Raat ka waqt tha. Ghadi ne 11 bajne ka signal diya hi tha ki pura ghar ajeeb si khamoshi mein doob gaya. Aisa lag raha tha jaise deewarein bhi saans rok kar khadi ho.
Aarav ne apni kitab band ki aur khidki ki taraf dekha. Bahar andhera itna gehra tha ki street light ki roshni bhi kamzor lag rahi thi. Hawa chal rahi thi, lekin aaj uski awaaz alag thi — dheemi, phislan bhari, jaise koi dheere se fasaane suna raha ho.
Tabhi…
"Thak… Thak…"
Kisi ne upar chhat par kadam rakha ho jaise. Aarav ka dil tez dhadakne laga."Shayad billi hogi…" usne khud ko samjhaya.
Lekin phir awaaz phir aayi.Is baar zyada kareeb.
Woh dheere se utha aur darwaze tak gaya. Haath handle par rakhte hi usse mehsoos hua — uski ungliyan thandi pad chuki thi. Darwaza khola… corridor bilkul khali tha.
Par hawa nahi chal rahi thi.
Phir bhi saamne wali deewar par ek halki si parchhai hil rahi thi.
Aarav ne palak jhapkayi. Parchhai gayab.
"Main zyada soch raha hoon…" usne khud se kaha. Lekin dil maan nahi raha tha. Ghar mein kuch badal gaya tha. Kuch jo aankhon se nahi, bas mehsoos hota hai.
Woh wapas kamre mein aaya. Jaise hi bed par baitha — uska phone apne aap floor par gir gaya. Screen par sirf ek line chamak rahi thi:
"Tum akela nahi ho."
Aarav ka gala sookh gaya. Usne phone uthaya… message gayab tha.
Us raat Aarav ne pehli baar samjha —dar hamesha awaaz nahi karta.Kabhi-kabhi woh bas aakar paas khada ho jata hai… aur tumhe mehsoos hota hai.
Aur us raat, kisi ne ya kisi cheez ne, Aarav ko mehsoos kara diya tha —
Dar ki duniya ka darwaza khul chuka hai.
⚠ Next Chapter: "Ajeeb Awaaz"
Sabse khatarnak sach ab saamne aane wala hai…Coming Soon…