Dehradun ki thand waise hi mashoor hai, par February ki iss thandak mein Rawat Estate ki rounak kuch alag hi garmi paida kar rahi thi. Rajpur Road par sthitit is purane aur vishaal ghar ke bahar gende ke phoolon ki lambi ladiyaan deewaron se latak rahi thi. Peeli aur narangi pankhudiyaan thandi hawa ke jhonkon se halke-halke hilti, toh lagta jaise poora ghar muskura raha ho. Pure raste par lagi choti-choti fairy lights ne andhera hote hi ek sunehri chadar si odh li thi.

​Ghar ke peechle hisse mein bade bade tandoor aur kadhaaiyan saji thi. Halwai ke chammachon ki ‘khang-khang’ ki aawaz aur ghee mein talte hue jalebi aur kachoriyon ki khushbu ne poore mohalle ko mehka diya tha.

​”Arre, Mishra ji! Woh dahi-bhalle wale counter par thoda dhyan dijiye, dahi thodi kam lag rahi hai,” Ravindra Rawat ne apna chashma naak par tikate hue zor se aawaz lagayi. Biology ke professor Ravindra ji ka dil jitna bada tha, unki chintaen bhi iss shaadi ke din utni hi badi thi. Haath mein ek diary liye, jisme khane-peene se lekar gaddiyon tak ka hisab tha, woh subah se bina ruke idhar-udhar daud rahe the. Unke kurte ka pichla hissa paseene se thoda geela ho chuka tha, par chehre par ek mithi muskaan bani hui thi.

“Uncle, aap thoda aaram toh kar lo! Subah se bas bhaage ja rahe ho,” Sameer ke ek dost ne unhe paani ka glass pakdate hue kaha.

​”Arre beta, aaram kaisa? Ek hi toh beta hai mera. Aaj iski shaadi dhoom-dham se nahi hui, toh Shalini mujhe poori zindagi tana degi!” Ravindra ne haste hue paani ka ghoot liya aur dhoop mein chamakte pandal ki taraf nikal gaye.

Pandal ke beechon-beech, ek bade se aaramdayak sofe par Shalini Rawat baithi thi. Lal rang ki banarasi saree aur gale mein sunehra haar unke robdaar vyaktitwa ko aur nikhaar raha tha. Ek jaane-maane sarkari college ki Principal hone ke naate, unke chalne aur baat karne mein ek alag hi anushasan jhalakta tha. Unke aas-paas mohalle ki aur rishte-daaron ki mahilaon ka jhurmut tha.

​”Maan gaye Shalini ji! College ka itna bada campus sambhalna aur yahan ghar par itni shandaar shaadi ki ek-ek cheez ka khayal rakhna… yeh bas aapke hi bas ki baat hai,” Verma ji ki patni ne tareef karte hue kaha.

​Shalini ne apni saree ka pallu thik kiya aur halke se muskura kar boli, “Dekhiye, bache agar sahi dhang se pale-badhe ho, toh unka management mushkil nahi hota. Sameer ne Bangalore mein rehte hue bhi hamesha wahi kiya jo humne uske liye sahi samjha. Aur Riya… woh toh hai hi itni suljhi hui ladki. Jab ghar ke niyam-kaayde saaf ho, toh har kaam samay par aur tarike se ho hi jata hai.”

“Woh toh hai, aapka discipline toh poore Dehradun mein mashhoor hai,” dusri mami ji ne haan mein haan milayi.

​Tabhi shehnai ki aawaz tez hui aur sabki nigahein entry gate ki taraf ghum gayi.

​Sameer aur Riya ek saath pandal mein pravesh kar rahe the. Bangalore ka woh charming software engineer aaj bilkul ek raja lag raha tha—naye sunehre rang ki shervani aur sir par bandhi pagdi us par khoob jach rahi thi. Aur uske thik bagal mein, uske haath mein haath dale chal rahi thi Riya. Riya ka bhari lal lehenga jab zameen ko chuta hua aage badhta, toh uski sarsarahat poore mahaul mein ek naram sangeet ghol deti. Uske chehre par ek sharmili muskaan thi, aur uski aankhein zameen ki taraf jhuki hui thi, par beech-beech mein woh chori-chupi nazar se Sameer ko dekh leti.

​”Arre waah! Nazar na lage jodi ko,” pandal ke ek kone se aawaz aayi.

​Mandap ke paas hi ek purani aaram-kursi par Devki Devi baithi thi. Daadi ke chehre par umra ki lakeerein thi, par unki aankhon mein is waqt sabse zyada chamak thi. Unhone jaise hi naye jode ko dekha, unhone dono haath hawa mein utha diye.

​”Aao, aao mere bacho, mere paas aao,” Daadi ne kaanpti par mamta se bhari aawaz mein kaha.

Sameer aur Riya dono ne jhuk kar Daadi ke pair chuye. Daadi ne dono ke siron par haath rakha aur dher saara aashirwad diya.

“Jug jug jiyo! Bhagwan tum dono ki jodi ko hamesha barkarar rakhe. Sameer, ab Bangalore ki us thandi naukri ko chodo aur apni is sundar si rani ka khayal rakho.”

​”Dadi, Bangalore mein naukri thandi nahi hoti, wahan ka weather thanda hota hai!” Sameer ne haste hue Dadi ka gaal kheencha.

​”Hatt natkhat! Riya beta, isko bilkul dheet mat banana, thoda lagam kas ke rakhna is par,” Daadi ne haste hue Riya ka haath pakda, jisse Riya ki khilkhilahat gunj uthi. Rishte-daaron ne dono par gulab ki pankhudiya barasani shuru kar di.

Raat ke lagbhag 2 baj chuke the. Phere pure ho chuke thhe, sindoor aur mangalsutra ki rasam bhi bade hi niyam aur anand ke saath samapt ho gayi thi. Mehmaan dheere-dheere apne kamron ki taraf ja chuke the ya vida ho rahe the. Poore ghar mein ab ek sukoon bhari khamoshi chane lagi thi, jisme gende ke phoolon ki dheemi khushbu abhi bhi basi hui thi.

​Rawat Estate ke khule aangan mein, thandi hawa ke chalte ek angithi jalayi gayi thi. Angithi ke aaspas poora Rawat parivar baitha tha.

​Ravindra ji ne apna kurta thoda dheela kar liya tha aur kursi par peeth tikakar gehri saans li.

“Shalini, sach mein… sab kuch itne acche se nipat gaya. Mujhe toh darr tha ki catering ka khana kam na pad jaye, par sabne tareef ki.”

​Shalini ne muskurate hue Sameer aur Riya ki taraf dekha, jo ek-dusre ke kandhe se kandha milakar baithe the. Riya ka sir Sameer ke kandhe par halka sa tika tha aur woh dono aag ki lapton ko dekh rahe the. “Maine kaha tha na, agar planning sahi ho toh kuch galat nahi hota. Aaj se hamara parivar poora ho gaya.”

​Daadi apni kursi par baithe-baithe hi ungh rahi thi, par unke hothon par ek tript muskaan thi. Unhone dheere se aankhein kholin aur boli, “Aaj meri aatma ko shanti mil gayi. Mera Sameer ghar basa chuka hai. Ab is ghar mein bas khushiyan hi khushiyan aayengi.”

Sameer ne Riya ka haath thoda aur kas kar pakad liya aur dhime se bola, “Welcome to the family, Riya.”

​Riya ne sharma kar unki taraf dekha aur sunehri aag ki roshni mein unke chehre aur khile hue lage. Thand badhti ja rahi thi, par is aangan mein bikhri garmi aur apnepan ne sabko ek naye, sundar aur surakshit bhavishya ke sapno mein duba diya tha.

February 20 ki shaam Rajpur Road par jaise ek mela lekar aayi thi. Rawat Estate ke bahaar gaddiyon ki lambi kataar lagi thi, aur police ke do jawan traffic ko sambhalne mein jute hue the.

Aaj shaadi ka Grand Reception tha. Ghar ke bahaar ek vishaal aur aadhunik pandal khada kiya gaya tha, jisme lagbhag 800 mehmaano ke aane ka anuman tha. Pure raste par safed aur gulabi rang ke parde hawa mein lehra rahe the, aur stage par lagi crystal chandeliers ki roshni poore mahaul ko ek filmi chamak de rahi thi.

​”Arre, Rawat Uncle! Badhai ho! Kya shandaar intezam kiya hai aapne,” Sameer ke ek purane dost ne dhol ki aawaz ke beech chilate hue kaha.

Ravindra Uncle ne uske kandhe par haath rakha, unka chehre par muskaan toh thi par unki aankhon mein halki thakaan saaf jhalak rahi thi. “Bahut-bahut shukriya beta. Bas, sab acche se ho jaye. Tum khana khakar hi jaana, haan?”

Stage ke dusri taraf, Shalini Aunty khadi thi. Unki hara aur sunehra kundan work wali saree unki shaksiyat par bilkul fit baith rahi thi. College ke kai bade professors aur shehar ke ganamanya log unhe badhai dene aaye the.

Lekin jo shor February 20 ki raat ko apne charam par tha, woh 21 ki subah hote-hote bilkul dheema pad gaya. Shaadi wale gharon ki yeh rati-banti reet hai—raunak jitni tezi se aati hai, utni hi tezi se chali bhi jaati hai.

February 21 aur 22 ke beech Rawat Estate ka nazaara badal chuka tha. Dur ke rishte-daar apne bhari-bhari suitcases ko gaadiyon ki diggi mein rakh rahe the. “Acha bhai, Ravindra! Ab hum nikalte hain. Train ka samayd ho raha hai,” fufa ji ne aawaz lagayi. Ek-ek karke gaadiyan Rajpur Road ki taraf nikal gayi, aur unke piche chod gayi ek ajeeb sa sannata.

Aangan mein local mazdoor aakar us bade se pandal ko todne mein lag gaye. Jo fairy lights do din pehle poore ghar ko naye dulhan ki tarah chamka rahi thi, woh ab deewaron se aadhi utri hui, bejaan si latak rahi thi. Ghar ke andar ek ajeeb, bhari sannaata dheere dheere apni jagah bana raha tha.

February 22 ki dopahar tak ghar lagbhag poori tarah khali ho chuka tha. Ab waqt tha ek aur zaroori alvida ka.

Sameer ki behen, jo Kazakhstan mein apni medical ki padhai kar rahi thi, uski chuttiyan khatam ho chuki thi aur uski return flight Delhi ke Airport se thi.

Courtyard mein sabhi khade the. Uske suitcases car ke paas rakhe hue the. Usne rote hue apni dadi aur Mummy ke gale lagkar alvida kaha.

​”Mummy, Papa… apna khayal rakhna. Aur Riya bhabhi, ab Sameer bhai aapke bharose hain,” usne haste hue apne aansu poche.

Ravindra Uncle ne apna muffler gale mein lapet te hue kaha, “Chalo beta, gaadi nikalte hain. Mohand ke jangal wale raaste par thoda traffic mil sakta hai, aur humein samay par Delhi pahunchna hai.” Unhone tay kiya tha ki woh khud apni beti ko drop karne Delhi jayenge aur kal tak wapas lautenge.

Sameer ne aage badhkar Papa ke kandhe ko chua, “Papa, aap aaram se gaadi chalana. Aur Delhi pahunchkar mujhe call zaroor kar dena.”

​”Tum dono bilkul chinta mat karo. Main kal dopahar tak ya shaam tak wapas aa jaunga,” Ravindra Uncle ne muskurate hue kaha aur gaadi ka darwaza band kar liya. Car dheere dheere gate se bahaar nikal gayi.

​Unke jaane ke baad, Shalini Aunty ne ek gehri saans li aur apne haath mein pakde college ke kuch papers ko dekha. “Maine shaadi ke chakkar mein bahut lambi chutti le li thi. Kal subah se mujhe college join karna hi hoga, bahut saara kaam pending hai. Main kal subah 8 baje hi nikal jaungi.”

​Raat ke das baj chuke the. Poore ghar mein ek halki thandak aur sannaata chaa gaya tha.

Sameer aur Riya apne kamre mein the. Kamre ki khidki se bahaar Rajpur Road ki thandi hawa chal rahi thi.

Sameer ne apni shervani aur bhari kapde hata kar ek aaramdayak sweatshirt pehen li thi, aur Riya bhi ek saadhe se kurte mein thi, uske haathon ki mehendi ab bhi gehri rachi hui thi.

​Riya ne bistar par baithte hue apne baalon ko khola, “Sach mein Sameer, itne dino ke shor ke baad… aaj yeh sannaata kitna ajeeb par kitna sukoon dene wala lag raha hai na?”

Sameer ne aakar Riya ke paas baithte hue uska haath apne haath mein liya. Usne Riya ke maathe par ek naram kiss kiya aur muskura kar bola, “Haah, bilkul. Mujhe toh lag raha tha yeh rishte-daaron ka aana-jaana kabhi khatam hi nahi hoga. Par ab, finally, humein thoda waqt milega.”

Riya ne apna sir Sameer ke kandhe par rakh diya, “Kal Mummy bhi subah jaldi college chali jayengi, aur Papa bhi Delhi mein honge. Ghar par sirf hum dono aur Dadi honge.”

​”Hmm… iska matlab kal ka poora din hamara hai. Hum aaram se uthenge, baatein karenge aur is naye safar ki shuruat sukoon se karenge,” Sameer ne uski ungliyon ko sehlate hue kaha.

February 23 ki subah Dehradun mein hamesha ki tarah dhundli aur thandi thi. Rajpur Road par subah ka traffic abhi shuru hi hua tha. Rawat Estate ke andar, rasoi mein chai ki patili ubal rahi thi.

Shalini Aunty ne ek haath mein apna chashma pakda aur dusre haath se garam chai ka cup uthaya. Unke chehre par wahi sateek, anushasit bhaav tha, par aankhon ke niche shaadi ki thakaan ke halke kaale ghere saaf dikh rahe the. Unhone ghadi dekhi subah ke 7:45 baj chuke the.

“Sameer! Riya!” Shalini Aunty ne seedhiyon ki taraf dekhte hue thoda zor se aawaz lagayi. “Main nikal rahi hoon. College mein bahut saara pending kaam dekhna hai. Tum dono dadi ka khayal rakhna, aur haan, fridge mein sabziyan rakhi hain, samay par khana bana lena.”

Sameer ne upar se hi aawaz di, “Haan Mummy, aap aaram se jao. Hum sab dekh lenge.”

Shalini Aunty ne apna handbag uthaya, ghar ke bhaari lakdi ke darwaze ko lock kiya aur bahaar khadi apni silver sedan car mein baith gayi aur woh gate se bahaar nikal gayi. Ghar par ab sirf Sameer, Riya aur Dadi bache the.

Dopahar ke lagbhag 1 baje tak mahol bilkul shant tha. Sameer aur Riya Shalini Aunty ke jaane ke baad phirse so gaye aur fir dopahar ke 1 baje der se uthe the. Aaj unka apna akele mil ke time saath bitate hue khana banane ka pehla din tha, bina kisi rishtedaar ki rok tok ke.

Dono ghar ki modern rasoi mein ek saath khana banane ke liye ikhatta hue the.

Rasoi ke just bahar, dadi (Devki Devi) ek choti lakdi ki kursi par baithi thi, unke haath mein unki purani mala thi par unka dhyan in dono bachon ki nok jhonk par hi tha.

​”Sameer, tumse ek baigan dhang se grill nahi ho raha? Dekho, use gas par aaram se ghumate hain, aise poora kaala nahi karte,” Riya ne haste hue Sameer ke haath se chimta cheen liya. Uske haathon ki nayi choodiyan khanak uthi.

​”Arre begum sahiba, Bangalore mein hum software engineer sirf microwave chalana seekhte hain, yeh baigan grill karna hamare syllabus mein nahi tha,” Sameer ne piche hat te hue mazaak kiya aur bazu me rakhi dal ki patili ko marble counter par rakh diya. “Chalo, main dal check karta hoon. Isme namak sahi hai ya main thoda aur daalun?”

Dadi ne unki baatein sunte hue apni jhurriyon bhari muskaan ke sath kaha, “Sameer, tu rehne de beta. Riya ko banane de, nahi toh aaj tu dal ki jagah paani pilayega humein.”

Rasoi mein teeno ki hasi gunj rahi thi. Dal ubal rahi thi, aur baigan ke grill hone ki ek sonhi si khushbu poori rasoi mein phail gayi thi. Sab kuch kitna aam, kitna surakshit aur kitna sukoon se bhara tha.

Tabhi, bahaar ke lohe ke bade gate se bell ring ki aawaz aayi. Sameer ne apna haath towel se pocha. Lagta hai koi aaya hai. Main dekh kar aata hoon. Ye keh kar  Sameer rasoi se nikal kar main gate par aaya. Bahaar ek courier delivery boy khada tha, uske haath mein ek medium-sized box tha jo motey khaki rang ke tape se poori tarah se lipta hua tha.

“Sameer Rawat?” delivery boy ne pucha.

​”Haan, main hi hoon.”

Delivery Boy ne Sameer ko Parcel diya aur usse slip par sign karne ke liye kaha.

Sameer ne slip par signature kiye aur box ko haath mein liya. Uska vajan thoda bhari tha.

Box ke upar lagi slip par neeli siyahi se saaf saaf likha thha: “N.K. Sharma, Sector 17, Chandigarh”. Sameer ne socha ki shayad Chandigarh wale Sharma uncle ne shaadi ka koi late gift bheja hoga.

Woh box lekar andar rasoi mein chala gaya. “Riya, dekho, Chandigarh wale Sharma uncle ka koi gift aaya hai lagta hai.”

Sameer ne us khaki box ko rasoi ke marble counter par, theek sink ke paas rakh diya. Riya ki utsukta badh gayi, woh dal ka chammach thame hue wahan aakar khadi ho gayi. Dadi bhi apni kursi se thoda aage jhuk kar dekhne lagin.

​”Kya ho sakta hai isme? Itna tight pack kiya hai,” Riya ne box ko dekhte hue kaha.

​”Ruko, main chaku lata hoon,” Sameer ne rasoi ke chaku ko uthaya aur usne chaku ki noke ko khaki tape ke beech mein dala aur zoor se kheencha.

Chhhhiiiiiiiirrrrrrr…

Tape ke phatne ki ek ajeeb teekhi aur karkash aawaz rasoi mein goonji. Sameer ne khaki cardboard ke dhabbe hataye. Andar ek aur box tha, jo sundar hare rang ke gift-wrap se lapta hua tha. Par us hare box ke upar ek chota sa chedh tha, jisme se ek safed rang ka mota dhaaga bahaar nikal raha tha.

​Riya bilkul paas aayi, uska chehra box se mushkil se ek foot ki doori par tha. “Yeh kaisa thread hai? Isme koi card nahi hai kya?”

​”Pata nahi, shayad isko kheenchne se khulta ho,” Sameer ne kaha. Usne apni ungliyon se us safed dhaage ko pakad ke uss dhaage ko bahaar ki taraf kheencha.

Tick.

Box ke andar se ek choti si, mechanical ‘click’ ki aawaz aayi.

Agle hi microsecond mein, ek aisi andhi kar dene wali, tez safed roshni paida hui jisne rasoi ke har ek kone ko ek pal ke liye freeze kar diya. Riya ki khuli hui aankhein, Sameer ka tez chaku pakda hua haath, dadi ki dundhli nigahein sab us safed roshni mein gum ho gaye.

Aur phir… ek bada explosion hua.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

​Ek aisa bhayanak explosion hua jisne Rawat Estate ki buniyaad ko hila kar rakh diya. explosion ki taaqat itni bhayanak thi ki rasoi ki badi kaanch ki khidkiyan chur chur hokar bahaar driveway par ja giri. Kaanch ke hazaaron tukde hawa mein missile ki tarah tairne lage.

Rasoi mein laga RO water purifier deewar se ukhad kar do tukdon mein toot gaya, aur uska paani charo taraf tezi se spray hone laga. Chhat ka plaster ek jhatke mein toot kar niche gir gaya, jisse poore kamre mein cement ka safed dhuwa phail gaya. Par sabse bhayanak tha woh kaala peela, gaadha dhuwa aur barood ki teekhi, dum-ghotne wali khushbu, jisne dhoop se khili us rasoi ko ek jhatke mein kabristan mein badal diya.

Kaun hai ye N.K Sharma jisne ye parcel bheja? Aur kya Sameer aur Riya is bhayanak blast se zinda bach paayege?

Iss raaz ka khulasa kiya hai Maut ka Tohfa Suspense Story – Part 2 me

Part 2 Padhne Ke Liye yaha click kare👇🏻

Maut ka Tohfa Suspense Story – Part 2 me

English Thriller Readers Ke Liye Ek Khaas Suggestion:

Agar aapko Hindi ke saath-saath English mein bhi dark aur suspenseful stories padhne ka shauk hai, toh meri doosri website par is kahani ko zaroor try karein. Ye ek alag level ka experience degi!

“A Dead Crorepati, Missing ₹14 Lakhs, & A Cheap Nylon Rope? (Part 1)”

(Read in English)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Usama Deshmukh

Chief Author

Main Usama hoon, StoryQuirk ka Chief Author. Mera passion aisi deep aur darawni crime stories, berehmi se bhari murder mysteries, aur dark suspense thrillers likhna hai jo aakhir tak aapki saansein atka kar rakhein. Meri StoryQuirk ki duniya mein utar jaiye, aur inn mazedar crime aur suspense stories ka maza lijiye.