“Duniya me sabse bada khauf wo nahi hota jo aapke samne aakar cheekhe… sabse bada khauf wo hota hai jo aapke theek bagal me khada ho, aur aapko dikhaawa karna pade ki aap use dekh nahi sakte.”

Udaipur ki subah aamtaur par aisi lagti hai jaise kisi chitrakaar ne jheelon ke kinare sukoon bikhair diya ho. Fatehsagar par udti thandi hawa, purane shehar ki tang galiyan aur pahadon par chadhti subah ki dhoop. Lekin 17 saal ke Sumit ke liye, pichhla ek hafta kisi jeete-jaagte nightmare se kam nahi tha.

Theek saat din pehle, Ayad nadi ke purane bridge ke paas Sumit ka ek ajeeb sa road accident hua tha. Na koi badi chot aayi, na koi haddi tooti, bas wo kareeb 20 minute tak behosh raha. Lekin jab uski aankhein hospital ke general ward me khuli… tab uski purani normal zindagi hamesha ke liye khatam ho chuki thi.

Uski Teesri Aankh (Chhaya Drishti) khul chuki thi.

Niyam Number Ek: Unse Nazar Mat Milana

Shuruati teen din Sumit ne pagalpan ki hadd par guzaare. Use sadak par chalte hue wo log dikhte the jinke jism zameen se do inch upar tairte the. Shehar ki bus stop par ek aisi aurat khadi hoti thi jiska chehra dhuen jaisa dhundhla tha, aur hospital ke corridor me kone me baitha wo buzurg jise aam log dekh nahi paate the.

Sumit ko jaldi hi samajh aa gaya tha ki is nayi duniya ka pehla aur sabse khaufnaak niyam kya hai: Agar unhe pata chal gaya ki tum unhe dekh sakte ho, toh wo tumhara peecha kabhi nahi chhodenge.

Pichhle teen dinon se Sumit ne internet, purani dharamik kitabon aur Mewar ke lok-itihas (local folklore) me sar khapa rakha tha. Usne apne kamre ki chaukhat par sendha namak (rock salt) ki rekha kheench di thi. Darwaze ke upar kaala dhaaga aur sookhe neem ke patte baandh diye the, aur takiye ke neeche lohe ki chaabi aur ek chhoti Hanuman Chalisa rakh li thi. Ghar ke andar wo mehfooz tha… lekin bahar? Bahar Udaipur ki har sadiyon purani deewar ke peeche ek ankahee kahani saans le rahi thi.

School Ki Ghanti Aur Kabir Ki Bimari

Aaj somwar tha. Sumit himmat jutakar school gaya. Chashma pehan kar nazrein zameen par tikaaye rakhna uska naya armor tha.

Lekin class me ghuste hi use ek ajeeb sa khali-pan mehsoos hua. Uski bagal wali bench khali thi. Kabir—uska sabse jigri dost, jo class me ek minute bhi shaant nahi baith sakta tha—aaj gayab tha.

“Sumit, Kabir ka phone aaya tha subah,” class teacher Sharma ji ne register band karte hue kaha. “Pichhle do din se use behad tez bukhaar hai. Doctor ko samajh nahi aa raha. Tu uske ghar ke paas rehta hai na? Ye Physics ke assignment notes uske ghar pahuncha dena.”

Sumit ne register thama. Uske seene me ek anjaani si thandak utar gayi. Kabir aamtaur par kabhi bimaar nahi padta tha. Pichhle shukrawar ko hi wo dono Fatehsagar ke paas chai peene gaye the…

Wo Purana Bargad Ka Ped

Dopahar ke 2:30 baje the. Sooraj dhalne laga tha aur aakash par halki thandak waali dhoop bikhri thi. Sumit ne apni purani cycle uthayi aur purane shehar ki taraf chal pada.

Kabir ka ghar Hathipole ke andar ek purani haveli-numa gali me tha. Wahan jane ke do raaste the. Ek main market ka lamba rasta, aur dusra… wo purana kuccha rasta jo sadiyon purane shamshan-ghat ke peeche se hokar nikalta tha.

Is kuccha raste ke mod par ek behad azeem-o-shaan, sadiyon purana Bargad (Banyan Tree) khada tha.

Bachpan se Sumit is ped ke neeche se guzarta aaya tha. Tab ye ped bas ek chhaon dene wali jagah lagti thi, jahan buzurg dopahar me taash khela karte the. Lekin aaj… jaise hi Sumit ki cycle ped se 50 meter door aayi, uske haath kaanpne lage. Cycle ka steering ajeeb tarah se bhaari ho gaya.

Hawa bilkul tham chuki thi. Udaipur ki aam dhoop achanak fiki pad gayi, aur hawa me ek ajeeb si khatti, geeli mitti aur jali hui dhoop-batti jaisi boo ghul gayi.

Sumit ne apne dil ko samjhaya: “Neeche dekh Sumit. Bas pedal maar. Upar mat dekhna.”

Lekin insaan ka darr hi uska sabse bada dushman hota hai.

Jab cycle theek bargad ki moti daaliyon ke neeche aayi, theek usi waqt uske kaan ke bilkul paas ek patli, sukhi awaaz goonji:

“Tu to dekh sakta hai na humein…?”

Sumit ka pair pedal par se fisal gaya. Cycle ladkhada kar ruk gayi. Usne darr ke maare jhatke se upar dekh liya.

Aur jo usne dekha… usne Sumit ke gale ki cheekh gale me hi jamakar barf kar di.

Bargad ki lambi, latakti hui jataaon (aerial roots) ke beech… log latak rahe the. Ek nahi… teen. Unke shareer dhuen jaise kaale the, pair ulte the, aur unki aankhon me koi chamak nahi thi—bas andhi, bhookhi katori jaisi kaali gehrayi thi. Aur un teeno ke chehre theek Sumit ki taraf mude hue the.

Aur sabse aakhri daali par… ek naya chehra ubhar raha tha. Ek chehra jo use behad jaana-pehchana laga.

Wo chehra tha… Kabir ka.