Us raat baarish normal nahi thi.
Ye wo baarish thi jo sirf zameen ko nahi, dimaag ko bhigo deti hai.
Har boond aisa lag rahi thi jaise koi secret chhupa kar gira rahi ho.
Jack ne car rok di.
Uske saamne ek purana ghar khada tha — dark, silent, aur ajeeb tareeke se zinda.
Log isse Blackwood House kehte the.
Jack yahan rehne nahi aaya tha.
Wo yahan isliye aaya tha kyunki uske paas aur koi option nahi bacha tha.
Pichhle teen mahino se use ek hi sapna aa raha tha.
Ek andhera kamra.
Deewaron se tapakta hua khoon.
Aur ek awaaz jo har baar dheere se kehti:
"Tu wapas aayega, Jack."
Aaj wo usi jagah khada tha jahan se sab shuru hua tha.
Car se bahar nikalte hi thandi hawa ne uski gardan ko chhoo li.
Aisa laga jaise kisi ne uske kaan ke paas saans li ho.
Jack ne turant peeche dekha.
Koi nahi tha.
"Bas imagination hai," usne khud se kaha.
Lekin uska dil tez dhadak raha tha.
Ghar ka main door aadha toota hua tha.
Jack ne dheere se dhakka diya.
Creeeek…
Darwaaze ki awaaz poore ghar me fail gayi.
Andar ki smell ajeeb thi — seelan, purani lakdi, aur kuch aisa jo sadhte hue zakhm jaisa lag raha tha.
Hall me ek bada sa photo frame latak raha tha.
Us par dhool jami thi, lekin chehra bilkul saaf dikh raha tha.
Wo chehra Jack ka tha.
Uske haath kaanpne lage.
"Ye koi mazaak hai kya?"
Usne frame ko chhoo liya.
Tabhi upar se kisi ke chalne ki awaaz aayi.
Dhapp…
Dhapp…
Jack ki saans ruk si gayi.
"Mujhe bataya gaya tha ki ye ghar khaali hai,"
usne khud ko yaad dilaya.
Phir bhi awaaz bilkul real thi.
Jack dheere-dheere seediyaan chadhne laga.
Har seedi par pair rakhte hi aisa lag raha tha jaise ghar use pehchaan raha ho.
Upar ek kamra khula hua tha.
Kamre ke beech me ek purani wooden chair rakhi thi.
Aur chair par rakhi thi —
ek gudiya.
Us gudiya ki aankhen kaali thi, chamakti hui, aur unnatural.
Uske hothon par halki si muskaan thi.
Jack ne jaise hi ek kadam aage badhaya —
DHADAAM!
Darwaaza apne aap band ho gaya.
Jack bhaaga, handle pakda —
locked.
"Hello? Koi hai?"
uski awaaz kamzor lag rahi thi.
Phir…
peeche se wahi awaaz.
Thandi.
Dheemi.
Aur bahut zyada pehchaani hui.
"Tune waada toda tha, Jack."
Jack ki reedh ki haddi me sardi si daud gayi.
Wo dheere-dheere palta.
Kamre ke kone me koi khada tha.
Andhere me chhupa hua.
Tabhi bijli chamki.
Aur roshni me jo chehra dikhai diya —
wo Jack khud tha.
Bilkul same.
Wahi aankhen.
Wahi chehra.
Bas muskaan alag thi —
dark aur khatarnaak.
Jack cheekhna chahta tha,
lekin awaaz uske gale me hi atak gayi.
Uske dimaag me sirf ek sawaal ghoom raha tha:
Agar mai yahan hoon…
to wo kaun hai?
Aur tab…
poora ghar dheere-dheere hasne laga.