“Where is Here?” ek chhoti parantu gahri aur rahasyamay kahani hai jo samay, pehchaan aur manovigyan ke gahan pehluon ko chhuati hai. Is kahani ka likhak Joyce Carol Oates hai, jo apne manovigyanik aur suspense bhare lekh ke liye jane jate hain. Yeh kahani ek aise anjaan aadmi ki kahani hai jo ek shaant aur sadharan ghar ke bahar achanak prakat hota hai, aur uske aane se sthiti dheere-dheere ajib aur asahaj ho jati hai.
Ek shaam, ek sadharan pati-patni apne ghar ke andar apni nitya dincharya mein vyast hote hain. Tabhi ek anjaan aadmi unke ghar ke bahar aata hai aur darwaza khatkhatata hai. Jab ghar ka pati darwaza kholta hai, to us aadmi ka vyavhaar shaant aur vinamr hota hai, lekin uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb si utsukta aur vishesh prakaar ki udaasi dikhai deti hai. Woh kehata hai ki yah wahi ghar hai jismein woh bachpan mein raha karta tha, aur usse yah jagah dekhne ki ichha hui.
Pehle to pati-patni is baat par zyada dhyan nahi dete aur soche samajhe bina us aadmi ko andar aane dete hain. Lekin jaise-jaise woh ghar ke andar kadam rakhta hai, vaataavaran mein ek asamaanya tarang utpann hone lagti hai. Woh aadmi har kone ko jahan se jahan tak dekh sakta hai, gahri nazron se dekhta hai. Woh apni yaadon mein kho jata hai, jaise ki us jagah ki har ek vastu uske liye kisi smriti ka hissa ho.
Dheere-dheere ghar ke maalik aur patni ko ek asahaj anubhav hone lagta hai. Unhe mehsoos hota hai ki yah aadmi sirf ek sadharan yaatri nahi hai, balki uske astitva mein kuch rahasya chhupa hai. Jab aadmi ghar ke alag-alag kakshon mein jata hai, to uske chehre par ek ajeeb si udaasi aur bhay mishrit anubhuti hoti hai. Uske shabdon mein ek anokha dukh aur samvedana hoti hai jo ek bhari sannate jaisi lagti hai.
Jab usse pucha jata hai ki kya woh kisi vishesh udeshya se aaya hai, to woh keval ek muskurahat ke saath yah kehata hai ki yah jagah uski purani yaadon se judi hai aur usne bas ek baar isse dekhne ki sochi thi. Lekin jaise hi samay beetta hai, pati-patni ko ek ajeeb sa bhay mehsoos hone lagta hai. Unhe aisa lagta hai ki jaise yah aadmi unke ghar ke surakshit vaataavaran ko dheere-dheere prabhavit kar raha hai.
Akhirkar, jab aadmi chala jata hai, tabhi bhi uski upasthiti ka asar ghar mein bana rehta hai. Ghar ke andar ek ajeeb si chhaya chhodi jati hai, aur pati-patni ek anjaan bhay aur bechaini mehsoos karte hain. Yah kahani yahi khatam ho jati hai, lekin ek prashna chhod jaati hai – yeh aadmi sach mein kaun tha? Kya yah ek bhutaha astitva tha, ya bas ek vyakti jo apni purani yaadon mein kho gaya tha?
“Where is Here?” ek aise prashn ka uttar dhundhne ki koshish karti hai jo sirf sthaan ka nahi, balki pehchaan, yaadon aur astitva ka hai. Yeh kahani darshati hai ki kis prakar ek sadharan mulaqat bhi manushya ke jeevan ko gehrayee se prabhavit kar sakti hai. Isme suspense, manovigyan aur rahasya ka ek adbhut mishran hai jo pathakon ko ant tak sochne ke liye majboor kar deta hai.