Kabir ke jaane ke baad hall phir se khamosh ho gaya. Aanya kuch der wahi khadi rahi. Uske dimaag mein bas ek hi cheez ghoom rahi thi — do parchaiyaan.
“Shayad light ka illusion tha…”
Usne khud ko samjhane ki koshish ki. Par uska dil is baat ko maan hi nahi raha tha.
Aanya dheere-dheere wapas apne kamre ki taraf badhi. Har kadam par usey lag raha tha jaise koi peeche se dekh raha ho. Usne achanak mud kar dekha. Hall khali. Bas wahi purani deewar… wahi peeli roshni… aur wahi sannata.
Aanya ne gehri saans li aur kamre ka darwaza band kar diya. Room mein aate hi usne phone uthaya.
Riya ko call kiya. “Hello?”
Riya ki neend bhari awaaz aayi. “Riya… mujhe lagta hai is ghar mein kuch ajeeb hai.”
Riya ne halki si hansi nikali. “Subah-subah horror movie dekh li kya?”
“Main serious hoon.” Aanya ne dheere se kaha.
“Kal raat… aur aaj subah… mujhe laga jaise koi mujhe dekh raha hai.”
Phone ke doosri side kuch seconds tak khamoshi rahi.
Phir Riya boli— “Stress hai. Naya ghar hai. Dimaag tricks khelta hai.”
Aanya jawab dene hi wali thi ki achanak uski nazar mirror par gayi. Mirror mein woh khud khadi thi. Phone pakde hue. Par uske peeche… phir wahi tedhi parchai. Aanya ka saans ruk gaya. Is baar woh clear thi. Ek lambe aadmi jaisi shape. Par problem yeh thi— kamre mein koi tha hi nahi.
“Riya…” Aanya ki awaaz kaap gayi.
“Hmm?”
“Tum… line par ho na?”
“Haan. Kya hua?”
Aanya ne dheere se mirror ki taraf dekha. Saaya bilkul uske peeche khada tha. Chup. Hilta bhi nahi. Jaise bas intezaar kar raha ho.
Aanya ne dheere-dheere mudne ki himmat ki. Uska dil itna zor se dhadak raha tha ki usse lag raha tha Riya phone par bhi sun legi.
Woh dheere se mudhi. Room khali tha. Saaya gayab. Phone uske haath se lagbhag gir gaya.
“Hello? Aanya?” Riya ki awaaz aayi.
Aanya ne mushkil se kaha— “Main baad mein call karti hoon.”
Usne phone cut kar diya. Kamre mein phir se khamoshi chha gayi. Aanya bed par baith gayi.
Usne apni aankhein band kar li. “Bas imagination…”
Par usi waqt… uske bilkul peeche se halki si thandi saans mehsoos hui. Jaise koi bahut kareeb khada ho.
Aur phir… kamre ki deewar par uski parchai ke paas ek aur parchai ubhar aayi. Is baar woh tedhi nahi thi. Bilkul seedhi. Bilkul shaant. Jaise woh hamesha se wahi khadi ho.
Aur dheere-dheere… woh Aanya ki parchai se milne lagi.
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