Anurag ek 21 saal ka ladka tha. Wo college mein padhta tha. Uska ghar gaaon mein tha, isliye wo college ki padhai karne ke liye shahar aaya tha. Wo hostel mein raha karta tha. Uske room mein study table par dher sare assignments rakhe hue the. Wo ek aam student tha, jo din bhar college ke assignments se pareshan rehta tha isliye raat ko sukoon pane ke liye wo kabhi kabhi novels padh leta tha. Raat ke 12:00 baj rahe the. Pura shehar so chuka tha, lekin Anurag ko nind nahi aa rahi thi. Uski aankhein apne phone ki screen par tiki hui thi. Uske kamre mein sirf phone ki roshni thi.
Wo roz ek hi tarah ke novels padh kar bore ho chuka tha."Sabhi novels mein wahi purani kahani kuchh naya kiyun nahi milta?" Ye bolkar usne apna phone side mein rakha aur apni aankhein band kar di. Jaise hi wo apni aankhein band kiya, uske phone ki screen zor se blink hui. Ek Ajeeb sa notification pop up hua.
"Agar aap roz roz ek hi tarah ke novels padh ke thak chuke hain aur real life experience lena chahte hain to download karein midnight app!
Ye message dekhte hi Anurag sochne laga ki ye koi naya virus hoga ya phir koi advertisement. Pehle to wo us message ko ignore karne ki koshish kiya. Lekin uske andar curiosity jag chuka tha. Use janna tha ki kya hai yeh. Fir wo turant apna phone uthaya aur link par click kar diya. App turant download ho gayi. Uska icon black colour ka tha, jiske bich mein ek blue colour ki aankh bani hui thi. Jaise hi Anurag us App ko khola, samne screen par blood red text mein ek message aaya: [Welcome to the soul streaming service.]
[Rule 1: Every night at 12:00 AM, you must complete one task.]
[Rule 2: Do not delete this app, or the penalty will trigger instantly.]
Anurag ka dil tezi se dhadakne laga. Pehle to use thoda darr laga, kyunki text blood se likha hua tha. Fir use laga ki shayad yeh koi prank app hoga, jo logon ko darane ke liye banayi gayi hai. Lekin use ab nind aa rahi thi, isliye usne socha ki app to download ho gayi hai kal subah dekh lenge. Jaise hi wo app ko band karne ki koshish kiya, uska phone achanak hang ho gaya. Wo ek dam se hairan ho gaya kyunki uska phone naya tha. Fir usne phone switch off karke dobara on kiya.
Tabhi ek naya message aaya:
[Your first trial begins now. Target: The Secret place of building block 7. Time limit: 18 minutes. Reward: 20,000 INR. Penalty: Death.]
Ye message dekh kar Anurag ko gussa aa gaya, "Kya bakwas hai ye!" Lekin tabhi uske bank account se ek official notification aaya. Usne turant message check kiya. Wo dekha ki uske account mein 2,000 INR advance mein mila hai.
Anurag ka dimag sunn ho gaya, gala sukha pad gaya. Wo apna bank balance check kiya. Yeh asli tha. Use sach mein paise mile the sirf app kholne ke liye. Par iska matlab yeh bhi tha ki penalty bhi asli ho sakti thi. Fir Anurag ko yaad aaya ki Block 7 wahi building thi jo pichle kuchh saalon se band thi kyunki wahan ek student ne suicide kiya tha. Aur use wahin jana tha. Usne ghadi dekhi. 12:08 AM. uske paas sirf 10 min bache hue the.
Anurag jaldi se apna jacket pehna or kamre se bahar nikla. Use akele jane mein darr lag raha tha, lekin ab use ye task pura karna tha. Wo us building ke andar gaya. Pura building sunsan tha. Har taraf sannata chaya hua tha, jo baki raaton se alag lag raha tha. Hawa mein ek ajeeb si thandak thi jisse uska pura sharir thanda ho gaya tha. Jab wo block 7 ke paas pahuncha, toh wahan ka nazara dekh kar wo hairan rah gaya. Building ke darwaje purane zanjeeron se bandhe hue the, jaise hi Anurag darwaja ke paas gaya, zanjeerein toot kar gir gayi. Use abhi tak samajh nahi aaya tha ki uske sath kya ho raha hai.
"Yeh koi setup hai... pakka koi mujhse mazak kar raha hai, "Anurag ne khud ko samjhane ki koshish ki, lekin uske hath kaanp rahe the. Wo apne phone ka flash light on kiya aur andhere seedhiyon se upar chadhne laga. Har ek kadam ke sath uske joote ki awaaz pure building mein gunj rahi thi, use aisa lag raha tha ki, jaise koi uske piche piche chal raha ho. Lekin jab wo peeche mudkar dekha toh wahan koi bhi nahi tha. Uske badan se pasine tapakne lage.
Wo fir apne mobile mein time check kiya, 12:16 AM baj rahe the. Wo chhat ke darwaje ke samne ja pahuncha. Darwaja adha khula hua tha or andar se ajib si sansanahat ki aawaz aa rahi thi, jaise koi purani radio baj rahi ho. Anurag kisi tarah himmat jutaya or chhat par kadam rakha. Wo dekha ki pura terrace kohre se bhara hua tha, jo ki is mausam mein hona possible hi nahi tha. Ye sab dekh kar to use aur bhi darr lagne laga tha. Fir wo dheere dheere kadam aage badhaya. Achanak wo samne dekha ki terrace ke bich mein ek ladki khadi thi, jiske baal white colour ke aur curly kiye hue the, uski aankhein laal thi or wo usi hostel ki purani uniform pehni hui thi, jis hostel mein Anurag rehta hai. Use dekh kar to Anurag ki aankhein fati ki fati reh gayi.
Tabhi Anurag ka phone fir se baja.
[Task update: us ladki ke paas jao or pucho: 'Why did you leave?'
Anurag ka sharir thanda pad gaya wo thad thad kaanp raha tha. Wo samajh gaya tha ki yeh koi insaan nahi hai. Wo darte hue dheere dheere aage badha. Jaise hi wo us ladki ke paas pahuncha, usne kaanpte awaz mein us ladki se pucha: "Why... why did you leave?"