Delhi ke ek purane government guest house mein researcher Neel ko ek file milti hai — jisme likhe haadse kabhi hue nahi, par hone waale hain. Har agla panne ek naye maut ka future likhta hai. Par jab uska khud ka naam file mein aata hai, waqt sach mein rukta hai…

Shivpuri ke railway crossing pe roz sham 6:01 baje ek local train rukti hai… par station kab ka band ho chuka hai. Rakesh ne ek din curiosity mein us signal ke paas rukna decide kiya… ab uske phone se sirf ek hi voice note baar baar aata hai: “Chadh jaa, der ho rahi hai…”

Pune ke ek tech start-up mein, ek intern ko uske daily video calls mein kuch ajeeb sunai dene laga. Dusre room se aane wali awaz, jisse koi aur nahi sun pata. Jab tak usne record karne ki koshish ki, uski apni hi awaaz badal gayi. Yeh koi software bug nahi tha…

Noida Sector 137 ke pass ek tech intern ne ek building dekhi jo Google Maps pe sirf raat ke 12:00 baje dikhti hai — aur har baar kisi aur jagah par. Us building ke andar kya hai, aur har raat uska naam badal kyu jata hai? Iska jawab chhupa hai ek digital nightmare mein, jahan…

Ek purani haweli jahan shaam hote hi awaazen gunjne lagti thi… log kehte hain darwaza band karna zindagi aur maut ka faisla ban sakta hai. Par us raat Ravi ne woh galti kar di jo kisi ne kabhi nahi ki thi…

Kal raat Ravi uss sunssan gali se guzra aur laut kar nahi aaya. Log kehte hain wahan kuch ajib si cheeze hoti hain. Phir bhi Tanya ne wahin jaane ka faisla kiya… akeli. Usse kya mila wahan, tum soch bhi nahi sakte.

Raat ke 2 baje Anaya ke phone par ek unknown number ka call aata hai. Har baar kaatne par bhi, wo call wapas aata rehta hai. Jab usne finally phone uthaya, us taraf se bas saans lene ki awaaz aa rahi thi… aur ek awaaz boli: ‘Tu bacha nahi sakti kisi ko ab.’

Har koi kehta tha ki woh haveli bas ek khaali dhacha hai. Lekin jab Ratri ki aankh us ladki se mili, sab kuch badal gaya… Ab uski muskan uske sapno mein aati hai. Par kya woh sapna hi tha?

Har Diwali pe voh ghar andhera hi kyun hota hai? Pichhle gali ke us purane makaan mein aakhir aisi kya baat hai jo sab usse door rehte hain? Saanjh ke baad koi udhar jata bhi nahi… lekin iss baar, koi gaya tha. Aur vaapas nahi aaya.