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Nitin, ek 26-year-old freelance logistics consultant, ek nayi assignment ke chakkar mein Siliguri se Darjeeling tak ka drive kar raha tha. Usne socha tha ki thoda nature enjoy karega, thoda kaam — perfect balance. Uske paas ek brand new dashcam bhi tha, jo route mapping aur AI-assisted driving logs banata tha.
Jab wo Siliguri ke outskirts mein ek purani sarkari road par aaya — jiska naam tha Hill Route 17-B — tabhi uska phone pe signal chala gaya. Maps ne reroute kiya aur ek shortcut suggest kiya, jisme time kam dikh raha tha. Nitin ne bina soch samjhe woh raasta le liya.
Route ekdam sunssaan tha. Kahiin-kahiin par rusted milestones the, aur chipped boards jo ‘Government Access Only’ jaise shabd carry kar rahe the. Pehle to sab normal laga, lekin thoda aage jaane ke baad, uske steering mein halka sa resistance mehsoos hone laga. Jaise gaadi khud mod rahi ho. Pehle right, phir left… bina kisi vajah ke.
Usne speed kam kar di aur brake maara. Jab gaadi ruk gayi, tab usne notice kiya ki saamne koi board tha jisme faded red paint mein likha tha — “Yahaan Se Baapis Mud Jaaiye. Aage Rasta Nahin Hai.”
Par road clearly dikh raha tha… aur Maps ab completely dead tha.
Dashcam silently record kar raha tha.
Nitin ne gaadi dobara start ki. Par steering aur zyada tight lag rahi thi. Ajeeb baat yeh thi ki jab usne reverse gear lagaya, rear view mirror mein puri road… black dikh rahi thi. Na ped, na raasta… sirf ek andhera sa haze. Jaise peeche kuch bhi nahi tha. Peeche… blank air.
Heart rate tezz ho gaya. Usne sidha aage badhne ka decision liya.
20 minutes ke baad, road ek hairpin bend mein convert ho gayi. Aur phir ek aur board — is baar ground pe gira hua — jisme likha tha: “Har Koshish Ke Baad Bhi, Woh Saaf Rasta Nahi Pakad Paate.”
Nitin ne brake lagana chaaha… par steering ne khud left mod lena shuru kiya. Aur brakes… soft ho gaye. Jaise kisi ne pedal ke neeche se pressure hata diya ho.
Phir achanak se… ek aur gaadi saamne se aayi. Pura white Mahindra Bolero. Lekin andar koi nahi tha. Seat pe kuch blurry sa shape tha, jaise jawaab dena chaahta ho aur ek shadow mein trapped hai. Gaadi ekdum se narrow pass mein merge kar gayi aur gayab ho gayi.
Nitin ka dimaag ab hil chuka tha. Usne apne dashcam ko dekha aur emergency record mode activate kiya.
5 minutes ke andar, steering ne turn liya aur Nitin ek purani chowki ke paas pahunch gaya. Saamne ek metal gate jisme locks lage the, aur ek rusted sign: “BRO Base No Longer Operational — 1994 Landslide Incident.”
Tabhi usne dekha… ek aadmi uske bonnet pe khada ho gaya.
Black pehn rakha tha, aur sirf uski aankhen dikh rahi thi — pitch black.
Aur woh aadmi keh raha tha bina lips hilaaye ke: “Aap bhi usi tarah aaye jaise baaki. Steering pakadne ka bhool kabhi nahin karni chahiye, sahab.”
Uske baad Nitin ne hosh kho diya.
Jab aankh khuli, woh Kalimpong hospital mein tha. Local police ne use mountain base ke neeche unconscious paya tha — gaadi puri scraped aur ek taraf se crushed thi. Dashcam footage intact tha.
Jab usne playback kiya… kya dekha?
6 baar uski steering self-turn karti thi… bina kisi input ke.
3 baar uska face… rear-view mirror mein kisi aur ke saath overlap hota tha, jaise koi uske shoulder ke peeche baitha ho.
Aur aakhri 4 minutes mein… uska poora face camera se vanish ho gaya tha.
Jaise uski jagah koi aur drive kar raha ho.
Lab test report mein koi concussion nahi… par uske blood sample mein mild traces of manganese and an unknown neurotoxin mile — jo normally mining zones mein milta hai. Par wahan surface pe mining kabhi nahi hui…
Sarkari records bolte hain ki wahan 1994 mein ek landslide hua tha, jisme Border Roads Organisation ke 17 log mare gaye the… par unka official logbook final entry yeh thi: ‘Obstacle on road. Steering failure x17. None could correct path.’
Tab se locals kehte hain… Hill Route 17-B pe drive karne waale kabhi khud nahi chalte… koi aur unka rasta pakad leta hai.
