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Anaya Gurgaon mein apni ek-bedroom flat mein akeli rehti thi. Corporate ka stressful kaam, traffic ka clutch aur weekends ka Netflix – uski life ek predictable cycle thi. Us raat bhi woh apne phone mein scrolling kar rahi thi jab screen pe ek ajeeb sa notification flash hua: “System Breach Detected. Emergency Update in Progress.”
Koyi app khula nahi tha, par screen bright ho gayi aur ek nayi icon dikhne lagi – “NiviTown”. Curious hoke Anaya ne icon tap kiya. Screen fade hui aur ek interactive map khula, ek purana-aur-chhota sheher ka virtual tour jaise.
“Welcome to NiviTown,” ek robotic voice boli. “You are now a resident.”
Thodi der toh Anaya hansi ki yeh koi viral marketing stunt hai. Par map ke chhote lanes, temples, chai shops aur nadi tak ka detailing dekhkar woh thoda uneasy mehsoos karne lagi. Map mein ek red dot blink kar raha tha – “You are here.”
Phir se phone vibrate hua, aur ek message aaya: “Exit the App within 5 minutes or You Will Stay Forever.”
Mazaak samajh ke woh home button dabane lagi, par phone freezed. Uski saanse tez ho gayi. Woh settings mein jaake restart karne lagi, par kuch kaam nahi kiya. Screen par ek sirf countdown chal raha tha.
4:57
4:56
Panic mein Anaya ne phone ka battery nikaalne ki koshish ki, par phone ka back tightly sealed tha. Samajh nahi aaya kya kare.
5 seconds baaki the jab ek sudden pull mehsoos hui – jaise koi invisible rope usse phone ke andar kheench raha ho.
Screen par ek dazzling flash hua, aur Anaya apne bed par nahi, balki ek kachhe raste par thi. Ghoomne par dekha – woh wahi NiviTown mein thi.
Galiyaan lifeless thi. Shops band thi. Bijli ke taar latak rahe the, aur hawa mein ek burning plastic jaise smell thi. Aur sabse darawani baat — har dusre pole par photos lage the… Anaya ke.
“Resident #328,” ek distorted voice gaunja. “Job: Populate the Town.”
Kahi door se kuch figures nazar aaye — ajeeb tarike se crooked bodies, jaise human forms ko glitch jaise distort kiya gaya ho. Woh dheere dheere Anaya ki taraf badh rahe the.
Anaya gol-gol ghoomti hui bhaagne lagi. Par map ke har mod par wahi voice sunayi deti: “There is No Exit. Only Deeper In.”
Din raat ki koi boundary nahi thi – sirf dull orange light mein sab kuch atka hua tha. Kuch hi samay baad Anaya ki exhaustion aur dar ne use vulnerable bana diya.
Tabhi ek aur choti si lane mein ek phone booth dikh gaya. Bulb flicker kar raha tha, par booth ke andar ek purana rotary phone tha. Woh daudti hui uske andar ghusi.
Phone uthaaya aur bina soch samjhe dial ghumaya – 0-0-0.
Ek call connect hui. Dusri taraf ek khinchi hui awaz thi: “Apni jagah yaad karo.”
Anaya cheekh padi: “Mujhe wapas jaana hai! Please!”
“Toh woh jagah jo tune khud destroy ki thi, usse yaad kar. Nahi toh… tu yahi reh jayegi.”
Anaya confuse thi – kis jagah ki baat ho rahi hai? Phir dheere se uske dimaag mein kuch flashes aaye – ek purana playground… ek jalta hua school van… uske naye bante school ke constructions ke neeche kuch daba hua.
Usne phone ke andar cheekha: “Main maanti hoon! Main responsible hoon! Mujhe wapas bhej do!”
Phone booth ka pura glass crack hone laga, aur ek blinding white light Anaya ke andar ghus gayi.
Jab aankhein khuli, woh apne Gurgaon ke bed par thi – bhaari sans lete hue. Phone normal tha, aur “NiviTown” ka koi naamonishaan nahi tha.
Par woh jab office gayi agle din, sab colleagues usse ajib nazaron se dekhne lage. Whatsapp groups mein ek message viral ho gaya tha – ek satellite image leak jo ek naye, invisible town ke upar thi – naam diya gaya tha “NiviTown”. Aur us image ke beech mein, ek akeli blurry silhouette thi.
Anaya ke jaise.
