Aryan ne us neele phool ki naram pankhudiyon ko chhua. Wo thanda tha, itna thanda ki Aryan ki ungliyan sunn hone lagin. Doctor ne uske kandhe par hath rakha, par Aryan ko aisa laga jaise koi bhari patthar us par gir gaya ho.
"Aryan, dawai ka waqt ho gaya hai," Doctor ne sukoon se kaha. Par Aryan ki nazrein ab bhi khidki ke bahar us ladki par tikki thi. Wo ladki—Meera—ne apni ungli honthon par rakhi, jaise use khamosh rehne ka ishara kar rahi ho. Usne dheere se kile ki taraf ishara kiya, jo ab ek dhundli parchayi ki tarah horizon par dikh raha tha.
Aryan ne ek geheri saans li aur Doctor ki taraf dekha. "Theek hai Doctor, main chalta hoon."
Asylum ki Raat aur ek Naya Raaz
Raat ke 2 baje the. Asylum ka corridor sannaate mein dooba tha. Sirf guard ke jooton ki awaaz kabhi-kabhi sunayi deti thi. Aryan apne kamre (Room No. 402) mein leta chhat ko ghoor raha tha. Usne apni mutthi kholi—phool ab bhi wahan tha, par wo ab neela nahi, balki kala (black) pad chuka tha.
Achanak, uske takiye ke niche se ek sarsarahat hui. Aryan ne chauunk kar dekha. Wahan ek purana cassette player rakha tha, jo wahan pehle nahi tha. Usne 'Play' button dabaya.
Ek ladki ki awaaz gunji... par wo Meera nahi thi.
"Aryan, agar tum ye sun rahe ho, toh iska matlab hai ki Doctor Khanna ne tumhe teesri baar wahi injection de diya hai. Wo tumhe bhulana chahte hain, Aryan. Wo nahi chahte ki tum 14th November ki raat ko yaad karo. Kile mein jo tumne dekha, wo pagalpan nahi tha... wo ek nishani thi."
Aryan ka sar fatne laga. 14th November? Wahi din jab hadsa hua tha? Ya wahi din jab kuch aur hua tha?
Usne cassette player ko palta. Us par ek chhota sa sticker tha: ‘Property of Meera Rai – Evidence No. 109’.
Bhaagane ki Taiyari
Aryan samajh gaya ki yahan kuch bahut bada chhupaya ja raha hai. Agar wo yahan raha, toh Doctor Khanna use kabhi sach tak nahi pahunchne denge. Usne kamre ki khidki dekhi. Wo lohe ki salakhon se band thi, par un par zang (rust) laga tha. Usne wahi neela (ab kala) phool un salakhon par ragda.
Ek hairatangez cheez hui. Phool ke chhuut hi wo loha mitti ki tarah jhadne laga. Aryan ki aankhein fati ki fati reh gayi. Ye koi sadharan phool nahi tha, ye jaise kisi dusri duniya ki chabi thi.
Aryan khidki se bahar kooda aur andheri baraf mein gayab ho gaya. Uska rasta wahi tha—wo purana kila. Par is baar rasta badla hua tha. Shehar ki sadkein ajeeb thi. Log dikh rahe the, par unke chehre nahi the. Wo sab bina chehre ke saaye the jo apni-apni dhun mein chal rahe the.
Kile ka Dusra Darwaza
Aryan jab dobara kile ke paas pahuncha, toh wahan koi basement nahi tha. Wahan ek badi si deewar thi jis par hazaron aaine (mirrors) lage the. Har aaine mein Aryan ka ek alag roop dikh raha tha. Ek mein wo bachha tha, ek mein wo dulha bana tha, aur ek mein wo bilkul boodha tha.
"Meera!" wo chillaya.
"Yahan hoon, Aryan," ek awaaz piche se aayi.
Aryan palta. Meera wahi khadi thi, par usne wahi kapde pehne the jo usne pehli mulakat mein pehne the—baarish mein bheege hue. Par is baar uske hath mein ek talwar thi, jis par khoon laga tha.
"Meera, ye sab kya hai? Doctor kehte hain main pagal hoon. Wo cassette kehti hai ki ye sab ek saazish hai. Sach kya hai?"
Meera uske kareeb aayi. Usne Aryan ka hath apne dil par rakha. Wahan koi dhadkan nahi thi.
"Sach ye hai Aryan, ki 14th November ko koi accident nahi hua tha. Humne ek samjhauta (deal) kiya tha. Yaad karo... hum us cafe mein sirf coffee peene nahi mile the. Hum 'The Last Page' naam ke us secret society ke sadasya the, jo maut ke baad ki zindagi par research karti thi."
Aryan ke dimaag ki deewaren tootne lagin. Use yaad aane laga. Wo cafe... wo coffee... wo sab ek dhong tha. Wo log wahan roohon se baat karne ke tarike dhoondte the.
"Humne us raat kile mein ek rasm (ritual) ki thi, Aryan," Meera ne aage kaha. "Hum maut ko haraana chahte the. Par rasm adhoori reh gayi kyunki tum darr gaye. Tumne beech mein hi mera hath chhod diya. Main us paar reh gayi, aur tum is paar... adhe pagal hokar."
The Grand Twist: Doctor Khanna Kaun Hain?
"Aur Doctor Khanna?" Aryan ne pucha.
"Doctor Khanna koi doctor nahi hain," Meera ne nafrat se kaha. "Wo us rasm ke 'Guard' hain. Unka kaam hai tumhe us sach se door rakhna, taaki main kabhi wapas na aa sakun. Wo tumhe injection isliye dete hain taaki tumhari yaadein mit jayein."
Tabhi, kile ke charo taraf mashaalein (torches) jal uthin. Doctor Khanna wahan khade the, unke sath asylum ke guards nahi, balki wahi bina chehre wale log the.
"Aryan! Piche hat jao!" Khanna chillaye. "Wo Meera nahi hai! Wo wahi bala hai jise tumne teen saal pehle bulaya tha! Meera ki maut usi raat ho gayi thi, tumne khud use dafnaya tha!"
Aryan ghoom gaya. Meera ki taraf dekha, phir Khanna ki taraf. Meera ki aankhon mein aansu the. Khanna ke hath mein wahi purana death certificate tha jis par Aryan ke sign the.
"Nahi! Tum jhoot bol rahe ho!" Aryan ne chillakar kaha.
Khanna ne ek aaina Aryan ke samne rakha. "Apni jeb dekho, Aryan."
Aryan ne apni jeb mein hath dala. Wahan phool nahi tha. Wahan ek chhota sa knifer tha, jis par 'Meera' ka naam khuda tha. Aur uske hath khoon se sane hue the.
Suspense ka Charam (The Peak)
"Tumne use maara tha, Aryan," Khanna ne dheere se kaha. "Kyunki usne tumse breakup kar liya tha. Tumhara dimaag us sach ko bardaasht nahi kar paya, isliye tumne ye poori 'adhuri prem kahani' aur 'asylum' ka kissa khud banaya. Ye kila, ye cafe... ye sab tumhare gunah ki jagah hai."
Aryan ne Meera ki taraf dekha. Meera ab muskura rahi thi. Uski muskurahat ab pyaari nahi, balki darawni thi. Uska shareer dheere-dheere dhuein mein badalne laga.
"Tumne mujhe maara, Aryan... par kya tumne mujhe khoya?" Meera ne pucha.
Usne kile ki deewar ki taraf ishara kiya. Wahan ek badi si darar khuli. Us darar ke andar hazaron laashein thi, aur har laash ka chehra Meera jaisa tha.
"Tum har baar mujhe maarte ho, aur har baar meri aatma tumhe is kile tak kheench laati hai. Ye teesri baar nahi hai, Aryan... ye 100th baar hai. Hum is waqt ke chakravyu (time loop) mein fase hain."
Aryan ka dimaag sunn ho gaya. Usne dekha ki uske pairon ke niche ki zameen phat rahi hai. Doctor Khanna aur unke log dhundhle ho rahe the.
The Ending: Ek Naya Sawal
Aryan ne dekha ki wo wapas 'The Last Page' cafe mein baitha hai. Uske samne coffee ka cup hai. Uske hath mein wahi diary hai.
Uski mez par ek ladki aakar baithi. Baarish mein bheeghi hui.
"Umeed hai aapko bura nahi lagega, bahar toofan hai aur andar jagah nahi," usne kaha.
Aryan ne uski taraf dekha. Wo Meera thi. Par is baar, Meera ne ek scarf pehna tha jise hataate hi uski gardan par ek gehra nishan dikha—jaise kisi ne uska gala dabaya ho.
Aryan ne muskura kar kaha, "Maine tumhara intezar kiya, Meera."
Meera ne jawab diya, "Is baar thoda jaldi mil gaye hum. Pichli baar tumne mujhe kile mein maara tha, is baar kahan maaroge?"
Aryan ne apni diary kholi. Usmein agle 100 panno par pehle se hi likha tha ki aaj raat kya-kya hone wala hai.
Usne diary ka aakhri panna palta. Wahan ek photo chipki thi. Photo mein Aryan aur Doctor Khanna sath khade the, aur dono ne ek hi jaisi hospital ki vardi pehni thi. Photo ke niche likha tha:
"Patient No. 1: Aryan. Patient No. 2: Khanna. Case Study: Shared Delusion (Sajha Pagalpan)."
Aryan ne coffee ka ek sip liya. Bahar ek gaadi ruki. Usmein se ek ladki utri. Uska chehra bilkul Meera jaisa tha. Wo cafe ke andar aayi aur Aryan ke piche wali mez par baith gayi.
Aryan ne piche mud kar nahi dekha. Use darr tha... ki agar usne dekha, toh shayad wo teesra shakhs dikh jaye jo is poori kahani ko likh raha hai.
Kahani khatam hui... ya shayad phir se shuru hui? Kya aap jaan na chahte hain ki wo teesra shakhs kaun hai jo diary likh raha hai?