Lift jo kabhi manzil par nahi rukti

Mera naam Armaan hai, aur aaj main aapko ek aisi kahani sunane jaa raha hoon jo aapke hosh uda degi, jo sach hai ya nahi main nahi keh sakta... par jo suna hai, uske baad maine lift mein akele jaana chhod diya hai. Yeh sab kuch ek purani government building mein hua tha, jahan main new contractor ke taur par gaya tha. Purani, peeli si deewar, chhilte hue paint, hawa mein seelan aur kuch ajeeb si boo. Building 7 manzilon ki thi, par sirf 6th floor tak use hoti thi. Kehte the 7th floor band hai... par kyun, koi nahi jaanta tha. Main pehli baar jab wahan gaya, to lift operator ne dekha aur bas ek baat boli, “Lift mein akela mat jaana, khaaskar shaam ke baad.” Mujhe laga buddha pagal hai. Lekin agle din jab main raat 9 baje kaam karke nikla, to lift khud ba khud niche aayi, bina kisi ke bulaye. Mujhe laga shayad kisi aur ne bulayi ho. Main 6 floor se chhutti lekar lift mein chadha. Andar koi nahi tha. Light dim thi. Jaise hi darwaza band hua, ek ajeeb sa jhatka laga... jaise lift neeche nahi, upar jaa rahi ho. Maine turant floor button dekha — saare off the, sirf "7" jagmagaa raha tha. “Maine to 0 dabaya tha,” maine socha. Lift ruk gayi... 7th floor par. Khud ba khud Darwaza khula. Chaaron taraf Andhera tha Woh andhera, jisme kuch bhi dikhai na de. Jaise andhera andar ghus ke aapka saans bhi chura le. Lekin fir bhi... maine dekha. Ek lambi si corridor thi. Aur corridor ke ant mein ek kursi thi. Kursi par koi baitha tha. Bas silhoutte. Main lift se bahar nahi gaya. Par meri aankhein us kursi se chipak gayi. Tabhi us silhoutte ne apni gardan ghumaayi... 180° pe. Aur fir usne uthkar seedha meri taraf daud lagayi. Lift ka darwaza band hone laga... lekin uska haath andar ghus gaya. Patla, kala, sirf haddi. Darwaza ruk gaya. Main cheekha. Aur agle hi pal, sab kuch andhera ho gaya. Jab hosh aaya, to main ground floor par tha. Lift ka darwaza khula tha. Koi tha nahi. Sirf ek note pada tha: "Agli baar jab tujhe lift mile... usse inkaar mat karna. Manzil tere liye tay ho chuki hai." Main hil gaya tha. Us raat ghar gaya, bukhar ho gaya tha. 3 din tak office nahi gaya. Jab wapas aaya, to building ka lift operator nahi tha. Pata chala, woh teen din pehle lift mein chadhkar gaya tha... aur kabhi wapas nahi aaya. CCTV dekha gaya... lift 7th floor tak gayi. Uske baad kuch nahi. Screen static ho gayi thi. Log kahte hain lift purani hai, malfunction hoti hai. Par mujhe pata tha... yeh kuch aur hai. Kuch zinda hai uss lift mein. Phir kuch ajeeb hone laga. Jab bhi main stairs leta, lift khud ba khud open hoti thi. Jaise mujhe bulati thi. Har roz. Har shaam. Har raat. Aur ek din... main haar gaya. Main socha, chhodo, chhathi manzil tak hi jaunga. Lift mein chadha. Button dabaya “6”. Lift chal padi. Phir wahi jhatka. Aur fir... “7” glow hone laga. Main ghabra gaya. Poore button bar-bar dabaye. Kuch nahi hua. Lift ruk gayi. Darwaza khula. Is baar sab kuch roshan tha. White light. Clean floor. Jaise koi hotel. Aur saamne... ek ladki khadi thi. White dress mein. Lambi, lekin uska chehra dikhayi nahi de raha tha. Jaise blur ho. Usne bola: “Bahut waqt lag gaya tujhe. Chal.” Main peeche hatne laga, lekin meri taange hil nahi rahi thi. Lift ke bahar us corridor mein pair chal pade. Mere control ke bina. Darwaza band ho gaya. Peeche se awaaz aayi: “Tu ab andar hai. Tu ab kabhi nahi jaayega.” Aur sab kuch black. Mujhe hosh jail mein aaya. Police keh rahi thi main kisi building ke 7th floor mein behoshi ki halat mein mila. Lekin us building mein sirf 6 floor hain. Aur tab se... main har lift se darta hoon. Lekin kahani yahin khatam nahi hoti. 3 mahine baad mujhe job chhodni padi. Par ek raat jab main mall mein tha, ek lift ke saamne se guzra... Lift ka darwaza khula... Aur andar wahi ladki khadi thi. White dress mein. Usne muskara ke bola: “Chal na, Armaan. Iss baar kahani poore karte hain.” Main bhaaga... par us din se lift mera peecha nahi chhodti. Kahi bhi jaaun, kahin bhi chhupun... ek lift khud-ba-khud khulti hai, aur usmein wahi “7” glow karta hai. Logon ke liye 6 floors hote hain... mere liye 7. Aur main har roz us 7th floor se bach raha hoon. Lekin kab tak? Shayad ek din, main wapas chadh jaaunga. Aur is baar... wapas nahi aunga. Lift jo kabhi manzil par nahi rukti... usmein chadhne wale kabhi laut kar nahi aate.