Aanya ab bhi kaanp rahi thi. Kabir ne usse tightly pakda hua tha, jaise agar woh chhod de to Aanya toot jayegi.
"Deep breaths... okay? Bas breathe."
Par Aanya ka dimaag ab bhi us flashback mein atka hua tha. Khoon. Barish. Aur woh saaya.
"Woh mere saath bachpan se tha..." usne dheere se kaha.
Kabir kuch seconds tak chup raha. Uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb si tension thi. Jaise woh kuch jaanta ho... jo Aanya nahi jaanti.
"Aanya..." Kabir ne finally dheere se kaha, "mujhe lagta hai tumhe yahan se chale jaana chahiye."
Aanya ne turant uski taraf dekha. "Matlab?"
"Yeh ghar safe nahi hai."
Room phir se thoda thanda ho gaya. Jaise kisi ko yeh baat pasand nahi aayi.
Aanya ne dheere se poocha— "Tumhe is ghar ke baare mein itna kaise pata?"
Kabir freeze ho gaya. Bas ek second ke liye.
Par Aanya ne notice kar liya. "Kabir..."
Usne dheere se uska haath chhuda liya. "Tum mujhse kuch chhupa rahe ho."
Kabir ne aankhein band ki. Jaise woh decide kar raha ho ki kitna sach bataye.
Aur phir— "Main pehle bhi yahan aa chuka hoon."
Aanya ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya. "Kya?"
Kabir ne room ki deewar ki taraf dekha.
"Woh sirf tumhare saath attached nahi hai..." Uski awaaz heavy ho gayi. "...yeh ghar bhi uska hai."
Aanya ke haath thande pad gaye. "Matlab yeh... yahan rehta hai?"
Kabir ne dheere se haan mein sir hila diya. "Years se."
Aanya kuch bol hi nahi paayi. Uska dimaag aur confuse hota ja raha tha.
"Tum pehle yahan kyon aaye the?"
Kabir jawab deta usse pehle— room ke upar wala fan suddenly ruk gaya. Complete silence.
Aur phir... upar se kisi ke chalne ki awaaz aayi. Thak. Ek kadam. Thak. Doosra kadam.
Aanya ka gala sukh gaya. "Upar koi hai..."
Kabir ka expression instantly serious ho gaya. "Nahi hona chahiye."
Aanya ka dil aur tez dhadakne laga. Woh awaaz dheere-dheere room ke bilkul upar aakar ruk gayi.
Phir... scratch karne ki awaaz. Jaise koi floor ko nails se cheer raha ho.
Krrrrr...
Aanya ne darr kar Kabir ka arm pakad liya. "Kabir..."
Kabir ne bina kuch kahe usse apne peeche kiya. Par awaaz rukti nahi.
Aur phir— ceiling par ek kaala daag ubharne laga. Dheere-dheere failta hua.
Jaise paani nahi... andhera leak ho raha ho. Aanya horror mein usse dekhti reh gayi.
Aur us kaale daag ke beech— ek shape bani. Do safed aankhon jaisi halki si chamak. Saaya.
Woh upar se unhe dekh raha tha. Aur phir— ceiling se ek kaali, lambi si shadow neeche latakne lagi. Bilkul Aanya ke upar.
Aanya cheekhne hi wali thi ki Kabir ne usse jhatke se peeche kheench liya.
Agla second— woh shadow wahi zameen par zor se giri jahan Aanya khadi thi.
BANG!
Floor crack ho gaya. Aanya ka poora jism kaanp gaya. Yeh pehli baar tha... jab Saaya ne usse physically hurt karne ki koshish ki thi. Kabir ne usse apne aur kareeb kar liya. Uski heartbeat fast thi. Par uski aankhon mein darr se zyada gussa tha.
"Enough," usne dheere se kaha.
Ceiling par faila hua andhera hilne laga. Jaise woh Kabir ko challenge kar raha ho.
Aur phir— woh awaaz phir goonji. Is baar pehle se zyada possessive.
"Usse mujhse door mat karo."
Aanya ka saans atak gaya. Kabir ne seedha upar dekha. "Aur agar kar diya to?"
Complete silence. Ek second. Do second.
Phir— poore room ki walls par ek saath kaali parchaiyaan ubhar aayi. Jaise ghar ka har kone zinda ho gaya ho. Aur un sabka focus sirf ek tha— Kabir.
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