Hostel Room No. 313 - Aakhri Raat Ka Raaz

Mera naam Adeel hai. Main Lahore ki ek mashhoor engineering university ka student hoon. Yeh kahani mere aur mere do dost – Sameer aur Bilal – ke saath hui. Hum teeno ne hostel ka Room No. 313 share kiya tha, jo ke purani hostel building ke bilkul corner pe tha. Sab kehte thay ke woh room pehle band raha karta tha, lekin jab naye students zyada ho gaye, toh warden ne use dobara khol diya. Humein pehle hi din se kuch ajeeb mehsoos hone laga tha, lekin humne ignore kiya… aur yahi hamari sabse badi ghalti thi. Room ka andar ka mahaul hamesha thanda rehta tha, jabke baaki rooms mein fan bhi sahi kaam nahi karte thay. Sameer ne pehle din hi mazaak mein kaha tha, “Yahan toh ghosts bhi blanket leke so rahay honge.” Hum hans diye thay… lekin woh hansna hamare liye mehenga sabit hua. Ek raat ka zikr hai jab hostel mein light chali gayi thi. Poora hostel mein andhera ho gaya tha. Emergency light sirf ground floor tak thi. Hum teeno apne room mein candles jala ke baithe huay thay. Sameer ne kaha ke woh washroom ja raha hai, lekin jab 15 minute tak wapas nahi aaya, toh Bilal use dekhne gaya. Do minute baad Bilal wapas aaya, lekin uska chehra bilkul safed tha. Usne kaha, “Woh washroom mein nahi hai… aur mujhe wahan kisi ki saans lene ki awaaz sunayi di…” Hum dono ghabra gaye. Maine apna phone uthaya, lekin na torch kaam kar rahe the, na mobile mein signal aarahe the. Jab hum Room 313 ke bahar nikalne lage, toh darwaza khud-ba-khud hil raha tha… bina kisi ke hath lagaye. Dheere dheere woh apne aap band ho gaya. Hum dono ne mil ke door kholne ki koshish ki, lekin woh jaise kisi ne bahar se band kar diya ho. Tabhi ek thandi si hawa chali, aur candle bujh gayi… andhera chha gaya. Phir achanak Sameer ki awaaz sunayi di, lekin woh awaaz Sameer jaisi nahi thi… jaise kisi aur ne uski awaaz mein bolne ki koshish ki ho. “Tum log wapas kyun aaye ho? Main toh kab ka ja chuka…” Main aur Bilal ek dusre ko dekhtay reh gaye. Phir humein ek kone mein kuch hilta hua nazar aaya. Woh Sameer tha… lekin uska chehra… uska chehra bilkul laal tha, aur aankhon se khoon beh raha tha. Usne kaha, “Tum logon ne Room 313 mein qadam rakha, ab yahan se koi nahi jaa sakta.” Bilal ne ro kar kaha, “Yeh kya ho raha hai yaar, tu aisa kyun kar raha hai?” Sameer hansa… lekin woh hansi kisi insaan ki nahi thi. Woh hansi... bilkul hollow thi… jaise kisi khaali laash ke andar se aa rahi ho. Phir woh dheere dheere hawa mein ghul gaya… literally humare saamne hawa ban gaya… aur disappear ho gaya. Us raat hum dono ne darwaza todne ki koshish ki, aur jaise hi andhera halka hua… darwaza khul gaya. Hum warden ke paas bhaagay, lekin unhone sirf itna kaha, “Room 313 mein 5 saal pehle bhi ek ladka ghaib hua tha. Uska naam bhi Sameer hi tha.” Main aur Bilal ussi din apna saman utha ke hostel chhod gaye. Aaj bhi jab main kisi se yeh kahani share karta hoon, toh log ya toh hans dete hain ya dar jaate hain. Lekin mujhe maloom hai… Room No. 313 mein kuch toh tha. Kuch aisa… jo insaanon ka nahi tha. Shayad woh room ab bhi kisi naye Sameer ka intezar kar raha ho.