Usne palat kar Anurag ki taraf dekha. Uski aankhein laal thi. Wo chillate hue boli, "kyunki unhone meri chikhein nahi suni".
Darr se Anurag ki chikhein nikalne hi wali thi ki, tabhi uske phone mein blue light chamakne lagi.
[ Task completed : 20,000 INR credited]
Anurag hairani se bolta hai, kya? Ek chhote se kaam ke liye 20,000! Fir jaise hi usne apni nazrein uthayi, samne khadi ladki ek pal mein wahan se gayab ho gayi. Jaise hi wo ladki gayab hui, waise hi aasman se kohre hatne lage, thandi hawa dhire dhire normal hone laga. Aur fir ab sab kuchh normal raatein jaise lagne laga. Anurag wahan se turant bhag gaya, jaise koi bhoot use daura raha ho. Kamre mein aakar usne jhat se darwaza band kiya aur niche baith gaya. Woh bahut tezi se haanf raha tha. Darr se to uski halat kharab ho chuki thi. Uske chehre ke rang ud chuke the. Fir wo uth kar ek glass pani piya aur thoda sukoon ka saans liya. Tabhi uske phone par fir ek message aaya: Your Account has credited with 20,000 INR.
Yeh koi sapna nahi, balki sach tha. Usne app kholi. Ab app ka interface badal chuka tha. Wahan ek local platform khul chuka tha, jahan hazaron log online the.
Wo sabke post padhna shuru kiya. Aur uske baad jo use pata chala, wo hairan reh gaya.
User 01: 'mene aaj raat bargad ke pedh ke niche 10 min bitaye. Mujhe 50 hazar mile, lekin mere pairon par ek ajib sa nishan ban gaya hai. Kya kisi ke sath aisa hua hai?'
User 23: 'user 01, wo mark curse ka sign hai. Agar tum kal ka task miss karoge, toh mark or bhi phail jayega.' mere friend ke sath bhi aisa hua tha.
User 51: 'This is not a game. this is survival arena of supernatural.'
Anurag ko samajh aa gaya tha ki wo ek aisi chiz mein fans gaya hai, jahan se nikalne ka koi rasta nahi hai. Is app ko chalane wala koi insaan nahi tha. Usne socha ki agar use jinda rehna hai, toh use is system ke rules ko thik se samajhna hoga. Wo novels mein padha tha ki har system ki koi na koi weakness jarur hoti hai, aur use ab wahi dhoondhni thi. Ab Anurag ka bas ek hi maqsad tha, us system ki kamjori ko dhundhna. Fir wo apne bed par jakar let gaya. Uske dimag mein bas yahi saari baatein ghum rahi thi. Jiske wajah se use nind to nahi aa rahi thi, lekin woh subah hone ka intezar karne laga tha.
Subah hote hi wo pehle naha dhokar fresh hua, fir wo college ke liye nikal gaya. College jane ke baad bhi wo bohot bechain tha. Use na bhook lag rahi thi, na hi pyas. Aur aaj to use padhne mein bhi dil nahi lag raha tha. Uska dhyan abhi bhi raat ke us waqya par tha. Dhyan kahin aur hone ke karan use proffesor se daant bhi pad gayi thi. Lekin aaj use in sab baaton ki bilkul bhi fiqr na thi. Fir hostel aane ke baad wo apna kaam khatam kiya, uske baad wo apna dimag kahin aur lagane ke liye market gaya. Chizein kharidi. Thodi der ke liye to uska dimag shaant ho gaya tha, lekin usne aaj koi novel nahi padha, balki seedhe hi bed par aakar let gaya. Aj use fir se nind nahi aa rahi thi.
Jaise hi raat ke theek 12:00 AM ho rahe the, Anurag ka phone phir se vibrate hua. Is baar notification alag tha. Usne turant phone on kiya or message dekha.
[Multiplayer Task: 'The Haunted Train']
[Location: 'Underground Metro Station'.]
[Participants: User 09(Anurag), user 15(Tarun).]
[Note: 'sirf ek hi participant ticket claim kar sakta hai. Aakhri station pahunche par jiske paas ticket nahi hoga use wahan ke passengers kha jayenge.']
Anurag ka darr se halat kharab ho gaya, lekin ab wo khud ko mazboot karne ka than liya tha. Kyuki usko na sirf bhoot-preton se ladna tha, balki ek aur zinda insaan se bhi mukabla karna tha jo apni jaan bachane ke liye kuchh bhi kar sakta tha. Wo usi waqt bistar se utha aur wahan jane ke liye ready ho gaya, usne ek lohe ki rod apne bag mein daali aur underground metro station ki taraf nikal pada. Wahan pahunchne ke baad usne dekha ki, line 3 ka kaam ruka hua tha, charo taraf barricades lage hue the. Use niche jane ke liye rasta nahi mil raha tha. Fir use ek purana surakh dikhayi diya. Wo surakh ke andar jhanka to use neeche jane ka rasta mil gaya. Aur wo fatafat us surakh ke andar ghusa aur niche utar gaya.
Neeche bilkul andhera tha aur mitti ki ajeeb si smell aa rahi thi. Wo jaldi jaldi tracks par chalte hue platform par pahunch gaya. Wo dekha ki platform par pehle se hi ek aadmi khada tha. Usne black hoody pehni hui thi aur uske haath mein ek talawar thi.
User 15 ne Anurag ki taraf dekha or bola, "Toh tum ho User 09?"
Wo ek hasta-khelta ladka lag raha tha, lekin uski aankhon mein maut ka darr saaf dikh raha tha. Anurag ne uska naam pucha. User 15 ne jawab diya, "Mai tumhe apna naam to nahi bata sakta, par yaad rakhna, mujhe zinda rehna hai. Mera ek beta hai. Main is game mein mar nahi sakta." Anurag ne apne bag se rod nikalte hue bola, "Mai bhi yahan marne nahi aaya hoon, User 15. Humein milkar hi is masle ka koi hal nikalna hoga. Agar hum dono milkar koi raasta dhoondhein toh humare liye aasani hogi."
User 15 ne chillakar bola, "Koi raasta nahi hai". Tumhe pata nahi hai "System ne saaf kaha tha ki sirf ek insaan hi zinda bachega!"
Tabhi door se ek tez aawaz aayi. Ek purani,Jang lagi hui train bina kisi light ke tracks par daudti hui aayi aur platform par aakar ruk gayi. Uske darwaze dheere se khule. Wo dono ek dusre ko dekhte hue train ke andar ghuse. Jaise hi dono andar gaye, darwaze apne aap jhat se band ho gaye aur train tez raftaar se aage badhne lagi. Andar baithte hi unhein kuchh aisa mehsoos hone laga ki jaise unke sath koi or bhi baitha hua hai. Train ke andar ki lights blink kar rahi thi. Lekin sabse darawni baat yeh thi ki compartments khaali nahi the. Unhone piche palat kar dekha. Pichhe seats par ajeeb, dhundli parchaiyan baithi hui thi. Unke jism aam logon ki tarah thi lekin unke shaklein nazar nahi aa rahi thi. Wo sab chup chaap apni seat mein baithe hue the, jaise kisi cheez ka intezar kar rahe hon.