Telephone Jahan Se Murdon Ki Call Aati Hai

Mera naam Aarif hai, aur aaj jo main tumhe batane ja raha hoon wo kahani tumhari raaton ki neend hamesha ke liye cheen legi. Ye koi afsana, koi kahani, ya koi filmi scene nahi… ye sach hai. Itna sach ki likhte waqt mere haath kaanp rahe hain, aur mere kan me abhi bhi wo awaaz goonj rahi hai… telephone ki ghanti ki awaaz. Ye wo awaaz thi jo sirf zinda log nahi, balki mar chuke log bhi bajate hain. Ye shuru hua ek thand bhari November ki raat se, jab sheher me bohot tez hawa chal rahi thi. Main apne chhote se kamre me baithe purani diary likh raha tha, jab mere saamne pada wo purana rotary telephone achanak se baj uthta hai. Aaj ke zamaane me rotary phone koi use nahi karta, lekin mujhe purani cheezein pasand thi. Maine socha shayad kisi dost ka mazaak hoga. Phone uthaya, “Hello…” bas itna kaha tha ki ek ajeeb si khamoshi ne jawab diya. Khamoshi ke beech ek bahut halki saans lene ki awaaz aa rahi thi, jaise koi phone ke bahut kareeb apne hoth rakhe ho. Main ne phir se kaha, “Kaun hai?” Tab ek awaaz aayi… halki, lekin chubhne wali… “Main dekh raha hoon tumhe.” Mere gale me jaise ek pathar atak gaya ho. Main ne turant receiver rakh diya, par ghanti dobara baj gayi. Is baar awaaz aayi, “Kyun kaat diya? Main abhi zinda hoon…” Aur phir ek hansi. Wo hansi normal nahi thi, jaise kisi ne bahut door se record karke bajayi ho, lekin usme kuch aisa tha jo seedha mere dimag me ghus gaya. Main ne telephone ka taar khinch ke alag kar diya. Thoda sukoon hua… ya mujhe laga aisa. Raat ka aadha hissa nikal gaya, lekin sone se pehle main ne dekha ki telephone ka taar waapas apni jagah laga hua hai. Main ne apne haath se lagaya nahi tha… mujhe yakeen tha. Agli raat, main ne phone ko almari me rakh diya, par 12:03 pe wo phir baj uthta hai. Iss baar awaaz aayi: “Tum samajh nahi rahe, main mar chuka hoon.” Maine gusse me kaha, “Agar tum mar chuke ho to phone kaise kar rahe ho?” Usne bas itna kaha, “Yahan… har cheez sambhav hai.” Uske baad bas ek thandi hawa ka jhonka mehsoos hua, jaise mere kamre me koi chal ke gaya ho. Maine room ka door khola, par koi nahi. Agle kuch din tak roz 12:03 pe phone bajta. Main ne phone uthana bandh kar diya, par phir awaaz mere sapno me aane lagi. Ek raat sapne me maine dekha main ek purane kabristan me khada hoon, mere saamne ek aadmi ka laash telephone ka receiver pakde hue zameen se nikal rahi hai. Uske chehre pe na aankh, na naak, sirf ek khula hua mooh jisme se telephone ki ghanti ki awaaz nikal rahi thi. Jab main ne mooh ke andar dekha to usme andhera nahi tha… wahan ek poora kamra tha, jisme ek line me black rotary telephones rakhe the, aur har phone ke saamne ek murda baitha tha. Har murda kisi zinda insaan ko call kar raha tha. Main hichak ke peeche hatne laga, tabhi un me se ek murde ne apni gardan mor ke mujhe dekha aur kaha, “Tera number agla hai.” Main cheekh kar uth gaya, paseene me bheeg chuka tha. Maine socha shayad stress hai, shayad sapna tha… par jab main ne apni table dekhi to wahan ek purana telephone ka receiver pada tha jo maine almari me lock kiya tha. Us receiver se ek halki si saans lene ki awaaz aa rahi thi. Main ne use uthake bahar phek diya. Par kahani khatam nahi hui. Agle din main ne notice kiya ki jab main bazaar me ya raste me hota, to kabhi kabhi log mujhe ghur ke dekhte, jaise pehchante ho. Ek din ek purana budha meri taraf aaya aur bola, “Beta… tum unki list me aa gaye ho. Wo tumhe kabhi nahi chhodenge.” Main ne poocha, “Kaun?” Usne bas apni ungli mere kaan ke paas le jaake bola, “Jab ghanti baje, jawab mat dena.” Lekin us raat phone bajne laga, is baar alag time pe — 3:15 AM. Main ne control karne ki koshish ki, par curiosity jeet gayi. Maine uthaya. Samne se ek aur awaaz aayi, pehle se zyada saaf: “Ab tu meri jagah aayega.” Aur phir call cut. Uske baad mujhe neend nahi aayi. Main apna phone (jo landline nahi tha, apna smartphone) use kar raha tha, tabhi screen blink hui aur ek message aaya: “Number switched to afterlife line.” Main ne socha virus hoga… par tabhi mere smartphone me bhi wo purane rotary phone ki ghanti bajne lagi. Mujhe samajh aa gaya ki main fas chuka hoon. Aur ab… jab main yeh likh raha hoon, mera phone mere samne baj raha hai. Number unknown hai, lekin mujhe pata hai samne kaun hai. Tum soch rahe hoge main kaat kyun nahi deta… par is baar, shayad main uthaa lunga.