Raat ke 12:07.
Terrace par hawa ab normal nahi rahi thi.
Wo bhaari thi… thandi thi… aur ajeeb si awaazein usme ghuli hui thi.
Aryan bilkul still khada tha.
Usne Meher ki baat maani thi—
"Mat dekho."
Lekin insaan ka dimaag…
Jitna mana karo… utna hi dekhna chahta hai.
thak… thak… thak…
Wo footsteps ab aur kareeb aa rahe the.
"Aryan…" Meher ne dheere se kaha,
"Apni nazar neeche rakho."
Aryan ne daant bhich liye.
"Ye kya hai…" usne halki awaaz me pucha.
Meher ka face serious tha.
"Ye woh hain… jo ruk nahi paaye…"
"Aur ab kisi aur ko bhi rukne nahi dena chahte."
Aryan ka heartbeat fast.
"Hume jaana hoga," Meher ne kaha.
"Kaise?" Aryan ne panic me pucha.
Meher ne uska haath pakadne ki koshish ki…
Phir ruk gayi.
"Rule yaad hai…" usne dheere se kaha.
Aryan ne turant apne haath peeche kar liye.
"Phir??"
"Tum mere peeche aao… bina mudhe… bina dekhe," Meher ne kaha.
Footsteps ab bilkul paas.
Aur tab…
Aryan ne feel kiya—
Jaise koi uske bilkul peeche khada hai.
Uski saanse uske kaan ke paas.
Thandi.
Heavy.
"Aryaaaan…"
Wahi fuskati hui awaaz.
Aryan ka body freeze.
"RUN!" Meher achanak chillaayi.
Aur wo terrace ke doosre side ki taraf daud padi.
Aryan bhi turant uske peeche bhaaga.
Peeche se awaazein badhne lagi—
thak… thak… thak…
"Ruk jao…"
"Yahin reh jao…"
Jaise multiple awaazein ek saath bol rahi ho.
Aryan ka dimaag panic me.
"YE KYA HAI??" wo chillaaya.
"Mat suno!" Meher ne jawab diya,
"Ye tumhe rokne ki koshish kar rahe hain!"
Suddenly…
Aryan ka pair kisi cheez se takra gaya…
Aur wo gir gaya.
"AAH!"
Uska phone haath se chhoot kar side me gir gaya.
Screen blink hui…
Aur phir band.
"Aryan!" Meher uske paas aayi.
"Utho! Jaldi!"
Lekin…
Der ho chuki thi.
Ek shadow uske bilkul paas aa chuki thi.
Aryan ne bina soche reflex me peeche mudkar dekh liya.
Aur…
Usne dekh liya.
Ek aadmi jaisa shape…
Lekin face clear nahi…
Jaise smoke ho…
Aur aankhein…
Bilkul kaali.
Aryan ka saans ruk gaya.
"Tumne dekh liya…" Meher ki awaaz darr se bhar gayi.
Shadow ne dheere se apna haath Aryan ki taraf badhaya…
Uske haath se thandi hawa nikli…
Aur jaise hi wo Aryan ke paas aaya—
Aryan ke body me ek shock sa feel hua.
Jaise energy drain ho rahi ho.
"Meher…" wo weak voice me bola.
"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Meher chillaayi.
Aur iss baar…
Usne rule tod diya.
Usne Aryan ka haath pakad liya.
Instantly…
Hawa me ek loud vibration hua.
Shadow peeche hat gaya.
Jaise kisi ne usse push kiya ho.
Aryan ne shock me Meher ko dekha—
"Tumne rule tod diya…"
Meher ki aankhon me pain tha.
"Tumhe bachane ke liye…" usne dheere se kaha.
Shadow phir se move karne laga.
"Time nahi hai!" Meher ne kaha,
"Chalo mere saath!"
Is baar…
Usne Aryan ka haath tightly pakad liya.
Aur dono daud pade.
Terrace ka door khola…
Seedhiyon se neeche…
Awaazein peeche se aa rahi thi…
Lekin dheere dheere kam ho rahi thi.
Finally…
Wo Aryan ke room me aa gaye.
Door band.
Silence.
Sirf dono ki heavy breathing.
Aryan zameen par baith gaya.
"Ye… ye kya tha…" usne darr se kaha.
Meher uske saamne khadi thi…
Uska face pale ho gaya tha.
"Tumne usse dekh liya…" usne dheere se kaha.
"Ab kya hoga?"
Meher ne uski aankhon me dekha…
Aur dheere se bola—
"Ab wo tumhe dekh sakta hai."
Aryan ka dil dub gaya.
"Matlab wo… wapas aayega?"
Meher ne haan me sir hilaya.
"Roz."
Silence.
Aryan ka dimaag blank.
"Main phas gaya hoon…" usne dheere se kaha.
Meher uske paas baithi…
"Main hoon na…" usne softly kaha.
Aryan ne uski taraf dekha…
"Tumne mujhe bachaya…"
Meher ne halki si smile di…
"Par maine rule tod diya…"
Room me thand aur badh gayi.
"Aur rules todne ka price hota hai…"
Aryan ka heartbeat fast.
"Kaunsa price?"
Meher ne dheere se apna haath dekha…
Uska haath… dheere dheere fade ho raha tha.
Jaise wo weak ho rahi ho.
"Aryan…" usne dheere se kaha,
"Main zyada der tak nahi reh paungi…"
Aryan panic me aa gaya—
"NO! Tum nahi ja sakti!"
Meher ne uski taraf dekha…
"Kal… shayad main na aaun…"
Aryan ka dil toot gaya.
"Please… mat jao…" usne kaha.
Meher ne uska face dekha…
Aur dheere se kaha—
"Ab tumhe khud survive karna hoga…"
Aur phir…
Wo dheere dheere gayab hone lagi.
"Aur yaad rakhna…" uski awaaz halki hoti gayi—
"Aaj tumne jo dekha… wo bas shuruaat hai…"
Darkness.
Silence.
Aryan akela reh gaya.
Aur ab…
Wo sirf ek ghost se nahi…
Ek poori andheri duniya se face karne wala tha.