Baat hai saal 2000 ki. Garmiyon ki chuttiyan chal rahi thi aur shehar se door ek chhote se gaon mein, Sameer aur uska dost Vicky boring dopahar kaat rahe dhoop mein ghoom rahe the. Us zamane mein na internet tha, na mobile. Bas ek purana radio aur doston ka saath.
Dopahar ke waqt, gaon ki purani haveli (jo barson se band padi thi) ke paas khelte hue unhe ek jali hui khidki se andar ek chamakti cheez dikhi. Sameer thoda darpok tha, par Vicky nikal pada adventure par. Donon dabe paon andar gaye. Dhool aur mitti se bhari us haveli ke ek kone mein unhe ek purani, chamre (leather) ki diary mili.
Diary ke pehle page par likha tha— "Ise 31st December 1999 se pehle mat kholna."
Lekin tab toh saal 2000 chal raha tha. Sameer ne jaise hi diary ka aakhri panna palta, wahan ek photo chipki hui thi. Photo bahut purani thi, black and white. Usmein ek aadmi kursi par baitha tha aur uske peeche wahi haveli dikh rahi thi.
Lekin jaise hi unhone dhyan se dekha, unke hosh ud gaye...
Photo mein jo aadmi baitha tha, usne bilkul wahi t-shirt pehni hui thi jo Sameer ne aaj pehni thi, aur uske haath mein wahi nishaan (birthmark) tha jo Sameer ke haath par hai. Sameer ne ghabra kar diary neeche phenk di.
Tabhi Vicky ne diary ko dobara uthaya aur photo ke peeche likhi ek line zor se padhi:
"Sameer, mujhe pata tha tum yahan 2000 mein zaroor aaoge... ab zara peeche mud kar dekho, main kab se tumhara intezar kar raha hoon."
Sameer aur Vicky ne thar-thar kaanpte hue jaise hi peeche dekha... haveli ka wo bhari darwaza, jo abhi tak khula tha, apne aap andar se lock ho gaya aur andar se kisi ke dheere se hansne ki aawaz aayi. (To be continue)