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IIT Bhopal ke old hostel block ka Room 308 teen saal se abandon tha. Kaha jaata tha ki wahan rehne waale last ladkon ne khud hostel chhod diya tha bina explanation ke. Par fir naye batch ke Anay, Kaustav aur Danish ne decide kiya ki unhe kisii superstition mein vishwas nahi—aur unhe wahi room mila tha.
Pehle din sab normal tha. Room bada tha, window se jungle ka view milta tha, aur sab kuch fresh paint ke wajah se naya lagta tha. Lekin third night se cheezen halka sa badalne lagi.
Kaustav ne kaha usne ek ladki ko jungle ke beech khade dekha tha—ekdum motionless, white kurti mein, jaise kisi ne pause maar diya ho. Par jab Anay aur Danish ne dekha, koi nahi tha. “Tu hallucinate kar raha hai,” Danish hasa.
Par agli raat Anay ne bhi wahi dekha—aur iss baar usne phone se zoom karke photo bhi li. Photo mein ladki ka chehra blur tha, lekin aankhen seedha camera mein dekh rahi thi. “Yeh koi prank to nahi kar raha?” Kaustav ne kaha.
Chauthi raat se har kisi ne apne phone mein kuch ajeeb record hona notice kiya—audio files jo unhone kabhi record nahi ki thi. Ek mein Danish kisi se ‘Mujhe andar mat bulao’ kehta suna jaa sakta tha. Doosre mein Anay zor se rote hue ‘Window band karo’ chillata tha. Sabne milke apne phones wipe kar diye.
Phir ek din, 2 AM ke kareeb, hostel ki light chali gayi. Andar andhera tha, aur window ke baahar kuch hil raha tha. Jungle mein ek tall structure jaisa kuch bana tha jiska outline ladki ke jaisa tha—but insect-like appendages ke saath. Jab lightning flash hui, window ke glass pe kisi ke haath ke prints the—bahar nahi, room ke andar se.
Danish, sabse brave, bola, “Bas ho gaya. Main dekhne jaa raha hoon.” Par jaise hi usne window khola, uski aankhen palak jhapkaana band kar gayi. Literal blink band ho gaya. Aur woh freeze hogaya.
Us raat Kaustav aur Anay ne Danish ko bed pe laita diya. Agle din morning mein, uski aankhon ke neeche se skin jale hue lag rahe the—as if kisi ne usse camera flash jaisa strong kuch dikhaya ho.
Dean ko bulaaya gaya. Danish ko hospital bhej diya gaya. Par jab uska phone wapas mila, uske Gallery mein ek hi cheez thi—do hazaar se zyada identical photos. Har photo mein Room 308 ki window dikhti thi. Aur uss window ke baahar vo ladki, thoda thoda kareeb aati hui. Har agle frame mein vo kuch inches paas.
Last image mein vo window ke glass se chipki thi. Lekin ek absurd detail tha—photo us angle se li gayi thi from inside the room.
Anay ne hostel chhod diya. Kaustav abhi bhi wahi hostel ke Room 206 mein rehta hai, par ek baat dikhaata nahi: uska phone kabhi kabhi khud se unlock ho jata hai. Aur jab bhi lightning hoti hai, usse lagta hai koi usi window se usse dekh raha hai—jo ab sealed hai, par sirf outside se. Inside se to woh ab bhi unlockable hai… kisi aur ke liye.
