Chapter 1: The Unknown App
Raat ke kareeb 11:45 baj rahe the. Ghar ke har kone me khamoshi phel chuki thi. Bahar gali me kabhi-kabhi kutte bhonkne ki awaaz aati, lekin uske alawa sab kuch bilkul shaant tha. Ayaan apne kamre ki light band karke bistar par leta hua mobile scroll kar raha tha.
Uski aankhon ke neeche halka sa dark circle tha. Din bhar kaam karne ke baad bhi usse chain nahi milta tha. Uske dimaag me sirf ek hi baat chal rahi thi — paise.
"Zindagi itni mushkil kyun hai…" usne dheere se khud se kaha.
Uske paas na koi badi job thi, na koi strong support system. Ghar ki zimmedariyaan, apne sapne, aur future ka darr — sab kuch ek saath uske kandhon par tha.
Usne mobile side me rakhne ki koshish ki… lekin tabhi—
Vrrrr…
Phone vibrate hua.
Ayaan ne aankhen sikod kar screen dekhi.
Unknown notification.
"Do you want to change your life?"
Ayaan ne halka sa hansa.
"Har jagah scam hi scam hai…"
Normally wo ignore kar deta, lekin aaj kuch alag tha. Jaise us notification me koi ajeeb si kashish thi.
Usne thoda hesitate kiya… phir click kar diya।
Screen ekdum se black ho gayi।
"Arey?"
Ayaan seedha uth kar baith gaya।
2–3 second tak kuch nahi hua।
Phir dheere dheere ek dark interface open hua।
Pura background kaala tha… aur beech me ek line likhi thi:
"WELCOME TO THE GAME."
Ayaan ke dil ki dhadkan tez ho gayi।
"Game? Kaunsa game?"
Usne back button dabaya।
Kuch nahi hua।
Phir dobara dabaya।
Phir bhi kuch nahi।
"Yeh kya mazaak hai?"
Usne power button press kiya।
Phone band nahi hua।
Uska gala sookhne laga।
Tabhi screen par ek aur line aayi:
"You cannot go back now."
Ayaan ke haath halki si kaanpne lage।
"Yeh kaise possible hai…?"
Usne khud ko sambhalne ki koshish ki।
"Bas koi bug hoga…"
Lekin uske dil ke kisi kone me darr jag chuka tha।
Screen par ab ek red button blink kar raha tha:
INSTALL
Wo button jaise usse bula raha tha।
Ayaan ne aankhen band ki… ek gehri saans li… aur socha—
"Ek click se kya hi ho jayega…"
Aur usne button press kar diya।
Tap.
Screen black।
Phir ek loading bar—
Installing… 5%
Ayaan chup chap screen ko dekh raha tha।
20%… 40%… 70%… 100%
Jaise hi 100% hua—
"Game Started."
Ek ajeeb si heavy awaaz phone se nikli।
Ayaan ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya।
"Yeh normal game nahi lag raha…"
Tabhi ek notification aaya:
---
TASK 1
Time Limit: 10 Minutes
Objective: Step outside your house
Reward: ₹5000
Failure: Death
---
Ayaan jam gaya।
Usne message dobara padha।
Phir teesri baar।
"Death…?"
Uski saans tez ho gayi।
"Yeh koi joke hai kya?"
Usne turant phone band karne ki koshish ki।
Kuch nahi hua।
App close karne ki koshish ki—
Fail।
Phone restart—
Fail।
Uska darr ab real ho chuka tha।
Tabhi—
"Timer Started: 09:59"
Countdown shuru ho gaya।
9:58… 9:57…
Ayaan ke mathe par paseena aa gaya।
"Yeh sach nahi ho sakta…"
Usne khidki se bahar dekha।
Andhera।
Bilkul sannata।
"Sirf bahar jaana hai… bas itna hi to hai…"
Lekin uska dimaag keh raha tha—
"Kuch galat hai."
Timer: 08:40
Ayaan ne khud ko samjhaya—
"Main itna darr kyun raha hoon? Ye bas ek game hai!"
Lekin phir uski nazar "Failure: Death" par padhi।
Uske andar se awaaz aayi—
"Ya agar yeh sach hua to?"
Timer: 07:25
Ayaan dheere se khada hua।
Uske pair bhaari lag rahe the।
Jaise koi use rok raha ho।
Usne kamre ka darwaza khola।
Creeeek…
Awaaz sunte hi uska dil uchhal gaya।
Ghar me sab so rahe the।
Har cheez normal thi…
Lekin Ayaan ke liye sab kuch badal chuka tha।
Timer: 06:10
Wo seedhiyon se neeche utarne laga।
Har step par usse lag raha tha koi uske peeche chal raha hai।
Usne peeche mud kar dekha—
Koi nahi।
Phir bhi darr kam nahi hua।
Timer: 05:05
Wo main door ke paas pahucha।
Usne handle pakda।
Uska haath kaap raha tha।
"Bas ek step…"
Timer: 04:20
Usne aankhen band ki…
Aur darwaza khol diya।
Click…
Thandi hawa ka jhonka uske chehre par pada।
Bahar raat aur bhi gehri thi।
Street light ki roshni me sab kuch ajeeb lag raha tha।
Timer: 03:40
Ayaan dheere dheere bahar nikla।
Ek kadam…
Do kadam…
Aur jaise hi wo poori tarah bahar aaya—
TING!
Phone vibrate hua।
---
TASK COMPLETED
Reward Credited: ₹5000
---
Ayaan ki aankhen phat gayi।
"Ho gaya…?"
Usne turant bank app check kiya।
Aur uska dil ruk gaya—
₹5000 sach me aa chuke the।
"Yeh kaise possible hai…"
Uska dimaag sunn pad gaya।
Tabhi—
Usse mehsoos hua…
Koi usse dekh raha hai।
Usne dheere se sir uthaya।
Gali ke kone par…
Ek aadmi khada tha।
Bilkul seedha।
Bilkul chup।
Uska chehra andhere me chhupa hua tha।
Ayaan ka gala sookh gaya।
"Kaun hai…?"
Koi jawaab nahi।
Wo aadmi hil bhi nahi raha tha।
Jaise statue ho।
Ayaan ne ek kadam peeche liya।
Uska dil zor zor se dhadak raha tha।
Tabhi phone par message aaya:
---
"You are not alone."
---
Ayaan ne dobara us aadmi ki taraf dekha—
Aur…
Wo gayab ho chuka tha।
Jaise wo kabhi tha hi nahi।
Ayaan ka dimaag ghoom gaya।
"Yeh kya ho raha hai…"
Usne turant ghar ke andar bhaagna shuru kiya।
Darwaza band kiya।
Seedha apne kamre me gaya।
Uska saans control me nahi aa raha tha।
Usne phone ko dekha।
Screen par ek naya message tha:
---
"Next task coming soon."
---
Ayaan chup chaap bistar par baith gaya।
Uski aankhen screen par jam gayi।
Usne dheere se kaha—
"Yeh game nahi hai…"
"Yeh maut hai…"
Aur us raat…
Ayaan ko neend nahi aayi।
Usse bas ek hi cheez samajh aa gayi thi—
Usne jo install kiya hai… wo uski zindagi badalne wala hai।
Ya… uski zindagi khatam karne wala hai। 😨