The Thing Inside"
Neelam puri raat so nahi paayi.
Riya… gayab thi.
Sab log keh rahe the ki woh kal aayi hi nahi thi. Lekin Neelam ko sab yaad tha — uski awaaz, uska darr, uska haath pakadna…
"Yeh kaise ho sakta hai…" Neelam baar-baar apne aap se bol rahi thi.
Usne phone uthaya. Dil zor se dhadak raha tha.
Screen ON.
Sab normal.
Koi message nahi.
Koi notification nahi.
Jaise kuch hua hi na ho.
"Shayad… main hi overthink kar rahi thi…" usne dheere se kaha. Lekin uska dimaag maan nahi raha tha.
Tabhi uski nazar ek cheez par padi.
Screen ke top me…
"Last seen: 2:17 AM"
Neelam ka gala sookh gaya.
"Main to us time phone use hi nahi kar rahi thi…"
Usne turant phone lock kar diya.
Us din Neelam ne decide kiya — woh sach jaan ke rahegi.
Sabse pehle, usne Riya ke ghar jaane ka plan banaya.
Riya ki mummy ne door khola.
"Haan beta?"
"Aunty, Riya hai kya?" Neelam ne poocha.
Unhone ajeeb nazar se dekha. "Kaun Riya?"
Neelam ka heart literally skip kar gaya.
"Aap mazaak kar rahi ho na? Riya… aapki daughter…"
Unhone sir hilaya. "Meri koi Riya naam ki beti nahi hai."
Neelam peeche hat gayi.
"Yeh… yeh impossible hai…"
Woh seedha waha se bhaag gayi.
Ab use samajh aa gaya tha — yeh normal nahi hai.
Koi ya kuch reality change kar raha tha.
Raat ho gayi.
Neelam apne room me akeli baithi thi.
Usne decide kiya — aaj woh phone ka saamna karegi.
Dar ke bhagne se kuch nahi hoga.
Time — 2:16 AM.
Usne phone haath me liya.
Screen ON.
2:17.
TING.
Is baar usne bina dare notification open kiya.
Screen black.
Phir dheere-dheere ek text appear hua:
"You came back."
Neelam ne gehri saans li. "Tum kya chahte ho?" usne type kiya.
Kuch seconds silence.
Phir reply:
"You let me in."
"Kaise?" Neelam ne turant poocha.
Screen flicker hui.
Aur phir…
Camera automatically ON ho gaya.
Neelam ka face screen par dikh raha tha.
Lekin ek second baad…
Screen me ek aur face dikhne laga.
Uske peeche.
Neelam ne turant peeche mudkar dekha.
Room empty.
Phir dubara screen ki taraf dekha…
Face aur clear ho gaya.
Black eyes.
No expression.
Jaise koi shadow ho.
Neelam chillayi aur phone door fek diya.
Phone floor par gira… lekin screen ab bhi ON thi.
Aur usme woh shadow dheere-dheere screen ke edge tak aa rahi thi.
Jaise bahar nikalne ki koshish kar rahi ho.
Neelam darr ke maare peeche hat gayi.
"Yeh real nahi hai… yeh real nahi hai…"
Tabhi phone se awaaz aayi.
Haan… awaaz.
Pehli baar.
"Neelam…"
Uska naam.
Clear.
Slow.
Cold.
Neelam ki saanse ruk gayi.
"Tum… kaun ho?" usne darr se poocha.
Screen par text aaya:
"I was waiting."
"Riya kahan hai?" Neelam ne zor se poocha.
2 second silence.
Phir reply:
"She is here."
Neelam ka heart fast ho gaya. "Kahan??"
Screen suddenly change hui.
Ek video play hone laga.
Dark background.
Aur beech me…
Riya.
Woh bilkul still khadi thi.
Aankhen blank.
Jaise koi puppet ho.
Neelam ro padi. "Riya! Riya suno!"
Lekin Riya react nahi kar rahi thi.
Phir video me ek shadow uske peeche se aayi…
Aur uske kaan ke paas jhukkar kuch bola.
Video suddenly band.
Neelam ka phone vibrate hua.
New message:
"Next is you."
Neelam ab samajh gayi thi.
Yeh koi normal hacker nahi hai.
Yeh cheez logon ko phone ke through control kar rahi hai.
Aur jo ek baar andar aa gaya…
woh wapas nahi jaata.
Next day.
Neelam ne ek risky decision liya.
"Main isse khatam karungi."
Usne internet pe search kiya — "phone hacking, dark apps, ghost in device…"
Kuch clear nahi mila.
Lekin ek cheez common thi:
"If something enters through you… it needs you to stay."
Neelam ne socha — agar woh phone use karna band kar de?
Completely ignore?
Shaam tak usne phone touch nahi kiya.
Koi message nahi.
Koi activity nahi.
"Shayad… yahi solution hai…" usne relief se socha.
Raat.
Usne phone almirah me band kar diya.
Aur so gayi.
Sab kuch silent tha.
Phir dheere se…
TING.
Neelam ki aankh khul gayi.
"Impossible… maine phone lock kiya tha…"
Phir ek aur sound.
Is baar…
phone se nahi.
Uske room ke andar se.
Neelam dheere se uthi.
Room dark tha.
Usne light on karne ki koshish ki…
Switch kaam nahi kar raha tha.
Uska heart fast ho gaya.
Tabhi usne dekha…
Almirah ka door thoda open tha.
Jisme usne phone rakha tha.
Door dheere-dheere aur khulne laga.
Neelam ka body freeze ho gaya.
Andar se halki si light aa rahi thi.
Phone ki screen ON thi.
Aur us light ke andar…
koi movement ho rahi thi.
Jaise koi andar se bahar aa raha ho.
Neelam peeche hat gayi.
"Yeh… yeh phone ke bahar kaise aa raha hai…"
Tabhi ek awaaz aayi…
iss baar bilkul clear.
"You can't lock me."
Neelam ke pair kaanpne lage.
Woh bhaagne lagi…
Lekin door band.
Windows band.
Sab kuch lock.
Jaise koi usse andar hi rakhna chahta ho.
Usne darr ke maare phone ki taraf dekha…
Aur shock ho gayi.
Ab shadow screen ke andar nahi thi.
Woh almirah ke andar khadi thi.
Slowly bahar aati hui.
Dark.
Lambi.
Aur uski aankhen seedha Neelam par.
Neelam ro padi. "Please… mujhe chhod do…"
Shadow ruk gayi.
Phir dheere se bola:
"You opened it."
Room me thand fail gayi.
Neelam ka body bilkul numb.
Shadow ek kadam aur aage badhi.
Aur usi moment par…
Neelam ka phone floor par gira.
Screen ON hui.
Aur ek naya message blink kiya:
"Transfer complete."
Shadow suddenly ruk gayi.
Aur dheere-dheere… gayab hone lagi.
Neelam ne confused ho kar screen dekhi.
Front camera ON tha.
Aur usme…
Neelam khud khadi thi.
Lekin uski aankhen…
bilkul black.
Same… jaise us shadow ki thi.
Neelam ne apna face touch kiya.
Sab normal.
Phir screen ki taraf dekha…
Black eyes.
Smile.
Jo usne khud nahi ki.
Phone par last message aaya:
"Now… you are me."
Neelam ke haath se phone gir gaya.
Room silent.
Sab normal.
Jaise kuch hua hi nahi.
Lekin iss baar…
andar kuch badal chuka tha.
Aur door ke bahar se kisi ke chalne ki awaaz aayi…
Jaise koi naya insaan ghar ke andar aa raha ho.
Next target.
Last seen: Active now.
("Part 3 coming soon…")
she is not alone anymore.!!!