KIARA PART 1

Pichhle teen din se hostel ka mahaul ajeeb tha. Na koi music sun raha tha, na koi corridor mein chill kar raha tha. Sab log chhup-chhup ke baatein kar rahe the. Phone pe photos scroll karte hue, ek dusre se sirf ek hi cheez puchhte: “ Gayab kaise ho gayi Kiara ?” Nisha Window ke paas apne bed pe baithi thi. Baarish ki awaz khidki ke glass pe thak-thak ka shor kar rahi thi. Room mein light on thi, aur atmosphere freezy. Usne phone uthaya, gallery scroll karte hue Kiara ki woh reel baar-baar saamne aa rahi thi white kurta, wet hair, lake ke paas wo creepy line bolti hui: "Main wapas aa gayi hoon... aur is baar mujhe koi nahi rokega.” Us din woh log reel shoot kar rahe the…ek viral moment create karne ki chahat dil mein liye, Kiyara ne khud likhi thi wo script aur us din usne sabko bola tha, “Acting mat karna. Just feel it.” Aur jaise hi camera chalu hua... woh itna natural perform kar rahi thi…ki acting ka to namonishan nahi tha uski performance mein, Na jaane wo kya kuchh aur kaise feel kar rahi thi jo dialogues bol rahi thi to aam taur pe looks camera ki tararf ya phir apne subject ki taraf hota hai ,Par uski aankhen kahin aur dekh rahi thi. Paani ke us paar, Lake ke us kone mein jahan usually koi nahi jaata. Aur jab shoot khatam hua, usne bas itna bola tha, “Mujhe aaj raat wapas aana hai… akele.” Nisha ne haskar kaha tha. “Tu pagal hai kya?” lekin Kiara serious thi. Woh bas usi jagah stare karti rahi. Kuchh seconds ke liye bilkul still. Agle din subah... uska bed empty tha. Hostel warden ne bataya: “Woh raat ko nikli thi, kisi ko kuchh bataya nahi. Gate ke CCTV footage mein last seen 2:17 AM ka dikha raha hai wahi White kurta pehenke, lake ki taraf jaate hue dikhi thi wo.” Police ne missing report likhi. Media ne ek chhoti si khabar chhapi. College ne maamle ko tuul na dete hue silence maintain karna shuru kiya. Lekin Nisha... woh chup nahi baithi. Usne shoot ka raw footage dobara dekha. Jab camera zoom out kar raha tha Kiara ke dialogue ke end mein, background mein ek shadow dikh rahi thi. Human shape thi... but woh koi tha nahi team mein. White sa silhouette... ek ped ke peechhe khada hua dikhai diya... aur suddenly vanish ho gaya. Us moment pe Nisha ka gala sukhne laga tha..Woh kisi ghost story mein nahi, apne best friend ke reel ke beech ye dekh rahi thi...jispe yakin kar pana uski aankhon ke liye mushkil lag raha tha.. Aur ab… teen din baad… us raat… 2:17 AM pe... Nisha ke phone pe ek message aaya…Unknown number se….DP blank. Message: “Come to the lake. Alone.” Nisha ka phone haath se girte-girte bacha tha. Usne screen pe stare kiya message ab bhi wahan tha. “Come to the lake. Alone.” Koi number nahi tha. Sirf blank DP. Aur neeche likha tha: Message received at: 2:17 AM Yeh wahi time tha jab Kiara last time dekhi gayi thi. Nisha ne pehle ignore karne ki koshish ki. But phone vibration fir se chalu ho gaya. Same message, baar baar…. Jaise kisi ne auto loop pe daal diya ho…Dar ki feeling se Uske haath kaanpne lage the…Par kisi tarah dar ki us feeling pe kaabu paane ki koshish me wo sabse pehle us screen ko off karti hai,Phone ko silent pe daalti hai,Deep breaths leke khud ko calm down karne ki koshish karti hai lekin andar se ek pull mehsoos ho raha tha. Jaise koi usse lake ke paas bula raha ho uske man me kuchh alag tarangein si mehsoos ho rahi thi aur wo reh reh ke us lake ki direction me baar baar dekh rahi thi…Wo Aarav ko call karti hai… “Bhai please uth ja…. Kuchh seriously weird ho raha hai.” Aarav bamushkil aankhein kholne ki koshish karte hue neend mein bolta hai, “Itni raat ko… kya hua?” Nisha ka voice low but shaken tha. “Mujhe ussi number se message aaya… jahan se Kiara ko last baar aaya tha.” Aur uske baad bas silence,Agle 15 minute mein Nisha, Aarav aur Dev uss lake ki taraf nikal jate hain. Hostel ke back gate se quietly nikalte hue, In teeno ke chehre pe ek ajib sannata tha aur ankhein alert. Jaise andar se samajh chuke ho ki ye ab koi game nahi raha… Teen bikes quietly jungle ke edge tak gayi. Wahaan se aage paidal jana tha.. jahaan se lake shuru hoti thi. Hawa bhi bilkul shant thi. Jaise oxygen heavy ho gayi ho. Jaise hawa mein kuchh bharipan sa tha… Na koi ped hil raha tha na patton ki koi sarsarahat sab kuchh khamosh bejan sa apni apni jagah pe maano kisi chiz ke hone ka intezar kar rahe the. Nisha sabse aage chal rahi thi hath me Torch liye hue. Lake ke paas pahuchte hi unhone dekha wahi chhatri,Wahi bench… Lekin..lekin ab wahaan koi aur bhi tha….ankhein avishwas me phail jaati hain in teeno ki…Kuchh kadam badi sawdhani se usi disha me aage badhate hue ye log ghaur se dekhte hain to nazar aati hai Ek ladki jiska back tha inki taraf … White kurta pehne…. Wet hair. ..Baalon se neck tak pure kapde bheege hue the. Nisha ke hath se flashlight lete hue Aarav ne us ladki ko clear dekhne ke liye seedha uss ki taraf flashlight se dekhne ki koshish ki aur uske muh se nikla “Kiara…?” Saamne khadi us ladki ne react nahi kiya. Dev ne ek step aage badhaya “Bhai ye koi psycho prank ho sakta hai…” Aur jaise hi usne ye bola woh ladki turn ho gayi.Aur uska face clearly dikhne laga,Woh Kiara hi thi. Lekin uske facial muscles stiff the. Eyes pitch black. Aur muh se kuchh seepage jaisa bahar aa raha tha. Woh kuchh bolti nahi hai… Bas stare karti hai Nisha ki taraf…Uski haalat dekhke sakte me aa jaate hain sab aur Dev ke muh se nikal jaata hai “What the f—” Aur usi second Kiara ne ek jhatke me unnatural speed se lake mein jump kar diya….Pani me ek bada splash hota hai aur fir sab sannata pehle ki tarah. Aankhein phaad ke lake ki taraf dekhte reh jaate hain ye teeno. Kisika koi movement na hote dekh khud ko sambhalte hue Nisha aankhon se signal dete hue bolti hai “Main jaake dekhti hoon…” Woh lake ke paas jaakar kneel hote hue paani me kuchh dekhne ki koshish me wo flashlight on karti hai aur jo kuchh wo dekhti hai pani ke andar use dekhte hi wo ekdum freeze ho jati hai. Lake ke pani mein ek aur ladki thi…thoda dhyan se dekhne pe nazar aati hai ek aur phir…ek aur…dekhte hi dekhte kai saari ladkiyan pani me nazar aane lagti hain jinki aankhein khuli hui… Lips pale… Unka stare seedha Nisha ke upar tha aur sab ke lips move kar rahe the par bina sound ke,Ye sab dekhke Nisha ki saans phool jati. …jhatka khake woh peeche ki taraf gir jati hai,Bhagkar Aarav usse sambhalta hai “kkkya hua nisha? Kya dekha tumne vahaana neeche?? Jawab me Nisha bas itna keh payi “Woh… sirf Kiara nahi thi. Woh sab yahan hain.” Tabhi Nisha ke phone pe ek aur vibration hua….New message, Same number,Same blank DP. “She’s awake now. You opened it. We’re not done.” ❓1. क्या ये सब Kiara की curiosity थी — या कोई अधूरी कहानी जो उससे पूरी करवाना चाहती थी? क्या वो reel बस एक वायरल वीडियो थी, या कोई पुराना dialogue… जो Kiara के ज़रिए दुबारा बोला जाना चाहता था? ❓2. झील के अंदर वो औरतें कौन थीं? क्या Kiara अकेली थी… या वो बस अगली कड़ी थी एक पुराने सिलसिले की? क्यों उनकी आंखें खुली थीं… होंठ हिल रहे थे… मगर कोई आवाज़ नहीं आ रही थी? ❓3.और हर बार 2:17 AM ही क्यों? क्या ये सिर्फ़ एक आखिरी time-stamp है, या किसी अधूरी performance का दोहराया जाने वाला time cue?जिस वक्त पर ‘किसी को’ दोबारा मंच पर लाया जाता है?