Raat ke exactly 12:00 baj rahe the.
Aryan apne kamre me akela baitha tha… lights off… sirf phone ki halki si light uske face par pad rahi thi.
Bahar hawa tez chal rahi thi.
Khidki halki halki hil rahi thi…
thak… thak… thak…
"Ajeeb hawa hai…" Aryan ne dheere se kaha.
Usne phone uthaya…
Instagram open kiya…
Koi new notification nahi.
"Same boring life…" usne sigh liya.
Tabhi…
TING!
Ek notification aaya.
Unknown ID se message.
Username: _no_name_27
Message:
"Tum soye nahi ho abhi tak?"
Aryan freeze ho gaya.
"Ye kaun hai?" usne socha.
Usne reply kiya:
"Kaun?"
2 second…
5 second…
10 second…
Phir reply aaya:
"Main… tumhe roz dekhti hoon."
Aryan ka dil thoda fast dhadakne laga.
"Stalker hai kya?" usne nervous hoke socha.
Usne phir reply kiya:
"Kahan dekhti ho?"
Typing…
"Tumhari khidki ke bahar."
Aryan ka haath thanda pad gaya.
Usne dheere se apni nazar khidki ki taraf uthayi…
Curtain hawa se hil raha tha.
Dil zor zor se dhadak raha tha.
"Ye prank hai…" usne khud ko samjhaya.
Phir bhi…
Wo dheere dheere uth kar khidki ke paas gaya…
Curtain side kiya…
Bahar andhera tha.
Bilkul andhera.
Koi nahi.
"Pagal bana rahi hai…" usne relief ki saans li.
Phone vibrate hua.
"Mat dhoondo… abhi nahi dikhungi."
Aryan ka heart skip ho gaya.
"Tum kaun ho??" usne turant type kiya.
Reply aaya:
"Jab waqt aayega… tab milungi."
Aryan irritate ho gaya.
"Listen, ye sab creepy prank band karo," usne likha.
2 second baad…
"Tum darr gaye?"
Aryan ne turant reply kiya:
"Nahi."
Typing…
"Jhoot."
Room ki light achanak blink hui.
ON… OFF… ON… OFF…
"Ye kya—?" Aryan ghabra gaya.
Phone fir vibrate hua.
"Ab bhi nahi darr rahe?"
Aryan ka throat dry ho gaya.
"Ye sab tum kar rahi ho?" usne likha.
Reply aaya—
"Main sirf dekh rahi hoon…"
Tabhi…
Ek halki si awaaz aayi…
"Aryaaaan…"
Jaise koi uska naam fusk raha ho.
Usne turant peeche mudkar dekha…
Room me koi nahi.
"Aur kitna darr lagwana hai…" Aryan almost bol pada.
Phone par last message aaya—
"Aaj raat bas itna hi…"
"Kal milte hain… 12 baje."
Seen.
Aryan ne turant chat open rakhi…
Lekin…
Profile gayab.
"User not found."
"WHAT??" Aryan shock me tha.
Usne phone band kiya…
Aur bed par baith gaya.
Dil abhi bhi fast dhadak raha tha.
"Ye sab real tha… ya mera dimaag?" usne socha.
Tabhi…
Khidki ke bahar se halki si awaaz aayi…
"Good night… Aryan…"
Is baar…
Bilkul clearly.
Aur is baar…
Wo awaaz phone se nahi aayi thi.