Andheron Mein Chhupa Khauf Karachi Ka Purana Mahal

Mera naam Rehan hai, aur main Karachi se hoon. Yeh jo main aapko batane ja raha hoon, yeh kahani meri zindagi ki sabse buri aur sabse khaufnaak waqiaat mein se ek hai. Teen saal pehle main ek chhoti si construction company ke liye Sindh ke ek door-daraz ilaqe mein kaam karta tha. Humein wahan ek bohat purane mahal ki marammat karni thi jo British zamane ka tha. Jab tak subah thi, sab kuch theek tha, lekin jaise hi suraj dhalne laga, mahol itna badal gaya ke main apne aap ko rok nahi saka ke aapko yeh sab na bataun. Pehli raat jab main us mahal ke andar akela tha, mera kamra chhatt ke neeche tha. Kamra chhota aur andhera tha, sirf ek purani deewar jis par bohat sari dararen thi. Jab main so raha tha, toh achanak meri neend us awaaz se tooti. Woh awaaz kisi ke gehre saanson ki thi, bilkul mere kaan ke itni nazdeek. Maine aankhein kholi toh dekha ke woh deewar dheere dheere hil rahi thi, jaise uske andar koi zinda ho. Woh hilna koi aisa nahi tha jo hawa ki wajah se ho, balki woh aise hil rahi thi jaise woh saans le rahi ho. Phir ek awaaz ne mera naam pukara, "Reh...haan..." woh meri awaaz thi, lekin us mein ek ajeeb si khaufnaak thandak thi, jaise mere apne rooh mujhe bula rahi ho. Main jitna zor lagata us se bachne ke liye, utna woh awaaz aur us deewar ka hilna zyada taiz hota ja raha tha. Mera dil dhadak raha tha, badan ka har hissa thand se jam raha tha, aur main khud ko rok nahi saka. Woh raat meri zindagi ki sabse khaufnaak raat thi. Mujhe laga jaise main deewar ke andar phans gaya hoon, meri rooh mujhe chor kar us deewar mein chali gayi ho. Agli subah main apne doston se mil kar woh baat chupane laga, kyun ke mujhe laga shayad main thakawat ki wajah se ye sab soch raha hoon. Magar wohi chakkar agle din bhi mera peecha nahi chhora. Jab main bathroom gaya, mera phone torch on tha. Bathroom ka bulb bar bar jhalmila raha tha, jaise kisi ne mujhe daraane ke liye woh chhup chhup kar light jala rahi ho. Jab main mirror mein apna chehra dekhta hoon toh mera reflection wahan nahi tha. Puri tarah khud ko dekhne ki koshish ki, magar sirf andhera dikh raha tha. Phir bulb achanak bujh gaya. Thodi der ke liye main wahan akela andhere mein khada raha, har saans mujhe dard aur dar se bhar rahi thi. Jab bulb wapas jala, toh mera reflection wapas tha, lekin woh mujhe ghur raha tha. Uske ankhon mein koi zinda lahu nahi tha, bas khoon ka lahu jo thanda thanda mere dil tak pahunch raha tha. Woh reflection meri har harqat ko samajh raha tha, mujhe tod raha tha andar se. Main wahan se bhaag gaya, lekin andar ke darr se bhaag nahi sakta tha, kyun ke woh mujhe har waqt pakad leta tha. Us raat maine decide kiya ke main saboot ke liye recording karunga. Apne phone se maine awaazon ko record karna shuru kiya aur torch jalaya rakha. Teesri raat ko hawa tez hone lagi, aur achanak mera kamre ka darwaza khud ba khud khul gaya. Us deewar ka hilna phir se shuru ho gaya. Magar is baar us deewar mein se kuch nikal kar aaya. Ek chhota sa bacha jo aadha deewar ke andar chup gaya tha. Uski aankhein khoon se laal, haath tedhe-medhe aur naakhoon lambe lambe the. Woh mujhe dekhta raha, uski awaaz se mera dil bar bar dhadakne laga, "Ab tu andar ayega." Maine bhaagne ki koshish ki, magar mera badan zameen mein jakda hua tha. Har cheez dheemi hoti gayi, aur mujhe laga jaise meri rooh ko koi kheench kar deewar mein le ja raha ho. Phir achanka mein behosh hogaya Jab hosh aaya, toh main hospital mein tha. Phone mera haath mein tha, lekin sirf ek audio file thi jisme baar baar meri awaaz aati thi, "Ab tu andar hai... ab tu andar hai..." Main aaj tak us file ko delete nahi kar saka. Us raat ne meri zindagi badal di thi. Main akela nahi reh sakta, aur na hi akeli jagah pe ja sakta hoon. Woh deewar, woh bacha, woh awaaz ab bhi meri zindagi ka hissa hai.