Yeh baat pichlay saal ki hai.
Main Lahore mein rehta hoon, Gulberg side pe, ek purani si apartment building mein. Flat 302. Building zyada bari nahi, sirf 4 floors. Lift aksar kharab rehti thi, is liye zyada tar stairs use hoti theen.
Us din Saturday tha.
Raat ke 11:40 pm.
Load shedding ho chuki thi. Generator sirf corridor ki aik light chala raha tha—woh bhi flicker kar rahi thi.
Main bed pe leta phone scroll kar raha tha. Bahar halki si hawa chal rahi thi. Sannata itna tha ke door ke bahar se koi guzarta to awaaz aa jati.
Tab mujhe laga…
koi chal raha hai.
Dheemi footsteps.
Jaise chappal ghaseeti ja rahi ho.
Main ne socha shayad upar ya neeche ka neighbour hoga. Normal baat thi. Lekin footsteps mere door ke samnay aa ke ruk gaye.
Aik second.
Do second.
Phir… silence.
Main ne phone dekha.
11:47 pm.
Phir knock.
Zyada zor se nahi.
Bas aik halki si thap.
Main uth ke door ke paas gaya. Peephole se dekha.
Koi nahi tha.
Main ne socha shayad bachay prank kar rahe honge. Wapas bed pe aa gaya.
5 minute baad, phir se knock.
Is dafa thori lambi.
Thap… thap…
Main ne awaaz lagai:
“Kaun?”
Koi jawab nahi.
Main ne peephole se phir dekha. Corridor khali. Woh flicker karti light, aur door ke samnay ek lambi si shadow jo bilkul still thi. Lekin wahan koi khara nahi tha.
Mera dil tez ho gaya.
Main ne door nahi khola.
Raat guzri mushkil se.
Agli subah main building ke guard se mila. Us se casually poocha:
“Kal raat koi 302 ke paas aya tha?”
Us ne foran jawab diya:
“Sir kal raat koi bhi 3rd floor pe nahi aya. CCTV bhi band tha light ki wajah se.”
Yeh sun ke thora ajeeb laga, lekin main ne ignore kar diya.
Do din baad.
Raat ke 2:13 am.
Mera phone vibrate hua.
Unknown Number.
Main ne uth ke dekha. Call receive nahi ki. Bas phone rakh diya.
10 second baad phir call.
Is dafa receive kar li.
Udhar se koi awaaz nahi.
Sirf halki si saans lene ki awaaz.
Main ne kaha:
“Hello?”
Awaaz band.
Call cut.
Main ne call log check kiya.
Duration: 18 seconds.
Phir meri nazar lock screen pe padi.
3 missed knocks – Smart Door Sensor
Mere paas smart sensor tha jo knock detect karta tha.
Mera jism thanda ho gaya.
Main uth ke darwazay ke paas gaya.
Darwaza locked tha. Chain bhi lagi hui.
Peephole se dekha.
Koi nahi.
Lekin is dafa…
floor pe nishan thay.
Jaise koi geeli chappal pehn ke khara raha ho.
Do nishan. Bilkul seedhay.
Aur phir… achanak khatam.
Jaise koi hawa mein ghayab ho gaya ho.
Agli subah main building management ke paas gaya.
Unhon ne records check kiye.
Unhon ne sirf itna kaha:
“Sir… Flat 302 pehle bhi complaints aa chuki hain.”
Main ne poocha:
“Kis type ki?”
Unhon ne kaha:
“Raat ke knocks. Phone calls. Aur log keh rahe thay ke…
unhein lagta tha koi un ke ghar ke andar khara hai.”
Main ne foran poocha:
“Pehle ka tenant kahan hai?”
Manager ne aankhen neeche kar li.
“Woh achanak shift kar gaya tha.
Keh raha tha… raat ko koi us se baat karta tha… bina awaaz ke.”
Aaj bhi main us flat mein hoon.
Shift nahi kar paya.
Knocks ab kam ho gaye hain.
Lekin kabhi kabhi…
raat ke 2 ke baad
mera phone vibrate hota hai.
Unknown number.
Main receive nahi karta.
Bas aik baat ajeeb hai.
Jab bhi call aata hai…
mera phone batata hai ke call “Inside the apartment” se aa rahi hai.
Aur main akela hoon.
Ya…
shayad mujhe lagta hai ke main akela hoon.
