Raat ka waqt tha aur baarish ab dheemi zaroor ho chuki thi, lekin hawa mein geeli mitti ki khushboo abhi bhi ghuli hui thi. Aarav apne kamre ki khidki ke paas khada bahar dekh raha tha. Uske haath mein wahi purani diary thi jo use shaam ko mili thi, aur tab se uska dimaag ek hi sawal mein uljha hua tha—woh ladki kaun thi? Usne diary ko dheere se table par rakha, phir jaise kisi ajeeb kashish se majboor hokar dobara utha li. Kamre mein sirf table lamp ki halki peeli roshni thi, baaki sab kuch andhere mein dooba hua. Aarav ne gehri saans li aur diary ka pehla page khola. Page purana tha, kinaron se halka sa peela pad chuka tha, lekin jo line us par likhi thi usne uske haath thande kar diye—"Mujhe dhoondhna mat… warna tum khud kho jaoge." Ek pal ke liye uski saansen ruk si gayin. Usne halki si muskurahat laane ki koshish ki aur dheere se bola, "Drama queen…," lekin uski awaaz mein woh confidence nahi tha. Sach to yeh tha ki use ajeeb sa mehsoos ho raha tha, jaise koi use dekh raha ho.
Aarav ne turant peeche mudkar kamre ko dekha. Sab normal tha—darwaza band, pankha dheere dheere ghoom raha tha, bahar se sirf paani tapakne ki awaaz aa rahi thi. Usne khud ko samjhaya ki woh overthink kar raha hai, lekin dil maan nahi raha tha. Usne diary ka agla page palta. Khaali. Phir next page—woh bhi khaali. Aarav ki bhauen sikud gayin. Usne tez tez pages palatne shuru kiye, lekin poori diary lagbhag khaali thi, bas pehle page par woh ek line likhi thi. Kuch seconds tak woh chup baitha raha, phir diary band karke kursi par peeche tek lagakar baith gaya. Uske dimaag mein uljhan badh rahi thi ki tabhi achanak uska phone vibrate hua. Aarav halka sa chonk gaya. Screen par Unknown Number likha tha. Bina wajah uska dil tez dhadakne laga. Do second ki jhijhak ke baad usne call receive ki aur dheere se bola, "Hello…?" Do teen second tak sirf khamoshi rahi. Phir usne thoda zor se kaha, "Hello? Kaun bol raha hai?" Tabhi phone ke doosri taraf se bahut halki si saans ki awaaz aayi, jaise koi bilkul paas se dheere dheere saans le raha ho. Aarav seedha hokar baith gaya. Woh kuch bolne hi wala tha ki ek ladki ki dheemi, fuskati hui awaaz sunayi di—"…Diary mil gayi na tumhe, Aarav?" Yeh sunte hi Aarav ka dil zor se uchhal gaya. Uski ungliyaan phone par kas gayin. Usne hichkichati hui awaaz mein poocha, "Tum… kaun ho?" Doosri taraf se halki si hansi sunayi di, narm lekin ajeeb. Ladki ne dheere se kaha, "Main kaun hoon… yeh abhi mat pucho." Aarav turant khada ho gaya. "Tum mera naam kaise jaanti ho?" usne bechain hokar poocha, lekin agle hi pal call cut ho gayi. Screen par sirf Call Ended likha tha.
Room ki khamoshi ab pehle se zyada bhaari lag rahi thi. Aarav ne turant number redial kiya, lekin phone switched off tha. Usne honton ko dabaya aur khidki ki taraf badha. Bahar street light ki peeli roshni geeli sadak par padh rahi thi. Sab kuch bilkul normal lag raha tha. Aarav ne khud ko samjhane ki koshish ki ki woh overreact kar raha hai, lekin jaise hi woh mudne laga, uski nazar sadak ke kone par padi aur uska jism ekdum se sakt ho gaya. Street light ke neeche woh ladki khadi thi—safed dress mein, bheegi zulfon ke saath, bilkul wahi. Aarav ki saansen tez ho gayin. Usne aankhen jhapka kar dobara dekha. Ladki ne dheere se apna chehra upar uthaya, seedha Aarav ki khidki ki taraf, aur phir woh muskurayi. Aisi muskurahat jo seedha dil tak thandi lakeer kheench de. Aarav ek kadam peeche hat gaya. Jaise hi usne dobara bahar jhaanka, sadak bilkul khaali thi. Na koi ladki, na safed dress—sirf geeli sadak. Uska gala sukh gaya. Woh dheere se palta aur uski nazar table par padi, aur is baar uska dil dobara zor se dhadka. Diary khuli hui thi, jabki usne use band kiya tha.
Aarav dheere dheere table ke paas aaya. Usne diary ki taraf haath badhaya aur page ki taraf dekha. Uski aankhen phail gayin, kyunki ab wahan ek nayi line likhi thi jo pehle nahi thi. Syaahi abhi bhi halki geeli lag rahi thi—"Game shuru ho chuka hai, Aarav." Is baar Aarav ke paas bolne ke liye kuch nahi tha. Sirf ek sawal uske dimaag mein goonj raha tha—woh use dekh kaise rahi hai? Table lamp ki roshni halki si flicker hui aur kamre mein thandi hawa ka jhonka chala, jabki khidki band thi. Aarav bilkul seedha khada reh gaya. Use pehli baar mehsoos hua ki yeh sirf ek diary nahi hai… aur shayad woh ladki bhi utni simple nahi jitni dikhti hai.
(Chapter 2 Ends — Suspense Continues)