Train Number 666
Rajasthan ke sunsaan Merta Road Junction par raat ke do baje the. Platform par ek aadha-tuta bulb jhilmila raha tha.
Sard registani hawa mitti ki khushboo lekar chal rahi thi. Door kahin ek kutta ajeeb tarah se cheekh raha tha.
Station master ki purani cabin mein ek bujha hua lantern pada tha, aur ek register par likha tha:
"Train No. 666 — Last Reported: 15 August 1947."
Raghav apne gaon Merta se Jodhpur jaane ke liye station par aaya tha. Uski zindagi ka pehla bada job interview tha.
Puri raat usne chai ki dukaan par intezaar kiya, lekin train lagataar late ho rahi thi.
Thakaan ke bawajood uske chehre par umeed thi...
Achanak station ke purane speaker se khadbadahat bhari awaaz aayi.
"Train Number 666, Platform Number 2 par aa rahi hai."
Raghav turant khada ho gaya. Usne kabhi is train ka naam nahi suna tha, lekin usse laga shayad yahi uski train ho.
Platform Number 2 bilkul khaali tha. Sirf ek boodhi aurat kaali saadi mein bench par baithi thi.
Jaise hi Raghav paas se guzra, usne dheere se kaha:
"Beta, is train mein mat chadhna."
Uski aankhen andhere mein chamak rahi thi. "Yeh train un logon ke liye aati hai jinka ticket zindagi ne kaat diya hai."
Raghav ne apni jeb se ticket nikala.
Ticket laal rang ka tha.
Sabse ajeeb baat yeh thi ki us par destination ki jagah sirf ek number likha tha—
666
Use yaad hi nahi tha ki usne yeh ticket kab aur kahan se kharida tha...
Tabhi andhere se ek purani steam engine wali train ubhar kar saamne aayi. Woh bilkul 1947 ke zamaane ki lag rahi thi.
Kaale dabbe, kaale parde aur dhuen se ghiri hui train platform par ruk gayi.
Train ke darwaaze khud-ba-khud khul gaye. Andar se thandi hawa ka jhonka nikla.
Kuch pal ke liye Raghav ruk gaya, lekin interview ki soch uske darr par bhaari padi.
Usne train mein kadam rakh diya...
Achanak usne saamne wali chamakti seat mein apna pratibimb dekha.
Lekin pratibimb ajeeb tha. Uski aankhen band thi, jabki asli Raghav ki aankhen khuli hui thi.
Phir pratibimb muskuraya aur dheere se bola—
"Tu kahan jaa raha hai?"
Raghav ne palat kar dekha. Koi nahi tha.
Jab usne dobara saamne dekha, uski jagah ek dulhan baithi thi.
Laal joda, mehendi wale haath aur andhere se bhari aankhen.
Woh chup-chaap uski taraf dekh rahi thi...
Lights flicker karne lagi. Dabba ke kone mein ab aur log dikh rahe the—
Ek boodha aadmi akhbaar padh raha tha, ek bachchi gudiya pakde thi, aur ek naujawan phone dekh raha tha.
Sabki aankhen band thi.
Raghav ne laal ticket nikala. Ab us par likha tha:
Passenger: Raghav
Age: 28
Destination: MOKSHA
Uske haath kaanpne lage. Use samajh aa gaya ki kuch bahut galat ho chuka hai.
Station master bola, "Train Number 666 un logon ko le jaati hai jo zindagi mein kuch adhura chhod gaye."
"Ab tum yahan naye station master banoge."
Raghav ne mana karne ki koshish ki, lekin uska shareer thanda padne laga...
Ek saal baad amavasya ki raat. Neha aur uska boyfriend Merta Road Junction par train ka intezaar kar rahe the.
Speaker se wahi purani awaaz goonji — "Train Number 666, Platform Number 2 par aa rahi hai."
Neha ke haath mein ek laal ticket aa gaya. Andhere se train ubhri.
Platform par ab Raghav station master ki vardi mein khada tha. Usne muskurakar kaha —
"Ticket hai toh aaiye."
Agli subah akhbaar mein khabar chhapi — Neha lapata thi. Train Number 666 phir ek naya yatri le gayi thi.
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