15/07/2025
Raat ke 2 baje ka platform
Mumbai ke sabse bade railway stations mein se ek tha Dadar. Din mein jahaan har tarah ki bheed hoti thi, wahi raat ke 2 baje ke baad wahaan sannata chha jaata tha. Mahesh, ek TTE (Travelling Ticket Examiner), har roz ki tarah aaj bhi aakhri train check karne ke baad platform 12 par akela baitha tha. Uski duty ab khatam ho chuki thi aur uski aakhri local train subah 4 baje ki thi. Use do ghante isi platform par guzarnaa tha.
Usne apni chai ki flask nikali aur cup mein daal kar ghoont bhari. Thandi hawa chal rahi thi, aur usko ajeeb sa mahsoos ho raha tha. Aisa lag raha tha jaise koi platform par uske saath chal raha hai, par jab woh piche mudkar dekhta toh wahaan koi nahi tha. Usne is baat par zyada dhyan nahi diya, yeh soch kar ki uski thakan ka asar hai.
Tabhi uski nazar platform ke aakhri chhor par gayi. Wahaan ek bachchi baithi thi, jo white dress pehni hui thi. Uske lambe baal uske chehre par aagaye the. Mahesh ko laga shayad woh galti se yahaan reh gayi hai. Usne cup side mein rakha aur uski taraf chal pada.
“Beta, tum yahaan akeli kya kar rahi ho? Tumhare parents kahan hain?” Mahesh ne narm awaaz mein poocha.
Woh ladki dheere se mudee. Uski aankhein gehri kaali thi aur unmein koi roshni nahi thi. Usne jawaab nahi diya, bas ek unnati ungli se platform ke doosre taraf ishara kiya. Mahesh ne jab us taraf dekha, toh use kuch dikhai nahi diya.
“Kya hua beta? Kahaan dekh rahi ho?” Mahesh ne phir se poocha.
Ladki ab khadi ho gayi thi aur dheere-dheere chalne lagi. Mahesh ne usse pakadne ke liye haath aage badhaya, par woh ladki palak jhapakte hi ek dum se gayab ho gayi. Mahesh ka dil zor se dhadakne laga. Use laga woh shayad sapna dekh raha hai. Usne apni aankhein malin, par abhi bhi woh ladki wahaan nahi thi.
Ghabrahat mein woh apni kursi ki taraf wapas bhaga, par jahaan uski kursi rakhi thi, wahaan uski chai ka cup ulta pada tha, aur chai zameen par phaili hui thi. Uska dil muh ko aane laga. Ab use yakeen ho gaya ki yeh sab uski imagination nahi hai.
Tabhi, platform par lagi ghadi ne zor se awaaz ki. Time 2:30 AM ho chuka tha. Aur uske saath hi, platform par ek zor se awaaz goonji.
“Train number 1650, Mumbai Central to Delhi Express, is now arriving at platform number 12.”
Yeh sun kar Mahesh hairaan ho gaya. Yeh platform 12 par aane wali aakhri train nahi thi. Usne check kiya, train abhi bhi schedule se bahar thi. Usne socha ki shayad koi announcement mein galti ho gayi hai.
Par tabhi, platform par ek roshni dikhayi di. Ek train platform par a rahi thi. Uski lights bohot dhundhli thi aur uski awaaz bhi nahi thi. Train ek dum se Mahesh ke samne aakar ruki, aur uske darwaze khul gaye.
Andar koi nahi tha. Poori train khali thi. Mahesh ghabraya hua tha, par tabhi uski nazar coach ke aakhir mein gayi. Wahaan wahi bachchi khadi thi, jo ab has rahi thi. Uski hansi bohot hi ajeeb aur sunsan thi.
Usne Mahesh ko phir se ungli se bulaya. Mahesh, dar ke maare, apne kadam wapas lene laga. Tabhi, usne mahsoos kiya ki uske piche bhi koi khada hai. Jab woh muda, toh usne dekha, uske samne wahi bachchi khadi hai, par ab uske chehre par khoon tha aur uski aankhon se bhi khoon beh raha tha.
Ladki ne dheere se kaha, “Ye train unke liye hai, jo is station par akele milte hain.”
Mahesh ne bina soche samjhe train mein chadhne ke liye daud lagayi. Jaise hi usne coach ke andar kadam rakha, usne dekha ki saare passengers ab wahi bachche ban chuke the, jo us ladki jaise dikhte the. Unhone Mahesh ko ghayab kar diya.
Subah jab 4 baje ki local train aayi, toh platform 12 par sirf ek ulta pada chai ka cup aur ek train ka ticket pada tha. Mahesh ka pata nahi chala. Uski kahani aaj bhi Dadar station ke platform 12 par goonjti hai.
Kya aapko bhi kabhi aisi train ki announcement sunai di hai?
