Toh dekho, Emily ke haath kaanp rahe the jab usne neeche waala darwaza lock kiya. Dil aise zor se dhadak raha tha jaise koi drum baja raha ho. Woh shadow jo usne neeche dekha tha, woh abhi bhi uske dimaag mein tha. Sach tha ya bas uski imagination ka khel?

Phir usne jaldi jaldi Sarah ko dubara call kiya, awaaz bilkul hilti hui.

“Sarah yaar, please! Maine kuch dekha neeche… shadow tha! Main imagine nahi kar rahi. Jaldi aa ja na!”

Sarah ne thoda sa sigh kiya, bola,

“Emily, itni late ho gayi hai, main abhi Chris ke ghar hoon. Ghar purana hai, shayad teri nerves ka khel hai. Thoda aram kar, main kal subah aa jaungi.”

Emily ko pata tha Sarah nahi aayegi, par phir bhi boli,

“Chalo, phone pe hi thodi der raho?”

“Bilkul, shant ho ja.”

Emily sofa pe baithi, apne ghutno ko pakad ke. Kamra thoda dim tha, lights flicker kar rahi thi, aur diwaar pe ajeeb shadows dikh rahe the. Uski nazar sirf us locked darwaze pe thi, darr lag raha tha kuch nikal ke aa jayega agar wo dekhe se hat jayegi.

Tabhi seedi se ajeeb creaking sound aaya, dheere dheere.

“Creeeaaak… creeeaaak…”

Emily ki saans ruk gayi. Usne panic mein Sarah se pucha,

“Sarah, suna tune?”

“Kya suna?” Sarah ne thoda tension mein kaha.

Phir awaaz ruk gayi. Aur jab Emily ne dekha toh darwaza thoda sa khula tha.

“Sarah! Darwaza lock kiya tha na, ab khula hai!”

Emily peeche hat gayi, phone ko zor se pakad ke.

“Emily, bas bhaag yahan se!” Sarah ne cheekh ke kaha.

Emily ne apna sara himmat jata ke main door ki taraf daud lagayi. Uske haath lock kholne mein ghabra rahe the. Peeche se halki awaazein aa rahi thi — jaise koi phusphusa raha ho,

“Chhod do… chhod do ab…”

Aakhir mein usne darwaza khola aur bahar nikal gayi, gehri saans lete hue. Bahar thandi hawa lagi, thoda relax feel hua. Ghar peeche chup chaap khada tha, par lag raha tha jaise wo usse dekh raha ho.

Woh mud ke dekha, ek streetlight flicker kar raha tha khali sadak pe. Raat ka silence kuch ajeeb sa tha.

Tab Sarah ki awaaz aayi,

“Emily, theek hai? Kahan ho ab?”

“Main bahar hoon… yahan nahi ruk sakti, please mujhe leke aa ja.”

“Thik hai, wahin raho. Main abhi aati hoon.”

Emily ne call cut kiya aur ghar dekha. Dil chah raha tha bhaag jaaye, par kuch usse ghar ke andar khinch raha tha.

Phir usne dekha…

Woh shadow! Seedi ke upar khada, window se dekh raha tha.

Emily ka khoon jam gaya, bina peeche dekhe wo tezi se daud padi.

Agli subah…

Sarah aur Chris aaye, Emily ko bulaate hue. Par ghar ka front door wide open tha, aur Emily gayab thi.

Uske saaman wahan the, par wo nahi thi.

Chris dheere se andar gaya, “Emily? Kahan hai tu?”

Sarah ne uska phone uthaya jo sofa pe pada tha, aur usmein ek last recorded call thi — Emily ki awaaz mein.

Hath kaanpte hue, Sarah ne record chalaya.

Speaker se halki si whisper aayi,

“Tumhe pehle hi nikal jana chahiye tha…”

Sarah aur Chris ne ek doosre ko dekha, samajh gaye ki kuch toh seriously galat hai.

Sarah ne Chris se kaha, “Chris, Emily kaha hai? Wo apna phone nahi chhodti.”

Chris ne ghar ko dekha, hawa bahut thandi aur ajeeb thi.

“Chalo ghar dhoondte hain, shayad wo kahi chhupi ho.”

Dheere dheere dono neeche utare jahan Emily ko sabse pehle ajeeb feel hua tha. Floor pe halki paon ke nishaan the, jo ek purane darwaze tak ja rahe the.

“Lagta hai wo andar hai,” Sarah ne dheeme se kaha.

Chris ne haan mein sir hilaaya aur darwaza khola.

Andar andhera tha, ek kursi ulti hui thi — waise hi jaise Emily ne bataya tha.

Phir ek halki si whisper pure kamre mein goonj uthi, sabke ragon mein thandi jalan daal ke.