MAUT KA MELA

Yeh kahani hai teen doston ki jo ek gaon ke mashhoor mele mein ghoomne gaye the.

Raat ka samay tha.

Mela khatam hone wala tha, lekin humne socha ki thodi der aur ghoom lete hain.

Kuch der baad humein ehsaas hua ki hum raasta bhatak gaye hain.

Andhera itna gehra tha ki haath ko haath nazar nahi aa raha tha.

Jaise-jaise hum aage badhte gaye, andhera aur bhi gehra hota gaya.

Tabhi door ek roshni dikhai di.

Hum khush ho gaye aur us roshni ki taraf daud pade.

Paas pahunchkar dekha ki wahan bhi ek mela laga hua tha.

Lekin yeh mela kuch alag tha.

Har taraf chamakdaar lights thi, jhule chal rahe the aur log idhar-udhar ghoom rahe the.

Humne socha shayad gaon ka doosra mela hoga.

Hum bhi uske andar chale gaye.

Mela bahut bada tha.

Ghoomte-ghoomte humein bhook lag gayi.

Hum ek pani puri ke stall par gaye.

Lekin wahan jo humne dekha, usse hamari rooh kaanp uthi.

Pani puri ka size insaani sir jitna bada tha.

Aur uske andar kisi insaan ki kati hui ungliyan bhari hui thi.

Darr ke maare hamare haath se plate gir gayi.

Jab humne dukandaar ki taraf dekha...

To uska sar kata hua tha.

Aur uska kata hua sar uske paas rakhi table par pada tha.

Hum teeno cheekhte hue wahan se bhaag nikle.

Lekin jab hum mele ke main gate par pahunche...

To gate gayab tha.

Ab har taraf sirf saaye hi saaye nazar aa rahe the.

Tabhi achanak mele ke saare jhule apne aap chalne lage.

Bachchon ke rone aur hasne ki ajeeb awaazein goonjne lagi.

Ab humein samajh aa gaya tha ki hum kisi aam mele mein nahi...

Balki maut ke mele mein phans chuke hain.

Dheere-dheere woh saaye hamari taraf badhne lage.

Unke shareer aadhe jale hue the.

Kisi ka chehra pighla hua tha.

Kisi ke haath-pair kate hue the.

Hazaaron ki tadaad mein bhatakti hui aatmaayein us mele mein maujood thi.

Sabse darawani baat yeh thi ki woh aatmaayein us mele ka maza le rahi thi.

Bachchon ke saaye jhule jhool rahe the.

Kuch aatmaayein dukaano se samaan khareed rahi thi.

Jaise unke liye sab kuch bilkul normal ho.

Yeh manzar dekhkar hamare pairon tale zameen khisak gayi.

Hum jaan bachakar bhaagne lage.

Tabhi mera pair kisi cheez se takra gaya aur main zameen par gir pada.

Jab maine neeche dekha...

To meri cheekh nikal gayi.

Zameen par insaanon ke jale hue aur kate hue shareer ke tukde bikhre pade the.

Main turant uthkar doston ke saath bhaagne laga.

Hum gate ki taraf daude.

Lekin tab humein ehsaas hua ki hamara dost Aman hamare saath nahi hai.

Humne peeche mudkar dekha.

Aur jo nazara dikha, usse hamari aankhen phat gayin.

Kuch bachchon ke saaye Aman ko hawa mein gend ki tarah uchhal rahe the.

Aman zor-zor se madad ke liye cheekh raha tha.

Hum kuch kar bhi nahi pa rahe the.

Tabhi achanak subah hone lagi.

Dheere-dheere roshni failne lagi.

Aur kuch hi palon mein sab kuch shaant ho gaya.

Saare saaye gayab ho gaye.

Aman zameen par behosh pada tha.

Aur mela...

Mela poori tarah se gayab ho chuka tha.

Uski jagah ek sunsaan aur khaali maidan tha.

Hum Aman ko lekar ghar pahunche.

Jab humne yeh baat Dadaji ko batayi to unka chehra safed pad gaya.

Unhone bataya,

"Beta, kai saal pehle isi maidan mein ek bahut bada mela laga tha."

"Lekin electrical short circuit ki wajah se poore mele mein bhayanak aag lag gayi thi."

"Hazaaron log us aag mein jal kar mar gaye the."

"Kehte hain ki har mahine ek raat un sabki aatmaayein wapas aati hain."

"Aur us raat us maidan mein phir se lagta hai..."

MAUT KA MELA.

THE END.