Andhere Mein Chhupi Woh Train B13 Seat 66

Mera naam Aarav hai, aur main aaj ek aisi kahani likh raha hoon jo sirf ek kahani nahi, balki mere zindagi ka hissa ban chuki hai. Yeh baat tab ki hai jab main ek private company mein kaam karta tha aur mujhe kaam ke silsile mein Sikar se Surat jaana tha. Flight ka option nahi tha, isliye train ka ticket liya – direct Sikar se Surat jaane wali ek purani train – SuryaNagar Express. Jab station par pahuncha, to raat ke kareeb 11 baj rahe the. Platform almost khaali tha, sirf kuch log baithe the jo lagbhag bas chup chap apna saman pakde baithe the. Puri platform par ek ajeeb si thandak thi, na jaane kyu. Ticket kharidne ke liye jab counter gaya to wahan ek ajeeb sa budha aadmi baitha tha. Uske chehre par jhurriyaan to thi hi, lekin aankhon mein ek ajeeb chamak thi, jaise woh kisi aur duniya ka ho. Maine kaha, “Surat ka ticket chahiye.” Usne bina kuch bole mujhe ghoorta raha, fir bole, “Kya tum B13 mein safar kar paoge?” Maine hans kar kaha, “Bhai train hi to hai, kya bhoot-pret hai kya usme?” Usne kuch nahi kaha, bas ticket kaat kar de diya. Ticket par likha tha – Kupa B13, Seat 66. Platform par train aayi, aur jaise hi us coach ke saamne aaya, us coach mein kuch ajeeb tha. Baki coaches ke mukable woh kuch zyada hi purana lag raha tha, paint utra hua, darwaza bhi purani jang laga metal ki tarah kirr kirr kar raha tha. Phir bhi chadh gaya main, aur andar enter karte hi ek ajeeb si thandak mehsoos hui. Jaise AC chal raha ho bina kisi source ke. Andar total 8 berths thi, lekin saari khaali. Mujhe laga shayad off-season hoga, isliye koi nahi. Main apni seat par baith gaya aur phone nikal kar YouTube dekhne laga. Kuch der baad notice kiya ki signal bilkul nahi tha. Train chuki chal chuki thi, aur jaise jaise badhti gayi, network aur hawa dono gum hoti gayi. Raat ke kareeb 1 baj gaye honge, meri aankh lagne lagi thi. Achanak feel hua jaise kisi ne mere bagal wali lower berth par baithne ki koshish ki. Maine dekha, lekin koi nahi tha. Phir se phone uthaya, flashlight on ki, lekin wahan kuch nahi. Jaise hi aankh band karne laga, kisi ke halki se saans lene ki awaaz aayi, mere bilkul kaan ke paas. Jaise koi bina bole mujhe dekhta jaa raha ho. Maine turant upar ki berth chadh li, aur blanket odh kar let gaya. Thodi der baad, mujhe laga ki koi neeche se slowly slowly seedhiyan chadh raha hai. Seedhiyan waisi thi nahi jaise sleeper coach mein hoti hain, ye kuch alag si loud aur purani awaaz wali lag rahi thi. Jaise kisi ne lohe ki purani seedhi par pair rakha ho. Main hawa mein ek badbu mehsoos karne laga. Jaise purane geele kapdon, mitti aur kuch jale hue lakde ki mili-juli smell ho. Tabhi maine dekha ki ek safed sa shadow mere upar jhuk kar mujhe ghoor raha tha. Uske chehre ke naak se khoon tapak raha tha, aankhein nafrat se bhari hui. Usne sirf ek line boli – “Tune bhi unki tarah mujhe andhera diya... ab tu bhi andhera le.” Main cheekhna chahta tha lekin gala sukh gaya. Usne mera haath pakda, ek dum thanda, jaise barf ka tukda ho. Uske pakadne se mere haath par laal nishan ban gaya. Main aankh band karke zor se mantra bolne laga jo mujhe dadi ne bachpan mein sikhaya tha. Jab aankh kholi to coach bilkul khaali tha, lekin mera haath ab bhi thanda tha. Subah hone lagi thi, lekin train kisi jungle ke beech ruki hui thi. Main utar kar driver ke paas gaya to dekha train ka engine hi nahi tha. Aage kuch bhi nahi, sirf jungle. Aur sab passengers – jo shayad dusre coaches mein the – gayab ho chuke the. Tab mujhe ek awaaz sunai di – purane speaker system se. “Is train mein jo bhi chadta hai, woh kabhi nahi utarta. Yeh ek saza hai un logon ke liye jinhone kisi aur ki maut ke liye zimmedar the.” Mujhe yaad aaya – 3 saal pehle ek accident hua tha Sikar mein. Main drunk drive kar raha tha, aur ek aadmi ko maarke bhag gaya tha. Us waqt koi case nahi bana, kyunki saboot nahi the. Lekin ab samajh aaya ki yeh train unhi logon ko le jaati hai jinhone kisi ka gunaah kiya ho, chahe duniya na jaane, lekin koi to jaanta hi hai. Jab aankh khuli, main ek hospital ke bed par tha. 3 din ho chuke the. Local logon ne mujhe ek purani track ke paas behosh paaya tha, jahan pichle 20 saal se koi train nahi chali thi. Jab maine unse SuryaNagar Express ke baare mein poocha to sab log hansi mein udaane lage. “Beta, woh train to 1999 mein patari se utar gayi thi, usme 76 log mare the, aur tab se kabhi chali hi nahi.” Mere haath par ab bhi woh laal nishan tha, bilkul vaise hi jaise usne pakda tha. Mujhe nahi pata main kaise bacha, ya kisne bachaaya, lekin ek baat to tay hai – us raat main kisi aur duniya mein tha. Aur yeh duniya apni bhool chuki galtiyon ka hisaab poora rakhti hai. Aaj bhi jab Sikar station ke paas se guzarta hoon, to platform number 3 par raat ke 11 baje ek budha aadmi baithe dikhta hai... aankhon mein wahi chamak. Aur agar kabhi tumhara ticket B13, Seat 66 ho... to dua karna ki tumhari koi galti chhupi na ho. Warna... tum kabhi laut nahi paoge.