Raat ke sannate mein mobile ki vibration ne Abhinav ki neend tod di.

Ek unknown number se message tha:

> "Tum jaante ho tumhare baare mein sab kuch jhooth tha, Abhinav."

"1997 wali raat ko yaad karo."

Abhinav ne aankhon ko masla, phone ki screen dekhi. Message read karte hi uska dil zor se dhadakne laga.

"1997?" — wo toh uska bachpan tha… sirf 3 saal ka tha tab. Kya yaad kare?

Tabhi ek awaaz aayi — “thak!”

Living room ka photo frame, bina kisi hawa ke, neeche gir gaya.

Abhinav ne frame uthaya. Photo uske maa-baap ki thi — pyaar se muskurate hue. Lekin peeche kuch likha tha:

> "1997 – Us raat sab kuch jal gaya tha. Sirf ek ko zinda chhod diya gaya."

"Mujhe dhoondh lena, sach ke bina tum adhoore ho."

– A

"A...?" Abhinav ke haath kaanp gaye. Ye likha kisne tha?

---

FLASHBACK – Ek Sapna

Raat ko fir se Abhinav ne ek sapna dekha. Aag, cheekhte log, ek chhoti si bachchi, aur ek aadmi jiske chehre par mask tha...

Usne sapne me dekha ki wo chhoti bachchi uske naam ko pukar rahi hai:

> "Abhi... bhaago! Unhone maa ko maar diya!"

Abhinav chilla ke utha.

Ghar me akela tha. Lekin table pe ek nayi chitthi padhi thi.

Chitthi:

"Agar sach jaan na hai, to Kal raat 3 baje 'Purani Haweli' aana. Akela. Koi police nahi."

"A."

---

Subah ka Savera – Par Har Cheez Ajab Thi

Agli subah jab Abhinav office gaya, usne apne dost Karan se baat ki.

> Abhinav: "Tu kabhi socha hai... agar hum jo hai, wo sach na ho?"

Karan (hans ke): "Bro, tu raat ko Netflix dekh ke soya tha kya?"

Par tabhi Abhinav ne notice kiya — ek aurat baar-baar usse dekh rahi thi... lift ke sheeshe mein... aur jab usne mud ke dekha — wo gayab thi.

---

🔥 Cliffhanger Scene: Purani Haweli

Raat 2:58 AM — Abhinav us Purani Haweli ke samne tha. Ghar pura jala hua tha, sirf ek kamra tha jo ab tak bacha tha.

Gate pe ek board tha:

> "Danger: No Entry – Burnt since 1997"

Par Abhinav andar gaya...

Andar andhera tha. Sirf ek diya jal raha tha.

Aur ek kursi par... koi baitha tha.

Usne kaha:

"Tu finally aa hi gaya... Abhinav Massey. Ya shayad tera asli naam kuch aur tha?"

Abhinav ki saans rukh gayi... “Tum kaun ho?”

> Aawaz aayi: "Main wo hoon… jise bachpan me maar diya gaya tha."