Raat ke exactly 2 baje the. Pura Kolkata so raha tha, sadkein khali thi, hawa thandi chal rahi thi. Lekin Meher ki aankhon me neend ka naam nahi tha. Woh apne bed par chhat ko dekhte hue bas soch rahi thi — life itni complicated kyu lagti hai?

Tabhi uska phone achanak vibrate hua.

Screen par ek unknown number flash ho raha tha.

Meher ne bhauyen sikodi. Itni raat ko kaun call karega? Kuch seconds ke liye usne ignore karne ka socha… par phir curiosity jeet gayi.

Usne dheere se call receive kiya.

“Hello…?” uski awaaz halki si kaamp rahi thi.

Kuch pal ke liye complete silence tha. Sirf uski saansein sunai de rahi thi.

Phir ek ladke ki awaaz aayi — deep, calm, aur ajeeb tarah se familiar.

“Tum abhi bhi nahi soyi ho…”

Meher ka dil ekdum se tez dhadakne laga.

“Excuse me? Kaun bol raha hai?” usne thoda strong banne ki koshish ki.

Ladka halki si hansi ke saath bola, “Kal raat bhi tum 2:15 tak jaag rahi thi… aur usse pehle wali raat 3 baje tak.”

Meher ka gala sookh gaya.

Yeh koi random guess nahi ho sakta tha.

“Tum mujhe jaante ho?” usne dheere se poocha.

“Utna jitna tum khud ko bhi nahi jaanti,” usne bina delay ke jawab diya.

Meher ne turant call cut kar diya.

“Yeh koi prank hoga…” usne khud se kaha, par uska dil maan nahi raha tha.

Woh raat usne mushkil se nikali. Har chhoti si awaaz par uska dhyaan ja raha tha. Usse lag raha tha jaise koi usse dekh raha ho.

Next day, usne us call ko ignore karne ki koshish ki. Lekin dimaag me wahi awaaz ghoom rahi thi.

Aur phir…

Raat ke 2 baje.

Phone phir vibrate hua.

Wahi unknown number.

Is baar Meher ne bina soche call uthaya.

“Tum phir se…” usne gusse aur darr ke beech kaha.

“Main hamesha aata hoon,” ladke ne shaant awaaz me kaha.

“Tum chahte kya ho?” Meher almost frustrate hue boli.

“Main tumhe warn karna chahta hoon,” usne kaha.

Meher thodi der ke liye chup ho gayi.

“Kal 11:07 AM par tumhe ek call aayega. Usse ignore mat karna. Woh tumhari life change karega.”

Meher ne aankhen band kar li.

“Why should I trust you?”

“Kyuki ab tak maine jo bhi kaha hai… sab sahi tha.”

Uske paas jawab nahi tha.

Call cut ho gaya.

Next morning, Meher ne apne aap ko busy rakhne ki puri koshish ki. Par uska dhyaan baar baar phone par ja raha tha.

Aur phir…

Exactly 11:07 AM.

Uska phone baja.

Unknown number nahi… ek official number tha.

“Hello, are you Meher? This is regarding your job application…”

Uska dil thand pad gaya.

Woh slowly bed par baith gayi.

“Yeh… sach kaise ho sakta hai…?”

Us raat…

2 baje…

Phone phir baja.

Meher ne is baar bina dare call uthaya.

“Tum kaun ho?” usne seedha poocha.

Dusri taraf se ek halki si hansi sunai di.

“Main tumhara future hoon…”

Ek second ke liye silence raha.

“...aur shayad tumhara pyaar bhi.”

Raat ke 2 baje.

Clock ki halki si tick-tick poore room me goonj rahi thi. Meher apne bed par seedhi baithi thi, aankhen phone screen par tikki hui. Usse pata tha… call aayega.

Aur jaise hi 2:00 hua—

Phone vibrate hua.

Unknown Number.

Is baar usne ek second bhi waste nahi kiya.

“Tum kaun ho?” usne turant poocha. Awaaz strong thi… lekin uske andar ka darr clearly mehsoos ho raha tha.

Dusri taraf kuch seconds tak sirf saansein sunai di.

Phir…

“Tum intezaar kar rahi thi,” woh awaaz dheere se boli.

Meher ka gala sookh gaya.

“Seedha jawab do. Tum ho kaun?”

Halki si hansi.

“Tumhe sach me lagta hai tum ready ho yeh jaanne ke liye?”

Meher ne teeth bhinch liye. “Try me.”

Silence.

Phir usne dheere se kaha—

“Main tumhe dekh raha hoon.”

Meher ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.

Usne turant apne room me nazar daali. Door band. Window band. Curtains hile tak nahi rahe the.

“Yeh possible nahi hai,” usne almost fusahte hue kaha.

“Pink night suit… left shoulder par thoda sa fold hai,” usne bina rukhe kaha.

Meher ne shock me apne kapdon ki taraf dekha.

Exactly wahi.

Uske haath kaanpne lage.

“Tum… kahan ho?” uski awaaz ab dheemi aur dar se bhari hui thi.

“Close enough,” usne fusahte hue kaha. “Itna close ki agar tum thoda sa bhi dhyaan do… toh mehsoos kar sakti ho.”

Meher turant bed se uthi. Usne door khola—bahar andhera aur khamoshi thi. Sab so rahe the.

Woh wapas aayi, door lock kiya, aur phone ko aur zor se pakad liya.

“Tum mujhe follow kar rahe ho?” usne poocha.

“Main tumhe protect kar raha hoon,” uska jawab turant aaya.

“Protect? Kis se?”

“Un logon se jo tumhe hurt karne wale hain… aur khud tumse bhi.”

Meher confuse ho gayi.

“Main kyun tumhari baat maanun?” usne challenge kiya.

“Kyuki kal jo maine kaha tha… woh sab sach hua,” usne calmly kaha. “Aur kal bhi hoga.”

Meher chup ho gayi.

Uska dimaag keh raha tha ki yeh sab galat hai… lekin dil… us awaaz par trust karne laga tha.

“Kal tumhari training start hogi,” usne dheere se kaha.

“Wahan ek ladka milega… usse door rehna.”

Meher ka heart beat aur tez ho gaya.

“Kaun ladka?”

“Jis par tum sabse pehle trust karogi,” usne bina delay ke kaha.

Room me thandi hawa ka jhonka aaya… ya shayad Meher ko aisa feel hua.

“Tum mujhe control karne ki koshish kar rahe ho?” usne gusse me poocha.

“Main tumhe bachane ki koshish kar raha hoon,” usne thoda soft hote hue kaha.

Phir kuch seconds ka silence.

Meher ne dheere se poocha, “Tum mujhe itna sab kyun bata rahe ho…?”

Dusri taraf se ek gehri saans li gayi.

“Kyuki tum important ho.”

Uska dil halki si dhadkan chhod gaya.

“Kitni important?” usne almost fusahte hue poocha.

Silence.

Phir…

“Utni… jitni meri zindagi.”

Meher ke lips slightly open reh gaye.

Usse samajh nahi aa raha tha ki woh darr rahi hai… ya us awaaz me kho rahi hai.

“Please… mat jao,” usne bina soche keh diya.

Is baar silence thoda lamba tha.

Phir woh dheere se hasa.

“Tumhe meri aadat ho rahi hai, Meher…”

Uska dil aur tez dhadakne laga.

“Good night.”

Call cut ho gaya.

Room phir se bilkul khamosh ho gaya.

Lekin iss baar…

Meher ne dheere se apne piche mud kar dekha.

Curtain halka sa hila.

Aur us moment me…

Usse pehli baar real me laga—

Woh sach me akeli nahi hai.

Subah ke 11:07 baje.

Phone bilkul usi waqt baja tha… jaise usne kaha tha.

Aur ab Meher yahan thi.

Office ke bahar.

Uska dil itna tez dhadak raha tha jaise woh uske control me hi na ho.

“Kal tum ek galti karogi…”

Uski awaaz abhi bhi uske dimaag me goonj rahi thi.

Meher ne dheere se andar kadam rakha.

Sab kuch normal tha.

Bright lights… logon ki awaazein… keyboard ki tapping…

Par usse yeh sab fake lag raha tha.

Jaise woh kisi aur duniya me aa gayi ho.

Training room me enter karte hi…

Woh feeling wapas aa gayi.

Wahi nazar.

Wahi presence.

Jaise koi usse dekh nahi raha…

Balki uske through dekh raha ho.

Meher ne turant apni seat le li.

Usne apni fingers tightly jod li.

“Control, Meher… kuch nahi hai…” usne dheere se khud se kaha.

Phone vibrate hua.

Unknown Message.

Uska dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.

Screen par likha tha—

“Right side mat dekhna.”

Meher ne apni aankhen seedhi rakhi.

Uska throat dry ho gaya.

“Ky… kyun?” usne type kiya.

Reply aaya—

“Kyuki agar tumne dekha… toh tum usse ignore nahi kar paogi.”

Meher ki saansein dheemi ho gayi.

Uska dimaag usse force kar raha tha…

Dekhne ke liye.

Aur phir—

Usne dheere se… apni nazar right side ghumayi.

Ek ladka.

Bilkul normal.

Woh uski taraf dekh kar halka sa smile kar raha tha.

Bas ek simple smile.

Par…

Us smile me kuch ajeeb tha.

Jaise woh thoda zyada perfect ho.

Zyada still.

Zyada… fake.

Phone phir vibrate hua.

“Tumne dekh liya…”

Meher ke haath kaanp gaye.

“Woh normal hai…” usne type kiya.

Reply instantly aaya—

“Uske haath dekho.”

Meher ka dil zor se dhadakne laga.

Usne dheere se us ladke ke haathon ki taraf dekha.

Aur us moment me…

Uski saansein ruk gayi.

Uske fingers… bilkul still the.

Bilkul unnatural.

Jaise koi movement hi na ho.

Jaise woh zinda hi na ho.

“Yeh… kya…” Meher ke lips se dheere se nikla.

“Hi,” achanak woh ladka uske paas jhuk kar bola.

Uski awaaz normal thi.

Par uske words aur uski aankhon ke beech kuch mismatch tha.

“First day?” usne poocha.

Meher freeze ho gayi.

Uska phone uske haath me vibrate kar raha tha.

“Baat mat karna.”

Par iss baar…

Meher ne apni aankhen us ladke ki aankhon me daal di.

Aur dheere se kaha—

“Haan…”

Jaise hi usne jawab diya—

Uske kaan ke paas halki si saans mehsoos hui.

Bilkul paas.

Jaise koi uske piche khada ho.

“Mat karo…” ek fusahati hui awaaz uske kaan ke paas boli.

Meher ka dil ruk gaya.

Woh awaaz phone se nahi aayi thi.

Woh… uske bilkul paas thi.

Par jab usne turant piche mud kar dekha—

Wahan koi nahi tha.

“Tum theek ho?” woh ladka ab bhi uske saamne khada tha.

Uski smile ab bhi wahi thi.

Same.

Unchanged.

Jaise woh blink bhi nahi kar raha ho.

“Main Aarav hoon,” usne haath badhaya.

Meher ne uske haath ki taraf dekha.

Phone phir vibrate hua—

“Agar tumne usse chhua… toh main tumhe nahi bacha paunga.”

Uska dil zor se dhadakne laga.

Par iss baar…

Jaise kisi ne uske andar se usse push kiya ho.

Usne dheere se apna haath aage badhaya.

Aur Aarav ke haath ko touch kar liya.

Jaise hi unke haath mile—

Ek thandi, sardi se bhari wave uske poore body me daud gayi.

Uska haath instantly numb ho gaya.

Jaise khoon ruk gaya ho.

Meher ne turant haath wapas kheench liya.

Uski saansein toot rahi thi.

Aarav ab bhi usse dekh raha tha.

Same smile.

Par iss baar…

Uski aankhen thodi zyada dark lag rahi thi.

Phone zor se vibrate hua.

Unknown Call.

Meher ne kaanpte hue call uthaya.

Silence.

Phir…

Woh awaaz.

Is baar bilkul paas.

Bilkul thandi.

Bilkul… gusse me.

“Maine tumhe mana kiya tha…”

Meher ki aankhon me aansu aa gaye.

“Woh… normal hai…” usne weak voice me kaha.

Kuch seconds tak silence raha.

Phir woh dheere se bola—

“Ab jab woh tumhe dekhega… main usse rok nahi paunga.”

Call cut.

Room me sab normal tha.

Trainer bol raha tha.

Log likh rahe the.

Par Meher ke liye…

Sab kuch change ho chuka tha.

Usne dheere se Aarav ki taraf dekha.

Iss baar…

Woh usse smile nahi kar raha tha.

Woh bas usse dekh raha tha.

Bilkul bina blink kiye.

Jaise ab…

Uski baari ho.