Part 3: “आरव का सफ़र”
Aarav ko trains se bahut lagav tha. Bachpan se hi wo har rail engine ka naam, uska model, aur route tak yaad rakhta tha.
Lekin us raat, usne jo suna… wo sirf ek rail sound nahi tha.
Raat ke 12:07 baj rahe the.
Aarav ne apni balcony se dekha — door jungle ke paar, ek purani line par ek train ja rahi thi.
Par us line par to saalon se koi train chalti hi nahi thi...
Wo station Narakpur se judi thi — ek aisa station jahan 1942 ke baad se koi wapas nahi aaya.
Aarav curious tha.
Next din wo apne camera aur torch lekar us track par gaya.
Pathar toot chuke the, aur purane sleepers pe naam likhe hue the —
“Anita”, “Raghav”, “Arjun”…
Aarav ne Arjun ka naam dekha, aur rukh gaya.
Uske mobile me ek notification aaya —
“Aapka train ticket confirm ho gaya hai – Narakpur Express.”
Usne phone me dekha — date: Today. Time: 12:00 AM.
Wo hairan tha, kyunki usne koi ticket book hi nahi kiya tha.
Phir bhi message real lag raha tha. QR code bhi tha.
Raat ko curiosity fir jeet gayi.
Wo station pahucha — Narakpur ka board aadha gira hua tha.
Aur 12 baje, waise hi ek purani train ruki.
Ek hi compartment khula tha — usi me wo chad gaya.
Andar se halki si hawa aur ek ajeeb khushboo thi — jaise purane lakdi ke jalne ki.
Seat par ek diary thi.
Usne socha, “Kya kisi ne yahan chhoda hoga?”
Diary kholo to pehle page par likha tha —
“Aarav… swagat hai tumhara.”
Wo diary uske haath se gir gayi.
Train ke speaker se ek awaz aayi:
“Agla station — Narakpur Samadhi.”
Aarav ka dil tez dhadakne laga.
Usne khidki se dekha — bahar sab andhera tha.
Tabhi saamne wali seat par ek aadmi baith gaya...
Purani uniform, lalten haath me, aankhon me khaali pan.
Wo dheere se bola:
“Arjun ne kaha tha... koi aur aayega.”
Aarav samajh gaya...
Wo ek safar par nahi, shraapit train ke daur me aa gaya hai —
jahaan har musafir ke liye ek naya page likha jaata hai.
Train fir se ruk gayi.
Door khule — bahar se ek aur parchhaai andar aayi.
Aur diary ke naye page par likha gaya:
“Agla naam likha gaya hai…”
Usne jhaanka —
aur uske saamne likha tha:
“Sanchita.”
Train ka horn baja, aur hawa me ek aur naam gum ho gaya...
Aarav ne dheere se kaha,
“Shraap... ab kisi aur par chadh gaya hai.”
(Background: train horn fades into silence... heartbeat slows... whisper: “Agla safar... kab?”)
