Subah hone wali thi. Khidki ke bahar halki si roshni dikhne lagi thi, par ghar ke andar ab bhi wahi ghutan thi.
Aanya bed ke kone par baithi thi. Uske haath ab bhi kaanp rahe the. Usne Kabir ki neck par bane red marks dekhe... aur uska dil guilt se bhar gaya.
"Mujhe yahan nahi rehna chahiye..." woh dheere se boli.
Kabir saamne chair par baitha tha. Uski aankhon ke neeche dark circles aur gehre lag rahe the.
"Yeh tum nahi thi."
Aanya ne turant uski taraf dekha.
"Par body meri thi."
Kabir chup raha. Kyuki woh bhi jaanta tha— yeh situation normal se bohot aage nikal chuki thi.
Aanya ne dheere se poocha—
"Kya woh mujhe control kar raha hai?"
Kabir ne answer dene mein thoda time liya.
"Partially."
Aanya ka gala sukh gaya.
"Partially matlab?"
Kabir ne uski aankhon mein dekha.
"Matlab woh poori tarah andar nahi aaya... abhi."
Room suddenly thoda aur thanda ho gaya. Jaise kisi ne unki baat sun li ho. Kabir instantly alert ho gaya.
Par is baar... kuch aur hua. Hallway ke end par ek darwaza tha— purana. Band. Jo Aanya ne kabhi open nahi dekha tha.
Aur ab... woh dheere-dheere khud khul raha tha. Creeeeak...
Aanya freeze ho gayi.
"Kabir..."
Darwaze ke andar complete darkness thi. Bilkul black. Jaise room nahi... khaali andhera ho. Kabir ka expression instantly change ho gaya.
"Nahi."
Uski awaaz mein pehli baar actual fear tha.
Aanya ne notice kiya.
"Tum is room ko jaante ho?"
Kabir ne turant jawab nahi diya. Par uski aankhon mein jo tha... usne Aanya ko aur dara diya.
"Kabir."
Kabir dheere se khada hua.
"Us room ke paas mat jaana."
Par tab tak der ho chuki thi. Andar se ek halki si awaaz aayi. Ek bachchi ki.
"Aanya..."
Aanya ka dil ruk gaya. Woh awaaz... uski khud ki bachpan wali awaaz thi.
Kabir turant uske saamne aa gaya.
"Listen to me. Jo bhi ho, andar mat jaana."
Par Aanya ka body jaise automatically move kar raha tha. Uski aankhein us andhere par tiki hui thi.
"Aanya..."
Is baar awaaz aur clear thi. Jaise koi ro raha ho.
Aanya ka saans heavy hone laga.
"Mujhe... mujhe dekhna hai..."
Kabir ne uska wrist tightly pakad liya.
"No."
Aanya ne pehli baar uski grip chhudane ki koshish ki.
"Kabir leave me!"
"Yeh trap hai!"
Par phir— andar ke darkness mein ek chhoti si figure dikhi. Ek chhoti ladki. 7–8 saal ki. White frock. Khoon se gande pair. Aur uski aankhein... bilkul Aanya jaisi. Aanya ka poora jism sunn pad gaya.
"Woh... main hoon..."
Chhoti Aanya dheere se room ke andar khadi muskuraayi. Phir usne apna haath aage badhaya.
"Tum mujhe yahin chhod kar chali gayi thi..."
Aanya ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye. Uske dimaag mein flashes aane lage. Barish. Cheekh. Khoon. Aur woh band kamra.
Kabir ne usse zor se peeche kheench liya.
"Uski taraf mat jao!"
Aanya almost breakdown kar gayi.
"Par woh main hoon!"
"Nahi!"
Kabir cheekha. Uski awaaz poore ghar mein goonj gayi. Complete silence.
Phir Kabir dheere se bola—
"Woh tum nahi hai."
Aanya ka dil zor se dhadka. Kabir ka face safed pad chuka tha. Jaise woh finally woh truth dekh raha ho jisse woh bach raha tha.
Aur phir— usne woh sentence bola jisne sab kuch badal diya.
"Aanya..."
Uski awaaz toot gayi.
"Us raat... us kamre mein koi mara tha."
Room ki darkness instantly aur gehri ho gayi. Aur corner mein khada Saaya... dheere-dheere muskuraane laga.
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