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Ankit ko Ramjas College hostel mein 704B allot hua—top floor par ek purana room jo pichle 3 saal se vacant tha. Hostel warden ne casually bola tha, “Koi rehna nahi chahta udhar. Network nahi milta.”
Par Ankit ko chhup-chhup ke phone pe baat karna achha lagta tha. Room bhi bada tha aur attached washroom bhi. Perfect.
Pehli raat hi ek ajeeb baat hui. Uska phone—ek old Redmi—rakhne ke baad off kar diya tha. Par raat 2 baje vibration hua. Screen par likha tha: “Incoming call – Unknown”. Signal to hota hi nahi udhar, phir kaise?
Confused but curious, Ankit ne phone uthaya. Koi awaaz nahi. Sirf static noise, jaise cable TV ka jab koi signal na ho.
Next morning, Usne warden se poocha: “Yahan signal aata hai kya?”
Warden ne bola, “Aata hi nahi. Iss floor pe to log phone ka prayog band kar dete hain.”
Us din ke baad har raat uska phone vibrate karta. Kabhi 1:47 pe. Kabhi 3:14 pe. Har baar “Unknown” se call. Phone ka SIM nikaal bhi diya, fir bhi.
Teesri raat kuch alag hua. Usne call receive kiya, aur ek ladki ki halka sa rote hue awaaz aayi: “Wapas aa jao… please mat jao…” Fir se woh static.
Delhi ke hostel mein kisi stranger ki awaaz sunna creepy nahi hota. Par bina signal ke phone ka chalna? Woh alag level ka darr tha.
Ankit ne apna purana Moto wala backup phone nikala. SIM lagake usi se use karne laga. Par agle din wahi call us phone pe bhi.
Raat ko usne call record karna start kiya. Kuch lamhon ke liye awaaz clear aayi: “Main yahan fassi hoon. Meri sauvi call hai, koi to suno.”
Ankit ne decide kiya ki room ki history jaanni padegi. Library mein dusty old student files dhoondne gaya. Wahan pata chala 2015 mein ek student—Aastha—704B mein rehti thi. Suicide kar liya tha. Room mein hi. Call log mein last outgoing call 00:39 pe tha. Police record mein likha tha: “Phone continued to ring for 2 days after death, but no SIM found.”
Ankit ki spine thandi ho gayi. Return aake usne room ke har kone ko check kiya. Almari ke niche ek puraana phone mila—Nokia 1100. Switch on kya to screen pe likha tha: “CALLING… ANKIT”.
Par Ankit ka naam iss phone mein kab se tha?
Phone haath se gir gaya, aur tabhi room ke speakers pe ek buzzy static ghoonj uthi. Jaise koi frequency tune hone ko ho. Screen pe messages blink karne lage: “80 missed calls. Answer me.”
Agle kuch dinon tak Ankit ka behavior badalne laga. Usse sirf Aastha ke baare mein sochna padta. Notes mein uski handwriting copy karne laga. Hostel friends bola karte, “Tu kuch zyada hi zone mein rehta hai.”
Ek din usne dining hall mein bina apne phone ke pockets mein call receive kiya. Static. Fir awaaz: “Main ab andar hoon.”
Ankit ne warden ko bola: “Mujhe room change chahiye.”
Warden sirf ek line boli: “Beta, tum 704B ke dusre student ho jinhone request ki. Magar pehla kaun tha, yaad nahi.”
Us raat, Ankit ne phone switch off kiya, battery nikaali, SIM tod diya. Par 2:47 AM pe phir se ringtone baja.
Ye ringtone kabhi use ki hi nahi.
Woh phone tha hi nahi.
Mirror ke andar, usse khud ka reflection dikhayi diya. Par phone us reflection ke haath mein tha—aur woh bol raha tha: “Next call tumhara hoga. Missed nahi.”
Subah tak Ankit 704B mein nahi tha. Bas ek aur phone mila—Nokia 1100—andar likha tha: “Next Occupant: Shalini. ETA: 2 days.”
Room ab wapas khali hai.
Par uska phone ab bhi kabhi switch off nahi hota.
