**Chhoti Raat, Bada Darr (Short Night, Big Fear)**
Ek gaon ke kinaare ek purana mahal tha. Sab bachpan se sunte aaye the ki us mahal mein ek bhoot rehta hai. Gaon ke log us raat ko kabhi mahal ke paas nahi jaate the, kyunki kahani thi ki jo bhi jaata, wapas nahi aata.
Ek din Raju, jo sirf 10 saal ka tha aur bahut adventurous tha, apne doston ke saath khelte-khelte us mahal ke paas chala gaya. Uske doston ne mana kiya, “Raju, wapas aaja, yahaan bhoot hai!” Lekin Raju ko un kahaniyon par vishwas nahi tha.
“Main andar jaa raha hoon, tum log darpok ho!” Raju ne kaha aur mahal ke andar chala gaya. Andar sab kuch purana aur toota-phoota tha. Diwarein kala dhuwan chhod rahi thi aur darwazon se halki-halki cheekhne ki aawaz aa rahi thi.
Jab Raju ek bade hall ke beech mein gaya, to usne dekha ek bada sa ayina (mirror) padha hai. Achanak, ayine mein uska aks (reflection) hilne laga, jaise ki woh zinda ho! Raju ka dil zor-zor se dhadakne laga.
Phir ek ajeeb si awaaz aayi, “Raju... tu yahaan kyun aaya?”
Raju ghabra ke pichhe mudne laga, par uske pair zameen se chipak gaye. Usne dekha ki ayine mein ek kali parchai (shadow) uske taraf badh rahi hai.
Woh chillaya, “Mujhe jaane do!” Lekin koi jawab nahi aaya. Ayina ka aks usse baatein kar raha tha, “Jo yahaan aata hai, woh kabhi wapas nahi jaata!”
Raju ne zor lagakar apne pair chhudaye aur tez bhaaga. Usne mahsoos ki ki koi uske pichhe-pichhe bhaag raha hai. Jab woh mahal ke bahar aaya, uska dil dhadak raha tha. Uske doston ne dekha ki uske haath mein ek chhoti si purani ghadi thi.
“Yeh kahan se mili?” ek dost ne poocha.
Raju ne kaha, “Mujhe pata nahi... lekin lagta hai, koi cheez mere saath aa gayi hai.”
Us raat, jab Raju apne ghar mein so raha tha, us ghadi se awaaz aayi, “Tick-tock, tick-tock, ab tum mere ho!”
Aur phir, us raat ke baad, Raju kabhi nahi mila. Log kehte hain ki us mahal ka bhoot ab ek nayi kahani ke saath jeevit ho gaya.
**Moral:** Kabhi bina soche-samajhe unkahi jagah par mat jao.
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