Andhere Mein Aawaz

"Arjun."

Vikram ne uske kandhe par haath rakha.

Arjun ne ek jhatke se palti maari. Itna tez ki Vikram ka haath turant peechhe aaya. Arjun ki aankhein — poori aankhein — laal thi. Na sirf corners — poori. Laal. Gehri laal. Khoon ki laal.

"Tum kaun ho?" Zara ne pucha. Uski aawaz kaanp rahi thi. Camera uske haath mein tha — woh shoot kar rahi thi — kyunki woh journalist thi, kyunki kuch log darr ko kaam mein dafa karte hain.

Arjun ne muh khola.

Ek aawaz aayi. Arjun ki aawaz nahi. Na mard ki, na aurat ki. Kuch beech ka. Kuch gehra. Kuch andar se ata hua jaise paani ki pipe mein hawa aa jaaye — hollow, lekin dabbaa hua.

"Yeh mera shehar hai. Meri zameen hai. Tum kyon aaye?"

"Yakshini?" Vikram ne pucha.

Arjun ka sar jhuka. Phir aahista, aahista utha. Aur jab chehra aaya — Arjun ka chehra tha, bilkul Arjun ka — par aankhein abhi bhi laal thi, aur haath... haath ki ungliyaan thodi zyada lambi lag rahi thi.

Kya yeh pehle bhi aisi thi?

"Woh doosri bhi aayi hai," Arjun ki body ne kaha. "Dobara. Usi cheez ko dhundh rahi hai jo uss raat chhoot gayi thi."

"Kya cheez?"

"Ek naam. Ek insani naam. Ek baar agar Jinn ko kisi living insaan ka naam mil jaaye — uss insaan ki marzi se — toh woh uss insaan ki jaan le sakti hai. Itni asaani se jaise tum ek phool toad lete ho."

"Koi naam nahi dega," Vikram ne kaha.

Arjun ki body ek qadam aage aayi.

"Tum pehle se de chuke ho."

"Kya?"

"Woh raaste par thi. Tumne uski photo li — Zara. Usne tumhe dekha. Jab koi Jinn ko dekhe — anjaane mein — ek silsila shuru hota hai. Ek connection. Woh tum tak pahunch sakti hai ab. Iss gali mein. Iss raat mein. Yahan."

Zara ki camera screen chali gayi.

Screen par — front camera — Zara ka chehra tha.

Aur uske peeche.

Ek aurat.

Kaale libas mein. Lambe baal — kaale, seedhe, itne seedhe ki hawa mein bhi nahi hilengi. Uski aankhein — safed. Poori safed. Koi pupil nahi.

"Ab woh aa rahi hai," Arjun ne kaha — Yakshini ne kaha.

Screen phut gayi.

Camera mein ek daraad aayi.

Zara ne peeche mur ke dekha.

Roshni chali gayi.

Poora Chandanpur — ek pal mein — andhera ho gaya.

❖ ❖ ❖

Koi torch nahi tha.

Vikram ne phone nikala. Screen on — light on — par uss roshni mein kuch nahi dikhta tha. Ya shayad dikhta tha, par dikhna nahi chahiye tha.

"Move. Hum is ghar ke andar jaate hain," Vikram ne kaha.

"Ghar mein kyun?" Zara ne pucha.

"Ratan Das ne kaha tha — zameen se ek pao ka faasla. Agar hum zameen par khade hain toh Yakshini hum tak pahunch sakti hai — woh zameen ki cheez hai. Hum pehli manzil par jaate hain."

"Aur Jinn?"

"Jinn roshni se aati hai. Jab koi andhera mein dabaav mein ho. Jab roshni chahiye. Hum roshni nahi jalate — na phone, na kuch — tab tak."

"Hum andhare mein rahein? Completely?"

"Haan."

Arjun — ya jo bhi tha — ne kuch nahi kaha. Woh wahan khada tha. Andhare mein uski awaaz aayi:

"Yakshini zameen se uparwala nahi rokti. Sirf tab tak teri raksha karti hai jab tak tu kuch nahi maangta. Par tu maangega. Woh bhi maangegi. Insaan hamesha maangta hai."

Aur phir — footsteps. Uski. Woh gali mein gaya. Andhare mein. Vikram ko Arjun ki chinta hui lekin usse yaad aaya — woh Arjun nahi tha. Woh Yakshini thi. Yakshini ko andhare ki zaroorat nahi thi.

Doosri awaaz aayi.

Kahi se nahi — woh awaaz kahin se nahi aayi. Woh seedha andar aayi. Jaise baahar ka awaaz sunna alag hota hai, andar ka alag — yeh awaaz andar se thi. Kaan ke andar se. Ya aankhon ke peeche se.

Awaaz thi — aurat ki — lekin koi zubaan nahi thi. Pure vowels. Pure pressure. Jaise koi tumhara naam le raha ho lekin naam complete nahi kar raha — sirf shuruat. Sirf tumhare naam ka pehla syllable, baar baar, gheerta hua.

"Zz... Zz... Zz..."

Zara thi. Sirf uska naam.

"Vikram—" Zara ne haath pakda.

"Suno," Vikram ne kaha. "Phone mein torch mat jalana. Andar chalte hain. Woh kaghaz yaad hai? Zameen se upar. Woh instructions hain. Hum unhe follow karte hain."

Andhare mein ghar ki taraf badhne lage.

Lekin ghar ke darwaze par —

Ek panje ka nishaan tha. Geela. Taza. Kaala. Aur yeh panja kisi insaan ka nahi tha. Teen ungli. Lambi. Kaafi lambi. Itni ki ek hi panje ki reach ek darwaaze se doosri taraf tak thi.

Vikram ne phone ki dim screen darwaze ke paas ki.

Nishaan fresh tha — itna fresh ki woh slip kar sakta tha agar... agar usne haath rakha hota.

Lekin usne nahi rakha tha.

Aawaz aayi — bilkul kaan ke paas. Right ear. Warm breath. Gehra.

"Tu ne rakha tha."

Vikram ek jhatkay se peechhe aaya.

Koi nahi tha.

Phone neeche gira.

Screen off.

Poora andhera.

Aur uss poore andhare mein, sirf ek cheez dikhti thi — ek pair ki aankhein. Safed. Pupilless. Chhath ke paas. Upar. Beech hawa mein.

Andhare mein. Tairti hain. Unhe dekhna... bekar tha kyunki dekh ke bhi kuch nahi kar sakte the.

Phir woh chali gayi.

Aur ghar andar tak andhera raha.