Jungle ke Andheron Mein छुपा Shraapit Ped jo Har Uske Paas Jaane Wale ki Rooh Nigalta Hai

Mera naam Rehan hai, aur main ek chhote se gaon se hoon jo ghane jungle ke bilkul kinare basa hai. Bachpan se suna tha ke us jungle ke beech ek ped hai… ek ajeeb sa, sookha, aur mar chuka lagta ped… log use “shraapit ped” kehte hain. Kehte hain us ped ke neeche se guzarna bhi apne maut ka bulawa dene ke barabar hai. Bachpan mein hansi aati thi ye sab sunkar… sochta tha ke budhe log sirf darrane ke liye kahaniyan banate hain. Par jab main 24 saal ka hua, tab mujhe samajh aaya ke kuch darwaze kabhi nahi kholne chahiye. Us raat hawa ajeeb chal rahi thi, thandi par saath hi garm, jaise zinda aur murda saath saath saans le rahe ho. Chand aadha tha aur badalon ke beech chhup raha tha. Main aur mere dost—Aamir aur Zubair—ek dusre ko challenge de rahe the ke jungle ke beech tak chalein aur dekhein wo ped hai bhi ya sirf afwaah. Hum teenon torches le kar nikle. Jungle ka raasta dheere dheere andhera nigal raha tha. Har ped ki jhadi se aawazen aati… kabhi lagta koi phusphusa raha ho, kabhi halki hansi. Main samajhta raha hawa hai… lekin Aamir ki aankhon mein pehli baar darr dekha. Jungle ke beech ghuste ghuste hawa bhaari hone lagi. Aise lag raha tha jaise hawa chal nahi rahi, balki saans roki hui hai. Paanch hazaar pedon mein bas ek ped alag tha. Door se hi samajh aa raha tha—wo ped kaala tha, bilkul kaala, jaise jala diya gaya ho… aur uske patte bilkul nahi the, sirf tedhe-medhe kaante jaise shaakhein. Uske charo taraf mitti bhi kaali pad chuki thi. Aur ajeeb baat? Us ped ke charo taraf kisi aur ghas ka nishaan nahi tha, sab kuch sookh chuka tha. Hum teeno wahan ruk gaye. Zubair ne hans ke kaha, “Bas yehi hai? Chal photo leke wapas chalte hain.” Par us waqt mujhe laga… koi humhe dekh raha hai. Jaise ped ki shaakhein hilke kuch keh rahi ho. Tabhi zameen ke neeche se ek ajeeb si ghunghru ki awaaz aayi. Aamir ne bola, “Suna?” aur phir torches achanak bandh ho gayi. Bilkul andhera. Mere kanon mein sirf ek awaaz gunj rahi thi… dheemi, par itni khaufnaak… jaise koi aurat cheekhne ke baad dheere se ro rahi ho. Main torch chalane ki koshish kar raha tha tabhi mere pair ke paas mitti hilne lagi. Jaise koi andar se nikal raha ho. Zubair ne chillake kaha, “Bhago!” par humhare pair hil nahi rahe the. Us ped ke samne se ek patla sa saya nikal raha tha—lamba, moRha hua, jaise insaan ka nahi ho sakta. Uski aankhen nahi thi, bas do kaale sooraj jaisi khali jagah. Usne dheere se ek awaaz nikali… na aadmi ki, na aurat ki… sirf ek phata hua sa sur… “kyon aaye ho…” Mera gala sookh gaya tha, awaaz nahi nikal rahi thi. Zubair ne uss par torch daali aur phir humne dekha—wo sirf ek saya nahi tha. Uska chehra kisi jalte hue insaan jaisa tha, aur uske haath ped ki jadon jaise the. Usne ped ki taraf ishara kiya aur mitti se ek laash nikli—sookhi, safed, aur bilkul bina aankhon ke. Laash ke muh se ek saans nikli… “wapis jao…” Aamir turant bhaagna chaha par uska pair kisi jad mein ulajh gaya. Humne kheenchne ki koshish ki par wo jad uske pair ko kheenchke neeche le ja rahi thi. Uski cheekh jungle bhar mein gunj rahi thi, par aas paas koi nahi tha. Uski aankhen pal bhar mein safed ho gayin aur wo zameen ke andar ghuss gaya, sirf khoon ka ek gila sa daag reh gaya. Meri aur Zubair ki jaan nikal gayi. Hum ne peeche mudke dekha—wo saya aur paas aa raha tha, aur ped ki shaakhein hila kar jaise taaliyan baja rahi thi. Zubair ne bina soche samjhe ped ke saamne ek patthar uthaya aur fek diya. Aur usi waqt ped ne ek aisi cheekh maari ke poora jungle hil gaya. Zubair ka sir turant ghoom gaya… literally, uska gala 180 degree ghoom gaya aur wo wahin gir gaya. Uske muh se awaaz aayi… par wo Zubair ki nahi thi, kisi aur ki thi… “ek aur aa gaya…” Ab sirf main bacha tha. Main ne jaan laga ke bhaagna shuru kiya. Jungle ka raasta lautate waqt lag raha tha jaise saari shaakhein mujhe pakadne aa rahi hain. Mere pair kaat rahe the, kapde phat gaye, par main rukha nahi. Jungle ke kinare pahunchte hi subah hone lagi thi. Maine peeche dekha—ped bilkul shaant tha… jaise kuch hua hi nahi. Gaon lautke main sabko bataya, par kisi ne vishwas nahi kiya. Bas meri aankhon ke neeche ke kale gaddhe aur haathon pe padhe kaat dekh ke log chup ho gaye. Zubair aur Aamir kabhi nahi mile. Log kehte hain wo bhaag gaye, par main jaanta hoon wo kaha gaye. Aur sabse khaufnaak baat? Agle din raat ko mere ghar ke bahar mitti hilli… aur mere kamre ke andar ghunghru ki wohi awaaz gunji. Darwaze ke neeche se kali mitti ghuss rahi thi. Aur uske saath ek awaaz aayi… phir wahi… phati hui, murda si… “Ab teri baari hai…”