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.

Yeh kahani hai ek chhote se parivaar ki jisme paanch log rehte the – Dadaji, Pitaji, Maa, bada bhai aur ek chhoti si ladki Munni, jo sabki laadli thi.

Munni ghar ki sabse pyaari thi aur uski har zid poori ki jaati thi.

Har subah Dadaji aangan mein baithkar apne purane tape recorder par 90's ke gaane suna karte the. Pitaji hall mein baithkar akhbaar padhte, Maa kitchen mein nashta banati aur phir poora parivaar saath baithkar breakfast karta.

Zindagi bahut khushi se guzar rahi thi.

Lekin ek din Dadaji ka tape recorder achanak kharab ho gaya.

Unhone use theek karne ki bahut koshish ki, lekin koi fayda nahi hua.

Aakhirkaar unhone tape recorder Munni ko de diya aur kaha ki use repair karwa de.

Do din baad tape recorder theek hokar wapas aa gaya.

Dadaji bahut khush hue aur phir se gaane sunne lage.

Lekin usi raat kuch ajeeb hua.

Raat ke kareeb 2 baje achanak tape recorder apne aap chalu ho gaya.

Dadaji ki aankh khul gayi.

Unhone uthkar tape recorder band kiya aur wapas bistar par jaane lage.

Tabhi achanak khidki zor se khul gayi.

Bahar bijli chamakne lagi.

Jaise hi unhone khidki band ki, bahar kutto ke rone ki awaazein aane lagi.

Phir doorbell bajne lagi.

Dadaji himmat karke bahar gaye, lekin wahan koi nahi tha.

Jab unhone ghar walon ko uthaya to kisi ne bhi woh awaazein nahi suni thi.

Us raat Dadaji darr ke maare hall mein hi so gaye.

Agli subah sab kuch normal lag raha tha.

Lekin Munni ke vyavhaar mein badlaav aa chuka tha.

Uski aankhen badi-badi lagne lagi thi.

Baal hamesha khule rehte.

Aur uski awaaz pehle se kaafi bhaari ho gayi thi.

Raat ko phir wahi sab hone laga.

Kutto ka rona...

Bijli ka chamakna...

Doorbell ka bajna...

Dadaji himmat karke hall mein aaye.

Aur jo unhone dekha, usse unki cheekh nikal gayi.

Munni deewar par chipki hui baithi thi.

Jaise koi makdi ho.

Dadaji ne uska naam pukara.

"Munni..."

Tabhi Munni ka sir poora ghoom gaya.

Dadaji darr ke maare zameen par gir pade.

Aur Munni deewar par chalne lagi.

Achanak ek tez hawa ka jhonka aaya.

Tape recorder hawa mein udta hua hall ke beech aa gaya.

Aur bahut tez awaaz mein bajne laga.

Uski awaaz sunkar Maa aur Pitaji bhi hall mein aa gaye.

Munni ko deewar par chalte dekhkar unke hosh udd gaye.

Sab zor-zor se Munni ko pukarne lage.

Tabhi ghar ka darwaza apne aap khul gaya.

Aur usme se saikdon chamgadar ghar ke andar ghus aaye.

Chamgadar aate hi Munni ki taaqat aur badh gayi.

Ab woh jis cheez ko ghoorti, woh jal kar raakh ho jaati.

Uski aankhon se khoon behne laga.

Aur tape recorder ki awaaz aur bhi bhayanak ho gayi.

Yeh sab dekhkar Maa behosh ho gayi.

Pitaji turant gaon ke Shiv Mandir ke Pandit ji ko bulaane bhaage.

Jab woh Pandit ji ke saath wapas aaye to poora ghar khoon se bhara hua tha.

Maa aur Dadaji hawa mein tair rahe the.

Aur Munni ulta deewar par latki hui thi.

Yeh dekhkar Pandit ji bhi ek pal ke liye ghabra gaye.

Tape recorder se ajeeb aur darawani awaazein aa rahi thi.

Pandit ji ne apne bag se pavitra bhasm nikali aur mantra jaap shuru kar diya.

Mantra padhkar jaise hi unhone bhasm zameen par chhidki...

Poora khoon gayab ho gaya.

Lekin Munni aur bhi zyada khatarnak ho gayi.

Uski cheekhon se poora ghar kaanpne laga.

Tab Pandit ji ne apna Trishul nikala aur mantra bolte hue Munni ki taraf badhe.

Trishul ka asar hote hi Munni shaant hone lagi.

Kuch der baad Munni ne bataya ki jis dukaan se usne tape recorder repair karwaya tha...

Wahan ek mare hue singer ki aatma bhatak rahi thi.

Wahi aatma tape recorder ke andar sama gayi thi.

Aur phir usne Munni ko apna shikaar bana liya.

Pandit ji ne apne tantra-mantra se us singer ki aatma ko mukti di.

Tape recorder ko pavitra agni mein jala diya gaya.

Us din ke baad ghar mein phir kabhi koi ajeeb ghatna nahi hui.

Aur woh parivaar dobara pehle ki tarah khushi-khushi rehne laga.

THE END.

TAPE RECORDER KA SAYA

BHAVANIPUR KA SHAAPIT MAHAL

20 saal ka Sekhar ek talented nature artist tha. Usne apni paintings ke liye kai awards jeete the aur college mein bhi sab uski kala ke deewane the.

Ek din college mein painting competition announce hua. Theme thi – "Purane Mahal ki Khoobsurti".

Sekhar ne socha ki agar asli mahal dekhkar painting banayi jaaye to uski painting sabse alag hogi.

Usse yaad aaya ki uske mama Bhavanipur gaon mein rehte hain. Bachpan mein mama ne use ek purane mahal se door rehne ki warning di thi, lekin kabhi wajah nahi batayi thi.

Sekhar Bhavanipur pahunch gaya aur mama se bola,

"Mama, main kuch din yahan rehna chahta hoon aur us purane mahal ki painting banana chahta hoon."

Mama ka chehra achanak udaas ho gaya.

"Beta, us mahal se jitna door raho utna achha hai."

Lekin Sekhar ke bahut kehne par mama maan gaye.

"Theek hai, lekin bahut saavdhan rehna."

Agle din Sekhar apna canvas aur rang lekar mahal pahunch gaya.

Mahal dekhne mein bahut hi shandaar tha, lekin uske aas-paas ek ajeeb sannata tha.

Mahal ke paas ek purana talab tha. Sekhar wahin baithkar painting banane laga.

Kuch der baad usne mehsoos kiya ki mahal ke andar se kisi aurat ke chalne ki awaaz aa rahi hai.

Tak... Tak... Tak...

Sekhar ne mahal ki taraf dekha, lekin wahan koi nahi tha.

Usne phir painting shuru kar di.

Thodi der baad uske kaanon mein ghungroo ki halki si awaaz gunj uthi.

Chan... Chan... Chan...

Ab uska dil ghabraane laga.

Jab usne apni painting ki taraf dekha to uske hosh udd gaye.

Mahal ki jagah canvas par ek khoobsurat aurat ka chehra bana hua tha.

Sekhar darr gaya.

Shaam hote hi woh ghar laut aaya.

Lekin agle din bhi wahi hua.

Aur uske agle din bhi.

Har baar mahal ki painting apne aap ek aurat ki tasveer mein badal jaati.

Ab Sekhar ko samajh nahi aa raha tha ki yeh sab kya ho raha hai.

Ek din jab woh painting bana raha tha tab ek chhoti si ladki uske paas aayi.

"Tum roz is mahal mein kyun aate ho?"

Sekhar ne kaha,

"College competition ke liye painting bana raha hoon."

Ladki ka chehra gambhir ho gaya.

"Yeh mahal shaapit hai."

Sekhar ne poocha,

"Kya matlab?"

Ladki ne dheere se kahani sunani shuru ki.

"Kai saalon pehle Raja Tilak Raj naam ka ek raja tha. Woh bahut hi ayyaash aur ghamandi tha. Usne chaar shaadiyaan ki thi, lekin phir bhi uski buri nazar har sundar aurat par padti thi."

"Ek din shikaar karte hue woh jungle mein bhatak gaya aur paani ki talaash mein ek rishi ke aashram pahunch gaya."

"Jab usne paani maanga, tab aashram se ek sundar ladki bahar aayi."

"Uska naam tha Bhanumati."

"Raja use dekhte hi uspar mohit ho gaya."

"Kuch din baad Raja Tilak Raj ne Bhanumati ke liye shaadi ka prastaav bheja."

"Lekin Bhanumati ne mana kar diya."

"Kyunki woh kisi aur se prem karti thi."

"Apni beizzati seh na paakar Raja ne gusse mein Bhanumati aur uske premi dono ki hatya kar di."

Sekhar ka gala sookhne laga.

"Phir kya hua?"

Ladki ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.

"Bhanumati ke pita Rishi Shobit ne Raja ko shraap diya."

"'Tilak Raj! Tumhari poori vansh ka vinaash hoga. Tumhari aatma kabhi shaanti nahi paayegi aur sada isi mahal mein bhatakti rahegi.'"

"Us shraap ke baad Raja aur uski poori peedhi ek-ek karke mar gayi."

"Aaj bhi Raja Tilak Raj ki dusht aatma us mahal mein bhatakti hai."

Sekhar ne ghabraakar poocha,

"Tumhe yeh sab kaise pata?"

Ladki dheere-dheere muskuraayi.

Uski aankhen achanak chamakne lagi.

"Tumne pehchana nahi, Sekhar?"

Sekhar peeche hat gaya.

"Kaun ho tum?"

Ladki ne dheere se kaha,

"Main hi Bhanumati hoon..."

Itna kehkar ladki hawa mein gaayab ho gayi.

Sekhar ke haath se brush gir gaya.

Aur uski painting mein phir se wahi chehra ubhar aaya...

Bhanumati ka chehra.

THE END.