Raat bilkul khamosh thi… lekin uss khamoshi mein ek ajeeb sa dabaa hua saans lene ka awaaz aa raha tha—jaise koi tumhare bilkul paas ho… par dikhe nahi।
Rizwan ne torch on ki. Torch ki roshni itni kamzor ho chuki thi ki zyada door tak nahi ja rahi thi. Hawa achanak thandi ho gayi… itni thandi ki uska saans dikhne laga.
"Yeh awaaz… aakhir aa kahan se rahi hai?" usne dheere se kaha.
Jahan Chapter 4 khatam hua tha, wahi ek bada purana lakdi ka darwaza tha. Us darwaze ke neeche se halki si laal roshni bahar aa rahi thi.
Rizwan dheere-dheere darwaze ke paas gaya…
Dhad… dhad… dhad…
Woh awaaz ab loud ho chuki thi. Jaise koi andar se jaanwar ki tarah saans le raha ho.
Usne darwaze ko haath lagaya.
Darwaza thanda nahi, jalta hua garam tha.
"Ajeeb hai…" Rizwan piche hatt gaya.
Phir achanak—
THHAAADD!!
Darwaza apne aap zor se hilne laga, jaise koi usse tod kar bahar aa raha ho.
Rizwan ne darr ke maare torch gira di. Torch zameen par girkar ghummne lagi—aur roshni seedha darwaze ke upar padhi.
Aur jaisi roshni padi…
Darwaze par ek laal haath ka nishaan udhar hi udhar ban gaya. Jaise kisi ne abhi-abhi andar se haath rakha ho.
Rizwan ka gala sukhne laga.
"Kaun hai wahan…?"
Uski awaaz hil rahi thi.
Achanak andar se ek aur awaaz aayi—
"Rizwaaaan…"
Puri mansion mein goonj uthi.
Naam itni halki, itni thandi awaaz mein bola gaya ki Rizwan ke pair tharr gaye.
Phir… ekdum se…
Darwaza khul gaya.
Andar se koi nahi tha. Sirf ek lambi, andheri, hawa se bhari surang jaisi raasta.
Lekin sabse khatarnak baat—woh laal roshni ab andar se aur zyada chamak rahi thi.
Rizwan ne dubara us awaaz ko suna—
Is baar zyada paas se…
"Aage aa jaa…"
Uska dil zor-zor se dhadak raha tha.
Lekin curiosity ka bhoot jeet gaya.
Woh dheere-dheere ek kadam…
Phir doosra kadam…
Aur teesra kadam aage badha kar andhere hallway me ghus gaya.
Uske ghuste hi…
Darwaza tammm se band ho gaya.
Rizwan palat ke dauda—
Par darwaza ab gaayab ho chuka tha।
Ab sirf ek lambe corridor mein hawa chal rahi thi… aur us corridor ke bilkul end par ek chamakti hui laal aankh khuli.
Woh aankh…
Rizwan ko ghoor kar dekh rahi thi।
Aur phir—
Aage ki taraf chal padi.