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Friday night. Mumbai ke ek cramped 1BHK apartment mein, Nishant apna laptop kholta hai. Kaam se thoda bore ho kar, doston ke saath ek casual group video call ka plan bana leta hai. Participants: Aarav, Kriti, Pratik. Sab apni-apni screens pe normal dikh rahe the.
Video call start hote hi sab hasi-mazaak karte hain. Timing usual thi – light off, sirf room ke ek kone mein table lamp jal raha tha. Nishant ke laptop ke webcam mein uska reflection kuch ajeeb sa lag raha tha, jaise koi peeche se dekh raha ho. Dil mein thoda sansani hui, par socha shayad thakaavat hogi.
Tabhi Kriti hasti-hasti bolti hai, “Nishant, kaun hai tere peeche?” Nishant harta nahi, isse mazaak hi samajhta hai. “Haan haan, bhoot mera flatmate hai,” wo muskurata hai. Sab hansne lagte hain.
Par jab Pratik screen share karta hai apne laptop ka, sab dekhte hain ek glitch… ek aur window open hai jo kisi ka live video dikha rahi hai. Black background, aur ek aur chehra… thoda blurry, aankhen bilkul seedha camera mein. Kisi ne us window ko open nahi kiya tha.
“Arey, ye call mein kaun hai?” Aarav panic karte hue puchta hai. Participants list check karte hain – sirf 4 log registered hain. Extra participant ka naam nahi.
Aur then, sabke screen pe ek pop-up: “Incoming Call: YOU”. Caller ka naam: “YOU”. Sab simultaneously ye pop-up dekhte hain.
Nishant ka galaa sukh jaata hai. Vote karte hain ki sab call ko hang kar denge.
Jab Nishant call se disconnect karta hai, uska laptop freeze ho jata hai. Screen black, sirf ek last image dikhti hai – Nishant ke peechhe ek aur aadmi, bilkul uski nakal, lekin mooh seedha nahi, tedha hai jaise tod diya gaya ho. Aankhein khaali.
Dar se laptop band karke wo sone ki koshish karta hai. Raat 3:03 baje, doorbell bajti hai.
Ek choti si slip mila, kaala kagaz pe: “Tum video ke us taraf they. Ab hum dusri taraf honge.”
Uske baad Nishant ka mobile vibrate karta hai. Ek naya notification:
“Incoming Video Call: Nishant 2”
Aur jab wo screen dekhta hai, khud se thoda zyada bigda hua version apne taraf se ghur raha hota hai. Jaise video call ka reflection ab asli duniya mein aa gaya ho.
Door ki bel baar-baar bajti jaati hai. Aur chhoti-chhoti screens khud activate hone lagti hain… pure ghar mein.
Nishant apne aap ko kamre mein locked karta hai. Aur ek aakhri baar chat window open karta hai – sirf ek message:
“Jo tumne dekha, ab tum banoge.”
Phir woh screen pe apne laptop ke andar khudka ek aur version dekhne lagta hai… chillaata hua… jaise andar ke andar kisi aur duniya mein phasa ho.
Aur asli Nishant, dheere-dheere, apni hi duniya se fade out hone lagta hai.
Kisi laptop ki screen mein gum ho jaane ka anjaam shayad yahi tha.
