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Rajiv Patel ko Bengaluru shift hue do mahine ho gaye the. Nayi job, nayi city, aur budget tight. Isiliye jab Malleshwaram ke ek purane PG me ek room sasta mila, to zyada socha nahin. Landlord ne kaha, “Ek aur ladka hai room me, Lekin vo subah office jata hai, shaant ladka hai.”
Room mein Snehal already reh raha tha — reserved, polite, aur jyada baat cheet nahi karta. Bas ek ajeeb si cheez thi. Har roz jab Rajiv office se lautta, Snehal use kuch seconds tak ekdam ghoorta rehta, bina blink kiye. Phir smile karta aur kuch casual bol deta, jaise, “Tu waqt pe aaya.”
Pehli raat, Rajiv ne dekha Snehal se zyada cheezein bolti nahi thi. Par raat ko mattress par karwat lete waqt use laga kisi ne uska naam pheekha sa pukara — ‘Rajiv.’
Rajiv utha, but Snehal so raha tha — ya so raha dikha. Uske chehre ki taraf dekhte hi Rajiv ka dil dhak se reh gaya. Snehal ki aankhen khuli thi, par eyeballs white thein — bina pupils ke. Lekin agle hi pal, vo palat gaya aur sab normal tha.
Dusri raat, 3 baje subah, ek ajeeb si awaaz se Rajiv ki neend khuli — jaise TV static par koi bol raha ho. Usne dekha, Snehal mirror ke samne baitha hai, poora mirror ko black marker se bana diya gaya tha. Aur vo keh raha tha, “Tu pehchaan gaya mujhe… tu pehchaan gaya mujhe…”
Rajiv ne poocha, “Yeh kya kar raha hai bey?”
Snehal palta, aur bola, “Mujhe pehchaan gaya?”
Uska chehra ek pal ke liye blur saa ho gaya — jaise TV pe glitch ho raha ho. Eyes aur mouth slightly zyada bade dikh rahe the. Rajiv ne socha shayad neend mein hallucinate kar raha hai.
Teesri raat, Snehal wapas se vohi sawal poochta raha, “Mujhe pehchaan gaya?” Har morning sab normal hota — room theek, marker clean, Snehal chill. Rajiv ne phone se secretly record karna chaha, but har baar jab who video record karta, video mein bas ek black screen banti thi, aur dus minute ke baad ek hi frame dikhta tha: Rajiv soya hua aur Snehal uske upar jhuka hua.
Rajiv ne landlord se bataya, lekin landlord chilled tha: “Arre bhai, room theek hai. Kuch nahin hota. Tum log young ho, imagination zyada hoti hai.”
Ek din, Rajiv jaldi ghar aaya aur dekha Snehal ek nayi cheez kar raha tha — room ke ek kone mein mitti ki ek choti si murti bana raha tha, kisi aur ke chehre ki. Jab Rajiv ne poocha yeh kya hai, Snehal bola, “Uska asli chehra yaad karne ke liye. Mujhe yaad rakhna padta hai. Varna woh mujhme fir aa jaata hai.”
Wo raat sabse buri thi. 3:00 baje, Rajiv ne aankh kholi toh dekha ki Snehal ki jagah koi aur so raha tha. Kapde Snehal ke the, lekin chehra puri tarah alag tha — jaise koi 40 saal ka aadmi jiska face partially pighal gaya ho fire mein. Usne aankh khol ke Rajiv ko dekha aur fir bole, “Main Snehal tha… iss se pehle.”
Rajiv chillaya, bhaag kar hall tak gaya, par darwaza lock tha — latch andar se. Jab palta, Snehal wapas Snehal ban chuka tha. Calm, normal, confused face. “Kya hua bey? Kuch aawaaz aayi kya?”
Agli subah Rajiv ne PG chhodne ka decide kiya. Packing karte waqt usse locker ke neeche ek purana envelope mila. Andar ek purana Polaroid photo tha jis mein teen ladke the — ek Snehal jaisa, baaki do completely unknown.
Par photo ke peeche likha tha: “Room 9 mein shakl badalti hai. Naam yaad rakhna. Agar unka naam bhool gaye, toh woh tumhari shakl le lenge.”
Rajiv photo lekar landlord ke paas gaya. Landlord ne ek pal photo dekha, fir bas itna kaha, “Snehal? Arre woh toh teen mahine pehle chala gaya. Tab se tum hi toh akela reh rahe ho. Room partner mil hi nahin raha…”
Rajiv ki haath se photo gir gaya. Peeche se awaaz aayi: “Mujhe pehchaan gaya?”
Usne mud kar dekha — apna hi chehra khidki mein uski taraf dekh raha tha.
Tab se kisi ne Rajiv ko nahi dekha. Room 9 ab khali nahi hai.
Sirf ek cheez same rehti hai — raat 3 baje ek ajeeb sa chehra poochta hai, “Mujhe pehchaan gaya?”
