Raat 12:16.
Ghar me wahi purani khamoshi phail rahi thi.
Clock ki second wali sui dheere chal rahi thi.
Tick…
Tick…
Tick…
12:17.
Hall ki diwar par do shadows hilne lage.
Ek chhota.
Ek bada.
Dono dheere dheere alag hue… phir ek dusre ke kareeb aaye… phir alag.
Jaise koi invisible saans le raha ho.
Aur phir…
Teesra shadow bana.
Is baar chhota nahi.
Is baar seedha khada.
Bilkul stable.
Aur usne sar uthaya.
Subah 6:13
Maa ne chai cup me dali.
Unki aankhen phir se photo frame par ruk gayi.
8 saal ka Ayaan.
Lekin aaj…
Photo thoda alag lag raha tha.
Unhone frame ko kareeb laake dekha.
Photo me Ayaan akela nahi tha.
Uske peeche halki si dark outline thi.
Jaise koi aur khada ho.
Unhone palak jhapkai.
Outline gayab.
"Mera dimag hi kharab ho raha hai…" unhone dheere se kaha.
Lekin kitchen ke peeche wali diwar par…
Ek second ke liye ek lamba shadow hila.
Raat 12:17 – Loop Toot Gaya
Is baar 12:17 pe sirf light band nahi hui.
Poora ghar jhatka kha gaya.
Jaise earthquake ho.
Clock ruk gayi.
Phone screens crack ho gayi.
TV khud on ho gaya.
Screen par static.
Phir dheere dheere ek image clear hone lagi.
CCTV footage.
Chhat.
8 saal ka Ayaan.
Hawa tez.
Edge par khada.
Aur…
Koi uske peeche khada hai.
Ek lamba shadow.
Ayaan mudta hai.
Chehra darr se safed.
Phir…
Push.
Screen black.
Maa hall me aa gayi.
Unka saans ruk gaya.
"Yeh… kisne chalaya?"
TV khud se band ho gaya.
Lekin is baar hall me koi presence thi.
Unhone dheere se kaha:
"Ayaan?"
Hawa thandi ho gayi.
Aur ek halki si awaaz aayi:
"Maa…"
Unka cup haath se gir gaya.
Memory Ka Crack
Us raat maa ko neend nahi aayi.
Unke dimaag me woh CCTV ka scene repeat hota raha.
Push.
Kisne diya?
Unhe yaad tha — police ne kaha tha accident.
Phisal gaya.
Lekin…
Woh lamba shadow?
Unke dimaag me ek purani memory crack hui.
Ek aur bachcha tha building me.
Chup rehta tha.
Ayaan use "Shadow bhai" kehta tha.
Woh imaginary friend lagta tha sabko.
Lekin ek din…
Ayaan ne kaha tha:
"Shadow bhai kehte hain chhat par mat jaana."
Maa ne hansi me uda diya tha.
Unki saans tez hone lagi.
"Kya woh imaginary nahi tha?"
Doosri Side
Andhere me.
Ek jagah jahan waqt nahi chalta.
Wahan Ayaan khada tha.
Na bada.
Na chhota.
Bas ek shape.
Uske saamne bachpan wala version.
Aur uske peeche…
Woh lamba shadow.
Shadow ne pehli baar bola:
"Tum dono incomplete ho."
Ayaan ka dil tez dhadak raha tha.
"Tu kaun hai?"
Shadow dheere se aage aaya.
Uska shape human tha.
Lekin face nahi.
Sirf andhera.
"Main woh hoon… jo tumne banaya tha."
"Main ne?"
"Jab tum chhat par akela mehsoos kar rahe the… tumne ek dost imagine kiya. Main tab bana."
Ayaan ki saanse ruk gayi.
"Phir tune mujhe push kyun kiya?"
Shadow ruk gaya.
"Main ne nahi kiya."
Room me crack aur badh gaye.
Reality phir tootne lagi.
"Push tumne khud ko diya."
Ayaan cheekha:
"Jhoot!"
Bachpan wala version dheere se bola:
"Mujhe yaad hai… main edge par khada tha… mujhe laga main ud sakta hoon… Shadow bhai ne mana kiya tha…"
Ayaan ka dimag hil gaya.
"Matlab… main khud gira?"
Shadow bola:
"Main sirf tumhara darr tha. Main kabhi physical nahi tha."
Reality shake hone lagi.
Toh CCTV footage?
Push?
Shadow muskuraya.
"Memory distort hoti hai."
Sabse Bada Twist – Maa Ka Raaz
Us waqt ek aur crack hua.
Aur is baar jo scene dikha…
Woh sabse khatarnak tha.
Flashback.
Chhat.
Ayaan edge par.
Neeche maa aur papa jhagda kar rahe.
Papa cheekh rahe:
"Tumhari wajah se sab kharab hai!"
Maa ro rahi.
Ayaan ne neeche dekha.
Usne socha — agar main na rahun to shayad sab theek ho jaye.
Shadow sirf uska imagination tha.
Woh akela tha.
Usne aankhen band ki.
Aur ek step aage badha.
Slip.
Fall.
Silence.
Present – Breaking Point
Maa hall me baithi thi.
Unhe sab yaad aa raha tha.
Unhone us din Ayaan ko daanta tha.
Unhone kaha tha:
"Ja chhat par jaakar khel!"
Unka jism kaapne laga.
"Ayaan… maaf kar de…"
Diwar par do shadows phir bane.
Phir teen.
Phir chaar.
Har shadow thoda alag size ka.
Jaise alag versions.
Ek bada.
Ek chhota.
Ek teenage.
Ek bilkul andhera.
Aur sab ek saath bole:
"Hum incomplete hai."
Dimensional Truth
Andhere wali jagah me Ayaan ko samajh aa gaya.
Har guilt ek version bana raha tha.
Har memory ek naya Ayaan create kar rahi thi.
Jab tak maa accept nahi karegi…
Loop nahi tootega.
Shadow ne kaha:
"12:17 sirf tumhara time of death nahi… uska time of guilt bhi hai."
Ayaan ne poocha:
"Toh ab kya?"
Shadow bola:
"Ya toh use sach dikhao… ya phir sab yahin phas jaoge."
Raat 12:17 – Final Ritual
Maa hall me khadi thi.
Unhone photo frame haath me uthaya.
Aankhon me aansu.
Clock 12:16.
Unhone dheere se kaha:
"Ayaan… maine tumhe dhakka nahi diya… lekin maine tumhe bachaya bhi nahi…"
12:17.
Ghar ka har bulb blink hua.
Photo frame crack hua.
Aur us crack me se halki si roshni nikli.
Room ke beech me ek chhota sa shape bana.
8 saal ka Ayaan.
Is baar bina khoon ke.
Normal.
Woh maa ko dekh raha tha.
Maa ro padi.
"Mujhe maaf kar de beta…"
Bachcha dheere se bola:
"Maa… maine khud jump kiya tha."
Maa jam gayi.
"Tumhari galti nahi thi."
Room ka pressure halka hone laga.
Shadows dissolve hone lage.
Ek ek karke versions fade.
Lekin…
Lamba shadow abhi bhi khada tha.
Stable.
Silent.
Ayaan ne use dekha.
"Ab tu kyun nahi ja raha?"
Shadow dheere se bola:
"Main tumhara darr nahi."
Room phir crack hua.
Shadow ka face pehli baar clear hua.
Aur jo dikha…
Woh Ayaan nahi tha.
Woh kisi aur ka chehra tha.
Ek aadmi.
Bohot buddha.
Aur woh maa ka chehra milta julta tha.
Ultimate Cliffhanger
Shadow ne dheere se kaha:
"Main woh hoon jo abhi aayega."
Clock phir se reset hui.
12:17 blink.
Is baar maa ke peeche ek shadow bana.
Unka.
Lekin us shadow ne move karna shuru kiya… jabki maa still thi.
Shadow ne apna haath uthaya.
Aur maa ke kandhe par rakh diya.
Maa ne kuch feel kiya.
Unhone peeche mudkar dekha.
Koi nahi.
Lekin clock ki second hand ulta chalne lagi.
Tick…
Tick…
Tick…
Backward.
Aur andhere me ek nayi awaaz goonji:
"Next 12:17… uska hoga."
Black.
To Be Continued…