Rahul ek software engineer tha jo Bangalore ke ek purane apartment mein shift hua tha. Apartment sasta tha aur vibes thodi ajeeb thin, par Rahul ko sirf sukoon se kaam karna tha.
Ek raat, kareeb 1:30 AM baje, uske phone par ek unknown number se call aayi.
Rahul: "Hello?"
Voice (Female): "Please... gate mat kholna. Woh bahar khada hai."
Rahul thoda confuse hua. "Kaun? Aap kaun bol rahi hain?" Lekin call cut gayi. Usne socha shayad koi prank call hogi aur woh wapas sone chala gaya.
The Incident
Agli raat, thik 1:30 AM par, firse wahi call aayi.
Voice: "Maine kaha tha na gate mat kholna! Woh seediyo (stairs) tak pahunch gaya hai."
Is baar Rahul thoda dar gaya. Usne himmat karke apne door ke peephole (darwaze ka chota ched) se bahar dekha. Corridor bilkul khali tha. Par jaise hi usne peephole se aankh hatayi, uske darwaze par ek halki si 'thap-thap' hui.
Uska dil zor se dhadakne laga. Tabhi uske phone par ek message aaya usi number se:
"Woh tumhare peeche hai."
The Twist
Rahul ki rone jaisi halat ho gayi. Usne himmat juta kar piche mud kar dekha, par kamra bilkul khali tha. Usne turant apne flat ka main gate andar se double lock kiya aur balcony ki taraf bhaga taaki neeche security guard ko awaz de sake.
Neeche guard room ki light jal rahi thi. Usne guard ko call kiya.
Rahul: "Bhaiya, jaldi upar aaiye! Mere ghar ke bahar koi hai!"
Guard: "Sir, aap tension mat lijiye. Main CCTV dekh raha hoon. Aapke floor par koi nahi hai. Aap akele hain."
Rahul ko thoda sukoon mila. Usne socha shayad uski tabiyat kharab hai ya yeh koi hallucination hai. Woh pani peene ke liye kitchen gaya aur mirror mein apni shakal dekhi.
Tabhi uski nazar mirror ke kone mein padi. Uske peeche diwar par ek purani photo tangi thi jo usne pehle kabhi dhyan se nahi dekhi thi. Woh photo us apartment ke pichle rehne wale ki thi.
Photo mein wahi ladki thi jiski awaz phone par aa rahi thi. Par uske niche ek date likhi thi: "Died: March 6, 2024"—theek do saal pehle, aaj hi ke din.
Rahul ka phone firse baja. Is baar call guard ki thi.
Guard (Dari hui awaz mein): "Sir... abhi-abhi maine CCTV firse check kiya. Aapke floor ke corridor mein koi nahi hai... lekin sir, aapke flat ke andar do log dikh rahe hain."
Rahul ne ghum kar dekha, poora flat khali tha. Par jab usne wapas phone uthaya, toh screen par guard ka number nahi tha. Screen par likha tha