Riya hospital se ghar aa chuki thi…
Sab normal lag raha tha.
Par woh message…
"Next ride… kisi aur ke liye hai."
uske dimaag se ja hi nahi raha tha.
Raat ke 2:17 AM…
Phone fir se vibrate hua.
Unknown number.
Riya ne darr ke saath message khola—
"Tum wapas aa gayi… par system incomplete hai."
Riya ka dil tez dhadakne laga—
"Kaun ho tum?"
Reply aaya—
"Jisne tumhe wapas bheja…"
Tabhi…
window ke bahar se ek familiar sound aaya—
Bus ka horn…
Riya dheere se window ke paas gayi…
Neeche road par—
wahi purani bus khadi thi.
Driver seedha uski taraf dekh raha tha.
Phone fir vibrate hua—
"Ek life ke badle ek life…"
Riya ke haath kaanp gaye—
"Matlab?"
Reply—
"Tumhe kisi aur ko us bus tak lana hoga…
tabhi tum poori tarah free hogi."
Riya shock me thi—
"Main kisi aur ki jaan nahi le sakti!"
Us raat woh so nahi paayi…
Agli subah…
Uski best friend Neha usse milne aayi—
"Tu theek hai na? Kal se ajeeb behave kar rahi hai…"
Riya usse dekh kar aur darr gayi…
Kya woh… Neha ko…?
Raat 2:17 AM…
Phone fir se—
"Time khatam ho raha hai…"
Riya ne window se bahar dekha…
Is baar bus ke andar sirf ek seat khaali thi.
Usne aankhen band ki…
Ya toh woh kisi aur ko de…
ya khud wapas jaye…
Next moment…
Riya ne decision le liya.
Subah news aayi—
"Ek ladki ki mysterious death…
raat 2:30 ke aas-paas…"
Log confuse the—
body par koi injury nahi thi.
Aur us raat…
2:17 AM par…
Woh bus phir se aayi.
Is baar…
Driver ke paas ek nayi ladki baithi thi.
Woh ro rahi thi…
"Mujhe ghar jaana hai…"
Driver ne halka sa smile kiya—
"Sabko jaana hota hai…"
Aur peeche last seat par…
Riya baithi thi.
Chup…
bilkul chup…
Jaise ab uski baari khatam ho chuki thi।