Ek Nazar Zindagi Bhar Ka Shaap

Mera naam Aarav Singh hai. Main Mumbai mein rehta hoon, aur yeh jo main aapko batane jaa raha hoon, yeh koi kahani ya bhoot-pret wali filmi baat nahi hai. Yeh cheez mere sabse kareebi dost Raghav ke sath hui thi — aur shayad, ab tak, uss raat ka sach sirf main hi jaanta hoon. 2021 ke December ki baat hai Raghav ke papa ka transfer Bihar ke ek chhote se gaon "Nawadih" mein hua tha. Wahan unhone ek purana makaan rent par liya — 2-floor ka, lohe ke purane gate ke sath. Makaan ajeeb tha... deewar par chheel chheel ke nishaan, aur ek kamra jo humesha band rehta tha. Us ghar ka ek hi rule tha — "Neeche wala kamra mat kholna." Raghav ne poocha bhi, par uske dad ne sirf itna bola, "Wahan sirf saman rakha hai." Pehli do raat normal thi. Lekin teesri raat, Raghav ne mujhe call kiya — uski awaaz bilkul badli hui thi, halki si gungunahat ke beech woh bol raha tha: "Tu aaj raat call mat karna... yeh ghar sota nahi hai." Pehle main hass diya, socha mazaak kar raha hai. Lekin jab maine uski maa se baat ki, toh pata chala ki usne kal se kisi se baat hi nahi ki thi. Agle din main wahan pahunch gaya. Ghar mein sannata tha, lekin woh thandak nahi thi — ek sookhi, sunless hawa, jaise hawa mein koi zinda hi na ho. Raghav chup tha. Uski aankhon mein narmi gayab thi — usne mujhe ghoorte hue sirf ek line boli: "Tujhe bhi woh dekh lega." Raat ko hum dono chhat par so rahe the. Raghav so gaya, lekin mujhe neend nahi aayi. Raat ke 2:43 baje maine dekha — neeche ka kamra khula hua tha. Darwaza dheere se hil raha tha... bina hawa ke. Main torch le kar neeche gaya. Kamre mein kuch furniture tha — aur ek bada sa mirror, jiska aadha hissa toota hua tha. Mirror ke samne ek aadmi khada tha — lamba, kaale kapdon mein. Sab kuch normal hota agar uski aankhen hoti. Lekin uske chehre par sirf do khaali gaddhe the, jaise kisi ne aankhen nikal di ho... ya shayad kabhi thi hi nahi. Usne mujhe dekha... or ya mehsoos karwaaya ki woh dekh raha hai. Uski awaaz, jo mere kaan mein aaj tak gunjti hai, usne kaha: "Ek baar dekh liya... ab kabhi nahi chhodunga." Main wahan se bhaag gaya, lekin jab upar gaya... Raghav wahan nahi tha. Sirf uska phone tha, jo chal raha tha — camera on tha — aur screen par wahi aadmi dikha, ab Raghav ke peeche khada... lekin woh still tha. Us raat ke baad Raghav kabhi nahi mila. Uske maa-baap ne bola, woh kisi dost ke ghar chala gaya, par unka ghar 2 din baad khaali milaa. Police ne record mein likha: "Missing, presumed runaway." Lekin main janta hoon — woh runaway nahi hua. Woh mirror ke uss taraf chala gaya. Tab se lekar aaj tak, main koi bhi mirror ke saamne zyada der tak rukta nahi hoon. Raat ko der tak main kabhi nahi jaagta. Aur jab bhi koi mujhe bina aankhon ke ghoorta hai, main bas ek hi baat sochta hoon — "Kya woh wapas aaya hai?" Agar tum is kahani ko padhe ho... toh dhyan rakhna, raat ke 2:43 baje, mirror mat dekhna. Kahi usne tumhe bhi na dekh liya ho.