Mai 20 saal ka hoon.
Aur main jhooth bol raha hoon.
Sach yeh hai…
main 20 ka tha.
Kyunki us raat ke baad,
jo bhi zinda hai,
woh sirf saans le raha hai.
Mera naam Aarav hai.
Main normal ladka tha.
College, hostel, late-night scrolling,
aur raat ko headphones mein bina wajah sad songs.
Par ek aadat thi meri.
Main raat ko 3:17 A.M. par hamesha uth jaata
tha.
Alarm nahi.
Sapna nahi.
Bas… aankh khul jaati thi.
Har.
Single.
Night.
Jaise koi mujhe bula raha ho.
Us din hostel chhod kar main apne purane ghar aaya.
Wahi ghar
jahan meri maa ne suicide kiya tha.
Log kehte hain,
"Ghar khaali ho toh awaaz zyada hoti hai."
Par yeh ghar khaali nahi tha.
Yeh bhara hua tha.
Jaise hi main gate ke andar ghusa,
hawa thandi ho gayi.
Fan band tha.
Window band thi.
Phir bhi…
meri gardan ke paas kisi ne dheere se saans li.
Haaaaa…
Main palta.
Koi nahi.
Par mere kaan ke paas ek awaaz thi—
"Wapas aa gaye? "
Meri reed ki haddi mein current daud gaya.
Raat ke 3:17 A.M. par
ghar ne pehli baar saans li.
Deewaron se awaaz aayi.
Wood floor ne karwat badli.
Aur ceiling fan apne aap chalne laga.
Slow.
Creaky.
Jaise kisi ki gardan ghoom rahi ho.
Maine apna room khola.
Mera bachpan ka room.
Sab same tha…
bed, table, mirror.
Bas ek cheez extra thi.
Bed ke paas
ek aur shadow.
Shadow meri nahi thi.
Woh baithi thi.
Ghutanon ko pakad ke.
Sar jhuka ke.
Aur ro rahi thi.
"Maa?"
meri awaaz phat gayi.
Shadow ne sir uthaya.
Uska chehra…
mera chehra tha.
Aankhein kaali.
Muskuraahat galat.
Usne bola:
"Ab tu meri jagah soyega."
Mirror apne aap crack ho gaya.
Aur us crack ke beech se
kisi ne knock kiya.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Darwaaze par nahi.
Mere dimaag ke andar.
Mujhe yaad aaya—
maa ne marne se pehle kaha tha:
"Aarav, agar 3:17 par ghar saans le…
toh aankhein band mat karna."
Par main darr gaya.
Aur main so gaya.
Subah jab meri aankh khuli,
main bed par nahi tha.
Main ceiling se latak raha tha.
Aur niche…
bed par
koi aur so raha tha.
Mera chehra.
Meri body.
Meri zindagi.
Usne aankh kholi.
Mujhe dekha.
Aur dheere se bola:
"Ab tu ghar ka hissa hai."
Aur tab mujhe samajh aaya—
Is ghar mein bhoot nahi rehte.
Is ghar mein log replace hote hain.
(To be continued… Chapter 2: "Walls Have Teeth")