaon aaya hai… shayad koi sheher se bhatka hua ya pagal. Kisi ne zyada dhyaan nahi diya.Par dheere-dheere ajeeb cheezein hone lagi. Raat ke 2 baje, wohi insaan awaaz banakar bulata – ekdum tumhare apno ki awaaz. Agar tumhari maa so rahi hai toh uski awaaz mein… agar dost ka naam jante ho toh uski awaaz mein.Sabse darawani baat – jab koi jawab dene gaya, us aadmi ka chehra dhundhla dikhne laga. Jitna paas jao, utna uska sir bada hota dikhai deta.Aur ye koi shadow nahi tha… ye real tha, ek physical presence jo logon ke saamne khadi hoti aur har move mein danger feel karwati.Jo log us din uske paas gaye, agle din woh chup aur kamzor ho gaye… jaise kisi ne unki taqat kheench li ho.Aur Nau Gaon ke sabse dare hue bachon mein se, Chinu bhi is sab ka witness bana. Usne chupke se sab dekha, par raat ke andhere aur Head Man ki presence se uska dil tez tez dhadak raha tha.Logon ke zehan mein ab ek hi sawaal tha:“Yeh insaan hai ya kuch aur… jo humare darr ko physically feel karwa raha hai?”