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Deepak ka naya job ek cybersecurity startup mein tha. Gurgaon ke ek modern building ke 8th floor par unka office tha — glass walls, minimalist furniture aur har jagah CCTVs ke saath. Subah se shaam tak screens pe nazar rakhte rehna uska kaam tha.
Ek raat jab woh late shift mein tha, kuch ajeeb hua. 2:47 AM par usne ek camera feed mein dekha — conference room ka darwaza khul raha tha… par koi andar nahi ja raha tha. Deepak ne socha kuch hawa ka jhatka hoga. Par phir, ek andekha saya jaise table ke paas se guzarta dikhayi diya — koi shadow jaisa, jiska shape constant nahi tha.
Usne footage rewind ki, par file corrupt dikhi. Phir se dekhne ki koshish ki — ab pure office mein wahi ajeeb movement dikhaai de raha tha, jaise koi entity cameras ke andar hi jeeti ho.
Usne apne team lead, Radhika ko call kiya. Radhika hasi, “Late night hallucinations. Ignore kar aur report file kar.”
Par jab Deepak ne apni screen off ki, woh saya bilkul glass ke doosre taraf khada tha — jisme woh apna reflection dekh raha tha.
Deepak ne jhat se washroom mein jaakar apna hosh sambhala. Face wash kiya. Par jab washroom ke CCTV pe nazar gayi — screen mein woh apne peeche ek aur chehra dekh paya: ghul milta, blurred, bilkul uske apne jaise, thoda distort.
Dar ke mare, usne mobile se office ka CCTV access kiya. Par mobile screen pe feed mein kuch aur hi chal raha tha.
Conference room mein wohi dost aur boss dikhayi diye — lekin woh sab ulte, ceiling se latakte hue baatein kar rahe the, jaise koi inverted duniya ka hissa ho. Har employee ka chehra ulta tha, aankhon se lahu tapak raha tha.
Deepak ne screen band kar di. Par ab lag raha tha ki office ka asli mahal hi badal gaya hai.
Desperately woh lift ki taraf dauda. Par lift ka button dabaane par woh same distorted CCTV footage saamne aa gaya. Lift darwaza khula — aur andar wohi conference room dikh raha tha jahan ulte-bulte log baithe the.
Deepak chillaya, “Mujhe nikalna hai!”
Tab woh saya, jo ab tak camera ke ander tha, real duniya mein uske samne aaya. Deepak khudko dekh raha tha — ek twisted, ulta version apna. Uska dusra version muskuraya aur bola, “Yahan sab kuch monitor pe nahi, andar hota hai… jab tum dekhte ho, tum khud dikh jaate ho.”
Saari lights blink karne lagi. Aur jab Deepak ne apni aankhon kholi, woh CCTV monitor ke andar tha — jaise camera ka ek captive feed ban gaya ho.
Log agle din aaye to monitor pe Deepak ka freeze frame dikhayi diya — ek ajeeb, terrifying smile ke saath — jaise woh wahan se dekh raha ho, hamesha ke liye.
Company ne Deepak ke missing report file kar di. Lekin jo naye hires aaye, unhe kabhi kabhi lagta hai… jab woh screens pe dekhte hai, toh koi unpar bhi dekh raha hota hai. Aur fir woh screens ka andar ka raasta real ban jaata hai.
Bas ek rule hai: Raat ko akela shift mat lena. Kabhi nahi.
