บท 3: Saaya ka Shikaar
Veer ne dheere se apne saans ko sambhalne ki koshish ki, lekin uske dimaag mein ab sirf ek hi cheez ghoom rahi thi: woh darwaza, woh ajeeb si chhavi, aur woh mannequins jo uske har raaste ko rokne ki koshish kar rahe the. Woh rooh uske samne khadi thi, aur uska chehra gusse aur dard mein bhara tha—jaise woh apne inteqam ke liye tadap rahi ho. Veer ko ab yeh ehsaas hone laga tha ke woh sirf ek insaan nahi, balki uski zindagi aur uska wajood ab kisi aur hi duniya mein qaid ho chuka hai.
Us rooh ne dheere se aage badhte hue kaha, "Tum yahaan se nikal nahi sakte. Tumne is darwaze ko khola hai, aur ab tum is kahani ka hissa ho. Tum bhi wohi anjaam paoge jo pehle yahaan aaye logon ne paaya."
Veer ne apne dimaag mein sochne ki koshish ki, lekin uske paas koi raasta nahi tha. Usne socha ke shayad woh chabi jo usne kamre mein dekhi thi, uske liye kuch madadgar ho sakti hai. Usne apne haath mein woh chabi kas ke pakad li aur dheere se piche hatne laga.
Tabhi us rooh ne ek zor se cheekh maari jo kamre ke chaaro taraf goonj gayi. Kamra hila aur mannequins ke chehre ab aur bhi bhayanak lagne lage. Unki aankhon mein wohi gehra, laal rang chamakne laga, aur aisa lag raha tha jaise woh kisi shikaar ka intezaar kar rahe ho.
Veer ne apne dil ki dhadkan ko sambhalte hue apne kadam aur tez kar diye aur corridor mein aage badhne laga. Usne peechhe mud ke dekha toh woh rooh aur mannequins uske peechhe peechhe aa rahe the, aur corridor mein ab sirf ek ajeeb si thandak thi. Uske haath mein jo chabi thi, uska rang dheere dheere laal hone laga—jaise woh kisi purani, khooni kahani ka hissa ban chuki ho.
Achanak corridor mein uske saamne ek aur darwaza aaya. Usne chabi lagane ki koshish ki, lekin darwaza khulte hi uske saamne ek aur ajeeb aur darawna manzar tha. Ek chhoti si batti us kamre mein jal rahi thi aur kamre ke beech mein ek chair thi. Woh chair khali thi, lekin uske paas kuch purane kagaz aur ek photo frame rakha tha.
Usne photo frame uthaya aur dekha, toh usme ek aur chehra tha—ek aur insaan jo shayad kisi waqt is mall mein aaya tha aur phir kabhi laut nahi saka. Uska chehra wohi dar aur takleef se bhara hua tha, jaise woh kisi ke saath yahaan fas gaya ho. Veer ne woh photo frame neeche rakh diya aur kagazon ko dekha.
Un kagazon par likha tha: "Yahaan jo bhi aata hai, woh is mall ka hissa ban jaata hai. Yeh mannequins sirf statues nahi hain—yeh woh roohain hain jo apne inteqaam ke liye yahaan qaid hain. Aur woh har naye shikaar ka intezaar karte hain, taake woh apne dard ko kam kar sake."
Veer ke haath kaanp rahe the. Usne samajh liya tha ke woh mannequins uska intezaar kar rahe hain taake woh bhi unka hissa ban sake. Usne apne dil ko sambhalne ki koshish ki aur kamre mein peeche ki taraf dekha, toh usne ek aur darwaza dekha jo kuch purani lakdiyon se band tha.
Usne darwaza kholne ki koshish ki, lekin woh band tha. Tabhi, usne peeche se wohi mannequins ki awaaz suni jo dheere dheere uske kareeb aa rahe the. Veer ne zor se dhakka maara aur woh darwaza khul gaya. Woh turant andar ghus gaya aur darwaza band kar diya.
Andar ek aur ajeeb si duniya thi. Wahaan har taraf purani tasveerein thi jo mall ke asal wajood ko dikhati thi. Us mall mein kai log aaye aur kabhi wapas nahi gaye. Woh mannequins un sab ki roohain ban chuke the. Veer ne dekha ke ek tasveer mein woh rooh bhi thi jo usne pehle corridor mein dekhi thi. Uske chehre par wohi inteqaam ki bhook thi.
Veer ko ab samajh mein aaya ke yeh mall sirf ek bhootiya makan nahi tha, yeh ek aisi jagah thi jahan har insaan apne hi khauf mein qaid ho jata tha. Usne apni saans ko sambhalte hue us kamre se nikalne ka raasta dhundhna shuru kiya, lekin uske paas waqt kam tha. Woh mannequins ab bhi bahar uska intezaar kar rahe the.
Veer ne apne dimaag mein ek plan banaya, lekin woh janta tha ke woh kisi bhi waqt us ke khilaf ja sakta tha. Uska maksad ab sirf ek tha: is mall ke darawne raaz ka parda faash karna aur yahaan se zinda nikalna. Lekin woh mannequins jo uska peecha kar rahe the, woh ab aur bhi zyada khatarnaak aur jeevant lag rahe the—jaise woh bas ek pal ki doori par hon aur bas Veer ko apne andar qaid karne ka intezaar kar rahe hon.
Veer dheere se andar ke andhere kamron ko taal-te hue mall ke ek aur bhaag mein ghus gaya. Usne notice kiya ke yahaan ki hawa bhi aur bhari lag rahi thi—jaise usmein dard, inteqaam aur purani yaadon ka bojh ho. Yeh jagah sirf ek mall nahi thi, yeh roohon ka qaidkhana ban chuki thi, jismein har aane wala insaan ek shikaar ban jaata tha.
Jaise hi woh corridor ke dusre hissay mein ghusa, usne dekha ke wahaan ek purana locker tha. Woh locker aadha khula hua tha aur usmein se kuch kagaz nikal rahe the. Veer ne bina waqt gawai woh kagazon ko uthaya aur unhein padne laga.
Kagazon par likha tha:
"Meri duniya mein main apne saaye se bhaagne ki koshish karta raha. Lekin mujhe nahi pata tha ke mera saaya kab mujhe yahaan le aayega aur yahaan mere intezaam mein qaid kar dega. Is mall mein aane wale har insaan ko yeh roohain apna shikaar banati hain. Yeh mannequins sirf statues nahi, yeh woh log hain jo yahaan aaye aur kabhi laut nahi paye. Yeh woh hain jo ab hamesha ke liye apne inteqaam mein jeene ko majboor hain."
Veer ke rone se uske haath kaanp gaye. Yeh ek purana confession tha—kisi ka sach, jo yahaan qaid ho gaya tha. Usne socha ke agar woh yahaan aur zyada der ruka, toh woh bhi in mannequins ka hissa ban jayega. Lekin uska dimaag ab bhi yeh samajh nahi pa raha tha ke woh mannequins zinda kaise ho gaye the, aur usne apna inteqaam inkaise kya lagaya.
Tabhi usne peeche se halke kadam ki awazein suni. Woh mannequins ab corridor ke aur kareeb aa rahe the, aur unki aankhon mein wohi ajeeb chamak thi—jaise woh bas apna shikaar paas aa gaya ho aur ab woh apna intezaar khatam kar rahe hon.
Veer ne jaldi se apne kadam aur tez kiye aur apne samne ek aur darwaza dekha. Usne socha ke yeh shayad uska exit ho sakta hai, lekin darwaza khulte hi woh ek aur ajeeb si jagah mein pahunch gaya. Yeh ek purani drawing room thi jismein purane aur ajeeb decorations the. Table par ek purani lamp thi jo ab bhi jal rahi thi, aur uske upar kuch ajeeb se shadow figures thi.
Us room ke beech mein ek aur ajeeb cheez thi—ek mirror. Yeh mirror bohot purana aur bada tha, aur iske frame par kuch alag hi tareeke se carvings bani thi. Jaise hi Veer us mirror ke samne gaya, usne dekha ke woh apne hi reflection ko dekhte hue darr gaya. Mirror mein uska reflection ek ajeeb aur khaufnaak roop mein badal raha tha.
Woh pehle toh khud ke hi reflection ko dekhne mein atak gaya, lekin usne dheere se dekha ke uske reflection ke peechhe kuch mannequins khade hue hain. Yeh mannequins mirror mein toh dikh rahe the, lekin jab usne piche mud kar dekha toh koi bhi wahaan nahi tha. Woh mannequins sirf mirror mein hi dikhayi de rahe the, aur unka chehra aur bhi zyada bhayanak aur khaufnaak ho chuka tha.
Tabhi, uske reflection ne us se dheere se kaha, "Yahaan tumhaari raah khatam ho gayi hai, Veer. Tum yahaan se zinda nahi ja sakte. Yeh roohain tumhara intezaar kar rahi hain, aur tum bhi ab unka hissa ban jaoge."
Veer ne apni aankhon ko band kar ke apne andar ki himmat ko jagaya aur apne dimaag mein yeh tasavvur kiya ke woh kisi tarah yahaan se nikal sakta hai. Lekin mirror mein uska reflection us par hasi uda raha tha—jaise woh Veer ke dar aur bechani ka maza le raha ho.
Usne apna dhyan wapas mirror par kiya aur dekha ke ab woh mannequins dheere dheere mirror se nikal kar asli duniya mein aa rahe the. Unke haath, unke chehre, sab uski taraf aage badhne lage jaise woh Veer ko apne saath kheench rahe ho.
Veer ne apne haath se mirror ko zor se todne ki koshish ki, lekin woh mirror ab bhi apni jagah par tha. Lekin ab uska waqt khatam ho raha tha. Mannequins ke haath uske kareeb aa rahe the, aur uska dil zor zor se dhadakne laga.
Tabhi usne ek aur darwaza dekha jo mirror ke bilkul paas tha. Usne apne aakhri koshish mein woh darwaza khola aur andar ghus gaya, aur usne darwaza band kar diya. Usne apne saans ko sambhalte hue dekha toh yeh ek aur purana kamra tha.
Kamre mein ek aur kagaz ka tukda pada tha jismein likha tha:
"Yeh woh kamra hai jismein main kabhi fasa tha. Yeh mannequins sirf ek roop hain us dar aur dard ka jo yahaan fasne wale har insaan mein ghusa hai. Agar tum yahaan se bachna chahte ho toh apne dar se aage badho aur sach ka samna karo."
Veer ne woh kagaz padha aur samajh gaya ke woh mannequins sirf uske dar ka reflection hain. Usne socha ke agar woh apne andar ke dar ko pehchan lega aur apne dimaag mein uska saamna karega, toh shayad woh yahaan se nikalne ka rasta dhundh sakta hai.
Woh mannequins ab bhi us par haavi ho rahe the, lekin Veer ne apne andar ki himmat ko sambhalte hue unka saamna kiya. Usne apne dimaag mein socha ke woh inse dar ke nahi bhagega, aur yahi soch uska shastra ban gayi.
Usne dheere se apni aankhein band ki aur apne dar ka samna kiya. Uske andar woh mannequins ab dheere dheere fade ho rahe the, aur unka existence ab dhundhla hone laga. Veer ne yeh socha ke agar woh apne dar ka samna karega toh woh mannequins bhi dheere dheere khatam ho jayenge.
Jab usne aankhein kholi toh woh mannequins gaayab ho chuke the. Ab us corridor mein sirf ek roshni thi jo usse bahar ke raste tak le ja rahi thi.
Veer ne ab yeh faisla kar liya tha ke woh is khooni saaye ke sheher se nikal kar duniya ko is darawne raaz ke baare mein bataayega. Lekin ab bhi uske man mein yeh sawal tha—kya yeh mannequins sach mein gaayab ho gaye hain, ya woh bas ek waqt ke liye chup gaye hain, intezaar mein ke kab Veer laut ke aayega?
Yeh soch uske zehen mein aati gayi jab woh wahaan se nikal raha tha. Veer ka shikaar toh ab tal gaya tha, lekin woh mannequins ab bhi kisi naye shikaar ka intezaar kar rahe the.
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