Kiran ko hamesha se ajeeb sapne aate the.
Lekin aaj ka sapna… alag tha.
Usse yaad nahi tha kab neend aayi, par jab usne aankhein kholi, wo apne room me nahi tha. Uske paanv ke neeche thandi zameen thi—patthar jaisi, par zinda si lag rahi thi. Hawa me ek ajeeb si khamoshi thi, jaise duniya saans lena bhool gayi ho.
Usne chaaron taraf dekha.
Ek ghana jungle tha, jahan ped itne lambe the ki unki chhaaya zameen par kabhi khatam hi nahi hoti thi. Unke beech se ek patli si raah ja rahi thi—aur us raah ke ant me kuch chamak raha tha.
Ek darwaaza.
Wo darwaaza kisi mahal ka nahi lag raha tha. Na hi kisi mandir ka. Wo hawa me khada tha—floating—aur uske chaaron taraf neeli roshni ghoom rahi thi, jaise zinda ho.
Kiran ka dil tez dhadakne laga.
"Bas sapna hai," usne khud se kaha.
"Hamesha aise hi hota hai."
Par uske paanv khud-ba-khud aage badhne lage.
Har kadam ke saath, usse lag raha tha jaise koi use dekh raha ho. Jungle bilkul shaant tha, par us shaanti me bhi ek dabav tha—jaise koi galti karne par saza milne wali ho.
Jab wo darwaaze ke paas pahuncha, uski saans ruk si gayi.
Darwaaze par kuch nishaan bane hue the—ajeeb symbols, jo usne kabhi nahi dekhe the, phir bhi… jaise wo unhe pehchanta ho.
Tabhi—
ek awaaz goonji.
"Finally…"
Wo awaaz na mard ki thi, na aurat ki. Gehri, par shant. Jaise kisi purani yaad ka hissa.
"Kaun hai?" Kiran chillaya.
Uski awaaz jungle me goonj kar wapas aa gayi.
Darwaaza aur zyada tez chamakne laga.
"Hum tumhara intezaar kar rahe the,"
awaaz phir boli.
Kiran ne peechhe hatna chaha, par uska shareer jaise jam gaya ho. Uska haath khud-ba-khud darwaaze ki taraf uth gaya.
Jaise hi uski ungliyon ne roshni ko chhua—
⚡ BOOM ⚡
Usse laga jaise uska dimaag phat jayega.
Hazaaron tasveerein ek saath uske dimaag me bhar gayi—
jalte shehar, tootey hue aasman, log bhaagte hue…
aur ek shadow jo sab kuch dekh rahi thi.
"RUKO!" Kiran chillaya.
Agle hi pal—
wo uth baitha.
Uska room andhere me dooba hua tha. Ceiling fan dheere-dheere ghoom raha tha. Bahar kahin se kutte bhonkne ki awaaz aa rahi thi.
Sapna toot chuka tha.
Par Kiran ka dil ab bhi waise hi dhadak raha tha.
Usne apne haath dekhe—
sab normal lag raha tha.
"Bas ek aur bura sapna," usne khud ko tasalli di.
Wo uth kar paani peene gaya. Glass bharte waqt uski nazar mirror par padi.
Aur wo freeze ho gaya.
Uske right hand par—
ek halki si chamak thi.
Wo chamak dheere-dheere ek nishaan ka shape lene lagi.
Bilkul wahi shape… jo us darwaaze par bana tha.
Kiran ne zor se haath jhatka.
Par nishaan gayab nahi hua.
Ulta, aur zyada clear ho gaya.
Uske dimaag me wahi awaaz phir se goonji—
"The door has been opened."
Glass uske haath se chhoot kar zameen par toot gaya.
"Ye sach nahi ho sakta," Kiran ne kaha, saans tez ho chuki thi.
"Ye sirf imagination hai."
Par kahin na kahin, wo jaanta tha—
ye sapna normal nahi tha.
Aur sabse darawni baat?
Usse lag raha tha…
ye sirf shuruaat hai.Kiran ne socha ye bas ek ajeeb sapna tha.
Phir bhi, haath me jo nishaan chamak raha tha, wo use chhup nahi pa raha tha.
Bas itna kaafi tha—ki uski duniya ab thodi alag lagne lagi thi.