KIARA PART 2

Sawera ho gaya tha. lekin hostel mein kisi ko kuchh nahin pata tha. na kisi ne Nisha ko dekha, na Aarav aur Dev ko. na hee un teenon ne kisi se ek shabd bhi kaha. college ki saari rulebook, sops, police report ka protocol sab dimaag se ud chuka tha. ab bas ek hee cheez baar-baar aankhon ke saamane ghoom rahi thi. lake ke andar... darjanon ladakiyaan. Hawa mein tairte unke baal khuli hui aakhein, aur honth jo bina awaaz ke kuchh keh rahe the. wo koi sapana nahin tha, koi panic hallucination nahin,na hee kisi horoor film ka asar, vo sab kuchh sach tha. bilkul sach. aur sabse daraavani baat? vo sab ki sab sirf nisha ko dekh rahi thi. aur is waqt nisha us hostel ki chhat par baithi shoonya me dekh rahi thi. sard hawa seene ke aar-paar ja rahi thi, lekin use ab kisi cheez se fark nahin pad raha tha. uski ungaliyaan mobile screen par jami hui thi. usi blank number se phir ek message aaya tha. Same message, same language, same time 2:17 am… jaise is waqt se kisi ka koi connection ho. “tum logon ne dekh liya. ab ya to sach bol do. ya jheel ke neeche jagah bana lo.” neeche ek aur line judi thi “Start with 1998. Riya Sen. Theatre Dept.” nisha ne ye naam pehle kabhi nahin suna tha, na hee college ki orientation, na senior ke gossip, aur na hee kisi production list mein. lekin ab sawaal ye nahin tha ki ye naam jaana-pehchaana hai ya nahin. sawaal tha ye naam ab tak chhupa kaise raha? aur aisa message sirf use kyun bheja gaya? bina ek second gavaye, nisha seedhiyon se neeche utari. hostel ka gate dheere se khola aur seedhe college ke us hisse ki taraf bhaagi, jahaan shaayad koi mahinon se nahin gaya tha basement archive room college ke purane dastavez, dusty files, rejected thesis, reports, applications sab yahaan phenke jaate the. par ek section aisa tha jise delete" nahin kiya ja sakata tha. Administrative Records Archive… jo ek baar likha gaya vo bas yahaan reh jata tha. kamre ke andar silan mehsoos ho rahi thi walls pe seepage thi darwaaza zang khaaya hua tha. andar ki hawa mein seelan thi, deevaarein gili thi, aur bulb ki roshni timtima rahi thi jaise kisi ki aakhiri saansen chal rahi ho. phir bhi nisha bina hichak ke andar chali gayi. File rack number 4. saal: 1998 section: t usne kaampate haathon se files tatolna shuru kiya. kuchh hee der mein ek file mili jo ki kafi purani, pili pad chuki thi, dhundhali syahi mein ek naam likha tha uspe: Riya sen – theatre arts – 1998… nisha ki saans phhol rahi thi us file ko uthate hue phir bhi kaise na kaise usne vo file uthai aur gehri saans lete hue use khola. pehla panna ek standard admission form tha. naam, janmatithi, batch details... file ka agala panna ek apratyaashit cheez se shuru hota tha " Theatre Performance Report – Annual Production: JULY 1998 niche Director’s signature tha professor Madhusudan Verma. uske niche riya sen ka naam leed rol mein likha tha " Maya (A Play in Three Acts) par kuchh ajeeb tha. nisha ne jaise hee us riport ko dhyaan se padhana shuru kiya, har shabd maano uske kaanon mein phusaphusaane laga. ““Maya’s final act was not a performance. It was an experience. She blurred the lines between stage and soul… and never came back.” niche likha tha: “july 17, 1998 ko play ke final monologue ke dauraan riya 62 darshankariyon ke samne se achanak stage se gayab ho gayi. lights band ho gayi. Poore theatre me dhuaa bhar gaya aur jab lights vapas aai to riya vahaan nahin thi.” nisha ki saans tham gayi. file mein aage FIR attached thi report likhvai gayi thi lekin usaka status tha: " Closed. No evidence. Missing person presumed runaway. aur usi ke neeche chipaka hua tha ek purana, pheeka Polaroid photo. riya sen. aankhon mein pagalapan, chehre par koi expression nahin, aur gardan thodi tedhi jaise kisi ne zabardasti picture kheench li ho. par sabse ajeeb tha uske peechhe sheeshe mein kuchh dhundhala sa dikhai dena. Aisa lag raha tha mano vahaan seat pe koi ladki baithi hai par uska face clear nahin dikh raha tha. file ko table pe rakh ke wo almirah ke agle compartment ko kholti hai ”Theatre Dept. Stage Logs" vahaan ek dusty diary rakhi thi Stage Technician’s Personal Notes naam bipin lal (light & smoke Controller) us file mein kuchh khaas nazar nahi aata hai nisha ko to wo casually aakhiri darj panna kholti hai.. "lights band ho gayi jaisa ki rehearsal me kiya gaya tha lekin riya ne apni lines badal di thi vo script ko follow nahin kar rahi thi…usne bheed ko aise dekhna shuru kiya jaise vo kisi ko dekh sakti hai jisse koi aur nahin dekh sakta. Main uske aakhiri shabdon se dar gaya tha mujhe aaj bhi yaad hai usne kaha tha ‘main zinda hoon. tum sab mujhse jhoot bol rahe ho. tum sab mujhe bhool jaoge...lekin main intezaar karungi jab tak koi aur mujhe stage pe laaye... main yahin rahungi. har raat. 2:17 pe.’” nisha ko chakkar sa aane lagta hai. theek usi waqt uske phone ki screen phir se blink karne lagti hai. same number…same timing… same message style, “Welcome to Act Two, Nisha…Look under the stage ” vo shabd jaise sirf mobile screen par nahin the nisha ke man ke kisi kone mein chhap chuke the. uski hatheliyaan thandi ho chuki thi. uske ass paas roshni dheemi thi. lekin dil ki dhadakan... tez. uske kadam apane aap chal pade jaise kisi puraani script mein uska role pehale hee likha ja chuka ho. uske push karne par college auditorium ka darwaaza bhaari aawaaz ke saath khul jata hai aur nazar aati hai vahi jagah jahaan kabhi taaliyaan bajati thi, Performances ko saraha jata tha,wah wah ki awazon ke sath har kaalkaar ke pradarshan ko uchit samman diya jata tha, Magar waqt ke thapedon aur halaat ki maar ne is jagah ko neeraj aur mrit awastha me la diya tha jahaan chhat se jhoolate cables jaise latakati chetaavaniyaan ho. har seat khaali thi lekin har seat par ek chhaaya mehsoos ho rahi thi. stage ke beecho beech limelight ke faded nishaan abhi bhi zameen par bane hue the, aur usi ke beech vo plank halka ubhara hua, jaise kisi ne jaan- boojhkar use chhupaya nahin, present kiya ho. nisha ne dheere se use kheencha. “ karkarr. ” puraani lakdi ki chirchiraati aawaaz poore hall me goonj jaati hai saath hi neeche ki taraf ek jang lagi, helical staircase khul chuki thi andhere mein utarati hui. nisha ne ek baar peechhe dekha. khaamosh kursiyaan, thahari hawa, aur vo manch jaise sab kuchh use keh rahe ho “ ab peechhe mat dekhana. ” seedhiyon se utarate hue ajeeb si mehak nishs ke nathuno se takra rahi thi, ye jo mehak thi vo thi puraane kapadon, sade makeup aur adhjale sapanon ki. deewaaron par puraane play bills ab sad chuke the. kuchh par khoon ke chheente, kuchh ke kiradaaron ke chehare kisi ne phaad diye the. ek kone mein, lakdi ke toote tinge coprolite ke neeche, ek chhota sa box pada tha. dhool se bhara hua, lekin uspar likha saaf tha “ ACT III — never Performed ” nisha ki ungaliyaan kaanp rahi thi. lekin phir bhi usne box khola. andar ek audio cassette thi ek toota hua cassette player tha aur saath mein ek purani haath se likhi hui chitthi jisme likha tha still, you are part of the play, play now, ““ If you are reading this. ” usne jaise hee play dabaya. Bilkul nirjiv tareeke se vimukh swar me Ye awaz sunaayi thi Nisha ko “ Main Riya bol rahi hoon ” “ Unhone mujhe aise mita diya. Jaise main kabhi thi hi nahi mere wajood ka namonishan tak nahi chhora magar main sab kuch record kar rahi thi, Woh professor woh log sab mile hue the Main stage par chali gayi thi us last act mein maine sabko batya, baar baar bataya ki main yahin hoon.. Tum sab mujhse jhooth bol rahe ho.’ Magar mere aisa bolte hi light chali gai aur har taraf sirf andhera ghupp andhera gehra andhera. hi dikh raha tha Aur. aur Jab roshni waapas aayi main wahan nahi thi. Lekin main yahi hoon. Har raat 217 A.M par. ” In shabdon ke sath Pighle seese ki tarah ye awaz seedhi nisha ke kaanon mein, aur uske zehan ke sabse gehare andhere konon mein chhubhti hui pravesh kar gayi aur Recorder se aawaaz band ho gayi. lekin stage ke us neeche vaale kamare mein ab bhi aawaazen goonj rahi thi jaise deewaaren vo line dohara rahi hon. “ main yahin hoon main yahin hoon main yahin hoon ” aur tabhi. ek parchhai hili. stage ke doosre sire par, jahaan kuchh puraane costumes tange hue the unmen se ek costume me kuchh harkat hui. nisha ki saansen atak gayi ye dekhkar. kuchhh sochkar vo dheere- dheere badhi flashlight haath mein liye, Chalte thithakte rukate kadmon ke saath. par tabhi ek burnt mask, jiska aadha hissa sada hua tha uske chehre ke saamne se hoke dusari taraf jaake girta hai wapas usiki disha me dekhte hue adh jale swaroop ke sath, is sab mein Nisha ke hath se Flashlight gir jaati hai. aur har taraf dikhai deta hai to sirf andhera. us andhere mein jaise waqt fas kar ruk sa gaya tha. nisha ki aankhein khuli thi, lekin uske saamne sannate mein sirf ghana kaala saaya tha na koi roshni, na koi aawaaz. agar kuchh tha to bas ek ehsaas jaise koi bahut paas khada hai. saansen le raha hai. lekin dikhai nahin de raha. jaldbazi mein nisha ki ungaliyaan zameen par tatol rahi thi jahan baar baar uski ungaliyaan dhool mein san jaati to kabhi kuchh chipchipa padarth uski ungaliyaan se chhhu jata har taraf faili badbu pehle hi Nisha ko bedam karne me lagi thi ki achanak uske haath flashlight se takarai usne bina koi aawaaz kiye use uthaaya. click ki awaaz ke saath halki pili roshni kamare mein fail jaati hai. aur us pal saamne ka manzar, uski dhadkan rok deta hai. stage ke kone mein tangi thi ek mannequin jiske chehare par maask tha puraana, jala hua, fata hu jaise kisi acid ne aadhe hisse ko nigal liya ho. mask ki left side par ek theatre ke traditional zany ki muskaan thi badee, exaggerated. lekin right side poori tarah se jali hui, vikrt. uske chehare se halka- halka dhuaan nikal raha tha. aur sabse ajeeb baat? vo mannequin hawa mein latak nahin rahi thi. uski taangein zameen se thode oopar the lekin wo taangein ab dheere- dheere. neeche aa rahi thi. “ ye ye mannequin nahin hai. ” nisha ke dimaag mein aawaaz goonji. “ ye. koi aur hai.ye kuchh aur hai. ” tabhi ek chalchitra ki tarah flashbachk blast hota hai jisme dikhai deta hai yahi kamra aur isi kamre mein 20 saal pehle theatre ka technician kuchh line set karta dikhai de raha hai. Riya Sen stage par rehearse kar rahi hai. suddenly, ek aawaaz goonjati hai — 1. Kya Riya ko sach mein maar diya gaya tha… ya wo ab bhi wahi stage ke neeche, kisi adhoore play ka intezaar kar rahi hai? ❓2. Professor Verma aur college ke log us truth se itna darr kyun gaye the? Kya sirf ek ladki gayab nahi hui thi… ya kai saalon se performances ke naam par kai sach chhupaye ja rahe the? ❓3.Ab jab Nisha Riya ki voice sun chuki hai, kya usne woh gate open kar diya hai jise kabhi khula nahi chhodna chahiye tha? Kya ‘ACT III’ ab usse perform karna hai?