Story of Fear

Are you in search of a new story? You are welcome to StoryHub..!

StoryHub

Shaurya aur Rahul dono hi office colleague the. Office k roster shift k wajah se dono hi Kharadi,Pune k 1BHK flat me pandemic ka time kaat rahe the. Raat k 8 baj chuke the, aur achanak light chali gayi. Generally, aisa bohot kam hota tha. Rahul ko kisi khaas wajah se andhere se darr lagta tha. Rahul fir chillate hue bola, ye light ko raat me hi kyun jana hota hai. Shaurya, Rahul ki hasi udaate hue bola, Itna kyun darta hai tu andhere se, FATTU. Rahul ne fir chillate hue bola ki watchman ko phone kare or puche light kyun gayi hai, generator kyun nahi chalaya..! 

Itne me light aagyi. Rahul ki jaan me jaan aayi. Shaurya haste hue, Rahul k darne ka mazak udaata jaa raha tha. Rahul kitchen me gaya or pani pi kar aya aur chillate hue bola ki Chup kar saale! Tere sath kabhi koi incident nahi hua aisa islie tujhe hasi aa rahi hai. Shaurya apni hasi rokte hue bola, Ye bhoot-woot kuch nahi hota. Hum 21st Century me hain surrounded by numerous technologies and Science. Kaha tu in sab chizon ko leke baitha hua hai. Har normal admi ki tarah, Shaurya ne bhi filmy dialogue chipka dia. Rahul ne kaha ki agar wo superstitious hai to ye para-normal science, paranormal activities k baare me kyun sunai padta hai.

Thoda sehamte hue, Rahul apne bed par khidki se takiya par tek lete hua leta or bola ki jab wo chota tha, uski age kareeb 12 ki thi, wo apne gaon gaya tha jo Bilaspur k kisi jagah par tha. Rahul or uski choti behen Shruti garmi ki chuttiyon me saalon baad gaon gaye the. Dopahar ka time tha, sabhi bacche aapas me khel rahe the. Wahi pe ek khandahar sa ghar tha jo maano saalon se band hai. Aisa lagg raha tha jaise isme bohot time pehle aag lagg gayi thi. Badi badi ghaas gate pe, junglee ped paudhe nikal aaye the. Lakdi ka purane zamane ka darwaaza, upar chajja, aage ki deewal pe ek choti si khidki jo hawa se khul-band ho rahi thi. or khidki pe lage lohe k chaddo pe chot se awaaz kar rahi thi. Khidki se thoda hi upar, hawa k aawa gaman k lie vatayan(ventilation hole) bana tha. Khidki ki awaz se Rahul ko irritation si ho rahi thi to wo daud us ghar ki taraf jane laga. Taki khidki band kar k bahar se eeta rakh de. Tab tak gaon k bacche ne Rahul ko chilla k bola - Oye ruk waha mat ja, wo darwani jagah hai, kisi ka bhi jana mana hai waha. Rahul sab baaton ko ignore karte hue daud k gaya, khidki band karte waqt andar jhaankne laga. Andar ekdum andhera tha, din me bhi suraj ki ek bhi kiran andar nahi pahunch rahi thi. Khidki band karte waqt, Rahul ko aisa laga ki kisine halki dheemi awaz me usey andar bulaya ho. Rahul khidki band kar k, bahar se eeta rakh k wapas aa gaya. Lekin pta nahi kyu Rahul ko laga ki andar koi hai.

Agle din Rahul fir khelne gaya to usney dekha ki khidki khuli hui hai, aur usne jo eeta jis jagah se uthaya tha wo fir wahi rakkha hua hai. Rahul ka mann khel me kam, us ghar or khidki ki taraf jada tha. Rahul ne gaon k bacche Satyam ko bulaya or bola ki usne kal khidki band ki thi to aj wo firse kyun khuli hai..? Satyam ne halka darr dikhate hue kaha, wo ghar bhutiya hai, koi bhi gaon wala uss jagah nahi jata. Yaha tak ki uski baat karne ko bhi sabne mana kia hai. Fir Satyam khelne me lagg gaya, lekin Rahul ko andar se bechaini si ho rahi thi ki kyun mana hai or koi uss jagah ki baat bhi nahi btata. Shaam ko jab Rahul apne ghar par baitha tha to usney apne Dada se uss jagah k baare me ishara karte hue pucha jo uske ghar se saaf dikhai padta tha. Dadaji ne Rahul ko zorr se daant dia or bola ki kabhi uss ghar ki baat na kare, na kabhi waha jae. Shruti abhi choti thi, 9 saal ki, Rahul ki tarah wo bhi sab sunn rahi thi. Rahul ne Shruti se pucha ki kya wo uske sath ek baar uss ghar k pass chalegi. Shruti nasamajh thi, ussey kuch khaas samajh nahi aaya or bade bhai ki haa me haa milate hue sar hilati gayi. Rahul shaam ko 6 baje, jab gaon me halka andhera shuru ho jata hai, Shruti ko leke uss bhutiya ghar ki taraf gaya. Pehle k gharo me khidki thoda chaudi hua karthi thi. Rahul ne Shruti ko nichne rukne ko bola or khidki se andar jhaankne laga ki shayad kuch dikh jae. Andhera bohot tha, to wo khidki par chadh gaya or upar bane ventilation hole se andar jhaankne laga. Ventilation hole kisi train k emergency window jitna bada tha ki koi chota baccha bade aasani se andar ghus sakta tha. 

Rahul pareshan sa andar jhankte hue Shruti k zidd karne par mana kar de raha tha ki usey bhi dekhna hai. Bhaiya bhaiya ki ratt lagate hue Shruti jhalliyate hue boli ki mai ghar jaa rahi hui or sabko bata dungi ki aap yaha is ghar me andar jhaank rahe ho. Rahul chidhchidhate hue bola accha ruk, or utar kar ussey khidki pe chadha dia or bola le dekh le tu bhi. Shruti height me choti si thi to usne firse zidd ki ki ussey bhi ventilation hole se andar dekhna hai. Rahul thoda chidhe mann se khidki par chadha or Shruti ko halka sa deewar k sahare uthate hue bola - Le dekh nahi to tu hi andar chali jaa or aaram se dekh baith k. Shruti ne bola nahi andar bohot andhera hai, or itne me laga ki andar se kisine Rahul k haath se Shruti ka sarr pakad k usko andar kheech lia ho. Isse pehle ki Rahul chillata, zor lagata, Shruti ko kisine andar kheech lia. Aur khidki se ek hath bahar aaya or Rahul ka pair pakad k ussey piche gira dia. Girte hi Rahul zor zor se chillate hue, halla karte hue darwaza or khidki peetne laga. Halle ki awaz sunte hi kuch dur khade logon ne jab Rahul ko uss ghar k pass dekha to lathi laalten jo bhi tha leke daud pade. Kisine Rahul k Dadaji or baki ghar walo ko bhi halla karte hue bata dia or saare gaon wale ekkattha daud pade. Sab daudte haanfte hue aaye or Rahul ko waha se dur karne lage to itne me pasine se bheega hua Rahul chillate hue bola ki Shruti andar hai, koi ussey kheech le gaya. Chillate hue Rahul ne khidki or vent hole ki taraf ishara kia. Rahul roo raha tha, chill raha tha. 

Gaon walo ko samjhte der nahi lagi or sab ek sath darwaza todne lage, lekin Darwaza aisa band tha jaise andar se 5-6 kundi lagi ho. Tab tak kuch ne kaha ki khidki se aag laga do jo bhi hai bahar khudse bhaagega. Rahul k Dadaji chillate hue bola, meri bacchi andar hai, darwaza todo koi, dusri taraf Dadi, mummy, chachi sab roo-roo kar chilla rahi thi. 8-10 logo ne mil k darwaza toda or sab ek sath andar ghuse to ekdm andhera, laalten wale aage aaye or halki dheemi roshni me sabne dekha Shruti roti hui kisi ajeeb si aurat k pass baithi hai. Usne Shruti ko pakad rakha tha or sabko ghur rahi thi. Gaon wale jab Shruti ko bachane k lie lapke to wo aurat Shruti ko lekar deewal pe chadhte hue or andar ki taraf andhere me bhaagi. Sab gaon wale dare sehme, himmat jutate hue andar Shruti ko bachane bhaage. Rahul gate pe khada rote hue sab dekh raha tha. 7 log mil k bhi Shruti ko kheech rahe the ki us aurat ne sabko utha k dur deewar pe fek die. Fir gaon walo ne laalten ki aag dikhate hue fir se ek baar lapake to wo Shruti ko chor kar deewar pe chadhte hue vent hole ki taraf bhaagi. Sab hairan, paseene me darr se behaal dekhte hue chilla rahe the. Kuch maaro-maaro to kuch aag laga do. Dadaji, Rahul or Shruti ko tezi se kheechte hue hath pakad kar bahar le aee or baki kuch gaon walo k sth ghar ki taraf bhaage. Rahul abhi bhi Dadaji ka hath pakde hue ghar ki taraf jate hue bhi sar piche kar k uss ghar ki taraf dekh raha tha. Ghar jaate hi Rahul ko tezi se do thappad pade or sab mil k us par chillane lage. Shruti ko sab pakad pakad k dekh rahe the ki kahi kuch hua to nahi. Itne me ek aadmi daudte hue gaon k pandit ji ko le aaya. Unhone aate hi mantar marna or jhaadna fukna shuru kar dia. Rote bilakhte dara sehma sa Rahul or Shruti chup chaap aangan me pandit ji k saamne baithe hue the. Thodi der me pandit ji Dadaji se kuch baat kar k jhaad - fuk kar k waha se chale gaye. Us raat Rahul ko bohot daant padi. Or Dadaji ne bataya ki saalon pehle ek pagal aurat jo apni saas, pati or do chote ladka-ladki ki sath rehti thi. Par pata ni kyun ek din subah pata chala ki uss aurat ne apne pure gharwalon ko chaku se maar dia or khudko sabke sath andar band kar lia tha. 

                                

Uska mansik santulan sahi nahi tha. Lekin jab gaon walo ko is bat ka pata chala to unhone usey chudail chudail chillate hue darwaza khidki sab band kar k ghar me bahar se aag laga di thi. Ghar or saaman to sab jal gaya tha, aurat bhi kuch kuch jal gayi thi. lekin ussi ghar me band reh k ajeeb si hogyi thi. Iss incident ko already 15 saal ho chuke the lekin pata ni woh zinda kaise thi..? Khaati-piti kya thi..? Kaise wo deewar par chalte hue bhaagi or ghar k andar na kursi thi na mej na takhat, to wo Shruti ko khichne itna upar kaise aayi. Usney kyun Shruti ko nahi kuch kia..? Baad me gaon walo ne panditon ko bulwa k kuch tantra mantra k sath uss ghar ko bandhwa dia. Aur tabse aaj tak uss ghar k aas pass koi insan to kya parinda bhi nahi guzarta. Gaon wale kehte hain ki wo shayad ab bhi andar hogi. 

Itna sab sunne k baad Shaurya chup chap dara ghabraya hua sa Rahul ko dhyaan se sunn raha tha.  Shaurya ko aisa laga jaise ye sab Rahul k sath nahi uske sath hi hua ho. Dare hue bss wo Rahul se yahi bol raha tha ki wo itna upar pahunchi kaise, kaise deewar par bhaagi or jalne k baad bhi zinda kaise thi .....? Bas tabse Rahul ko Nyctophobia hai yani fear of dark, andhere se darr.