Room ka har kona andhere se bhar chuka tha. Deewaron par hilti hui parchaiyaan... ceiling se tapakta hua kaala saaya... aur beech mein Aanya aur Kabir.
Aanya ki saansein toot rahi thi. Usse lag raha tha jaise poora ghar uske kareeb aa raha ho.
Kabir uske saamne khada tha. Protecting her. Hamesha ki tarah.
Par is baar... saare saaye usi ko dekh rahe the. Jaise woh enemy ho.
"Aanya, meri baat dhyan se suno." Kabir ki awaaz low thi, par controlled. "Jo bhi ho... mere peeche rehna."
Aanya ne uski shirt tightly pakad li. Par uske haath kaanp rahe the. "Kabir... woh tumhe hurt karega..."
Kabir ne jawab nahi diya. Uski nazar sirf deewar par failte hue andhere par thi.
Aur phir— saari shadows ek saath move hui. Fast. Violently.
Aanya cheekh padi. Kabir ne turant usse pakad kar neeche jhukaya.
Agla second— ek kaali shadow hawa ki tarah unke upar se guzri aur saamne wali wall se takraayi.
CRACK!
Wall par gehri darar pad gayi. Aanya ka poora jism sunn pad gaya. Yeh koi illusion nahi tha. Yeh cheez sach mein unhe maar sakti thi. Kabir dheere se khada hua. Uski aankhon mein ab darr nahi tha. Sirf anger.
"Tumhe problem mujhse hai na?" usne seedha andhere ki taraf dekha.
Room instantly aur thanda ho gaya.
Aanya ne mehsoos kiya— saaya react kar raha tha.
Kabir ek kadam aage badha. "Toh mujhe target karo. Use nahi."
"Are you crazy?!" Aanya almost ro padi.
Kabir ne uski taraf dekha bhi nahi. Uski nazar ab bhi us andhere par thi.
Aur phir— saaya dheere-dheere shape lene laga. Lamba. Dark. Human jaisa... par human nahi.
Aanya ka gala sukh gaya. Pehli baar... woh itna clear dikh raha tha. Aur uski do halki safed aankhein... seedha Kabir ko dekh rahi thi. Jaise warning de rahi ho.
Kabir ne dheere se kaha— "Usse chhod do."
Complete silence.
Phir— “Nahi.”
Is baar awaaz clear thi. Cold. Male voice.
Aanya ka dil ruk gaya. Kabir bhi freeze ho gaya. Saaya... bol sakta tha. Room ki lights violently flicker hone lagi.
Aur agla second— saaya impossible speed se Kabir ki taraf badha.
"KABIR!" Aanya cheekhi.
Par der ho chuki thi. Saaya ne Kabir ko seedha wall par de maara.
BANG!
Kabir ke muh se dard bhari awaaz nikli. Uska body zameen par gir gaya. "Aah—!"
Aanya daud kar uske paas gayi. "Kabir! Kabir look at me!"
Kabir mushkil se saans le pa raha tha. Uske hothon ke kone se khoon nikla.
Aanya ke aansu girne lage. "Please stop! PLEASE!"
Room suddenly silent ho gaya. Saaya phir se andhere mein khada tha.
Shaant. Jaise woh sirf Aanya ka reaction dekh raha ho.
Aanya ne toot kar uski taraf dekha. "Tum use kyon hurt kar rahe ho?!"
Khamoshi. Phir woh awaaz— “Kyuki woh tumhe mujhse door kar raha hai.”
Aanya ka dil dard se bhar gaya. "Main koi cheez nahi hoon..."
Saaya dheere se uske kareeb aaya. Is baar uski presence almost gentle thi.
“Par tum meri ho.”
Aanya ka jism kaanp gaya. Kabir ne mushkil se uska haath pakda.
"Aanya..." uski awaaz weak thi. "Uski baat mat sunna..."
Aanya ne turant uski taraf dekha. Kabir ki aankhon mein pain tha. Par phir bhi... woh usse bachane ki koshish kar raha tha.
Aur us pal mein— Aanya ko pehli baar sach mein darr laga. Kyuki ab usey samajh aa gaya tha— Saaya Kabir ko sach mein maar sakta hai.
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