Khatam.
Asha ne diary uthai aur ghar walon se laa kar padhna shuru kiya. Jab pehli kahani padi gayi, palang ne dhadakna chhod diya — jaise koi geet poora sun liya gaya ho. Mahesh ki rooh dheere se hansi, aur kaha, "Ab jo meri kahaniya suni ja rahi hain, main azaad hoon." Mahesh ki parchai palang mein se udh gayi, aur palang phir se purana sa shant sa ho gaya. Wapas jab Asha apne sheher aayi, palang ghar mein ek nayi roop mein tha — chhota hi sahi, lekin ab uske lakdi par naye naqsh dikhai de rahe the, jaise kahi kahani ki surkhiyan uspe bani padh gayi ho. Didi ne palang ko dekha aur muskurayi. "Tumne kya kar dikhaya?" usne poocha. Asha ne palang ko dekh kar jana: kahaniyaan sirf likhne ke liye nahi hoti; unhe sunna, padhna, aur share karna zaruri hota hai.
Raat ko jab Asha palang par leti, to ab wo khamoshi khushnuma lagti. Kabhi kabhi hawa chalti, aur palang se halki si dhun nikalti — par ab wo dhun dard nahi hoti; wo ek geet hai jo kisi anjaan kisse ko ghar le aati hai. Asha ne kaha, "Jab tak kahaniyan sunne wale hain, palang kabhi khaali nahin hoga." Kuch mahine baad, Asha ne library kholi — ek chhota sa kona jahan log apni kahaniyan laa kar padh sakte the. Palang waha rakha gaya, taaki har raat koi na koi us par baith kar apni kahani sunaye. Palang ab jadui tha hi, lekin is baar uski jadui rooh samajh gayi thi: sachai ko jagana, yaadon ko mehfooz rakhna, aur un awazon ko ghar lana jo duniya bhool chuki thi.
Raat ne apna kaleja zameen par rakha tha. Chamakti hui hawa mein sheher ke kone chupkar bhi saans le rahe the — par ek chhota sa ghar, ek purani palang, aur uske aas-paas ghoomti kahaniyon ki zanjeer sabse alag sa sannata palat rahi thi. I. Palang Ka Aana Asha ki didi ne usee palang ko dukan ke kone se kharida. Woh puraana tha: lakdi pe moti si khaal, chaaron kaan pe khubsurat nakashi, aur beech mein ek chhota sa talli jo raat ko roshni mein chamakta tha — jaise koi chhota sa sitaara palang ki ruh mein bus gaya ho. Didi ne kaha, "Yeh jadui nahi, bas yaadon ka bojh uthata hai." Par Asha ko palang ke saath turant ek ajeeb lagav ho gaya; raat ko jab woh palang par let kar chandi si kirno ko dekh rahi thi, palang se halki si foonk si aayi — jaise koi purana sa geet phir se jee utha ho. II. Pehli Raat: Sapne Jo Jag Jaate Hain Raat ko, Asha ne dekha ek sapna — ek chhota sa bacha jo khidki ke paas khada tha. Uske haath mein ek kitaab thi jisme sirf ek jumla likha tha: "Jab palang kahna shuru karega, sachchai jagmaga uthhegi." Asha ne sapne mein bachche se pucha, "Tum kaun ho?" Bachcha muskuraya par jawaab nahin diya. Asha ne palang ko zor se pakda — tabhi palang se hawa nikalti hui si awaz aayi: "Yaad rakho." Us raat ke baad ghar mein chhote chote ajeeb waqia hone lage — purani ghadi khud chalne lagi, khidki se andhera seedha kamre mein aata, aur kabhi kabhi kisi ne gaane ki dhun hawa mein chhupkar ghumti nazar aati. III. Padosi Ka Raaz Agle din Asha ne padosi, Mrs. Rao, se poocha. Mrs. Rao ne apni chokhat pe aana-baithna chhoda aur bahut purane dino ki baatein batayi. "Woh palang? Pehle woh Mahesh ke ghar mein tha — ek kahanio ka likhne wala. Usne us palang par apni pehli kahani likhi thi, aur raam-raam kehte kehna usne us palang ko chhod diya. Kahaniyaan us palang mein basee rehti hain; jo kisi ne suni na ho, woh raaton mein jag uthti hain." Mrs. Rao ki aankhon mein kuch dard chhupa tha; usne kaha ki pichhle saal Mahesh gaayab ho gaya — bas ek diarist ki diary chhod gaya jisme kuch pankhuriyaan rahi thi. IV. Palang Ke Sapne: Doosri Raat Doosri raat, palang ki awaz ab zyada spasht thi. "Khoj lo," usne kaha. Asha ne palang se poocha, "Kya main Mahesh ko dhoondh sakti hoon?" Palang ne halki si dhun bajayi, aur kamre ki ek purani lakdi ke neeche se ek patla sa khat nikla — pankhuriyon se bhara. Khat mein likha tha: "Jise hum bhool gaye, uski kahaniyon mein rahega sach." Khat mein Mahesh ka pata tha — ek chhota sa gaon, sheher se door, jaha logon ke chehre par kahaniya likhi hoti thi. V. Safar: Gaon Ki Khushboo Asha ne didi ko bata kar gaon ki yatra ki. Gaon ke raste mitti ki khushboo se bhare, aur raaste par chhote bachche khel rahe the. Gaon mein poochne par pata chala ki Mahesh ka ghar ab khokhla sa pada tha; koi hi uske baare mein jaanta. Logon ne bataya ki Mahesh akela rehta tha, par uski kahaniya raat ko jagti thi — log kehte the ki jab chaand pura saaf ho, uske ghar se aawazein aati thi, purane geet, hasne ki dhun, aur kabhi kabhi, kisi ki rooh ki saans. VI. Sach Ka Samna Asha ghar ke andar jaati hai aur waha usse ek purana khidki ka darwaza dhire se khulta hua nazar aata hai. Andar ek kamra hai jismein lakdi pe likhi hui lafzein hain: "Jab kisi ki kahani chup ho jaati hai, uska roop hawa mein bikhar jaata hai." Aur tabhi us palang ka rang badal gaya — wo chamak utha, aur usmein se ek aatma si nikli: Mahesh. Lekin Mahesh badla hua tha — na to khud apna pati tha, na purana likhne wala; uski aankhon mein thakan thi aur haath mein diary ka tukda. "Maine kahaniya likhi, par kisi ne nahi padhi," usne kaha. "Main yahaan thak gaya hoon."
Aur jab raat gehri hoti, palang apni purani dhun gungunata, aur kahi se koi naya sapna aata — ek naya kahani ka aagaaz.