Nayi city, nayi zindagi.
Ek 23 saal ki ladki apni purani zindagi ko peeche chhodkar ek naye sheher mein nayi shuruaat karne aayi thi.
Flat khaali tha, lekin usmein ek ajeeb si thandak mehsoos hoti thi. Raat ko ek sannata cha jata, aur bina wajah lights flicker karti. Par usne sab kuch ignore kiya, kyunki usse yeh ghar, yeh sheher, uski zindagi ka ek naya padav lag raha tha.
Do din baad, bina kisi wajah ke doorbell bajti hai. Gate pe koi nahi hota. Bas ek bada, purana mirror pada hota hai—rusty frame, dheere se chamakta hua glass. Koi note nahi, koi delivery boy nahi. Shuru mein laga galti se aaya hai, par usne use andar le aaya.
Mirror ko dekhte hi uske mann mein ajeeb sa ghabrahat hone lagi. Kabhi lagta koi peeche khada hai, lekin jab dekhe, toh sirf khud hi nazar aaye. Mirror ko hall mein rakh diya. Us raat ek sapna aaya—ek ladki mirror ke andar se cheekh rahi thi, madad maang rahi thi.
Subah aankh khuli toh sab normal tha… bas ek nayi cheez—mirror ke kone pe ek haath ka nishaan. Woh saaf karne lagi, par woh nishaan gaya hi nahi. Uska dil keh raha tha kuch toh gadbad hai, par dimag samjha raha tha—shayad stress hai.
Usi raat ek awaaz aayi, "Dekh mujhe…" Aankhen khulti hain, sab andhera. Sirf mirror mein kuch hilta dikh raha tha. Jab paas jaake dekha, mirror mein woh khud nahi thi. Ek aur ladki thi. Ek thandi si muskaan ke saath khadi thi.
Darr ke maare woh mirror se door ho gayi. Light on ki, sab normal. Socha sapna tha. Par mirror ke neeche ek purani si chhilka mili, jisme likha tha:
"Woh aa gayi hai…"
Woh mirror cover karna chahti thi, lekin har raat chadar gir jati. Mirror se halki si hansi sunai deti. Phone se sab record karna chaha, par recording mein sirf white noise. Ghabra ke apna room lock kar liya.
Agli subah ek padosan milne aayi. Mirror dekhte hi uske chehre ka rang ud gaya.
"Yeh mirror... maine pehle dekha hai," usne kaha. "Isse kisi ne 15 saal pehle yahan jala diya tha…"
Woh ladki shock mein aa gayi.
Us raat woh internet pe research karti hai. Sirf ek article milta hai—ek aurat ki aatma ek purane mirror mein phansi thi. Photo dekhti hai—bilkul wahi mirror. Uske haath kaanpne lagte hain. Ab woh samajh gayi thi—yeh koi normal mirror nahi.
Mirror se chutkaara paane ke liye usne use ghar ke bahar rakh diya. Thodi der baad hi doorbell bajti hai. Jab gate khola, mirror wapas andar tha. Woh jahan ki wahan, shock mein khadi reh gayi.
Usse samajh nahi aa raha tha—yeh ho kya raha hai? Camera bhi kuch nahi dikha raha tha. Woh mirror ke samne chillaati hai, "Tu kya chaahta hai mujhse?"
Mirror mein uska reflection aankh maar kar muskuraata hai.
Tab se har din aur har raat darawani hoti gayi. Kabhi kisi aurat ki roti awaaz, kabhi apni hi awaaz wapas sunai deti. Kisi ko batati, koi vishwas nahi karta. Ek dost aaya dekhne—usse kuch bhi ajeeb nahi dikha.
Woh raat ko mirror cover kar leti. Sapne mein wahi ladki aati, chillati—"Main andar hoon, madad karo." Subah aankh khulti toh mirror khud uncovered hota. Mirror ke andar se woh ladki usse dekh rahi hoti… uska haath bahar aata hai.
Woh cheekh kar peeche hatt jaati. Mirror fir normal dikhne lagta. Par uske haath mein ek purani photo aa jaati hai—usi ladki ki. Peeche likha hota hai:
"Mujhe ismein kaid kar diya gaya tha."
Uska naam tha—Riddhima.
Usne Riddhima ke baare mein search kiya. Ek purani news clipping milti hai—Riddhima, ek young artist, mirror mein hi gayab ho gayi thi. Last location? Wahi flat.
Usne mirror todne ki koshish ki. Hathoda uthaya, zor se maara. Mirror hilta hai, par tootta nahi. Tabhi uska haath freeze ho gaya. Mirror se ek scream aayi, aur uske kaan se khoon behne laga.
Ab woh mirror se door rehne lagi. Par mirror uske room mein aa gaya. Ab woh samajh gayi—yeh ab peecha nahi chhodega. Riddhima ki photo ke samne poochhti hai—"Tujhe kya chahiye?"
Mirror mein ek line likhi dikhi:
"Main zinda rehna chahti hoon."
Usne candle jala kar aankh band ki, aur Riddhima se baat ki. Mirror mein uska chehra clearly dikhne laga. Riddhima boli, "Mujhe ek baar bahar nikalne de."
Par ek black shadow usse kheench leta hai.
Riddhima cheekhti hai, "Usne mujhe band kiya tha!" Shadow ka chehra clear nahi, par aankhen laal thi. Mirror ne dikha diya us jagah ka scene—jahan Riddhima ko band kiya gaya tha. Ek aurat thi jisne yeh kiya tha.
Aur woh keh rahi thi—"Agli tu hai."
Mirror ka surface ab paani jaisa ban gaya. Woh ladki samajh gayi—kuch andar se usse kheench raha hai. Woh cheekh kar mirror todne ka fir try karti hai. Is baar ek kone pe crack aa jaata hai.
Lekin us crack se ek aur haath bahar aata hai…
"Jo andar gaya… kabhi wapas nahi aaya…"