Raat 12:16
Ghar me phir wahi sannata.
Lekin is baar hawa seedhi nahi chal rahi thi…
Jaise koi reverse me saans le raha ho.
Clock ki second hand…
Ulti direction me ghoom rahi thi.
Tick…
Tick…
Tick…
Har tick ke saath temperature gir raha tha.
Maa hall me khadi thi.
Unke kandhe par kisi ne haath rakha tha —
Unhe feel hua tha.
Lekin jab mudkar dekha… koi nahi.
Par unki shadow…
Woh ab unke pairon se chipki nahi thi.
Woh unse aadha foot door khadi thi.
Aur dheere dheere… seedhi ho rahi thi.
12:17
Clock ne ek ajeeb si awaaz nikali.
Click.
Jaise koi lock khula ho.
Hall ki diwar par ek patli si line bani.
Ek crack.
Lekin yeh crack plaster ka nahi tha.
Yeh hawa me tha.
Reality me.
Line dheere dheere khuli.
Aur us crack ke andar se… wahi buddhe aadmi ka chehra nazar aaya.
Wahi jo lamba shadow tha.
Uski aankhen bilkul kaali.
Aur woh seedha maa ko dekh raha tha.
Usne dheere se kaha:
"Tumne use nahi dhakka diya…
Lekin tumne mujhe paida kiya."
Maa ka gala sukh gaya.
"Tu… kaun hai?"
Crack aur khula.
"Main future hoon."
Dimensional Shift
Us waqt andhere wali jagah me —
Ayaan aur uska bachpan wala version khade the.
Shadow ka asli form unke saamne reveal hone laga.
Woh buddha aadmi…
Dheere dheere transform hone laga.
Chehra melt hua.
Shape badla.
Aur final form me jo khada tha…
Woh Ayaan ka future version tha.
Lekin insaan jaisa nahi.
Jaise time ne use tod diya ho.
Aankhon ke neeche gehri dararein.
Skin par cracks.
Jaise woh reality ko carry karte karte thak chuka ho.
Future Ayaan bola:
"Har guilt ek dimension banata hai.
Har regret ek alternate future."
Current Ayaan ka dimaag hil gaya.
"Matlab tu… main hoon?"
"Main woh hoon… jo tab bana jab maa ne khud ko kabhi maaf nahi kiya."
Sabse Bada Sach
Future Ayaan ne haath uthaya.
Ek naya scene open hua.
Ek aur timeline.
Is timeline me —
Ayaan bacha nahi.
Woh bach gaya tha.
Lekin…
Usne maa ko kabhi maaf nahi kiya.
Usne bada hoke ghar chhod diya.
Woh thanda, chup, aur andhera ho gaya.
Uski guilt ne maa ko tod diya.
Maa depression me chali gayi.
Aur ek raat…
12:17.
Unhone khud ko band kamre me bandh kar liya.
Silence.
Future Ayaan ki awaaz crack hui:
"Main us timeline ka result hoon."
Present – Ghar Me
Crack pura khul gaya.
Future Ayaan ka shadow ab hall me enter kar raha tha.
Maa ko sirf hawa feel ho rahi thi.
Unki shadow ab unse alag ho chuki thi.
Aur dheere dheere…
Unki shadow buddhi ho rahi thi.
Jaise 30 saal future ka version.
Shadow ne dheere se kaha:
"Next 12:17… uska hoga."
Maa ne aankhen band ki.
"Ayaan… main ready hoon.
Agar meri saza yahi hai… to theek."
Room shake hone laga.
Andhere Wali Jagah – Decision
Current Ayaan ne future version ko dekha.
"Isko rokne ka tareeka kya hai?"
Future Ayaan chup raha.
Bachpan wala version dheere se bola:
"Accept."
"Bas?"
Shadow bola:
"Guilt ko khatam nahi karte.
Use complete karte hain."
Current Ayaan ne samjha.
Agar maa khud ko sacrifice karegi…
Toh ek aur broken timeline banegi.
Loop phir chalega.
12:17 phir repeat hoga.
12:17 – The Collapse
Clock ne phir 12:17 blink kiya.
Future Ayaan maa ke peeche khada tha.
Uska haath unke sir par.
Bas ek push chahiye tha.
Jaise cycle repeat ho.
Lekin…
Is baar hall me ek aur shadow enter hua.
Chhota.
8 saal ka.
Usne future version ka haath pakad liya.
"Stop."
Future Ayaan jam gaya.
Current Ayaan ne zor se chillaya:
"Hum incomplete nahi!
Hum teen nahi… ek hain!"
Room me deafening crack hua.
Teen Ayaan —
Bachpan
Present
Future
Ek dusre me merge hone lage.
Future version resist kar raha tha.
"Tum samajh nahi rahe — pain ke bina identity nahi hoti!"
Present Ayaan bola:
"Pain ke bina nahi…
Lekin guilt ke bina ho sakti hai."
Flash.
White light.
Silence
Subah 6:13
Maa ne aankhen kholi.
Hall bilkul normal.
Clock seedhi direction me chal rahi thi.
Tick…
Tick…
Photo frame table par tha.
Is baar photo me sirf Ayaan tha.
Akela.
Normal.
Koi outline nahi.
Maa ke aansu gir gaye.
Unhone dheere se kaha:
"Thank you beta…"
Lekin…
Jab woh kitchen ki taraf mudi…
Unki shadow ek second ke liye ruki.
Aur seedha unki taraf dekhne lagi.
Jaise check kar rahi ho.
Phir normal ho gayi.
Final Line
Raat ko diary me maa ne likha:
"12:17 sirf maut ka waqt nahi tha.
Woh maafi ka waqt tha."
Lekin diary ke last page par…
Ek line khud se likhi hui mili.
Ink fresh thi.
Aur handwriting unki nahi thi.
"Next time… 12:18 try karte hain."
Black.
To Be Continued…