Veer aur uske dost ab mall se nikal kar apni jaan bachane mein kaamyab toh ho gaye the, lekin woh khauf aur dar unka peecha ab bhi nahi chhod raha tha. Mall ke bahar ki thandi hawa ne unhe ek pal ke liye rahat di, lekin un sabke chehre pe ek ajeeb si khamoshi thi. Jaise unhone sirf ek daravna sapna dekha ho, lekin woh sapna haqeeqat mein jee rahe the.
"Veer," Nisha ne dheere se uski taraf dekha aur kaha, "Woh mannequins ab bhi mujhe mehsoos ho rahe hain. Aisa lagta hai jaise woh humara peecha kar rahe hain."
Veer ne uska haath thaamte hue kaha, "Woh sab yahaan khatam ho gaya hai, Nisha. Hum bahar nikal aaye hain. Ab hume darne ki zarurat nahi hai." Lekin uska apna dil us baat par yakeen nahi kar raha tha.
Rahul, jo ab tak bejaan lag raha tha, achanak se bol utha, "Kya tum log samajhte ho ke yeh sab yahan khatam ho gaya? Yeh mannequins bas ek shuruat the. Ab yeh shraap humare saath hai."
Uske lafzon mein ek ajeeb sa darr tha, jaise woh mannequins ka shikar ban chuka ho. Arjun ne uski baat ko nazarandaz karte hue kaha, "Rahul, yeh sab tere zehan ka waham hai. Hum ab safe hain. Chal, yahan se nikalte hain."
Woh log apni gaadi ki taraf badhne lage, lekin har ek kadam ke saath unhe lag raha tha ke jaise koi unhe dekh raha ho. Jaise har andhere kona se ek nazar unka peecha kar rahi ho. Veer ne peeche mud kar dekha, lekin wahan sirf mall ka andhera tha. Usne socha ke shayad woh apne zehan ka khel hai.
Gaadi Mein Safar Ka Shraap
Jese hi woh log apni gaadi mein baithe aur shahar ki taraf chale, ek ajeeb si awaaz sunai di. Woh gaadi ke andar se aayi thi, jaise koi unke saath baith kar sans le raha ho. Meera ne ghabra kar piche dekha, lekin wahan koi nahi tha.
"Yeh awaaz kahan se aa rahi hai?" Meera ne ghabra kar poocha.
Nisha ne apna haath uske kandhe par rakha aur kaha, "Meera, relax. Yeh sab humare dimaag ka waham hai." Lekin Nisha khud bhi andar hi andar dar rahi thi.
Tabhi ek dum se gaadi ke sheeshe par ek haath ka nishan dikhai diya. Ek laal khoon se bhara haath, jo dheere se gaadi ke sheeshe par likh raha tha, "Tum hamare saath chal rahe ho."
Sab log ek saath cheekhne lage. Veer ne turant gaadi ko rok diya aur sab log bahar nikal aaye.
"Yeh ho kya raha hai?" Arjun cheekhte hue bola. Uska chehra pasine se bhara hua tha aur uske pair thartharane lage the.
Veer ne apni torch nikaal kar gaadi ke aas-paas dekha, lekin wahan koi nahi tha. Nisha ne kaha, "Woh mannequins hamara peecha kar rahe hain. Woh hume kahin bhi nahi chhodenge."
Tabhi unhone suna ke gaadi ke andar se ek cheekh uthi. Us cheekh mein dar aur takleef ka anjaam tha. Jab Veer ne gaadi ke andar dekha, toh unhe ek mannequins dikhayi diya jo Rahul ke side pe baitha tha. Woh mannequins unka mazaak uda raha tha, uski bejaan muskurahat unhe aur bhi dar rahi thi.
"Ye mannequins kaise yahaan tak aa gaye?" Meera cheekhti hui piche hatne lagi.
Veer ne apni himmat ko sambhalte hue kaha, "Hume yeh gaadi yahin chhod kar bhaagna hoga. Yeh ab safe nahi hai."
Mannequins Ka Daur
Woh log raste mein chalne lage, lekin unhe har taraf mannequins ke nishan mil rahe the—ped ke neeche, raaste ke kinare, aur kabhi unke peeche. Aisa lagta tha jaise woh mannequins unhe har taraf se ghera kar rahe ho.
"Hum aur kahin nahi ja sakte," Nisha ne kaha, uski awaaz phootne lagi thi. "Woh mannequins humein maar dalenge. Hum unka shraap le aaye hain."
Tabhi ek mannequins unke samne sadak ke beech me aakar khada ho gaya. Uske haath mein ek purani si ghanti thi jo har baari bajne par unke dil ko kampana de rahi thi.
Veer ne us mannequins ki taraf dekha aur cheekhte hue bola, "Tum humein kya chahte ho? Kya chahiye tumhe?"
Mannequins ne dheere se apna haath uthaya aur uski aankhein ek laal rang ke prakash mein chamakne lagi. Uski awaaz andar se ghoonjti hui nikli: "Tumne humare ghar ki shanti ko toda hai. Ab tum uske badle apni zindagi doge."
Ant Ki Suruwat
Veer ne samajh liya tha ke unhe sirf mannequins ka samna karna hoga. Woh mannequins ke shraap ko todne ka ek tareeqa dhoondhne ki koshish karne laga, lekin usse samajh nahi aa raha tha ke woh kaise unka peecha chhod kar apne doston ko bacha sake.
Tabhi ek awaz unke kaanon mein gunji, ek purane mall ke basement se: "Wapas aao, warna tum sab mannequins ban jaoge."
Raat aur bhi gehri ho gayi thi, aur mannequins ka saaya Veer aur uske doston ke aas-paas mandra raha tha. Har kadam pe lagta tha jaise koi unka peecha kar raha ho. Rahul, jo ab tak bechain tha, raat ki iss sannate mein aur bhi zyada ghabra raha tha.
"Hum kahin aur nahi ja sakte," Rahul ne kaha. "Woh mannequins humein maar daalenge. Humne unka ghar tod diya hai."
Nisha ne uski baat kaat kar kaha, "Rahul, chup kar! Agar tu aise hi ghabrata raha, toh woh mannequins aur zyada strong ho jayenge."
Veer ne apne doston ko sambhalte hue kaha, "Hume wapas us mall mein jaana hoga. Agar mannequins ke shraap ko todne ka koi tareeqa hai, toh woh wahin milega."
Arjun ne naraazgi se kaha, "Kya tu pagal ho gaya hai? Wapas jaana? Woh mannequins humein maar daalenge, aur tu wapas jaane ki baat kar raha hai?"
Veer ne kaha, "Hum agar bhaag bhi gaye, toh yeh shraap humara peecha nahi chhodega. Agar zinda rehna hai, toh hume unka samna karna hoga."
Raaste Mein Dar Ka Saaya
Sabhi ne Veer ki baat maan li, aur woh log ek baar phir mall ki taraf chal pade. Raasta andhere aur sannate se bhara tha. Meera har taraf dekh rahi thi, jaise har kone se mannequins nikal aayenge.
Tabhi ek ajeeb si awaaz gunji—ek hansi, jo unke dil ko cheer gayi. Woh mannequins ki hansi thi. Meera cheekhte hue Veer se lipat gayi, "Veer, woh hansi! Woh yahaan hain!"
Veer ne kaha, "Humein sambhal kar rehna hoga. Yeh mannequins sirf dar paida karna chahte hain." Lekin uska apna dil us baat par yakeen nahi kar raha tha.
Tabhi unke samne ek mannequins khada ho gaya. Uske haath mein ek purani si ghanti thi. Usne dheere se ghanti bajai, aur raat aur bhi daravni ho gayi.
Mannequins Ka Hamla
Rahul ghabra kar peeche bhaagne laga, lekin mannequins ki ek puri line uske raste mein aa gayi. Un mannequins ke haath ab zinda lag rahe the, aur woh dheere-dheere Rahul ki taraf badhne lage.
Veer ne cheekhte hue kaha, "Rahul! Peeche mat hat! Agar tu bhaagega, toh woh tujhe zinda nahi chhodenge!"
Lekin Rahul ne Veer ki baat nahi suni aur woh tezi se ek jungle ki taraf bhaag gaya. Uski cheekhein hawaa mein goonj rahi thi, lekin woh dheere-dheere chup ho gayi. Arjun ne kaha, "Rahul gaya! Woh mannequins usse le gaye!"
Veer ne gusse se kaha, "Ab hume aur zyada sambhal kar chalna hoga. Yeh mannequins humein alag karne ki koshish kar rahe hain."
Mall Ki Wapsi
Jab woh log mall ke paas pahunche, toh wahan ka mahaul aur bhi zyada daravna lag raha tha. Mall ke gate khule hue the, lekin andar ka andhera jaise unhe apne andar sametne ki koshish kar raha tha.
Nisha ne kaha, "Mujhe lagta hai ke humein yeh andar jaane ki zarurat nahi hai. Shayad hum yahin ruk kar kuch soch sakte hain."
Veer ne kaha, "Agar humein iss shraap se chutkara pana hai, toh humein andar jaana hoga."
Sabhi ne apne dil ko mazboot kar ke mall ke andar kadam rakha. Andar ka mahaul pehle se bhi zyada thanda tha, jaise wahan maut ka saya ho.
Shraap Ka Raaz
Mall ke andar mannequins unhe har taraf se dekh rahe the. Veer ne un mannequins ki taraf dekha aur kaha, "Tum log kya chahte ho? Humein chhod do!"
Tabhi ek mannequins ki aankhein chamakne lagi, aur uski awaaz ghoonj uthi: "Tumne hamare ghar ki shanti ko tod diya hai. Tum ab shraap se nahi bach sakte."
Veer ne kaha, "Humein maaf kar do! Hum yeh sab nahi samajh paaye."
Mannequins ne kaha, "Agar tum is shraap se chutkara chahte ho, toh tumhe woh cheez wapas karni hogi jo tumne tod di."
Veer ne samajhne ki koshish ki, lekin usse abhi tak yeh baat clear nahi hui thi ke mannequins kya maang rahe hain. Lekin ek baat clear thi: woh mannequins unka peecha tab tak nahi chhodenge jab tak Veer unki maang ko pura nahi karta.
(Jaari hai...)