Veer ka dil ab bhi pehle jitna hi zordaar dhadak raha tha. Usne apne aap ko sambhalne ki koshish ki, lekin mall ka andhera aur mannequins ki woh ajeeb si muskurahat uske zehen mein ghul gayi thi. Woh mannequins ab bhi apni jagah par the, lekin unki aankhon mein ab ek aur bhi ghera saaye ka asar tha—jaise woh zinda ho gaye ho, aur Veer unke beech mein fas gaya ho.
Veer ne ek aur qadam aage badhaya aur dekha ke uske haath mein jo phone tha, woh ab bhi wahi ajeeb message dikhata ja raha tha: "Tumhe yahaan se nikalna hoga, warna tum is kahani ka hissa ban jaoge."
Uske dimagh mein ab sawal ghoomne lage the, aur har sawal ke jawab mein sirf aur sirf ek hi khauf tha. Yeh saaya kiska hai? Yeh mannequins zinda kaise ho sakte hain? Kya yeh sab ek mazak hai, ya yeh sach mein uske saath ho raha hai?
Achaanak, usne apne phone ka flashlight on kiya aur dheere dheere mannequins ke paas pohanch gaya. Usne dekha ke mannequins ke chehre ka rang ghul raha tha, aur woh bilkul uske taraf dekh rahe the. Unke chehre pe wahi khaufnaak muskurahat thi, jo uske dil ko dara rahi thi.
Veer ne dheere se kaha, "Mujhe yeh sab ek sapna lag raha hai. Shayad yeh sab sirf mera wehem hai." Lekin, jaise hi woh mannequins ke beech se guzra, uske kaan mein ek aur awaaz sunayi di—woh purani, bechaini se bhari awaaz, jo keh rahi thi, "Tum yahaan se bach nahi sakte. Tumhe is jagah ka raaz samajhna padega."
Ab Veer aur bhi zyada ghabra gaya tha. Woh mall ke ek aur kone mein chala gaya, jahan ek chhota sa corridor tha. Corridor mein sirf ek hi roshni thi—ek purani, lal rang ki bulb ki roshni, jo dheere dheere jalti aur bujhti ja rahi thi.
Jab usne corridor ke aage qadam rakha, usne ek aur ajeeb cheez mehsoos ki—corridor ke chaaro taraf se ek thanda sa saya uske paas aane laga. Usne apne kadam rok diye aur apne phone ki flashlight phir se on ki. Roshni mein usne dekha ke corridor ke deewaron par purane haath ke nishaan the, jaise kisi ne bahut pehle yahan se nikalne ki koshish ki ho.
Veer ke chehre par ab dar ka rang aur bhi gehra ho gaya tha.
Tabhi, peeche se ek zordaar awaz hui aur woh palat gaya. Usne dekha ke mannequins ab us corridor ke bahar khade the, aur woh uski taraf dheere dheere badh rahe the. Unke chehre ab aur bhi khaufnaak ho gaye the, aur aise lag raha tha ke woh sab uske kareeb aane ka mauka dhoond rahe hain.
"Yeh sab kya ho raha hai?" Veer ne dar se kaha. Usne apne kadam aur tez kar liye aur corridor mein andar ki taraf bhagne laga. Lekin usne dekha ke corridor ke aakhri mein ek purana darwaza tha, jo halki si roshni mein chamak raha tha.
Veer ne us darwaze ki taraf bhaag ke jaane ka socha, lekin uske dimaag mein ek hi sawal ghoom raha tha—"Kya yeh darwaza mujhe bachane wala hai ya mujhe aur bhi zyada khauf mein daalne wala hai?"
Usne apne saans ko sambhalte hue darwaza khola aur andar ghus gaya. Andar ek purani khidki thi, jo mall ke bahar ki taraf khul rahi thi, lekin uske saamne ek aur ajeeb aur darawni chhavi thi—ek aur saaya, jo uska intezaar kar raha tha.
Ab Veer bilkul majboor tha. Usne darwaza bandh kar diya aur apne dimaag ko shant karne ki koshish ki, lekin ab woh samajh gaya tha ke uska samna kisi bohot purani aur badi qudrat se ho raha hai. Usne apni aankhon ko jhuka liya aur apne dimaag mein bas ek hi sawaal kiya—"Kya main yahaan se kabhi nikal paunga?"
Veer ne apne dil ki dhadkan ko sambhalte hue corridor mein halke kadam rakhe. Andhera ab aur bhi gehra ho gaya tha, aur corridor mein halki si thandi hawa ka ehsas uske dil ko aur bhi dara raha tha. Uska intuition usse yehi keh raha tha ke yeh corridor mein aage badhna uske liye khatarnaak ho sakta hai, lekin uske paas aur koi raasta nahi tha.
Jab usne corridor ke ek aur darwaze ke paas pohanchne ki koshish ki, tabhi peeche se usse wohi purani, ghabrahat bhari awaaz sunayi di, "Tumhe laga ke tum bach ke nikal sakte ho?"
Veer ne palat kar dekha, lekin corridor ab khali tha—koi dikhayi nahi de raha tha. Woh awaaz jaise sirf uske zehen mein ghoonj rahi thi. Usne apne dimaag ko sambhalte hue us awaaz ko ignore kiya aur us door ki taraf badha.
Lekin jaise hi usne darwaza khola, uska saans ek pal ke liye ruk gaya. Darwaze ke peeche ek chhoti si kamra tha, jismein kuch purane photo frames aur ek bohot purani kursi rakhi thi. Kursi par ek bohot hi purani aur safed chadar se dhaki hui insaan ki tasveer thi. Us tasveer mein ek chehra tha jo ghusse aur dard se bhara tha, jaise woh zindagi bhar kisi ke intezaar mein rahe ho.
Veer ne apne haath se woh photo frame uthaya aur uske piche kuch likha dekha: "Iski maut ka badla abhi adhoora hai."
Veer ke chehre par ek ajeeb si khauf ki lahar daud gayi. Yeh tasveer kiski thi? Yeh insaan kaun tha? Aur iski maut ka badla kis cheez se tha?
Tabhi, kamre ki chaaron taraf se woh mannequins dheere dheere phir se dikhne lage. Unke chehre pe ab woh pehle se bhi zyada khaufnaak muskurahat thi, aur unki aankhen ek ajeeb si chamak se bhari hui thi. Aisa lag raha tha jaise woh saaye ab unke andar ghus gaye ho, aur woh mannequins ab puri tarah se un roohon ke qaid ho gaye ho.
Veer ne ek kadam peeche liya, lekin mannequins ne uska rasta rok diya. Unme se ek mannequins dheere se aage badha aur uski aankhon mein ek gehra saya tha. Usne apne chehre par ek purana, ghussa bhara chehra dharan kiya aur dheere se kaha, "Tumne yahan aake badi galti ki hai. Tum bhi is kahani ka hissa ban chuke ho."
Veer ne apne dil ki dhadkan ko rokne ki koshish ki, lekin ab woh bilkul samajh gaya tha ke woh khatre mein hai. Usne mannequins ke beech se nikalne ki koshish ki, lekin unhone uske har raaste ko bandh kar diya. Woh mannequins ab zinda lag rahe the, aur unka ek hi maqsad tha—Veer ko ussi tarah qaid kar dena, jaise woh pehle bhi kisi aur ki rooh ko qaid kar chuke the.
Usne apne haath mein ek purani chabi dekhi jo usi kamre mein table par rakhi thi. Kya yeh chabi uska raasta kholne mein madadgar hogi? Ya yeh bhi uska pehla kadam hai kisi aur badi mushkil mein?
Achanak se, kamre ki roshni ek pal ke liye chali gayi aur phir wapas aa gayi. Jab Veer ne apne samne dekha toh uske samne wohi purana insaan khada tha, jo tasveer mein tha—ek purani, ghusse bhari rooh, jo apne inteqaam ki talash mein thi.
Veer ne zordaar awaz mein poocha, "Tum kaun ho?"
Woh rooh dheere se muskuraayi aur usne kaha, "Main woh hoon jo tumhare jaise logon ko yahaan le aata hoon, taake woh meri kahani ka hissa ban sake."
Veer ka chehra pale ho gaya. Kya woh is rooh ke jaal mein phans chuka tha? Ya woh apne aap ko bacha kar yahaan se nikalne mein kaamyab ho paayega?
Yeh darwaza uska intezaar kar raha tha, lekin kya yeh darwaza usse azaadi dega ya uska raasta aur bhi
khaufnaak mod par le jaayega?