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Vaibhav Mehra, ek 28 saal ka graphic designer, Gurgaon ke ek startup me kaam karta tha. Jab uska office Dilli ke Vasant Vihar me shift hua, toh usne bhi wahan apne liye ek 1BHK flat le liya — Flat 3C, Anurag Apartments. Building purani thi, lekin locality safe thi aur rent manageable. Perfect laga.
Flat simple tha—ek chhoti balcony, wood-laminate flooring aur ek bada window jahan se subah ki dhoop seedha drawing room me girti thi. Pehla din achha tha. Thakana ke baad raat ko aankh lag gayi.
Par agli subah anokhi thi. Vaibhav ne alarm sune bina aankh khol li. Mobile dekha—7:12 AM. Chauk gaya, kyunki alarm 6:45 ka laga tha, aur kabhi chuka nahi tha. Shayad phone silent tha, socha. Par phone bilkul theek kaam kar raha tha. Chalo, chhoti baat hai, socha aur fresh hone chala gaya.
Shower lete waqt, ek ajeeb si cheez mehsoos hui. Paani tapak raha tha, lekin neeche girne ki awaaz nahi aa rahi thi. Khaali badon ki silsile se girta hua sa lag raha tha. Jaise kuch ruk gaya ho.
Office pahucha, par poora din shaant tha. Mail server thap tha, meetings cancel ho gayi thi aur kisi ne naya kaam diya hi nahi. Sab thoda laachar lage, jaise bas waqt kaat rahe ho. 5 baje office bandh kar diya gaya.
Wapas ghar aaya, thoda thak gaya tha, dinner banaya aur Netflix dekhte dekhte so gaya.
Agle din fir wahi. Aankh khuli — subah 7:12 AM. Mobile ka time wahi. Kal ki tarah hi dhoop, wahi awaaz, wahi sab kuch. Par TV pe jo kal dekha tha, wahi scene fir repeat ho raha tha. Remote se kuch aur lagaya, par har show wahi scene dikhata raha.
Uncomfortable hokar Vaibhav ne building ke watchman se baat ki. “Bhaiya, yahan 3C me pehle kaun rehta tha?”
Watchman ne aankhon se usse ghoor kar dekha. “3C? Woh flat toh 2 saal se khaali tha. Tum toh pehle aadmi ho—sab log kehte hain usme waqt ruk jata hai.”
Vaibhav hans diya, “Waqt ruk jata hai? Kya matlab?”
“Ek family thi—2019 me gayi thi shift. Subah 7:12 ko unka beta last baar zinda dekha gaya. Uske baad sab kuch ajeeb hone laga. Unko laga clock kharab hai, lekin clock nahi, flat hi theher gaya tha. Waqt chalta hi nahi tha. Aakhir me wo log shift kar gaye.”
Vaibhav ne believe nahi kiya. WhatsApp status pe ek photo lagayi—‘Morning sun in my new apartment’. 5 minute baad ek aur friend ka message aaya:
“Bhai tu theek hai? Ye picture tune teen din pehle bhi lagayi thi. Time bhi wahi tha. Dhoop bhi wahi.”
Tab Vaibhav ko panic hone laga. Usne phone ka clock reset kiya, internet se sync kiya. Par mobile ka time 7:12 pe atka raha.
Agli raat usne fir Netflix lagaya, aur representatively kisi show ka naya episode dekhne ka try kiya. Lekin har scene me ek naya chehra dikh raha tha—koi unknown aadmi, uske hi flat me baitha hua, usi waqt ka scene repeat karta hua. Fir ussi aadmi ne camera ki taraf dekha aur bola:
“Tumne samay ko chhed diya. Ab tum bhi iss waqt me band ho.”
TV shut ho gaya.
Dar ke maare Vaibhav ne turant nikalne ka plan banaya. Packing shuru ki. Par jab gate open kara, to lift ka display bhi 7:12 dikhata tha. Road pe nikla to har gadi ka clock, har phone me wahi waqt. Duniya chal rahi thi, par waqt freeze tha.
Vaibhav ne GPS khola. Map khud-b-khud zoom hone laga — Anurag Apartments → Flat 3C → Bedroom corner → ek red blinking dot. Vaibhav ne us jagah dekha: ek purani diary rakhi thi, jo usne kabhi notice nahi ki thi.
Diary pe likha tha:
“Jis din kisi ne is flat me subah ka intezar kiya, us din se subah aayegi hi nahi.”
Aakhri page pe tha:
“Waqt chale bina insaan mar nahi sakta. Sirf jiyega—7:12 par, hamesha.”
Vaibhav ki aankhon me aansu the. Wo samajh gaya tha: jab tak wo is flat me hai, waqt kabhi aage nahi badega. Din badlenge, duniya chalegi, par uske liye har subah hamesha 7 bajkar 12 minute ki hogi.
Ab wo har din, har waqt, ek hi pal me jee raha hai — duniya me sab kuch chal raha hai, sirf uska waqt nahi.
Aur TV screen pe wahi aadmi fir se dikh raha hai — ab uski jagah Vaibhav hai.
