Raat ka waqt tha jab ghar pehli baar alag laga.
Aanya ne ghadi dekhi — 2:43 AM.
Neend aa rahi thi, par aankhein band karte hi usse lagta jaise kamre mein koi aur bhi saans le raha ho. Ceiling fan ki awaaz aam thi, par aaj uske beech-beech mein kuch aur tha — ek khamosh maujoodgi.
Woh palat kar seedhi leti. Deewar par uski parchai seedhi honi chahiye thi.
Par aaj… Parchai thodi si tedhi thi. Aanya uth baithi.
“Light ka angle hoga,” usne khud se kaha.
Switch dabaya. Tube-light jali — safed, tez, bilkul normal. Deewar par kuch bhi ajeeb nahi tha. Phir bhi Aanya ka dil nahi maana. Usne phone uthaya. Riya ko text kiya—
Abhi tum jaag rahi ho?
Message send hote hi usne apni reflection sheeshe mein dekhi. Chehra thaka hua tha. Aankhon ke neeche gehri parchaiyaan. Aur uske peeche… kuch halka sa hilta hua. Aanya ne turant mud kar dekha. Kuch nahi. Dil tez dhadak raha tha.
“Overthinking,” woh phusphusai.
Tabhi hallway se floorboard ke charmarane ki awaaz aayi.
Chrrrk.
Is ghar mein raat ko chalne ki aadat sirf ek hi insaan ko thi— Aanya khud. Usne dheere se kamre ka darwaza khola. Hall andhere mein dooba hua tha. Sirf kitchen ki khidki se aati streetlight ki peeli roshni zameen par lambi si lakeer bana rahi thi. Aur us lakeer ke ant par… ek saaya khada tha. Woh poora nahi dikhta tha. Na chehra. Na haath. Bas ek ghaneri si outline — jaise andhera khud shape lene ki koshish kar raha ho.
Aanya ki awaaz gale mein atak gayi. Saaya hila. Aur uski parchai Aanya ki taraf badhne lagi. Aanya ne peeche hatna chaha — par pair jaise zameen mein jam gaye. Uske kaanon ke paas hawa si sarsarai. Koi awaaz nahi thi.
Phir bhi usse mehsoos hua jaise kisi ne kaha ho—
“Tum mujhe pehchaanogi… baad mein.”
Aanya cheekhi. Light ka switch dabaya. Saaya gayab. Sirf woh peeli roshni. Sirf khali hall. Aur floor par uski apni parchai— jo ab bhi thodi si tedhi thi.
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