Raat ka waqt tha. Ghar ke sab log so chuke the. Pankha dheere-dheere ghoom raha tha aur uski awaaz kamre me ajeeb si khamoshi paida kar rahi thi. Rohan apni study table par baitha tha, par uski kitaab khuli hone ke baad bhi uski aankhen shabdon par tik nahi rahi thi. Baar-baar use lag raha tha jaise koi use dekh raha ho.
Usne gardan ghumakar kamre ke kone-kone ko dekha, par wahan sirf andhera tha.
Usne apne aap se kaha, "Bas imagination hai," aur phir se padhne ki koshish ki.
Tabhi uske phone ki screen achanak chamki.
Rohan thoda chonk gaya. Is waqt kaun call karega?
Screen par likha tha — Unknown Number.
Usne phone uthaya nahi. Call ruk gayi.
Usne saans ki, par sirf do second baad phone phir se bajne laga.
Is baar Rohan ne himmat karke call utha li.
"Hello?"
Uski awaaz khud use bhi kamzor si lagi.
Kuch seconds tak sirf saans lene ki awaaz aati rahi.
Phir ek aadmi ki awaaz sunai di — gehri, thandi, aur bilkul emotionless.
"Rohan… agar apni zindagi pyari hai, to kal school mat aana."
Rohan ka dimag sunn pad gaya.
"Tum kaun ho?" usne ghabra kar poocha.
"Tumhe mera naam kaise pata?"
Koi jawab nahi aaya.
Call cut ho chuki thi.
Rohan ne phone ko ghurte hue dekha. Uske haath kaanp rahe the. Usne turant call history check ki, par number wahan bhi private dikha raha tha.
Uska dimaag ek hi sawaal pooch raha tha
yeh koi mazaak nahi tha… par phir kaun?
Usne khidki ke parde hata kar bahar dekha. Gali bilkul khaali thi. Street light ke neeche ek kutta so raha tha. Sab normal lag raha tha… par Rohan ke liye kuch bhi normal nahi tha.
Us raat woh so nahi paaya.
Jab bhi aankh band karta, wohi awaaz sunai deti
"Kal school mat aana."
Subah hui to Rohan ke chehre par thakaan saaf dikh rahi thi. Maa ne poocha, "Raat bhar jaag raha tha kya?"
Rohan ne sirf haan me sir hila diya. Woh sab batana nahi chahta tha.
School jaate waqt uska dil bhaari tha. Har bike, har aadmi ko dekhkar use lag raha tha ki shayad wahi aadmi raat wali awaaz ka malik ho.
School gate ke paas pahunchte hi uska phone vibrate hua.
Is baar message tha.
"Tum aa hi gaye."
Rohan ne screen dekhi…
Aur us pal use samajh aa gaya
yeh kahani sirf shuru hui hai.