1995 mein, pune ke upanagaron mein paatil parivaar gaayab ho gaya – das saal baad, ek khauphanaak raaz ka khulaasa

1995 mein, pune ke upanagaron mein rahane vaala saat logon ka ek bhaarateey parivaar raaton-raat achaanak gaayab ho gaya. ve apane peechhe bas hindee mein jaldee-jaldee likha ek not chhod gae: “rishtedaaron se milane kuchh dinon ke lie ja rahe hain”. lekin koee vaapas nahin lauta, aur na hee kisee ne unase koee khabar lee. chhota sa ghar, gairej mein rakhee puraanee maaruti kaar, mez par rakha aadha khaaya hua khaana – sab kuchh aise thahar gaya maano samay tham gaya ho. das saalon tak, usake aas-paas ka mazadoor varg ka mohalla gapashap se gulazaar raha. phir ek din, ek sanyogavash huee mulaaqaat ne ek khauphanaak raaz ka pardaafaash kiya.

ramesh paatil aur lata 1980 ke dashak ke ant mein pune mein bas gae the. unake chaar bachche (do ladake, do ladakiyaan) the aur aajee – ramesh kee daadee – unake puraane gaanv se unake paas aaee theen. kachchee sadak par basa vah chhota sa ghar hamesha hansee-mazaak aur daal tadake, sabzee aur machhalee karee kee khushaboo se bhara rahata tha. maraathee padosee kahate the, “us ghar mein hamesha meree maan ke rasoeeghar jaisee khushaboo aatee thee.”

ramesh pimparee ke paas ek gairaaj mein maikenik ka kaam karata tha, lata ek thaalee kee dukaan par rasoee sahaayak ka kaam karatee thee. zindagee aaleeshaan nahin, balki sthir aur pyaar bharee thee. bachche skool se ghar aakar khaane kee mez par ikattha hokar skool kee kahaaniyaan sunaate, jisamen aajee kee jhidakiyaan bhee shaamil hoteen jab ve padhaee se zyaada khelane mein ruchi rakhate the.

1995 kee barasaat mein, poora parivaar pados ke ganesh chaturthee utsav mein bhee shaamil hua. unhen dekhane vaala har koee saamaany lag raha tha: shreematee lata kee muskaan, pandaal banaane mein vyast shree ramesh kee aakrti, khushee se idhar-udhar daudate bachche. kaheen koee pareshaanee ka naamonishaan nahin tha.

phir ek subah, padosee shreematee aneeta shree ramesh se gais choolha chek karane mein madad maangane aaeen. usane bahut der tak daravaaza khatakhataaya, lekin kisee ne javaab nahin diya. daravaaza khula tha, isalie usane use dhakka dekar khola: ghar mein sannaata pasara tha. khaane kee mez par abhee bhee bartan rakhe the, machhalee karee ka bartan saaf nahin hua tha. daravaaze ke paas lakadee kee mez par hindee mein ek not rakha tha: “kuchh dinon ke lie rishtedaaron se milane ja raha hoon.” maaruti abhee bhee gairej mein thee, sootakes abhee bhee alamaaree mein tha. sthaaneey pulis ko bulaaya gaya, lekin pahale to unhen laga ki yah bas ek chhotee see yaatra hai.

din beetate gae, phir maheene. koee vaapas nahin aaya. daakaghar chitthiyon aur bilon se bharane laga. poore mohalle mein afavaahen phail gaeen: karz na chukaane, apaharan, aur phusaphusaahat ki shree ramesh sandigdh vyaapaarik len-den mein shaamil the. lekin koee saboot nahin tha, koee nishaan nahin tha. dheere-dheere aas-paas ke logon kee nazaron mein ghar ek “bhootiya ghar” ban gaya.

samay beetane ke saath, deevaaron par phaphoond lag gaee, aur aangan mein ghaas ug aaee. kabhee-kabhee logon ko andar timatimaatee roshanee dikhaee detee thee, haalaanki daravaaza hamesha band rahata tha. bachche ek-doosare ko pichhavaade mein ghusane kee chunautee de rahe the, phir oopar se kadamon kee aahat sunakar zor-zor se cheekh rahe the.

2005 mein, ilaake ke yuvaon ke ek samooh ne jaanch karane ka phaisala kiya. ve yah saabit karana chaahate the ki “bhoot” vaalee kahaanee mahaz ek aphavaah thee. ek garmee kee shaam, samooh torch aur kaimare lekar us veeraan ghar mein ghus gaya.

andar, sab kuchh ghanee dhool se dhaka hua tha, lekin ajeeb baat yah thee ki kisee bhee cheez ko nukasaan nahin pahuncha tha. mez par abhee bhee ek paarivaarik foto frem rakha tha, aur alamaaree mein kot kareene se tange hue the. aisa lag raha tha ki saaton log bas yoon hee baahar chale gae the aur kabhee vaapas nahin laute. samooh mein se ek ne dekha ki deevaar par laga kailendar joon 1995 par ruk gaya tha—theek usee maheene jab ve gaayab hue the.

jab unhonne bistar ke neeche dekha, to unhen ek lakadee ka baksa mila. andar maraathee mein kaanpatee huee likhaavat mein kaee patr the. unamen se kuchh tukade-tukade the, jinamen peechha kie jaane ke dar ka zikr tha, aur ek aspasht pankti thee: “agar kuchh ho jae, to ghar ke peechhe vaale ped ke neeche dekhana.”

agale din, samooh pichhavaade mein khudaee karane ke lie vaapas lauta. apanee baat par khare utare, geelee mittee ke neeche unhen ek puraana tin ka dibba mila. andar sona-chaandee nahin, balki ek peelee pad chukee notabuk thee. pahale panne par likha tha: “ab ham surakshit nahin hain. kisee ko parivaar ka raaz pata chal gaya hai.”

khabar phail gaee aur poore mohalle mein koharaam mach gaya. logon ne poochha: kya parivaar vaakee kisee rishtedaar se milane gaya tha, ya kisee aur badee museebat se bhaag raha tha?

pulis ko phir bulaaya gaya, lekin puraanee phailen bahut puraanee theen aur suraag aspasht the. notabuk mein kaee tukade the: kabhee kod kee tarah, to kabhee sirf ek praarthana kee tarah. ek panne par “puraane gaanv (uttar pradesh mein ek jagah) mein khoon ka karj” likha tha, to doosare panne par “andhere mein peechha karane vaala” likha tha.

pados ke buzurgon ne phusaphusaate hue bataaya ki shree ramesh apane grhanagar mein ek zameen vivaad mein phanse hue the aur ho sakata hai ki jab ve pahalee baar pune aae the, tab ve havaala giroh mein shaamil rahe hon, jisase kisee tarah ka jhagada hua ho. kuchh logon ka kahana hai ki parivaar ko bahala-phusalaakar doosare raajy mein le jaaya gaya aur avaidh mazadooron ke taur par rakha gaya.

koee bhee siddhaant nishchit nahin hai. lekin sabase daraavanee baat notabuk ke khulaase ke kuchh maheene baad huee. ek yuvak ne bataaya ki use ajeebogareeb fon aate rahe, aur doosaree taraf se sirf aahen nikalatee raheen. raat mein, use kabhee-kabhee apanee khidakee ke paas safed sari pahane ek mahila kee parachhaee dikhaee detee, jo phir gaayab ho jaatee.

jis ghar mein paatil parivaar rahata tha, use antatah sarakaar ne seel kar diya, phir ek vyaavasaayik kshetr banaane ke lie use tod diya. lekin vahaan se guzarane vaale log ab bhee kahate hain ki unhonne kabhee-kabhee bachchon kee hava mein hansee sunee, ya dopahar kee tapatee dhoop mein daal aur machhalee karee kee khushaboo aatee rahee.

kahaanee bina kisee ant ke khatm ho jaatee hai. saat log bina kisee nishaan ke gaayab ho gae, peechhe chhod gae ek chhota sa kaagaz aur ek udaas notabuk. das saal baad, is raaz ke khulaase ne cheezon ko aur bhee rahasyamay bana diya. zindagee sukoon bharee lag rahee thee, lekin pata chala ki abhee bhee kuchh andhere kone the jinhen chhoone kee kisee kee himmat nahin thee.