Siddharth ek writer tha jo shanti ki talaash mein Himachal ke ek chhote se gaon 'Almora' ke ek purane kiraye ke ghar mein rehne aaya tha. Ghar sasta tha, bada tha, aur sabse alag thalag tha. Usne socha tha yahan wo apni nayi thriller novel poori karega, par use kya pata tha ki asli thriller uske saath shuru hone wala hai.
Pehle teen din sab theek tha. Chauthi raat ko, jab bahar tez barish ho rahi thi, Siddharth ko apne kamre ke darwaze par teen baar dastak sunayi di.
Tuk... Tuk... Tuk...
Usne ghadi dekhi-raat ke 2:15 baj rahe the. Usne darwaza khola, bahar koi nahi tha. Sirf ek thandi hawa ka jhonka andar aaya. Usne socha shayad purana ghar hai, lakdi phool gayi hogi.
Suspense Gehra Hota Hai
Agli raat phir wahi hua. Thik 2:15 baje, phir se teen dastak. Is baar Siddharth ne darwaza turant khola, par hallway khaali tha. Lekin ek cheez badal gayi thi-farsh par ek geela pairon ka nishaan tha, jo sidhe uske kamre ki taraf aa raha tha, lekin darwaze par khatam ho raha tha.
Siddharth ka dil zor se dhadakne laga. Agle din usne gaon ke ek purane chaukidaar se baat ki. Chaukidaar ne darti hui awaaz mein kaha, "Sahab, us ghar mein 20 saal pehle ek admi gayab ho gaya tha. Kehte hain wo har raat apne ghar wapas aane ki koshish karta hai, par use rasta nahi milta."
Woh Khaufnaak Raat
Teesri raat, Siddharth ne thaan liya ki wo peecha karega. Usne darwaze ke peeche ek camera lagaya aur khud almari mein chhup gaya.
2:15 AM: Wahi teen dastak hui.
Siddharth ne almari ki darar se dekha.
Darwaza apne aap khula. Koi nazar nahi aa raha tha, par kamre ki mitti par naye pairon ke nishaan banne lage-jaise koi invisible insaan chal kar uski desk ki taraf ja raha ho.
Wo "saaya" Siddharth ki laptop screen ke paas ruka. Laptop ki screen apne aap on hui aur typing shuru ho gayi. Siddharth ki saansein atak gayi thi.
The Twist (Anjaam)
Jab dastak band hui aur kamra thanda pad gaya, Siddharth kaanpte huye bahar aaya. Usne laptop screen par dekha. Wahan wahi novel ka agla chapter likha tha jo Siddharth likhne ki koshish kar raha tha.
Par last line padhte hi uske hosh ud gaye. Wahan likha tha:
"Siddharth ko lag raha hai ki wo akela hai, par wo ye bhool gaya ki 20 saal pehle jo admi gayab hua tha... wo aur koi nahi, balki wahi khud hai. Bas wo mar chuka hai aur ye uska saaya hai jo har raat 2:15 baje apne hi maut ka raaz dhoondhta hai."
Siddharth ne aaine (mirror) ki taraf dekha. Mirror mein uska koi reflection nahi tha. Tabhi piche se phir wahi awaaz aayi... Tuk... Tuk... Tuk... par is baar dastak darwaze par nahi, uski almari ke andar se aa rahi thi, jahan wo abhi chhupa tha.