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Avni, ek 23 saal ki software intern thi Noida ke ek startup mein. Har din kaafi hectic hota tha — Subway ka sandwich dinner, aur fir PG wapas jaake side hustle ka kaam. Par raat mein usse ek naya obsession ho gaya tha: unexplored Google Maps locations dhoondhna. Random jagah zoom karna, hidden lanes dekhna — yeh sab uska naya stressbuster ban gaya tha.
Ek raat, shaam ke baad jab sab kaam nipta chuki thi, Avni casually Google Maps pe Sector 137 ke aas-paas zoom kar rahi thi. Tabhi usne dekha — ek rectangular building, naam: “Saanjh Tower”. Par usne aise koi building kabhi notice nahi ki thi us route pe.
Curiously, usne building ko satellite view mein dekha. Structure plain tha — no boundary, no greenery, sirf ek flat concrete block. Map pe cursor le jaate hi ek faint whisper sunai diya lagbhag headphone mein — “Dekhne mat aana.” Lekin Avni ne socha speaker glitch hoga. Curious hokar usne screen record kiya.
Agli subah jab vo same location check ki, building gayab thi. Dhundhne par bhi “Saanjh Tower” ka koi zikr nahi mila. History mein bhi nahi. Usne video dobara dekha — building tha, naam clear tha… lekin record mein awaz nahi thi.
Raat 12:06 AM pe usne phir maps khola. Is baar building wapas dikhi, but doosre lane mein — aur naam tha: “Raang Mahal”. Haweli jaisa naam. Avni shock ho gayi. Har din raat 12 ke baad ek nai location pe ek building dikhti thi — aur har baar uska naam aur structure badal jaata tha. Kabhi wo ek mall hoti, kabhi ek barabarshaadi hall. Lekin maps view always showed it hollow — koi log nahi, koi lighting nahi. Sirf ek static shadow jaise.
8 din baad, curiosity ne uska patience tod diya. Ek raat jab naye building ka naam “Shringaar Sadan” dikha — map ke fact section mein ek clickable “Visit Inside” link bhi aaya. Street View option ke jaise. Without thinking, Avni click kar gayi.
Screen black gaya. Fir ek virtual walk-through khula. Dim corridors, narrow hallways, mirrors on both sides. Har mirror mein Avni khud ko dekh sakti thi — per har reflection usse thoda delayed aur… stressed lagta. Jaise koi aur version ho.
Usne peechhe mudke dekha, to camera responsive tha — VR jaisa experience. Tabhi ek mirror mein chhoti si movement dikhi — jaise koi usse door se dekh raha ho, but sab reflection mein. She clicked out panic mein — par screen hung ho gaya.
Agli subah office gayi, par har screen — chrome tabs, code editor, sab — us virtual building ke snapshot dikha rahe the. Koi file nahi open ho rahi thi. Jab usne teammate Ankit ko dikhaya, uske screen pe sab normal tha.
Raat ko jab phone use kiya, wallpaper change ho gaya tha — us building ka ek aur version. Is baar naam: “Bhojankutir-13”. Aur screen pe notification tha — “You visited us. Now let us visit you.”
Agli raat Avni ka voice note mila us PG mate Nitya ko. Bas ek line thi — “Don’t look for rooms that don’t have doors.” Phir silence.
Next morning Avni gayab thi.
PG owner ne last footage check kiya — raat 12:11 pe Avni bed pe maps scroll kar rahi thi, phir ek second ke liye screen blink hua, aur us screen ke ander se ek haath nikal kar usse kheench le gaya — jaise koi hole khul gaya display mein.
Kab se log Area 137 mein similar cases ki reports de rahe the — log jo raat ko ek hi jagah baar baar zoom karke dekhte hain. Local techies ab isko kehte hain “Map Mirage Syndrome” — jahan ek virtual structure tumhare mind mein itna bas jaata hai ki wo emotionally tumse connect ho jaata hai, aur phir — tum uska permanent resident ban jaate ho.
Google se baat karne pe unka kehna tha: “We have no such overlays. Street Views aren’t updated in that area for five years.”
Last ke kuch dino mein ek aur nayi jagah dikhi Google Maps pe. Is baar naam hai: “Avni Residency”.
Sirf raat 12:07 pe dikhta hai. Aur click karne par ek warning sunai deti hai —
“Tum sirf dekh rahe ho. Lekin hum tumhe dekh rahe hain.”
Is baar koi cursor nahi hai. Sirf ek entry counter — “4 Have Entered Tonight.”
