Rohan aur Daadu Karim dono ek hi waqt khidki ki taraf mud gaye.
Hawa bilkul ruk gayi thi.
Curtains ek pal ko freeze ho gaye—jaise samay hi ruk gaya ho.
Phir…
red ka ek halka sa jhalak.
Rohan ne dheere se khidki ke paas jaakar bahar झांका.
Ghar ke samne wali gali bilkul khaali thi—
na koi aadmi, na koi janwar.
Bas ek cheez thi:
Aisa lag raha tha jaise dhund me koi laal kapde ka kone hil raha ho.
Rohan ne aankhen fisal kar dekha—
ek purana, chhoda hua ghar, jisme laal curtains latak rahe the.
Woh curtains halki si hawa ke bina hi hilmil rahe the.
Daadu ne us ghar ko dekha aur unka chehra aur zyada safed pad gaya.
"Woh ghar…"
Unki awaaz kanp rahi thi.
"Wahi jahan Shruti rehti thi."
Rohan ka body freeze ho gaya.
"Shruti ka ghar… orchard ke bilkul saamne kyun tha?"
Daadu ne deep breath li.
"Shruti ko orchard se ajeeb connection tha.
Bachpan me bhi woh pedon ke beech jaakar chup ho jaati thi.
Uski maa kehti thi — orchard usse apne jaise maanta tha."
Rohan ka gala ruk gaya.
Woh red curtains fir se hile.
Is baar thoda zyada.
Daadu ne Rohan ka haath pakda.
"Beta, waha mat jaana.
Woh ghar… ab ghar nahi raha."
Rohan ne gardan hila di, lekin uski aankhen curtain par chipak gayi thi.
Curtains hilmil kar ek pattern me baith gaye—
jaise koi andhar se unhe khinch raha ho.
Ek choti si shadow un curtains ke beech se jhalak ban kar gayi.
Ek insan jaisa shape.
Ek aurat jaisa.
Laal dress jaisa.
Rohan ka dil zameen me gir gaya.
Daadu ne turant curtains ki taraf dekhkar bol diya,
"Shruti… phir se apna ghar dhoond rahi hai."
Rohan ka badan thanda pad gaya.
"Daadu… kya uski rooh us ghar me rehti hai?"
"Rehti nahi…"
Daadu ne dheere se kaha.
"…phasi hui hai."
Rohan ne jhat se darwaza band kar diya aur Daadu ke saamne baith gaya.
Daadu Ka Sach
"Beta…" Daadu ne dheere se kaha,
"Shruti ke gaayab hone ke baad logon ne uska ghar band kar diya.
Par kuch logon ne raat me us ghar ki khidki me uska laal dupatta hilte dekha."
Rohan ka throat dry ho gaya.
"Par sabse badhi baat yeh nahi," Daadu ne kaha.
"Sabse badi baat yeh hai—
uske gaayab hone wale din…
usne ek seb todkar ghar laaya tha."
Rohan ka dimag freeze.
"Kaala seb?" Rohan ne pucha, dar se.
Daadu ki aankhen chok ho gayi.
"HAAN.
Kaala. Tukdo me cracked.
Aur andar se halki si roshni nikalti thi."
Rohan ko laga jaise uske pair zameen me dhans gaye.
Woh seb ab mere kamre me pada hai…
Par usne Daadu ko yeh nahi bataya.
Woh darr gaya tha ke Daadu kya reaction denge.
Daadu ne rukkar ek aur baat boli:
"Shruti ka kehna tha—
orchard me ek ped aisa hai jisme fruit hota nahi,
woh logon ko le leta hai."
Rohan ka heart throb hua.
Usne dheere se kaha:
"Daadu… agar Shruti phasi hui hai,
toh woh mujhe warning kyun de rahi hai?"
Daadu ne Rohan ki taraf ghoor kar dekha,
aur unhone sabse darrane wali baat boli:
**"Kyuki beta… orchard sirf ek ko nahi bulata.
Woh do ko bulata hai—
Ek apne liye.
Ek apne zakhm batane ke liye."**
Rohan ne hosh sambhale.
"Main… kaun hoon?
Dono me se kaunsa?"
Daadu Karim chup ho gaye.
Unka chehra bilkul serious ho gaya.
"Woh to orchard hi batayega."
Tabhi—
red curtains waala ghar ekdm se chillane laga.
Nahi… awaaz nahi thi.
Ghar khud shake ho raha tha.
Window ke red curtains idhar-udhar snap kar rahe the.
Dhund ghar ke aas-paas ghummi ja rahi thi.
Rohan ne dekha:
Laal shadow seedhi uski taraf dekh rahi thi.
Window me.
Hile baghair.
Uski aankhon ka andhera dhund me glow kar raha tha.
Aur ek silent whisper Rohan ke kan me gir gaya:
"Wapas aa jao…"