Andhere Ka Karz”

Arjun ne kabhi bhooton par yakeen nahi kiya tha.

Uske liye duniya sirf do cheezon se chalti thi — paise aur logic.

Woh ek freelance writer tha. Paise ki tangi chal rahi thi. Usne suna tha ki sheher ke kone mein ek purani haveli hai jahan log rehna pasand nahi karte. Kehte the wahan ajeeb awaazein aati hain.

Arjun ko sirf ek cheez dikh rahi thi — sasti jagah.

Haveli sheher ke bahar, jungle ke paas thi. Gate pe zang laga tha. Darwaza aadha toot chuka tha. Andar se mitti, jaalon aur purane lakdi ki smell aa rahi thi.

Lekin Arjun muskura diya.

“Perfect horror vibe,” usne socha.

Usne wahan rehne ka faisla kar liya.

Pehli Raat
Raat ke 2:57 baje uski aankh khuli.

Room bilkul shaant tha. Hawa bhi nahi chal rahi thi.

Phir…

3:03.

Ghar ke upar wale kamre se kursi ghisne ki awaaz aayi.

Grrrrr…

Arjun ne socha hawa hogi.

Lekin hawa thi hi nahi.

Woh dheere se utha. Seedhiyon ki taraf gaya. Har kadam par lakdi cheekh rahi thi.

Upar pahunchte hi usne dekha — ek purani kursi hil rahi thi.

Khud-ba-khud.

Room mein koi nahi tha.

Arjun ka gala sookh gaya.

Phir usne dekha… zameen par ek purani diary padi thi.

Diary par likha tha:
“Karz Adhura Hai.”
Diary
Arjun ne diary kholi.

Pehle panne par likha tha:
“Jo bhi is ghar mein rehta hai, usse karz chukana padta hai.”
Woh hasa.

“Drama,” usne kaha.

Lekin jaise-jaise woh padhne laga… uski muskurahat gayab hoti gayi.

Diary kisi Raghav naam ke aadmi ki thi. Usne likha tha ki usne kisi se paisa liya tha. Lekin paisa insaan ka nahi tha.

“Woh andhere ka sauda tha.”
Raghav ne likha tha:
“Har raat 3:03 baje woh aata hai. Mujhe yaad dilane. Maine apni rooh girvi rakhi thi.”
Arjun ne diary band kar di.

Us waqt…

3:03.

Room ka darwaza dheere se band ho gaya.

Dhadd.

Arjun ne palat kar dekha.

Darwaze ke peeche se halki si khurachne ki awaaz aa rahi thi.

Jaise koi naakhun se lakdi ko ghis raha ho.

Scratch… scratch…

Doosri Raat
Arjun ne khud ko samjhaya.

“Hallucination.”
Lekin agli raat…

3:03.

Is baar awaaz uske kamre ke andar se aayi.

Bed ke neeche se.

Woh jam gaya.

Scratch… scratch…

Usne himmat karke jhuk kar dekha.

Andhera.

Bilkul kaala andhera.

Phir us andhere mein se do safed aankhen chamki.

Arjun cheekh nahi paaya.

Aankhen dheere-dheere kareeb aayi.

Ek sookhi si awaaz:
“Karz chukao…”
Uska phone band ho gaya.

Light chali gayi.

Room baraf jaisa thanda ho gaya.

Phir sab chup.

Subah hui.

Arjun zinda tha.

Lekin uske haath par gehre nishaan the. Jaise kisi ne pakad kar dabaaya ho.

Sach
Diary ka last page phata hua tha.

Arjun ne poori haveli talashi li.

Neeche basement tha.

Zang laga darwaza.

Usne khola.

Andar ek purana aaina tha.

Aaine par khoon se likha tha:
“Raghav ne karz chukaya.”
Neeche ek tasveer lagi thi.

Tasveer mein Raghav… aur uske peeche koi parchai.

Arjun ka dil ruk gaya.

Tasveer ke kone mein… ek aur chehra tha.

Uska apna.

Haqiqat
Diary ka missing page basement ke kone mein mila.

Us par likha tha:
“Jo bhi yeh diary padhega, karz us par transfer ho jayega.”
Arjun ka dimaag ghoom gaya.

Usne diary jalaane ki koshish ki.

Diary nahi jali.

Aag khud bujh gayi.

Phir usne suna…

3:03.

Is baar awaaz har jagah se aayi.

Deewaron se.

Zameen se.

Aaine se.

“Karz… chukao…”
Basement ka darwaza band ho gaya.

Aaine mein Arjun ka reflection hil raha tha.

Lekin Arjun khud nahi hil raha tha.

Reflection muskura raha tha.

Dheere se reflection ne kaha:
“Tumne kahani likhne ke liye yeh ghar chuna tha…

Ab tum kahani banoge.”
Aaine ka glass toot gaya.

Andhera phail gaya.

Aakhri Subah
Sheher ke logon ne suna ki haveli mein aag lag gayi.

Police aayi.

Andar sirf jali hui deewarein thi.

Aur ek kursi.

Kursi par ek nayi diary rakhi thi.

Diary par likha tha:
“Karz Abhi Bhi Baaki Hai.”
Aur pehle panne par ek naya naam:
Arjun.

Last Line:
Har raat 3:03 baje…

agar aapko scratch ki awaaz aaye…

toh samajh lijiye…

karz aap tak pahunch chuka hai.

To be continued.......