Sapno ki Kaatil Aavritaa Jo neend nahi lene deti

Mera naam Vihan hai aur mein 28 saal ka hoon. Main ek psychiatrist hoon, lekin agar tum mujhe dekho to tumhare dimag mein sabse pehle ek lafz aayega: “Pagal.” Par sach yeh hai ke main pagal nahi hoon… main jaagta hoon. Har waqt. Har lamha. Main neend se darta hoon. Kyuki neend mein woh aati hai. Shuruat teen mahine pehle hui. Ek patient tha uska naam tha Tushar. 17 saal ka ladka. Bola karta tha ke koi uske sapno mein aake uska gala dabaata hai. Har din woh thoda aur kamzor hota gaya. Maine usse kaha, “Night terror hote hain, kuch nahi hai.” Agli subah woh mara hua mila. Lekin… yeh sabse ajeeb baat thi — uske haath mein usi ka khud ka likha ek note tha: “Usne kaha tha ke yeh sirf sapna hai… ab main hamesha soya rahunga.” Us din ke baad main restless ho gaya. Ek raat jab clinic band karne wala tha, tab mere desk pe ek file padi thi — Patient: Saanvi Arora. Age: 9. Main hairaan ho gaya. Kyunki us naam ka koi appointment nahi tha. File kholi to sirf ek sketch bana tha: ek bistar par soti hui chhoti si ladki… aur uske sirhane baithi ek kaali parchhayi. Neeche likha tha: “Uska naam Aavritaa hai. Jab tum so jaate ho, yeh tumhare sapne ka darwaza tod ke andar ghus jaati hai.” Us raat mujhe neend nahi aayi. Bas yeh sochta raha ke koi mujhe prank kar raha hai. Lekin agle din ek aur patient — ek jawaan ladki — clinic aayi. Boli, “Main neend nahi leti hoon doctor, kyuki har baar jab aankh band karti hoon, koi mujhe kheenchta hai…” Main ne poocha, “Kya uska koi naam hai?” Usne kaan ke paas aa kar dheere se kaha: “Aavritaa.” Mere haath se pen gir gaya. Paani maanga, par gala sukh gaya tha. Ab main is naam se pareshan rehne laga. Raat ke 5:08 pe har din mujhe ek jhatka lagta — jaise kisi ne dil par haath rakh diya ho. Main jab bhi sochta ke yeh sab bas mere zehan ka khel hai, koi nayi nayi cheez saamne aa jaati. Ek raat mere khud ke bistar ke paas kisi ne do haath ki panje chhode… khurach ke nishaan the. Aur likha tha: “Ab teri baari hai.” Maine record karna shuru kiya. CCTV lagaya. Har raat camera freeze ho jaata 5:08 pe. Jab recording dekhta to 4:59 pe sab theek… aur 5:10 pe main poore bistar pe pasine mein bheega hua. Lekin us 11 minute ka footage black screen hota. Main pagal ho raha tha. Par main jaagta raha. Teen din. Fir chhothi-chhothi neend le leni lagi. Microneaps. Aur ek baar jab aankh band hui… Mujhe laga main ek lambi ghaati mein hoon. Har taraf laal rang ka dhoond. Aur peeche se koi chhoti chhoti laugh kar raha tha — bachpan ki awaaz thi, lekin chehra nahi tha. Phir mujhe woh dikhi — Aavritaa. Ek 10 saal ki ladki, lekin uski aankhon mein koi roshni nahi thi. Jaise kisi ne uske andar se rooh nikaal di ho. Usne kaha: “Tum ne samjha ke tum doctor ho, tum ilaaj karoge? Main khud dard hoon. Mujhe tum jaise logon ki neend chahiye.” Main chillaaya. Bhaag kar utha. Lekin main neend se bahar nahi aaya tha. Yeh sapna nahi tha — yeh layer tha. Us din ke baad har raat mujhe do neend lagti — ek jis mein main sota hoon, aur doosri jis mein mujhe lagta hai ke main jag gaya hoon… par main nahi jaanta ke ab asli kya hai. Main apne haath par chhuri se kaat ke dekhne laga. Agar dard mehsoos ho to asli duniya. Agar nahi… to phir Aavritaa. Maine likhna shuru kiya. Har sapne ke baare mein. Har victim ka zikr kiya. Lekin unka ek hi common point tha — sab ne kaha tha unhone "us waqt sapna dekha jab unhone socha ke woh jaag rahe hain." Ek din ek aur letter aaya. Kisi ne clinic ke darwaze par chipka diya tha. Paper kaafi puraana tha, jaise kisi ne usay zameen ke neeche se nikala ho. Us par sirf ek line thi: "Main pehle bhi doctoron ke sapne kha chuki hoon." Us din ke baad main na clinic gaya, na ghar. Ek old haveli mein jaake rehne laga. Jahan log jaane se darte hain — wahan jaake main neend se bhaag raha tha. Lekin woh mujhe milti rahi. Har jagah. Ek chhoti se awaaz mein kehti thi: “Neend le lo, sirf 10 minute… main sirf 10 minute loongi.” Ek din main ne usse poocha — "Tu chahti kya hai?" Usne kaha: “Tum jaise logon ka ho’sla todna, jo samajhte hain ke sapne bas dimaag ka khel hain.” Main bahar bhaaga, sadak pe, aadhi raat ko. Har light blink karne lagi. Har billboard pe sirf ek chehra — uska. Agle din mujhe hospital mein uthaya gaya. Doctors keh rahe the main road pe bechkaari se chillata raha, apna sar deewar se maar raha tha. Par mujhe sirf ek hi cheez yaad thi — main kisi aur ke sapne mein tha. Us din se leke aaj tak main yeh kahani likh raha hoon — bas ek cheez kehna chahta hoon: Agar tum yeh likha hua padh rahe ho… to ho sakta hai ke main abhi bhi sapne mein hoon. Aur ho sakta hai… tum bhi ho. Jaag ke mat sochna. Kyuki Aavritaa sirf un logon ko marti hai jo neend mein samajhte hain ke woh jaag rahe hain.