Chapter 1: Raat ka Saaya
Raat ka waqt tha aur sheher ke masroof shopping mall ke andar ek ajeeb si khamoshi cha gayi thi. Din bhar mein yeh jagah har taraf se roshni se roshan thi, log yahan shopping karte, khate-peete, aur apni daily life ke masroofiyat mein dooba rehte. Lekin raat ke 12 baje ke baad sab kuch badal jata. Mall ki har ek gallery mein thoda thoda andhera cha jaata aur har chhat, har deewar mein kuch ajeeb sa dikhayi dene lagta.
Veer apni duty pe tha. Naya tha, isliye mall ke purane security guards ki tarah usko bhi raat ke waqt zyada khauf nahi hota tha. Lekin aaj kuch aur tha. Usne apni job shuru karte waqt sab kuch normal hi samjha tha, lekin aaj raat kuch aisa ho raha tha jo uske samajh se bahar tha.
"Shayad bas thodi thodi thakan ho gayi hai," Veer ne apne aap se kaha jab usne lift ka button press kiya. Lift ne awaaz karte hue neeche jaana shuru kiya. Jab lift neeche jaane lagi, toh usko laga ke kisi ne lift ke andar ka door dheere se khola ho. Lekin jab lift ne ek floor pe ruk ke door khola, koi nahi tha.
"Shayad kisi ne button dabaya ho," Veer ne apne dimag mein socha, lekin andar ka ajeeb sa andhera uske dil ko shikaar ki tarah dar se bhar raha tha. Usne apni aankhon ko jhuka kar apne raaste par dhyan diya.
Jab wo aage barh raha tha, tab kuch anjaani awaazain uski kaanpati tak pahuch rahi thi—jaise kuch cheezein raaste mein giri ho. Dheere dheere, yeh awaazain uske paas aa gayi thi.
Usne apni tasalli ke liye dekha, aur phir chhup gayi, jaise kuch bhi nahi tha.
"Yeh sab kya tha?" Veer ne apne aap se kaha, lekin jawab to usne nahi diya. Mall ke kaafi hissaandaz ho chuke the aur sabh apne apne kaam mein masroof ho chuke thhe. Lekin jab Veer ko elevator ki dusri taraf kuch jalte hue chehre nazar aaye, usne apne dil ki dhadkan ko thoda dheere karte hue unhe dikhne ka faisla kiya.
Veer ne apni saans rokti hui un chehron par nazar daali jo elevator ke dusre kone mein ghanti ke paas khade the. Chehre unke ajeeb aur dhundle se the, jaise roshni ne unhe chhupane ki koshish ki ho. Unka rang ud gaya tha, aur aankhon mein ek gham aur khauf ka mel tha. Veer ne apne kadam dheere dheere uss taraf badhaye, lekin phir kuch aisa hua jo usne kabhi socha bhi nahi tha.
Jaise hi usne ek aur kadam aage badhaya, un chehron ki tasveer bilkul badal gayi. Achanak unka chehra ghuma aur ek muskaan saamne aayi—magar yeh muskaan bilkul bhi normal nahi thi. Woh muskaan, ek khooni muskaan thi. Aankhon mein ek ajnabi sa chamak thi, jaise kisi ne uss insaan ka zinda hona chhupa liya ho.
Veer ki saans thodi tez hui. Usne apne haath ko security radio ki taraf badhaya, lekin uska haath kaafi der tak uss radio tak nahi pahucha. Uski body bilkul bechain ho gayi thi, jaise andar se koi hawa usse dheere dheere kheench rahi ho. Achanak woh chehre wahan se gayab ho gaye. Magar unki muskaan, ab bhi Veer ki aankhon ke saamne thi.
"Yeh kya tha?" Veer ne apne aap se kaha, lekin jawab to aane ka naam nahi le raha tha. Mall ka halla-gulla bilkul band ho chuka tha, aur bas ek gehri, anjaani khamoshi thi jo har kone se uske paas aayi thi.
Tabhi usne apni aankhon ko lift ke display screen par focus kiya. Us screen par ek aakhri number, 13, dikhayi de raha tha.
"Floor 13," Veer ne khud se kaha, "Kya yeh kisi purani building ka hisa hai?"
Usne apne step ko aage badhaya aur lift ki taraf wapas gaya. Jab wo lift mein chadha, toh usne dekha ki andar ka screen dark ho gaya tha, aur floor numbers ka badalna ruk gaya tha. Kuch seconds ke baad, lift ne achanak floor 13 ki taraf chadhna shuru kiya.
Veer ki aankhon mein ghabrahat thi, lekin usne apne aap ko sambhal kar lift ki andar ka button press kiya. Jaise hi woh floor 13 pe pahuncha, ek bohot hi purani hawa usse takraayi, aur usne apne dil ki dhadkan ko mehsoos kiya jo uske kaan mein ghoom rahi thi.
Lift ka door khula, lekin aise lag raha tha jaise uske saamne kuch aur ho, jo kisi ne kabhi socha nahi tha. Floor 13 par ek kabhi na band hone wali kahani thi, ek aisi kahani jismein bhoolne waale yaad karte nahi hain, aur jo dikhayi deti hai, woh sach nahi hota.
Wahaan khada, Veer ne dekha ki mall ke andar ek chhupa hua raasta tha, jo kisi ko dikhta nahi. Us raaste ka rang bhi purana tha—deewaron pe sookhe hue paani ke daag the aur hawa mein ek khushboo thi jo gham aur maut ka mashhoor tha.
Kya yeh woh saaya tha? Veer ne apne dil ko shanti dene ki koshish ki, lekin jaise hi usne aage kadam rakha, uske saamne ek kale saaye ka jhalak dikhayi di.
Veer ki saans thami hui thi. Aakhri cheekh uske kaan tak pohochti ja rahi thi, bilkul uske samne. Usne apni aankhon ko zor se bandh kar liya, lekin jab aankhein kholi, to woh saaya bilkul samne tha. Aankhon ka rang, uska chehra, sab kuch uncha sa tha, jaise kuch zyada intense ho gaya ho. Woh saaya dheere dheere uski taraf barh raha tha, aur har kadam ke saath uske chehre par ek aur khaufnaak muskaan thi.
Veer ne apne haath ko dimaag tak kheenchte hue, radio ki taraf phir se dekha, lekin uska haath ab bhi wahan nahi pohonch pa raha tha. Mall ka har kone mein ghanti ki awaaz sunayi de rahi thi, aur koi bhi cheez normal nahi thi. Sab kuch hawa ke jese udta ja raha tha. Yeh kisne kiya? Kahan se aa raha tha yeh saaya? In sawaalon ka jawab Veer ko turant chahiye tha, lekin uske samne woh saaya dheere dheere ghata gaya.
Tabhi ek aur aam khaufnaak awaz sunayi di—ek ghanti ka awaaz jo, hamesha mall ke andar hota tha, ab band ho gaya tha.
Veer ne apni aankhon ko zyada dhyaan se dekha aur dekha ki woh saaya ab uske bilkul paas tha. Waisa, jaise ek saaya kisi bhi waqt insaan ko apne andar kheench leta hai. Aur phir ek zordaar awaaz usne apne kaan mein mehsoos ki, jaise kuch toot raha ho.
Woh saaya usse kuch keh raha tha, lekin awaz itni dheemi thi ke Veer ko samajh nahi aa raha tha. Aur phir—ek bohot hi bari awaaz uske kaan mein goonj gayi— "Tum samajh nahi rahe ho. Tumhare paas waqt kam hai. Tum sab kuch samajh paoge, agar tum yahaan wapas nahi gaye."
Veer ka chehra pale ho gaya tha. Usne apni saans ko zyada ghabrahat se liya aur apne kadam peeche kiye. Usne turant lift ki taraf dekha—lekin lift ka door band ho chuka tha. Mall ke andar ka andhera ab aur bhi gehra ho gaya tha.
"Kya karna hoga?" Veer ne apni aankhon ko khud se yeh sawal kiya, lekin jawab kisi bhi tarah uske paas nahi tha. Sirf woh chehra tha jo usse baar-baar kehta tha, "Tum abhi bhi apni jaan nahi bachao ge."
Jaise hi woh ghabrahat se bhara hua tha, woh saaya phir se apni muskaan ke saath usse apni taraf kheench raha tha. Aur phir uske samne, woh purani haweli ka ek jhaankta hua darwaza khul gaya tha.
Woh darwaza, jismein ab tak koi bhi paon nahi rakhta tha.
Veer ne apne dimaag ko puri tarah se thama aur apni saans ko dheere se liya. Ab bas ek hi baat thi jo woh samajh sakta tha. Yeh mall sirf ek jagah nahi thi, yeh ek khauf thi jo uske saath raat ke is waqt mein thi.
Veer ka dil zordaar dhadak raha tha. Usne apni aankhon ko dubara se andheron mein daala, lekin koi raasta nazar nahi aaya. Uska dimaag chaal chuka tha—"Yeh sab kya ho raha hai? Kahan ho main? Kya yeh sab sach hai?" Aise questions uske dimaag mein tezi se ghoom rahe the. Usne apne haath ko apni chaati pe rakha, apne dil ki dhadkan ko feel karne ki koshish ki.
Woh saaya ab bilkul uske paas tha, ek ajeeb si khushboo mehsoos ho rahi thi, jaise purani zindagi ki koi yaad. Woh chehra dheere-dheere usse baat kar raha tha, magar kuch keh raha tha to bilkul clear nahi ho raha tha. Bas woh muskaan thi, jo veer ke andar ka khauf zyada kar rahi thi.
Suddenly, woh chehra kuch ghuma aur kuch lamhon mein "voh" ek purani awaz mein badal gaya—"Tum samajh nahi rahe ho, yeh raat tumhare liye taqdeer ban jayegi."
Veer ka dil ghabrahat se kaanp raha tha, uska mind bilkul freeze ho gaya tha. Woh saaya, woh chehra, jo ab tak bas usse door dikhayi deta tha, ab bilkul uske samne tha.
"Kya tum samajh rahe ho? Tum khud ko is dard se door nahi rakh sakte."
Veer ne apni aankhon ko jhuka liya. Usne apne aap se kaha, "Yeh sirf ek hallucination hai, kuch nahi."
Lekin jab usne aankh uthayi, toh woh saaya bilkul wahan se gaayab ho gaya.
Phir ek aur cheez thi jo usne mehsoos ki, jo uski aankhon ke saamne ek ghoomti hui chhavi thi—ek purani tasveer, ek purana rang, ek purana chehra. Woh chehra Veer ke liye jaana-pehchana tha, lekin woh samajh nahi paa raha tha ke kiski tasveer thi yeh.
Aur phir, suddenly, mall ki roshni bilkul band ho gayi—yeh ek aisa andhera tha jo puri tarah mall mein chhapa gaya tha.
Veer ne apni aankhon ko dheere dheere khola, lekin jo nazar aaya, woh uske sabse bade khauf ka shikar tha.
Mall ka ek ek kone mein kuch hilne ki awaaz sunayi dene lagi thi, mannequins apni jagah se hilne lage the, aur unke chehre jaise zinda ho gaye hoon.
Woh mannequins, jo puri raat ek hi jagah khade hote the, ab apni jagah se hil rahe the, jaise unhein kuch order mil gaya ho. Veer ne apne haath mein radio uthaya, lekin uske haath kaafi der tak thande pad gaye the, jaise andar kuch ho raha ho jise samajhna uske bas mein nahi.
"Yeh sab kya hai?" Veer ne phir se khud se kaha, aur uske haath ka radio gir gaya, jaise koi uske haath se kheench raha ho.
"Tum samajh nahi rahe ho ke yahaan sab kuch tumhare control mein nahi hai."
Aise lag raha tha jaise saaya khud ba khud uske andar ghusne ki koshish kar raha ho. Veer ne apne dimaag ko phir se kuch der ke liye thama, "Yeh kuch nahi ho sakta," woh bas apne aap ko tasalli de raha tha, lekin uske andar jo dard aur ghabrahat thi, woh behad gehri thi.
Aur phir ek aur aakhri cheez, woh mannequins jo ek waqt bilkul khade the, woh sab kuch apni jagah se hilne lage the, aur woh saaya ab unki aankhon mein ghus gaya tha. Har mannequin ke chehre par ab ek khooni muskaan thi.
"Yeh kisne kiya?" Veer ne dheere se kaha. Jaise hi usne apni aankhon se woh mannequins ko dekha, unki aankhon mein ek zindagi thi, ek jaise woh sab kuch samajh rahe ho.
Woh saaya ab aur bhi paas tha.
"Tum khud ko safai nahi de paoge. Tumhe yahaan se nikalna hoga, aur agar tumne yeh samajh nahi kiya, toh tum bhi un mannequins ki tarah ghayab ho jaoge."
Veer ka dil ek dhadak se ruk gaya. Usne apni aankhon ko band kiya aur jab unhein khola, toh sab kuch vaise ka vaise tha—lekin mannequins ki aankhon mein ek aur muskaan thi.
Veer ka dimaag ek dum se roshni se andhera ho gaya. Usne apni aankhon ko dheere dheere khola, aur sab kuch bilkul waise ka waise tha—mannequins ab bhi apne jagah par khade the, lekin unki aankhon mein ek ajeeb si chamak thi, jaise woh zinda ho gaye hoon. Unke chehre par ab ek khooni muskaan thi, jo unke maasoom chehron ke contrast mein bohot hi darawni lag rahi thi.
"Yeh kya ho raha hai?" Veer ne apne aap se kaha, lekin jab usne apni aankhon ko aur zyada dhyaan se dekha, toh usne mehsoos kiya ke mall ke andar ka hawaa kaafi thandi ho gayi thi. Aise lag raha tha jaise andar ek purani rooh ki jaan aa gayi ho.
Achanak, ek zordaar awaaz sunayi di—"Tum kahan ja rahe ho?"
Veer ka badan kaanp raha tha. Yeh awaaz uske kaan ke paas thi, lekin koi bhi dikhayi nahi de raha tha. Aur phir, ek ghanti ki awaaz ne uska dhyan tor diya, jaise kisi ne lift ko use kiya ho.
"Woh saaya, yeh sab kahan le jaa raha hai?" Veer ne apne dimaag ko puri tarah se thama kar lift ki taraf dekha. Lift ka door band tha, lekin ek ajeeb si khushboo uske aas paas mehsoos ho rahi thi—wohi purani khushboo, jo ek baar mehsoos hui thi jab woh saaya saamne aya tha.
"Tumne usse jaana nahi. Tum sab kuch samajh nahi rahe ho." Phir se woh awaaz sunayi di. Veer ne apne kaan ko apni ungliyon se dabaya aur apni saans ko dheere dheere liya.
Veer ne apni aankhon ko band kar liya aur dheere dheere mall ke doosre kone mein chala gaya. Mall ka andar ka scene ab zyada darawna ho gaya tha. Woh mannequins, jo ab tak khade the, ab chal rahe the, apne kadam dheere dheere uski taraf badha rahe the. Veer ne apni aankhon ko zyada khol kar dekha, lekin un mannequins ke chehre par jo muskaan thi, woh dheere dheere badalti ja rahi thi.
Unke chehre pe ek aur cheez thi—ek jhaankta hua saaya, jo dheere dheere unke andar ghus raha tha.
Usne apni saans ko jor se liya, apne dimaag ko khali karte hue. "Kya yeh sab sach mein ho raha hai?" Usne apne chehre ko apne dono haath se chhupane ki koshish ki, lekin apne dil ki dhadkan ko nahi rok paaya.
Aur phir, woh saaya— woh purani rooh, jo kabhi nahi chhup rahi thi—dheere dheere uske saamne aayi.
Veer ke chehre par ghabrahat thi. Usne apni aankhon se us saaye ko dekha, jo uski taraf dheere dheere badh raha tha.
"Tumhare liye waqt khatam ho gaya hai. Tumhe yeh sab samajhna hoga."
Veer ne apne kadam peeche kiye, lekin saaya usse puri tarah se ghera tha. Usne apni aankhon ko bandh kar liya, aur ek bohot hi purani tasveer uske dimaag mein aayi—ek chehra, jo usne bohot pehle dekha tha. Woh chehra, ek purani yaad thi, jo Veer ke liye bohot hi ghum bhari thi.
Tabhi, mall ke andar ki roshni ek dum se chalti gayi, aur ek gahra andhera ho gaya. Veer ka ghabrahat se chehra pale ho gaya, aur phir usne apne haath mein ek chhupa hua phone nikaala.
Phone ki screen par ek ajeeb si message aa rahi thi, "Tum nahi jaane paaoge. Tumhare paas sirf ek waqt hai, aur agar tumne is waqt ka faida nahi uthaya, toh tum kabhi nahi nikal paoge."
"Kya tum samajh rahe ho?" Ek ghanti ki awaaz phir se sunayi di, lekin yeh awaaz kisi aur taraf se nahi, mall ke andar se nikal rahi thi. Yeh awaaz ek purani jaan ka signal thi.
Veer ne apne aap se kaha, "Yeh sab ek sapna hai, yeh sab ek illusion hai." Lekin uska dil is baat ko samajh nahi pa raha tha. Usne apni aankhon ko band kar diya, aur apni saans ko dheere dheere liya.
Lekin, jab usne aankh khol kar dekha, toh samne woh saaya phir se tha, aur mannequins ab zinda ho gaye the.
Kya Veer is horror ke raaz ko samajh payega, ya woh bhi is gham aur
khauf ki duniya ka hissa ban jayega?
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