Aira ne apni saans roki.
Kitchen se aayi awaaz ab band ho chuki thi.
Shayad… main hi zyada soch rahi hoon,
usne khud ko samjhaya.
Par dil maanta nahi tha.
🔔 Doorbell phir se baji.
Is baar lambi.
Zyada impatient.
Aira dheere-dheere darwaze ke paas gayi.
Uska haath lock ke paas tha, par kholne ki himmat nahi hui.
"Kaun hai?"
Uski awaaz halki si kaanp gayi.
Bahar se awaaz aayi—
"Madam… please. Baarish me bheeg gaya hoon. Phone bhi band hai."
Aira peephole se dekhti rahi.
Aadmi ab seedha khada tha.
Chehra thoda sa upar.
Par phir bhi… poora dikh nahi raha tha.
"Yahin se boliye," Aira ne kaha.
"Main kisi ko bula leti hoon."
Aadmi thoda hansa.
"Madam, aajkal log itne darte kyun hain?"
Uski awaaz me kuch tha.
Koi jaldi, koi pressure.
Aira ka phone haath me hi tha.
Usne screen dekhi—
No Network.
Uska dil aur tez dhadakne laga.
Tabhi phone vibrate hua.
📞 Unknown Number
Message:
"Tum jis se baat kar rahi ho…
uski awaaz pe dhyaan do.
Woh pehli baar nahi aa raha."
Aira ne turant reply kiya:
"Tum ho kaun?"
Reply aaya—
"Jo tum nahi ho."
Aira ne phone band kar diya.
Ye sab uske liye zyada ho raha tha.
Usne peephole se phir dekha.
Aadmi ab bhi wahin tha.
Par…
ab woh bheega hua nahi lag raha tha.
Aira ka dimag freeze ho gaya.
"Ab bhi ho?" usne dheere se kaha.
Aadmi ne darwaze ke bilkul paas aa kar kaha—
"Madam… main kab se yahin hoon."
Aira peeche hati.
Aur tab…
usne mehsoos kiya—
peeche se kisi ki saans uski gardan ke paas thi.
Thandi.
Bilkul kareeb.
Usne palat kar dekha—
koi nahi.
Par mirror me…
uske reflection ke peeche
ek aur parchai khadi thi.