Raat ka waqt tha… chand aadha tha aur registan me hawa ki sitti goonj rahi thi.Ek jawaan larka, Rayyan, safar kar raha tha — talwar kamar me, dua zaban pe.
Usne suna tha ke registan ke paar ek sheher hai jo sirf jinnon ka hai — Sheher-e-Jin.Log kehte the,> “Jo insaan wahan gaya, kabhi wapas nahi aaya…”Lekin Rayyan ka maqsad tha — apne baap ka gumshuda taweez wapas lana,jo ek jinn-e-aazam ne cheen liya tha.Raat barhti gayi, hawa thandi hoti gayi.Achanak zameen hilne lagi… aur Rayyan ke samne reg ke neeche se ek darwaza ubhar aaya,jis par likha tha:
> “Ye Sheher-e-Jin ka darwaza hai — sirf wo guzarsakta hai jiska dil saaf ho.”Rayyan ne Bismillah kaha, aur darwaza khol diya.Andar aik roshan sheher tha — minarein, hawai mahal, aur unme udte hue jinn.Kuch bade, kuch chhote, kuch insaan jese… lekin sab ki aankhen aag jesi chamak rahi thi.Ek awaz aayi,> “Kis jur’at se insaan Sheher-e-Jin me aaya hai!”Wo Jinn-e-Aazam tha — sunehri taj aur laal roshni me lipta hua.Rayyan ne kaha,> “Main jang ke liye nahi, apne baap ke taweez ke liye aaya hoon!”jinn hans pada,> “Ye taweez tab milega jab tu meri paheli hal karega. Galat jawab diya, to hamesha ke liye pathar ban jayega.”
Paheli ye thi:> “Aisi cheez jo dekhi bhi jati hai, chhupi bhi rehti hai, sabko dikhati bhi hai magar khud nahi dikhai deti.”Rayyan ne socha…
Hawa? — nahi.
Roshni? — nahi.
Pani? — nahi.
Phir usne muskurakar kaha:> “Wo parchhai (shadow) hai!”Jinn thoda ghabraya, phir zor se haansa,> “Insaan! Tu aqalmand hai — le ja apna taweez.”Usne taweez Rayyan ke haath me diya, aur bola:> “Yaad rakh… jinnon ka sheher sirf dil se saaf logon ko hi dikhai deta hai.”Phir sab kuch hawa me ghul gaya…Aur Rayyan khud ko wapas registan ke beech paaya — taweez uske haath me, aur dil me ek roshni.Us din ke baad kisi ne Sheher-e-Jin ka darwaza kabhi nahi dekha…Lekin kehte hain, jab raat me hawa se “Sheher-e-Jin” ka naam goonjta hai,
to jinn aur insaan dono Rayyan ko yaad karte hain —
jo dil se roshan tha. 💫