Nahi! Ye aap kya kar rahe ho? Chhodo mujhe... dard ho raha hai! Please, ruk jaiye... Nahi, nahi, Papa, main aapki beti hoon! Nahiii! Aaaa... Maaaa!"

​Ek tez chee ookh ke saath Ishita ki aankhen khul gayi. Uska saara badan paseene se tar-badar tha aur uski saansein phool rahi thi. Kamre ki hawa jaise bhari ho gayi thi, aur wo nightmare abhi bhi uske dimaag par kisi saaye ki tarah chhaaya hua tha.

​Tabhi, uske darwaze par ek zor ki dastak hui.

​"Ishi! Uth ja ab. Aaj saara Agnihotri parivaar Canada se wapas aane wala hai. Jaldi kar, bahut kaam hai!" baahar se ek maid ne chillakar kaha, jo takreeban Ishita ki hi umar ki thi.

​"Aa rahi hoon... bas do minute," Ishita ne apni kaanpti hui awaaz ko chhupane ki koshish ki. Wo bol toh rahi thi, par uske kaano mein abhi bhi un cheekhon ki goonj baaki thi.

​Usne bedside table par rakhe jug se glass mein paani bhara aur ek saans mein pee gayi. Uska darr abhi kam nahi hua tha. Wo bed se utar kar khidki ke paas gayi; jaise hi subah ki thandi hawa uske chehre se takrayi, use thoda sukoon mila.

​"Aaj, 8 saal baad, main tumhe phir dekhungi Arsh," usne dheere se khud se kaha. "Tumhe toh shayad pata bhi nahi hoga ki main exist karti hoon... lekin mujhe tumhari pasand se lekar na-pasand tak, sab pata hai."

​Uske chehre par ek feeki si smile aayi, jo uski aankhon tak nahi pahunchi.

​Kuch der baad, wo fresh hokar baaki sab ke saath ghar ke kaamo mein madad karne lagi.

Ishita kitchen mein breakfast ki taiyari kar rahi thi, tabhi uske phone ki screen light up hui. Screen par "Mom" naam flash hote hi uski aankhon ke saamne us ek raat ki sari dardnak yaadein taza ho gayi.

Flashback

Der raat ka waqt tha jab Ishita Agnihotri mansion se apna saara kaam khatam karke ghar lauti. Ghar ke bahar sirf ek jodi chappal thi—iska matlab uski maa ghar par nahi thi. Ishita ne apne bag ko kas ke pakad liya, ek anjana darr uske dil mein baith gaya. Wo darrte hue flat ke andar gayi. Hall poora khali tha.

Wo jaldi se apne room mein gayi, par usne dekha ki darwaza poori tarah damage ho chuka tha. Use band karna ya na karna, ek hi barabar tha.

Thakaan ki wajah se wo fresh hokar bed par let gayi. Takreeban aadhe ghante baad, use apne sharir par kisi ka haath mehsus hua. Usne aankhen kholi toh saamne ek aadmi khada tha, jiski aankhon mein hawas saaf dikh rahi thi. Isse pehle ki Ishita kuch samajh paati, us aadmi ne uske pair bed ke dono taraf baandh diye. Uske haath pehle se hi bandhe hue the.

Ishita rote hue na mein sar hila rahi thi, par us darinde par koi asar nahi hua. Usne ek hi jhatke mein Ishita ke saare kapde faad diye aur bola, "Itne nakhre kyun kar rahi hai? Isse pehle bhi toh ek bar main ye sab kar chuka hoon."

Agli do ghante tak wo apni man-marzi karta raha aur phir wahan se chala gaya. Peeche chhod gaya ek zakhmi Ishita ko, jiske poore sharir me dard aur nishaan the.

Jab agli subah uski maa lauti aur usne Ishita ko is haalat mein dekha, toh unki aankhon mein hamdardi ki jagah Ishita ke liye sirf nafrat thi. Usne lohe hi rod ko garam kiya aur uske private part par laga diya aaaaaaaaasss

Us kamre mein Ishita ki ek dardnak cheekh goonj uthi.

Present Day

Us hadse ke baad Ishita ne wo ghar hamesha ke liye chhod diya tha aur yahan shift ho gayi thi.

Uska phone ring hokar band ho chuka tha, par uski dhadkanein abhi bhi tez thi.

Mansion mein achanak afra-tafri mach gayi. Har taraf se awazein aane lagi:

"Aree ree! Kya kar rahe ho? Jaldi karo, wo log aa gaye!"

"Isse aise nahi, wahan rakho... chalo jaldi, jaldi!"

Sare servants hadbadi mein yahan-wahan bhaag rahe the. Har koi chahta tha ki sab kuch perfect ho. Ishita ne apna phone side mein rakha aur apne kaanpte hue haathon ko saaf kiya. Uska dil zor-zor se dhadak raha tha—ye darr tha ya 8 saal ka intezaar, use khud nahi pata tha.

Tabhi, mansion ke bade se gate se ek ke baad ek kayi cars enter karne lagi. Unka rob aur chamak poore raste par dikh rahi thi.

Ishita kitchen ki deewar ke peeche thithak kar khadi ho gayi. Usne thoda sa jhuk kar bahar dekha. Sabse pehli gaadi ruki aur uska darwaza khula. Ishita ki saansein atak gayi. Use pata tha ki in gaadiyon mein sirf Agnihotri parivaar nahi, balki uski zindagi ka wo adhoora panna bhi wapas aa raha hai.

Mujhe pata hai aapne bohot si kahaniyan padhi hongi, par meri is pehli koshish ko chunne ke liye shukriya.

Par zara sambhal kar... kyunki ye sirf ek novel nahi, mera ek "dark" khwaab hai jise maine panno par utara hai. Main pehli baar likh rahi hoon, isliye shayad meri baaton mein thodi masoomiyat ho, par kirdaron mein utni hi "sharaarat" aur "raaz" chhupae hain.

Kya aap taiyaar hain mere saath is thode se twisted aur thode se romanchak safar par nikalne ke liye?

Safar shuru karein? 🖋️🖤

Aapki apni Author