"Aakhri Message"
Raat ke 12:47 baj rahe the.
Pura hostel chup tha. Sirf hawa ki halki si awaaz aur fan ki ghur-ghur.
Aanya apne bed par leti thi, lekin neend uski aankhon se koson door thi.
Phone haath me pakad ke woh bas ek hi cheez dekh rahi thi — "Last seen today at 10:12 PM"
Kabir.
Uska best friend.
Uska sab kuch.
Teen saal se dono har raat baat karte the. Har choti badi baat share karte the. Agar ek din bhi baat na ho, to lagta tha jaise kuch missing ho.
Lekin aaj…
Aaj poora din uska koi message nahi aaya.
Na good morning.
Na class ka rant.
Na memes.
Kuch bhi nahi.
"Busy hoga…" usne khud ko samjhaya.
Par dil maan hi nahi raha tha.
Flashback – 3 years ago
First day of college.
Aanya new admission thi. Thodi shy. Kisi se baat karne me darr lagta tha.
Class ke last bench pe chup chap baithi thi, tabhi ek ladka aaya.
"Yaha baith sakta hoon? Ya seat reserved hai kisi hero ke liye?"
Usne hansi me pucha.
Aanya thoda muskurai, "Nahi… baith jao."
"Hi, main Kabir. Aur tum?"
"Aanya…"
"Nice name. Waise tension mat lena, main attendance bhi share karunga, notes bhi aur canteen ka bill bhi tum hi bharogi."
"Matlab?"
"Friendship fees."
Dono hans pade.
Us din se friendship start hui.
Phir daily baatein.
Notes share.
Canteen ki chai.
Library me fights.
Birthday surprises.
Aur dheere dheere…
Aanya ko samajh hi nahi aaya kab woh Kabir ke bina reh hi nahi paati thi.
Present
Phone screen phir se check.
No message.
Usne text kiya:
"Hey, kaha ho? Sab thik hai?"
Seen bhi nahi.
Dil ghabra raha tha.
Kabir kabhi ignore nahi karta tha.
Kabhi bhi nahi.
Next Day
College me Kabir nahi aaya.
Aanya ne uske friends se pucha.
"Arre pata nahi, kal bhi nahi aaya tha," Rahul bola.
"Phone bhi off aa raha hai," kisi ne kaha.
Aanya ke pair thande pad gaye.
"Kahin… kuch ho to nahi gaya?"
Usne khud ko daanta.
"Pagal mat ban. Normal hoga."
Par dil…
Dil ko kaun samjhaye?
Shaam
Aanya ne decide kiya —
Woh Kabir ke ghar jaayegi.
Pehli baar.
Kabir ne kabhi apne ghar ke baare me zyada bataya nahi tha. Bas itna kehta tha, "Simple sa ghar hai, kuch khaas nahi."
Address notes me saved tha.
Auto leke woh pahunch gayi.
Ghar purana tha. Gate thoda zung laga hua.
Bell bajayi.
Ek buddhe uncle ne darwaza khola.
"Ji?"
"Uncle… Kabir hai? Main uski friend hoon… college se."
Uncle ka chehra ek second ke liye ajeeb ho gaya.
"Tum… uski friend ho?"
"Haan."
Uncle dheere se bole,
"Beta… Kabir to teen din se ghar hi nahi aaya."
Jaise kisi ne Aanya ke kaan me bomb phoda ho.
"Kya… matlab?"
"Bol ke gaya tha project ke liye bahar ja raha hoon. Tab se wapas nahi aaya."
Aanya ka gala sukh gaya.
Project?
Usne to kabhi mention hi nahi kiya.
Raat
Woh wapas hostel aayi.
Dil aur dimaag dono lad rahe the.
Tabhi phone vibrate hua.
Unknown number.
Message:
"Don't look for me."
Bas itna.
Aanya ka haath kaap gaya.
"Ye Kabir hi hai…"
Usne call kiya.
Switch off.
Dusra message:
"Please mujhpe trust karo. Tum safe rehna."
Safe rehna?
Kis se?
Kyu?
Agla Din
Aanya library me thi.
Kabir ka favourite corner.
Wahi jaha dono baithte the.
Usne table pe haath rakha…
Tab usse ek chhota sa paper mila.
Folded.
Jaise kisi ne jaan bujh ke rakha ho.
Usne khola.
Kabir ki handwriting.
"Aanya, agar tum ye padh rahi ho… to shayad main tumse door hoon. Par please mujhe dhoondhne mat aana."
Aanya ki aankhon me aansu aa gaye.
Aage likha tha:
"Kuch log mere peeche hain. Maine unka sach dekh liya hai. Agar tum involved hui to tumhe bhi danger ho sakta hai."
"Kaun log?"
Woh dheere se boli.
"Trust me. Agar sab thik raha… to main wapas aaunga."
Paper yahi khatam.
Koi explanation nahi.
Koi detail nahi.
Bas darr.
Aanya ka Decision
"Main use aise kaise chhod du?"
Teen saal ki dosti.
Har din ka saath.
Woh gayab ho jaye aur main chup baithu?
Impossible.
Usne library wale uncle se pucha,
"Yaha CCTV hai?"
"Haan beta."
"Kal ka footage dekh sakti hoon?"
Thodi request ke baad mil gaya.
Footage me…
Kabir aaya.
Akele.
Idhar udhar dekha.
Kuch likha.
Paper rakha.
Aur phir…
Gate ke bahar jaake kisi se mila.
Black hoodie wala aadmi.
Face clear nahi.
Kabir uske saath chala gaya.
Khud se.
Force nahi.
Jaise pehle se plan ho.
Aanya ka dimaag ghoom gaya.
"Ye kya hai Kabir… tum kya kar rahe ho?"
Raat – 2:13 AM
Phone phir vibrate.
Unknown number.
Voice note.
Kabir ki awaaz.
Halka sa saans chadh raha tha.
"Anya… sorry… agar tum ye sun rahi ho to matlab cheezein complicated ho gayi hain. Main tumhe protect kar raha hoon. Please mujhe follow mat karna…"
Background me kisi ke chillane ki awaaz.
Phir static.
Voice cut.
Aanya ro padi.
"Tum mujhe bata kyu nahi rahe ho…"
Climax Night
Us raat ek aur message aaya.
Location.
Bas ek location.
City ke bahar purani factory.
Aur likha:
"Last time. Akele aana."
Dil bola mat ja.
Dimaag bola ja.
Aur pyaar…
Pyaar ne kaha —
"Jaana hi padega."
Woh cab leke pahunch gayi.
Factory andheri. Tooti hui deewarein. Hawa se darwaza dhad dhad.
Andar jaate hi usne awaaz lagayi,
"Kabir…?"
Koi jawab nahi.
Phir ek halki si roshni.
Aur…
Kabir saamne khada tha.
Zinda.
Thoda thaka hua.
Par zinda.
Aanya daud ke uske paas gayi.
"Tum pagal ho?! Mujhe dara diya!"
Kabir chup.
Sirf usse dekh raha tha.
"Chalo ghar chalte hain," Aanya boli.
Kabir ne dheere se kaha,
"Tumhe yaha nahi aana chahiye tha…"
"Bas drama band karo. Chalo—"
Tabhi…
Peeche se kadam ki awaaz.
Ek nahi.
Kai.
Kabir ne uska haath pakda.
"Ab late ho gaya…"
Factory ke andhere kone se 3 shadow nikle.
Hood pehne hue.
Unme se ek bola:
"Good. Dono aa gaye."
Aanya ka dil ruk gaya.
"Dono?"
Kabir ne uski taraf dekha…
Aankhon me ajeeb si shanti thi.
Jaise sab pehle se pata ho.
Jaise… ye sab plan ho.
Phir usne dheere se kaha —
"Sorry, Aanya… tumhe trust karna nahi chahiye tha…"
Aanya jam gayi.
"Matlab…?"
Kabir ne hoodie walon ki taraf dekha…
Aur unke saath khada ho gaya.
Last Line (Suspense)
Aanya ko tab samajh aaya…
Kabir bhaag nahi raha tha…
Kabir inse bhaag nahi raha tha…
Kabir inka hissa tha.
Aur shayad…
Ye sab usse yaha laane ka plan tha.
Factory ka darwaza dheere se band hua…
Aur andar sirf andhera reh gaya.
To be continued…