Aarohi ne raat bhar neend nahi li.
Clock ne 3:17 AM show kiya… par usse time ka koi sense nahi tha. Uska dimag bas ek hi cheez repeat kar raha tha—
"You were never safe."
Us unknown number ke last words uske dimaag mein gunj rahe the.
"Plan… choice… dangerous…"
Ye sab koi normal baat nahi thi.
"Ya toh main overthink kar rahi hoon… ya phir sach mein kuch galat hai…"
Aarohi ne apne aap se kaha, lekin dil already answer de chuka tha.
Kuch toh definitely galat hai.
Usne turant phone uthaya aur us purane chat ko dubara open kiya.
Har message ab suspicious lag raha tha.
Pehle wo un lines mein care feel karti thi…
Ab… control.
Usne ek message par zoom kiya:
"Mujhe tumhari aadatein samajh aa gayi hain."
Us waqt ye sweet laga tha.
Ab… creepy.
Aarohi ka heartbeat fast ho gaya.
"Ye ladka mujhe observe kar raha tha… ya manipulate?"
Usne poora chat scroll kiya.
Day 2…
Day 4…
Day 6…
Aur fir uski nazar ek aur strange cheez par ruki.
Har baar jab Aarohi koi personal baat share karti thi… wo ladka usse thoda divert kar deta tha.
Jaise wo sun raha ho… par actually kuch aur dhoond raha ho.
"Information…" Aarohi ne dheere se bola.
"Usse meri information chahiye thi…"
Ye realization uske andar se thandi si feeling le aaya.
Tabhi usne ek aur pattern notice kiya—
Har raat 2:13 AM ke aas-paas… wo ladka suddenly offline ho jata tha.
Exactly same time. Every single day.
"Coincidence?"
"No… pattern."
Aarohi ne turant Google khola.
"2:13 AM significance…"
Search results random the.
Kuch bhi useful nahi.
Par uska gut keh raha tha—
Ye time important hai.
Usne decide kiya—
Aaj raat 2:13 tak wait karegi.
Next Night – 2:10 AM
Room dark tha.
Sirf phone ki light Aarohi ke face par pad rahi thi.
Uska heart fast beat kar raha tha.
2:12…
2:13…
Screen still.
Nothing.
Aarohi ne deep breath li.
"Shayad main hi overreact kar rahi thi…"
Jaise hi usne phone side rakhna chaha—
TING.
Message.
Same unknown number.
"Tum phir wait kar rahi ho."
Aarohi ka dil freeze ho gaya.
"Ye… kaise…?"
"Tumhe laga tum observe kar rahi ho… par actually tumhe observe kiya ja raha hai."
Aarohi ka haath kaanpne laga.
"Stop this! Tum ho kaun??"
"Tum abhi bhi samajh nahi rahi ho."
"Then explain!"
Pause.
Typing…
Phir message aaya—
"Jo tumhare saath 9 din tha… wo real nahi tha."
Aarohi ka mind blank.
"Matlab?"
"Wo ek identity thi."
"Fake?"
"Partially."
Aarohi ka patience break hone wala tha.
"Clear bol!"
Is baar reply thoda late aaya.
Jaise wo soch raha ho kya bole.
"Uska naam bhi wo nahi tha jo usne bataya."
Aarohi ke haath se phone almost gir gaya.
"Then… who is he?"
Silence.
10 seconds.
20 seconds.
Phir ek message aaya—
"Tum sach handle nahi kar paogi."
Aarohi ka gussa peak par tha.
"TRY ME."
Typing…
Phir ek line screen par appear hui—
"Usne tumhe choose nahi kiya tha… tum randomly select hui thi."
Aarohi ka heart crack jaisa feel hua.
"Random…?"
"Haan."
"Why me??"
"Because tum easily trust karti ho."
Silence.
Ye line seedha Aarohi ke andar chub gayi.
Wo kuch seconds tak kuch type hi nahi kar paayi.
Kya ye sach tha?
Kya wo itni naive thi?
Par usne apne aap ko strong kiya.
"Plan kya tha??"
Is baar reply instantly aaya—
"Data."
Aarohi confuse ho gayi.
"Data? Kaisa data?"
"Tumhari aadatein… tumhara routine… tumhari emotional triggers…"
Aarohi ka saans ruk gaya.
"WHY??"
"Because wo log… real life mein kaam karte hain."
"Kaun log???"
Silence.
Phir message aaya—
"Agar main sab bata diya… toh tum safe nahi rahogi."
Aarohi ka patience khatam ho gaya.
"I AM ALREADY NOT SAFE!"
Room ka temperature suddenly drop hua.
Jaise hawa thandi ho gayi ho.
Aarohi ne apne arms rub kiye.
"Please… just tell me…"
Is baar usne calm tone mein type kiya.
Typing…
Phir reply aaya—
"Wo log logon ko study karte hain."
Aarohi ka dimag ghoom gaya.
"Study? Kis liye?"
"Control ke liye."
Uska heart fast beat karne laga.
"Control??"
"Human behavior."
Aarohi ko ab clearly fear feel ho raha tha.
"Tum kehna kya chahte ho?"
"Tum experiment ka part thi."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Aarohi ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.
"Experiment…?"
Usne dheere se whisper kiya.
"Haan."
"9 din… sab fake tha?"
"Feelings real ho sakti hain… intentions nahi."
Aarohi ka heart completely break ho gaya.
Wo chup ho gayi.
Kuch seconds tak sirf uski breathing sunai de rahi thi.
Phir usne ek last question type kiya—
"Tum mujhe ye sab kyun bata rahe ho?"
Pause.
Long pause.
Jaise wo decide kar raha ho.
Phir message aaya—
"Because main bhi unka part tha."
Aarohi ka blood freeze ho gaya.
"WHAT??"
"Aur maine galti kar di."
"Kaunsi galti?"
Typing…
"Tumse connect ho gaya."
Aarohi completely still ho gayi.
Ye… kya ho raha hai?
"Tum… usme involved the… aur ab mujhe warn kar rahe ho?"
"Yes."
"Why should I trust you?"
Silence.
Phir ek last message aaya—
"Tumhe trust karna nahi… bas bachna hai."
Aarohi ne phone ko tight pakad liya.
"Kaise bachun??"
No reply.
"ANSWER ME!"
Still no reply.
Screen blank.
Network gone.
Aarohi ka patience break ho gaya.
Usne phone bed par phek diya.
"Ye sab nightmare hai… ye real nahi ho sakta…"
Par andar se wo jaanti thi—
Ye real hai.
Usne apne aap ko mirror mein dekha.
Uski aankhon ke neeche dark circles…
Face pale…
Fear clearly visible.
"Main isme phas gayi hoon…" usne dheere se bola.
Tabhi—
Door ke bahar se halki si awaz aayi.
Thak… thak…
Aarohi freeze ho gayi.
"Is time…?"
Usne clock dekhi.
3:02 AM.
"Impossible…"
Wo dheere se door ke paas gayi.
Heart fast beat kar raha tha.
"Kaun hai…?"
No answer.
Silence.
Usne handle pakda…
Dheere se door open kiya—
Corridor completely empty tha.
Koi nahi.
Par ground par…
Ek chhota sa folded paper pada tha.
Aarohi ka heart aur fast ho gaya.
Usne paper uthaya.
Haath kaanp rahe the.
Usne dheere se paper open kiya—
Andar sirf ek line likhi thi—
"You should have ignored the first message."
Aarohi ka dimag blank ho gaya.
Ye kisne rakha??
Kab??
Aur sabse badi baat—
Kaise?
Usne turant corridor mein idhar-udhar dekha.
Koi nahi.
Par uska gut keh raha tha—
Wo yahi hai.
Kahin paas.
Usse dekh raha hai.
Observe kar raha hai.
Jaise wo 9 din tak karta raha…
Par ab…
Game change ho chuka tha.
Aarohi slowly room ke andar wapas aayi.
Door band kiya.
Lock lagaya.
Aur wall se lag kar baith gayi.
Uske haath ab bhi kaanp rahe the.
Usne paper ko dubara dekha.
Ek simple line…
Par usme hidden threat clear tha.
Aarohi ne aankhein band ki.
Aur dheere se whisper kiya—
"Ye sab maine start kiya…"
"Ek simple 'Hi' ka reply dekar…"
Usne aankhein kholi.
Fear ab determination mein change ho raha tha.
"Par ab… main isse end karungi."
Room silent ho gaya.
Par kahani nahi.
Kahani ab dangerous ho chuki thi.
To be continued… 😶