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Neel Anand ek freelance researcher tha, documentary projects ke liye alag-alag urban legends pe kaam karta tha. Jab usse ek obscure file milne ki charcha mili — ‘1937-B/9’ — joh Delhi ke Daryaganj ke ek purane government guest house mein hone ka kahna gaya tha, uska curiosity peak pe tha.
Guest house 1940s ka bana tha — British architecture, high ceilings, aur timber floors. Department ab use nahi karta tha, par caretaker Jagmohan wahan rehta tha. Neel permission le kar ek hafte ke exploration ke liye gaya.
First two days kuch khaas nahi mila. Bas cobwebs, broken furniture, aur old reports. Par teesre din, Neel ek locked storage mein ghusa — wahan usse mili ek dust-covered tin trunk. Ander sirf ek file thi: ‘1937-B/9’ — deep brown, pages hand-typed, aur har page pe ek date aur naam.
Pehla entry:
“15 August 2021 – Ravi Pratap – चाकू की कई चोटों से मौत – Vijaynagar Metro Station.”
Second:
“17 August 2021 – Seema Joshi – High-Rise Se Girne Kaa Haadsa – Dwarka Sec 21.”
Neel yeh dekh kar hila nahi, kyunki yeh accidents naye the — kal ki newspapers mein aaye the. Par file ka paper old tha, pages brittle aur ink faded.
Usne 3 din tak file ke entries cross-check kiye — sab accurate the. Har entry ek tarah se dead logon ke pehle se likhi gayi list lagti thi.
Fir aayi ek chilling realization. File mein ek page tha jisme likha tha:
“22 August 2021 – Neel Anand – कमरों में खुद को बंद… सांस लेने की कमी… नीलापन.”
Neel ki saanso ki raftar badhne lagi. Pehle to laga prank hai, par file ka ton alag tha. Yeh koi curse ya prophecy jaisa tha. Usne Jagmohan se poocha par woh bas yeh bola:
“Vo file kabhi band nahi hoti. Naye deaths likhne lagti hai. Par vo jiske naam agla hota hai, uske liye darwaze band ho jaate hain, andar se.”
Neel kuch samajh nahi paaya. Uss raat usne file ko burn karne ki sochi. Par jaisi hi usne lighter jalayi, pages ne aag pakadne se pehle khud se palatna shuru kar diya. Last page pe naye naam likhne shuru ho gaye — random logon ke, aur unme se ek naam tha: “Ritika Anand – Sister of Deceased. Visited room post-tragedy.”
Neel ne turant behen Ritika ko call kiya aur roka aane se. Par us raat kuch aisa hua jis se uski duniya palat gayi.
Midnight ke time usne room ke darwaze band kar diye aur file ko phir se padna chalu kiya. Har naye name uske doston, colleagues, camera crew ke thay — jitne log uske saath kisi bhi shoot pe gaye thay. Aur har ek ki death ek unpredictable, detailed way mein likhi thi.
Fir Neel ke room ki lights blink karne lagi. File ka ek page khud se tear hua, hawa mein float kiya, aur fan se chipak ke rotate hone laga — jisse ek ghanti jaisi humming generate hone lagi.
Uska phone ring hua — unknown number.
Voice: “Tum likh rahe ho ya bas pad rahe ho?”
Neel shocked tha. File ke new pages blank the — jaise kisi ko naye entries chahiye ho. Usne pen uthaya, aur kaagaz pe apna naam likha:
“Neel Anand – Found the file – Refused to write further – Tried to destroy file.”
Aur turant page black liquid se smudge ho gaya. Paper garam hone laga. Phone fir se baja:
“Agar tum nahi likhoge, toh tum likhe jaaoge.”
Usne phir se pages palatne shuru kiya, and last page mein likha tha:
“23 August 2021 – Neel Anand – डूबा मिलने वाला है – पुराना जल टैंक पीछे wali दीवार में।”
Wahi diwaar jo guest house ke peeche thi. Neel ne flashlight li aur bhaaga — aur dekha, wahi tank ab open tha, aur ek aadmi ka reflection — usi jaise chehra — andar usse ghoor raha tha. Par paani static tha.
Agli subah guest house band tha. Jagmohan gayab, aur file wapas trunk mein mili. Sirf ek naye page ke saath:
“24 August 2021 – You. Reader. – Is File Ko Padha Hai.”
Us dinn se file wahi padhi hai, magar ab har us aadmi ke naam likh rahi hai jo isse kholta hai. Government ne guest house permanently seal kar diya. Par smuggled pages ab dark web pe mil rahe hain.
Agar tum iss story ko padh rahe ho… ho sakta hai file ka agla page tumhara ho.
