Rajveer came out of the bathroom to find naina in deep slumber. Wrapped from head to toe in a velvet blanket, she looked nothing less than a man roll.. he smiled looking at his cute cuddly wife... sote huye kitni pyari lag rahi hai. He smiled again.. jaagte huye to kabhi sherni to kabhi moody bachhi jaisi.. kabhi idhar...kabhi udhar... he rolled his eyes remembering her past nautankis...

He came closer... placed a light feathery kiss on her forehead.. a kiss of intense love and care and went to his side on the bed. Covering himself with the blanket he leaned against the head board..

Ali ko ek phone kar dena chahye.. hum log yaha theek se pauch gaye..... who pareshan ho raha hoga...thinking he took the mobile that was lying on the side table.. unlocking the screen of the mobile he dialed Alis number..

Pik...pik....pik..........shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........kraaawwweeeeeekrrraaannngggglllll....... he was about to throw the mobile that he held....... The ear defeaning sound..... he looked at the screen with rounded eyes....... The screen displayed nothing...just the LED Flashing bright.....and all of a sudden total darkness.. the light turned off leaving a shocked Rajveer behind..

Rajveer switched on the cell phone again... to his utter dismay he found nil network on his mobile... ufff... network bhi nahi hai!! He murmured frustrated.. yaha par log rehte kaise hain?? Na koi aspas dukan...na mobile network... chalo...kal market se koi local sim khareedna padega.. he kept the mobile again on the table..

Digging more inside the blanket he comforte himself... but sleep far away from his eyes... days incidents kept flahing in front of his eyes...

Pata nahi who sab kya tha.... Mujhe itni ajeeb o garib cheese kyu dikh rahi tha.. pehle aate huye woh saaya.....woh jungle....aisa lag raha tha lights jal rahe hai pedh k andar se..... kharab mausam... phir who jala hua pedh.... Ek pal me to aisa laga k mano pura ka pura jungle jala hua hai! Phir is bunglow mein kadam rakhte hi woh darawna gaana... pata nahi bhavishya mein kya hai! Najane aur kya intezaar kar raha hai? He tried to sleep shutting his eyes tight... and he succeeded.... After initial discomfort of lying on a different bed he drifted to sleep... Days tiredness took over his senses........

It started raining cats and dogs outside decreasing the temperature... Raj Naina unknowingly cuddeled each other in sleep trying to find comfort....

### #### ####

Rajveer tossed left and right out of discomfort... he couldn't breathe... he felt some heavy weight has been put on his chest blocking his airpipe and pressing his lungs.. he started sweating... suddenly he felt a pair of cold palms moving from his chest towards his neck....... And it was then when he opened his eyes..

The moment he opened his eyes he saw a black figure sitting right on his stomach... Dark misty malevolent figure......the silhouette clear against the grey light of the dusk... eyes bright red....staring at him.. The pair of eyes cold and cruel.....

Haaaaaaahhhhhhh..... He sprang up on the bed sweating immensely..... his heart throbbing against his chest hard.. his beats could be heard even without a stethoscope. And within moments the figure vanished.. he looked here and there out of fear...trying to find the figure .. in the process of searching the figure his eyes fell on the mirror that was reflecting the wall just behind him...

And what he saw....he couldn't believe his own eyes!

The mirror reflected the figure of a little girl crawling against the wall..... from the roof downwards.. like a spider....the face was not visible clearlyas it was covered with.. only he could see her limbs..........white in colour.....a part of her face visible...of the same colour..

Rajveer kept staring at the mirror....fixed at his place.. freezed....like he was under some magic spell.. he couldn't even move to protect himself. Damn! The man who fought every enemy with courage is helpess in fromt of a thing which doesn't have even a body!

Raaj......just then naina barged into the room switching on the lights making Rajveer come out of the magic spell......

Naina.....he turned towards the door and then looked back on the wall to find the figure....

Empty...... empty it was.....void of even a mosquito.... He turned to the mirror again..... and that too was empty! He started shivering...very badly..

Watching him restless and in tension Naina ran to him.... Raj.... Kya hua Raj?.. she asked cupping his face..

Naina....woh...peeche deewar par ek ladki......he fumbled..

Kaha ladki? Aap kya bol rahe ho? Mujhe kuch samajh nahi araha... yahapar koi nahi hai.. aap dekhiye.. she said out of concern.. achha achha theek hai.. aap shant hoke baithiye pehle.....she said..

Nahi naina tum samajh nahi rahi ho.. yaha peeche deewar par ek bachhi thi...and she was stuck to the wall while she crawled... maine aapne aankhi se dekha naina.. believe me...he pleaded..

Raaj yahapar koi nahi hai.. naa aapke aage na aapke peeche... agar koi hota to ab kyu nahi dikh raha? Kahan gaya wo?? She now raised her voice..

Naina believe me... he shouted as he got down from the bed... mere peeche deewar par ek ladki thi.. maine aapne aankho se dekha hai usse....safed chehra tha uska..

Thi toh ab kaha gayi?? Naina stood up now... gayab ho gayi?? Kyuki maine to room se kisi ladki ko bahar jaate huye nahi dekha.. come on Raaj don't tell me to believe this...she shrugged.

Naina mai tumhe kaise samjhau?? Ek.. ek kaala saya mere upar baitha tha....mera gala dabane ki koshish kar raha tha neend mein..mai jab uthke baitha...toh...toh saamne aine mein dekha ke is deewar par ek ladki thi.......he started shivering again...

Raaj..... kuch nahi hai.. kuch nahi hua.. woh bus ek bura sapna tha... she came and hugged him tight... she couldn't watch him in this condition.....she can never....Raaj mai hoon na aapke saath... kuch nahi hai yaha... na koi kaala saaya na koi ladki.... She tried to console him..

Her words calmed him to a great extent. Moving out of her hug he moved few steps ahead telling....syed tum theek keh rahi ho naina.. maine koi sapna dekha hai.. bohat hi bura sapna...he breathed in deep...

Watching him relaxed Naina said.....Raaj aap bahar aiye.. Hall me Bahadur chacha se kuch baat chit karte hai.. room mein akele akele baith ke kya karenge?? She came forward..

Aapke uthne se 10 minutes pehle mai uthke bahar gayi thi.. dekha bahadur chacha khana banana ki tayyari kar raahe the.. toh maine socha kyu na unhe thoda help kar doon... she smiled.. waise bhi chacha chaye bana rahe hain... sardi ka mausam.. garma garam chaye aur pakode... jaldi aiye Raaj.. mai aapko bulane hi ayi thi....she said..

Tum jaao naina.. Mai 5 minute me araha hoon.. he smiled and assured naina... naina left.

As soon as naina left the room Rajveer turned and looked here and there.....searched the entire room for the black figure or the girl.... But not a spot anywhere.

Nahi.... Meri aankhein itni baar dhoka nahi kha saktin... kuchh to hai jo ki normal nahi hai. He exhaled. Mujhe aur bhi saavdhan rehna padega.. naina ko bhi sambhalna padega... mai usse kuch nahi hone de sakta.. his jaws determined..

Lekin yeh cheez hai kya?? Sach mein koi spirit hai? Ya phir?? Mai isse kaise ladoon? Joh dushman dikhai deta hai usse lada jaa sakta hai.. lekin yeh?? Mujhe to yeh bhi nahi pata ke agar yeh saab evil spirits ka kiya dhara hai to kitne spirits hai? Are they spirits? If not what are they? He questioned himself.

Agar yeh spirit hai toh it is quite possible ke woh mere upar........hum saab k upar nazarrakh raha hai.. may be im being watched even now... and the mere thought of being watched sent shivers down his spine. And not only his spine, he felt the cold wave passing through each cell making his body hairs stand erect...

Splashing cold water on his face he came out of his room and immediately felt relaxed... what surprising change in the atmosphere.... Where the air inside the room was heavy and suffocating, there in the hall, air was lighter..he felt tons getting removed from his head.. he felt relaxed and fresh.

Veer baba.....Bahadur chacha called.. aiye na... pakode tale hai maine... aur saath me Darjeeling ki chai.. aiye nasta kijiye...the man melts Rajveers heart each time he calls him Veer Baba..

Jee chacha...he smiled... pakode k saath chaye.. kya baat.....he moved to the sofa and sat on it..

Chacha aap baithiye... mai laati hoon pakode....said naina and was about to leave for the kitchen..

Naina bitiya... yeh kya baat hai.. tum kyu laogi? Tum baitho.. mai laata hoon... chacha stood up..

Jee nahi... naina scolded him.. bitiya bhi bulaya aur abh mana kar rahe ho? She rolled her eyes.. aap baitho..aap doono baatein karo... mai yun gayi aur yun aayi.. and walked fast towards the kitchen not giving chacha a chance to speak a word.

Badi pyarri bachhi hai....chacha smiled. Bilkul Ali ne jaisa bataya tha...

Chacha.....aap kaha se ho? Yaha ke to nahi lagthe..asked Rajveer..

Nahi baba..... mera pushtaini ghar Bihar mein nalanda zille mein hai.... Mere pitaji kaam k khonj me yaha aake bus gaye.. tab se hum bhi yahi hai....he smiled

Aur aapka parivaar? Biwi bachhe?? He asked again..

Mai tha maata pita ka eklauta bachha... mai hoon brahmachari.. ab maata pita k guzarne k baar mai akele reh gaya... haa,,,nalanda mein rishtedaar hai..lekin naa k barabaar.. 2/4 saal k baad me kabhi kabar baatchit hota hai.....chacha explained..

Waah waah.. mai thi nahi aur aap dono gappe ladane baith gaye....said naina as she came with tea and pakodas..

Hours passed happy with their smiles.....giggles and laughter....... It was about 08.30 pm when Rajveer said....Chacha.......bhook lagraha hai....khane mein kya hai?

Baba....zyada kuch banaya nahi... Dal, Roti, Chawal, Squash ki sabzi, aur chicken..he said..

Itna kuch aur aap bol rahe ho zyada kuch nahi? Naina said surprised....

Waah chacha.. maza ayega... chalie khane chalte hain...said Rajveer excited.. saab saath milke khayenge..

They went together to the dining table.......

Was someone keeping a watch on them through the glass window from outside oblivious to them?

As they moved towards the dinning table, a swirl of leaves moved parallel outside....leaving a spot on the glass window pane.....