Raat 11:58.
Ayaan hall me akela baitha tha.
Light on thi. TV on tha. Ghar me awaaz thi.
Lekin uske andar… sirf khamoshi.
Usne ghadi dekhi.
11:59.
Uska gala sukh gaya.
Usne decide kiya — is baar woh bhaagega nahi.
Agar kuch hona hai… to woh dekhega.
12:05.
Sab normal.
12:10.
Hawa dheere dheere thandi hone lagi.
TV ki screen halki si blink hui.
12:14.
Usne phone haath me pakad liya.
Camera open.
"Is baar proof chahiye," usne dheere se kaha.
12:16.
Ghadi ki second wali sui dheere chal rahi thi.
Jaise waqt jaan bujhkar slow ho raha ho.
Tick…
Tick…
Tick…
12:17.
Poora ghar ek second ke liye bilkul chup ho gaya.
Jaise duniya ne saans rok li ho.
Phir…
Click.
Hall ki light khud band ho gayi.
TV off.
Fan ruk gaya.
Sirf andhera.
Ayaan ki saans tez.
"Main yahin hoon," usne andhere me kaha. "Samne aa."
2 second ki khamoshi.
Phir…
Uske peeche se uski hi awaaz aayi:
"Tum kab tak pretend karoge?"
Ayaan ne jhat se mudkar phone ka flashlight on kiya.
Koi nahi.
Lekin floor par… ek cheez padhi thi.
Wahi purana lifafa.
Usne kaanpte haath se uthaya.
Is baar kagaz par likha tha:
12:17 — time of death.
Ayaan ka dimag sun ho gaya.
"Ye jhoot hai…"
Phir uske dimag me flash hua —
Chhat.
Tez hawa.
Phisalna.
Cheekh.
Phir…
Neeche zameen.
Aur khoon.
Usne pehli baar clearly dekha —
Woh sach me gira tha.
8 saal ki umar me.
Aur…
Woh mar gaya tha.
Reality Break
Ayaan ka saans rukne laga.
"Phir main kaun hoon?"
Tabhi uske saamne hall ki diwar par woh shadow phir bani.
Is baar aur clear.
Shadow dheere dheere 3D shape lene lagi.
Aur uske samne ek ladka khada tha.
8 saal ka.
Chot lagi hui.
Khoon laga hua.
Aankhen khali.
Woh Ayaan tha.
Uska bachpan wala version.
Bachcha dheere se bola:
"Tum sirf ek version ho."
Ayaan ka jism kaap raha tha.
"Matlab?"
Bachcha muskuraya.
"Jab main gira… main mar gaya. Lekin tumhare dimaag ne ek naya Ayaan bana diya."
Room ki walls halki halki crack hone lagi.
Jaise reality toot rahi ho.
"Tum ek memory ho. Ek continuation. Ek survival mechanism."
Ayaan cheekha:
"Nahi!"
Bachcha aage badha.
"Isliye log tumhe ignore karte the."
Achanak Ayaan ke dimaag me school ke scenes flash hone lage —
Teacher uska naam bulate… lekin attendance register me naam missing.
Gali ke bacche use dekhte hi nahi.
Meher…
Meher ka face blur hone laga.
Kya woh kabhi thi hi nahi?
Sach Ka Sabse Bada Jhatka
Achanak hall ka darwaza khula.
Tez safed roshni andar aayi.
Aur us roshni me… uski maa khadi thi.
Lekin jawaan nahi.
Bohot buddhi.
Aankhon me aansu.
Usne dheere se kaha:
"12:17 par mera beta chala gaya tha."
Ayaan ka dil toot gaya.
"Maa…"
Lekin maa ne use dekha hi nahi.
Jaise woh transparent ho.
Woh roshni me khadi ro rahi thi.
"Kaash us din main use chhat par akela na chhodti…"
Ayaan peeche hatne laga.
Uska jism halka hone laga.
Jaise dhundh ban raha ho.
Bachpan wala Ayaan uske paas aaya.
"Time ho gaya."
"Matlab?"
"Ya to accept karo… ya phir phas jao 12:17 me hamesha ke liye."
Ghadi phir se dikhai di.
12:17.
Repeat.
Loop.
Usne dekha — har raat woh same 12:17 me atka hua tha.
Har baar woh bhool jata.
Har baar woh darr jata.
Har baar woh fir se jeeta.
Sirf 12:17 tak.
Decision
Ayaan ne aankhen band ki.
Usne apne aap se kaha:
"Agar main memory hoon… to main jaaunga."
Room aur tootne laga.
Shadow aur bachpan wala version ek ho gaye.
Usne last baar ghar dekha.
Maa.
Hall.
Diwar.
Sab fade hone laga.
12:17 blink hua.
Phir…
Black.
Subah 6:12
Maa kitchen me chai bana rahi thi.
Ghar me khamoshi.
Diwar par ek photo frame.
8 saal ka Ayaan.
Neeche likha tha:
1999 – 2007
Maa ne photo ko dekha.
Aankhon me aansu aaye.
Usne dheere se kaha:
"Kal raat phir 12:17 par mujhe laga tum yahin ho…"
Hawa halki si chali.
Photo frame thoda sa hila.
Aur ek pal ke liye…
Photo me Ayaan muskuraya.
Final Twist
Raat 12:17.
Ghar me khamoshi.
Hall me andhera.
Diwar par ek naya shadow bana.
Is baar ek nahi.
Do.
Ek chhota.
Ek bada.
Aur andhere me ek nayi awaaz goonji:
"Ab hum akela nahi hai."
To Be Continued…