Mera naam Sakshi hai.
Me ek siddhi sadhi, normal life jeene vali ldki hu. Me ek middle class family se belong krti hu jiske sapne aasman chhune jitne bade h par... ab jo me apko btaungi vo ek sapna nhi ek hakiqat h. Aur agr me apko ye sab na bataun... to shayad koi bhi believe na kare.
Kyoki jo kuch mere sath hua... wo kisi horror movie jaisa nhi tha. Wo sab itna normal, itna real aur itna possible tha... ki shuru me muje bhi laga ye bs ek coincidence h.
Lekin phir....
Ek raat... "mere phone par ek message aaya." Aur us message ne meri puri life ult di. Sab kuch bilkul normal tha.. shayad.
Me ek normal si ldki thi college, assignment, family, future ka pressure, thoda overthinking, thoda sapne, thoda frustration- bas wahi sab jo har middle class ladki ki life me hota hai.
Subah uthna
Classes
Notes/ assignment
Ghar k kaam
Future planing
World tour k sapne
Bs yhi sb krti thi me. Meri life normal chl rhi thi kuch bhi exciting nhi tha aur shayad isi wajah se mujhe wo choti-choti cheezein tab serious nhi lagi... jo baad me samjh aya ki sign thi.
Phli ajeeb cheez tab hui jab muje laga ki koi muje observe kr rha h, ab sunne me ye bhut filmy lg rha h, I know.
Lekin tumne kbhi feel kiya h...
Ki tum akeli ho.... phir bhi lag raha ho koi dekh rha h???
Exactly waise hi.
Shuru me muje laga ki me overthinking kr rhi hu. Jaise college se aate waqt jab me gali ke corner se mudti thi, muje hmesha lgta tha ki saamne wali purani building se 2nd floor ki khidki se koi muje dekh rha h. Waha usually parde band rhte the par kbhi kbhi parde le kone se andhera sa movement dikhta tha.
Main 2 - 3 baar ruki bhi
Seedha upar dekha bhi
Lekin phir kuch nhi.
Bas hawa me hiltay parde
Mene ignore kr diya.
"Tum red color me achhi lagti ho."
Us din Wednesday tha.
Maine college me red kurti pehni thi.
Usually main itna ready nahi hoti, but us din bas mann tha.
Classes khatam hui, ghar aayi, khana khaya, aur shaam ko room me baithkar notes bana rahi thi ki mere phone par ek unknown number se WhatsApp message aaya.
"Tum red color me achhi lagti ho."
Meri ungli literally screen par freeze ho gayi.
Pehla reaction?
Confusion.
Dusra reaction?
Gussa.
Teesra reaction?
Dar.
Maine turant DP check ki.
No profile photo.
No about.
No name.
Bas number.
Maine reply kiya:
"Kaun?"
Seen bhi nahi hua.
Maine socha kisi friend ka prank hoga.
College me 2-3 ladkiyan aisi thi jo faltu masti karti rehti thi.
Maine unhe text kiya — sabne mana kar diya.
Mujhe thoda ajeeb laga, par maine zyada socha nahi.
Lekin us raat sone se pehle jab maine phone uthaya…
to ek aur message aaya hua tha.
"Aaj tum 6:15 par library se nikli thi."
Is baar meri heartbeat sach me fast ho gayi.
Kyuki haan — main exactly 6:15 par library se nikli thi.
Mujhe yaad tha kyuki maine us waqt phone check kiya tha.
Ye prank nahi ho sakta tha.
Ya to koi mere saath college me tha…
ya koi mujhe follow kar raha tha.
Maine us number ko call kiya.
Phone switched off.
Us raat mujhe nind bohot late aayi.
Aur jab aayi… tab bhi bechaini ke saath.
Mummy ne kaha — "Zyada phone mat chalaya karo."
Agli subah maine mummy ko indirectly batane ki koshish ki.
Seedha bolne ki himmat nahi hui, kyuki ghar wale waise hi overreact karte hain.
Unko lagta hai har problem ka solution hai — "phone kam use karo" ya "bahar kam niklo".
Maine casual tone me bola:
"Suppose kisi unknown number se ajeeb messages aaye to?"
Mummy ne bina meri taraf dekhe kaha:
"Block kar do. Aajkal ke log faltu hote hain."
Bas.
Unke liye baat khatam.
Lekin mere liye nahi.
College me poora din mera dhyan lectures me kam aur logon ke faces me zyada tha.
Kaun ho sakta hai?
Kaun mujhe itna notice karta hai?
Kaun meri timings janta hai?
Ek baar mujhe laga shayad meri class ka koi ladka ho.
Phir laga shayad koi senior.
Phir laga shayad…
shayad koi jo mujhe ghar tak follow karta ho.
Us din main specially dhyan se ghar aayi.
3 baar piche mudkar dekha.
2 baar random shops ke glass me reflection check kiya.
1 baar jaan bujhkar dusri gali se ghoomkar aayi.
Koi nahi tha.
Ya phir…
mujhe dikh nahi raha tha.
Pehli baar mujhe laga kuch seriously galat hai
Raat ko 10:32 par mere phone par phir message aaya.
Is baar sirf ek line:
"Aaj tum dusri gali se kyun aayi?"
Mere haath thande pad gaye.
Maine screen ko literally 15 second tak dekha hi nahi.
Mujhe aisa laga jaise mere room ki hawa ekdum heavy ho gayi ho.
Kyuki ye koi random stalker nahi ho sakta tha.
Ye banda…
mujhe dekh raha tha.
Us waqt.
Usi din.
Real time me.
Maine turant curtains band kiye.
Door lock kiya.
Phone silent se normal par kiya.
Aur phir ek aur message aaya:
"Dar gayi?"
Mujhe itna gussa aaya ki maine likha:
"Agar himmat hai to saamne aao."
Usne turant reply kiya:
"Main tumhare saamne aa chuka hoon. Tumne notice hi nahi kiya."
Meri reedh ki haddi tak thand utar gayi.
Maine us number ko block kar diya.
5 minute ke liye mujhe laga maine situation handle kar li.
Phir ek dusre unknown number se message aaya.
"Block karne se kuch change nahi hoga."
Main sach me ro dene wali thi.
Par pata nahi kyun… maine kisi ko nahi bataya.
Shayad isliye kyuki mujhe khud samajh nahi aa raha tha ki ye sab kitna serious hai.
Aur shayad isliye bhi kyuki mujhe dar tha — agar ghar walon ko pata chala to वो mujhe hi restrict kar denge.
College band.
Phone check.
Bahar jaana band.
Problem solve nahi hoti.
Bas life aur chhoti ho jaati hai.
"Diary ka page"
Agla din thoda normal gaya.
Koi message nahi.
Koi call nahi.
Maine socha shayad khatam ho gaya.
Lekin life me jo cheez sabse zyada dangerous hoti hai na…
wo hoti hai false relief.
Us din college ke baad jab main apni notebook nikal rahi thi, mujhe uske beech me ek folded paper mila.
Mera dil literally ruk gaya.
Kyuki maine wo paper nahi rakha tha.
Main turant washroom gayi, andar se latch lagaya, aur paper khola.
Usme sirf ek line likhi thi.
Blue ink me. Bilkul saaf handwriting me.
"Tum phone par jitna soch rahi ho, baat usse zyada purani hai."
Meri saansen tez ho gayi.
Paper ke neeche ek chhota sa symbol bana tha.
Ek half moon jaisa.
Uske andar ek dot.
Bas.
Na naam.
Na kuch aur.
Main 10 minute tak washroom me hi khadi rahi.
Mirror me khud ko dekha…
aur pehli baar mujhe apna hi face ajeeb laga.
Jaise main apni life me hoon hi nahi.
Jaise koi aur meri story likh raha ho.
"Bachpan se…"
Us raat maine apna pura room check kiya.
Drawer.
Books.
Bag.
Cupboard.
Pata nahi kya dhoondh rahi thi… par lag raha tha kuch na kuch mil jayega.
Aur mila bhi.
Mere cupboard ke niche jo old box pada tha na — jisme school ki photos, old greeting cards aur random chhoti cheezein rakhi thi — usme mujhe ek photo mili.
Maine us photo ko pehle bhi dekha tha.
Ye meri 12th class ke farewell ki photo thi.
Main front row me khadi thi.
Smile kar rahi thi.
Lekin is baar meri nazar photo ke background me gayi.
Gate ke paas, thoda blur me…
ek ladka khada tha.
Uska face clearly nahi dikh raha tha.
Lekin ajeeb baat ye thi ki uski body ka angle aisa tha…
jaise wo seedha camera nahi, balki mujhe dekh raha ho.
Pehle maine socha coincidence hai.
Phir mujhe wo folded paper yaad aaya:
"Baat usse zyada purani hai."
Maine photo ko aur paas laake dekha.
Aur meri saans ruk gayi.
Kyuki us ladke ke hoodie par wahi symbol bana tha.
Half moon. Dot inside.
Mere haath kaanpne lage.
Ye sab abhi ka nahi tha.
Ye shayad…
bohot pehle se chal raha tha.
Maine pehli baar kisi ko bataya
Main ye sab akeli handle nahi kar pa rahi thi.
To maine apni ek close friend — Kavita — ko sab bataya.
Wahi messages.
Wahi note.
Wahi photo.
Kavita pehle hansi.
Usne bola, "Bhai ye to full Netflix type scene ho gaya."
Par jab maine usse screenshot aur photo dikhayi… uska face serious ho gaya.
"Ye mazaak nahi hai, Sakshi."
Usne mujhe seedha bola:
"Kal se tu akeli kahin nahi jayegi."
Uski baat me comfort tha.
Par mujhe andar se pata nahi kyun lag raha tha ki baat sirf stalking tak limited nahi hai.
Jaise koi mujhe bas dekh nahi raha…
Jaise koi mujhe yaad kar raha hai.
Jaise main uski life ka already part thi…
bas mujhe yaad nahi.
Kavita ne kaha ki hume number trace karna chahiye.
Maine kaha theek hai.
Lekin jab hum next day canteen me baithe the aur us number ko Truecaller par search karne wale the…
mere phone par ek naya message aaya.
Is baar number alag tha.
Message me sirf itna likha tha:
"Kavita ko beech me mat laao."
Hum dono ek dusre ko dekhte reh gaye.
Kavita ka face ek second me safed pad gaya.
Kyuki wo mere saamne hi baithi thi.
Matlab…
Wo hume abhi dekh raha tha.
CCTV me jo dikha… usne sab kuch aur confusing kar diya
Us din hum seedha college office gaye.
Bohot mushkil se convince karke library corridor aur canteen side ka CCTV check karne diya.
Main ready thi ki koi unknown face dikhega.
Koi ladka.
Koi hoodie wala.
Koi jo mujhe dekh raha hoga.
Lekin jo dikha…
Usne meri soch hi tod di.
Video me main clearly dikh rahi thi.
Kavita dikh rahi thi.
Baaki students dikh rahe the.
Lekin ek particular clip me — jaha mujhe yaad tha ki ek ladka mere paas se guzra tha — video me wo jagah blank si lag rahi thi.
Jaise koi shadow pass hui ho.
Face clear nahi.
Body bhi weird blur.
Office wale ne bola, "Camera glitch hoga."
Par glitch sirf ussi ek insaan par kyun?
Aur sabse ajeeb baat — ek frame me wo blur figure rukta hai…
aur directly camera ki taraf dekhne jaisa lagta hai.
Us frame ko dekhte hi mere haath se mouse chhoot gaya.
Mujhe samajh nahi aa raha tha kyun…
par us ek second ke frame me mujhe bohot strange familiarity feel hui.
Jaise maine ye posture pehle dekha ho.
Jaise maine ye insaan pehle…
kahin dekha ho.
Par kaha?
Kab?
Kaise?
Mujhe kuch yaad nahi aa raha tha.
"Ghar ke bahar chhota sa packet"
Us raat main poori tarah disturbed thi.
Ghar aake bhi mind wahi atka hua tha.
Dinner ke baad mummy ne mujhe bola gate band kar do.
Main bahar gayi.
Gate ke paas floor par ek chhota sa brown packet pada tha.
Maine socha kisi courier ka hoga.
Lekin uspe na address tha, na naam.
Sirf black marker se likha tha:
"For You."
Mere pair literally wahi jam gaye.
Main packet lekar room me gayi.
Door lock kiya.
Aur dheere se khola.
Andar ek old keychain tha.
Chhota sa transparent plastic keychain… jisme ek faded sa cartoon sticker tha.
Maine usse dekha… aur meri body me ek instant shock sa gaya.
Kyuki ye mera hi keychain tha.
Mera school wala keychain.
Jo maine 9th class me lose kar diya tha.
Mujhe exact yaad hai.
Maine poora bag, poora ghar, poori class check ki thi.
Mila hi nahi tha.
Aur ab…
Itne saalon baad…
Wo mere ghar ke gate par pada tha.
Saath me ek folded chit bhi thi.
Usme likha tha:
"Tum cheezein bohot jaldi bhool jaati ho, Sakshi."
Us moment par mujhe pehli baar sach me laga—
ye koi stranger nahi hai.
Ye koi aisa hai…
jo mujhe bohot pehle se jaanta hai.
Bohot, bohot pehle se.
Mujhe ek naam yaad aaya… phir achanak sab chup ho gaya
Us raat main so nahi paayi.
Main bas bed par leti hui ceiling dekh rahi thi.
Aur mere dimaag me baar baar school ki memories flash ho rahi thi.
Classrooms.
Farewell.
PT period.
Old corridors.
Annual function.
Rainy days.
Aur phir…
Achanak.
Bilkul achanak.
Mujhe ek naam yaad aaya.
"Sanju"
Jaise hi ye naam mere dimaag me aaya, meri heartbeat aur fast ho gayi.
Sanju…
Haan.
School me ek ladka tha shayad.
Bohot zyada baat nahi hoti thi.
Wo zyada silent rehta tha.
Back benches.
Kam friends.
Mujhe bas itna vaguely yaad tha ki ek baar usne mera pen uthakar diya tha.
Aur ek baar annual function ke time backstage dikha tha.
Bas.
Usse zyada kuch nahi.
Lekin pata nahi kyun…
mujhe lag raha tha shayad wahi hai.
Maine turant Instagram par search kiya.
Facebook par search kiya.
Purane school group me search kiya.
Kuch nahi.
Jaise wo insaan online exist hi nahi karta.
Phir maine school ki old class group chat open ki.
Bahut purane messages scroll kiye.
Aur ek point par mujhe uska naam mila.
Sanju Sharma.
Bas naam.
No photo.
No number.
Maine us naam ko screenshot kar liya.
Aur usi second…
Mere phone ki screen black ho gayi.
Phone switch off.
Battery 62% thi.
Main confuse ho gayi.
Phone on karne ki koshish ki — nahi hua.
Phir 20 second baad phone khud on hua.
Lockscreen par bas ek notification tha.
Unknown number.
"Finally. Tumhe yaad aa hi gaya."
Meri body me current sa daud gaya.
Main turant room ke bahar bhaagi.
Mujhe kisi ke saath rehna tha.
Kisi bhi insaan ke saath.
Lekin jaise hi main hall me aayi… mummy papa dono so chuke the.
Pura ghar dark tha.
Aur us andhere me…
Mujhe ek halki si khurachne ki awaaz sunayi di.
Mere room ki khidki ki taraf se.
Khidki ke bahar koi tha
Mere pair ekdum freeze ho gaye.
Awaaz phir aayi.
Khrrrr… khrrrr…
Jaise koi nail se grill par halka-halka scrape kar raha ho.
Mera gala sukha hua tha.
Main hall me khadi thi… aur mera room left side par tha.
Agar koi bahar tha… to wo directly mere room ki khidki ke paas tha.
Maine papa ko jagane ka socha.
Lekin pata nahi kyun…
maine pehle khud dekhne ka decide kiya.
Shayad curiosity.
Shayad stupidity.
Main dheere-dheere room ke paas gayi.
Door already khula tha.
Andar poora andhera.
Bas khidki ke parde halki hawa me hil rahe the.
Awaaz band ho chuki thi.
Main ek second ke liye wahi ruki.
Phir maine phone ka torch on kiya…
Aur dheere se khidki ki taraf light ki.
Kuch nahi.
Sirf grill.
Curtain.
Andhera.
Maine thoda aur paas jaake bahar jhaanka.
Neeche gali almost khaali thi.
Ek streetlight blink kar rahi thi.
Ek kutta road ke kone par baitha tha.
Aur phir…
Maine dekha.
Meri khidki ke bilkul neeche…
zameen par…
ek folded white paper pada tha.
Main darr aur curiosity ke beech phas chuki thi.
5 minute baad main niche thi.
Gate khola.
Paper uthaya.
Aur usse wahi streetlight ke neeche khola.
Us paper me bas ek line thi.
"Kal 5 baje purane school ke back gate par aana. Agar sach jaanna hai to akeli aana."
Neeche phir wahi symbol.
Half moon. Dot inside.
Aur us line ke bilkul neeche ek aur sentence tha.
Jo dekhkar meri saansen ruk gayi.
"Aur haan… apni mummy ko mat batana. Unhe already sab pata hai."
Raat ke 12:14 baj rahe the.
Mere haath me wo chit thi.
Mere saamne khaali road thi.
Aur mere dimaag me bas ek hi sawaal goonj raha tha—
"Mummy ko… kya pata hai?"