Story

Title: Kala Darwaza – Ek Bhayanak Kahani

Yeh kahani us raat se shuru hoti hai jab baarish lagataar teesre din bhi nahi ruki thi. Aasmaan aisa lag raha tha jaise kisi ne kaali chadar taan di ho. Gaon ke bahar purani sadak par ek akela ghar khada tha—toota-phoota, jali hui deewaron par namak aur kaale daag, aur uske beechon-beech ek bhayanak kala darwaza. Log kehte the ki us darwaze ke peeche jo bhi gaya, woh kabhi wapas nahi aaya.

Main, Arjun, ek freelance journalist hoon. Mujhe afwaahon aur kahaniyon ke peeche chhupi sachchai dhoondhne ka junoon hai. Isi junoon ne mujhe is gaon tak kheench laya. Gaon ka naam tha Sukha Pind, par yahan kuch bhi sukha nahi tha—har cheez gili, chipchipi aur sadi hui lagti thi. Baarish ke saath mitti ki gandh hawa mein faili hui thi.

Gaon mein ghuste hi mujhe ajeeb si khamoshi mehsoos hui. Kutte bhonk nahi rahe the, bachche khel nahi rahe the, aur log darwazon ke peeche se jhaank kar dekh rahe the. Jaise hi main kisi se baat karne ki koshish karta, woh nazrein jhuka leta.

Aakhir ek buddhi aurat mili—uski aankhen laal aur chehra jhurriyon se bhara hua. Usne dheere se kaha, “Beta, yahan raat mat bitana. Kala darwaza tumhe bula raha hoga.”

Maine hansi mein taal diya, par andar kahin dar ka beej pad chuka tha. Main gaon ke ek chhote se lodge mein ruka. Raat ko bijli baar-baar ja rahi thi. Har baar andhera hota, mujhe lagta jaise koi saans meri gardan par mehsoos ho rahi ho.

Raat ke barah baje, achanak mere phone par network aa gaya. Ek unknown number se message aaya: “Darwaza khul raha hai.”

Mera dil zor se dhadakne laga. Maine message ignore kar diya, par kuch hi pal baad phir se vibration hui: “Agar sach chahte ho, toh aao.”

Mujhse raha nahi gaya. Camera, torch aur notebook lekar main lodge se nikal pada. Baarish ab dheemi ho chuki thi, par hawa mein thandak aur bhari si boo thi. Gaon ke bahar wahi purana ghar nazar aaya. Uske saamne mitti par gehre nishaan the—jaise kisi ne naakhun ghis kar zameen ko cheera ho.

Kala darwaza mere saamne tha. Us par lohe ke keel thhe, aur beech mein ek ajeeb sa chinh bana hua—jaise aankh. Jaise hi maine torch daali, mujhe laga woh aankh palak jhapak rahi ho.

“Yeh sirf dimaag ka khel hai,” maine khud se kaha aur darwaza dhakka diya.

Darwaza awaaz ke saath khula. Andar andhera itna ghana tha ki torch ki roshni bhi kam pad rahi thi. Deewaron par purani tasveeren lagi thi—par unmein logon ke chehre ghaayab the. Sirf khaali aankhen aur khule hue muh.

Maine aage badhna chaha, par peeche se kisi ke rone ki awaaz aayi. Ek bachchi ki awaaz: “Bhaiya, mujhe ghar jaana hai.”

Main ghoom gaya, par wahan koi nahi tha. Sirf darwaza, jo ab band ho chuka tha.

Mujhe ghabrahat hone lagi. Phone check kiya—no signal. Camera on kiya, par screen par ajeeb si lines chal rahi thi. Tabhi mujhe kisi ke chalne ki awaaz sunai di—ghisatti hui, jaise pair nahi balki zanjeer ho.

Samne se ek aurat nikli. Uske baal uske chehre par chipke hue the, aankhen safed aur khokhli. Usne kaha, “Tumne bulaaya tha.”

“Main… main yahan sirf likhne aaya hoon,” maine haklate hue kaha.

Woh hansi—par us hansi mein khushi nahi, sirf dard tha. “Yahan jo aata hai, woh likhne nahi, rehne aata hai.”

Achanak deewaron par lagi tasveeren hilli. Chehre ubhar aaye—woh gaon ke log the. Mujhe samajh aa gaya: yeh sab wahi log the jo kabhi gaayab ho gaye the.

Maine bhaagne ki koshish ki, par pair jaise zameen mein jam gaye. Zameen se haath nikal aaye—thande, chipchipe. Unhone meri taange pakad li.

“Darwaza sirf ek rasta hai,” aurat ne kaha. “Asli qaid toh yahan hai.”

Mujhe laga meri saans ruk rahi hai. Tabhi mere dimaag mein ek khayal aaya—darwaza. Agar yeh rasta hai, toh shayad wapas bhi ja sakta hoon.

Main poori taqat se chillaya aur torch zameen par patak di. Andhera chha gaya. Us andhere mein mujhe sirf ek awaaz sunai di—meri maa ki awaaz: “Arjun, ghar aa ja.”

Maine aankhen band ki aur us awaaz ki taraf bhaaga. Kisi tarah darwaza mil gaya. Maine dhakka diya—aur girta hua bahar aa gaya.

Subah ho chuki thi. Main sadak par pada tha, bheega hua. Gaon ke log door se dekh rahe the. Buddhi aurat mere paas aayi aur boli, “Tum bach gaye… par darwaza yaad rakhega.”

Main turant shehar laut aaya. Maine apni kahani publish ki. Logon ne padha, share kiya, par kuch hi din baad ajeeb cheezen hone lagi.

Raat ko mere sapne mein kala darwaza aata. Har baar woh thoda aur paas hota. Mere phone par phir se messages aane lage: “Ab tumhari baari hai.”

Ek raat, jab main likh raha tha, mujhe peeche se wahi bachchi ki awaaz sunai di: “Bhaiya, darwaza khul raha hai.”

Main ghoomna chahata tha, par mera jism jam chuka tha. Screen par sirf ek line likhi thi, bina maine type kiye:

“Kahani kabhi khatam nahi hoti.”

Aur tab mujhe samajh aaya—kala darwaza sirf ek jagah nahi, ek yaad hai. Aur jo uski kahani likhta hai, woh khud uska hissa ban jaata hai.

Agar tum yeh padh rahe ho, toh shayad darwaza tumhare liye bhi khul chuka hai…