After enjoying the laughter everyone turns silent again. Pooja's words repeat in their minds.

The silence that was prevailing in the group gets disrupted by the sound of the mouth organ played by Alekh. That drags each of them out of their thoughts.

"Aap sub ke beech mein reh-reh kar shanti ab apun ko jamti nahi.",

says Alekh, trying to relax them.

"What do you mean Alekh, hum sub humesha shor machate rehte hain?",

asks Yudi, knitting his brows, raising his voice.

Alekh itches his ear, making face - a gesture to tell Yudi that he is loud at the moment too.

"Oye haan yaar Qaidi. Agar shor ki baat hai to jab tujhe gussa aata hai to tu kitna shor machata hai ye kisi ko yaad dilane ki zaroorat nahi.",

says Huda.

"Aap sahi bol rahe hain Huda bhai. Humein to Alekh bhai ke saamne kuch bolne se bhi darr lagta hai.",

Ali supports Huda.

Alekh glares Ali and asks,

"Kyun apun kya tere bolte hi tere muh mein fevicol laga deta hai?"

Ali feels humiliated and clears his throat, looking away.

All others except for Alekh, laugh witnessing his gesture.

"Alekh bus kar!",

scolds Naina, lightly.

Rubbing his hands together, Alekh says,

"Chalo ab apun kuch sunata hai."

Naina arches her brow, surprised by the fact that he too has an incident to share. Rajveer too smiles, very much interested in listening to Alekh's story.

(Alekh's background tune begins)

"Bachpan se apun ne chori karne ki wajah se kayi baar jail ke chakkar lagaye. Waise to chor-dakaiton ke saath apun ka uthna-baithna raha hai. Kabhi apun ko inse darr nahi laga. Jail mein rehne se bhi darr nahi laga. Magar ek kissa hai jo apun bhulaye bhi nahi bhool pata.",

says Alekh, widening his eyes in horror.

"Kaisa kissa Qaidi?",

asks Huda, curious.

"Kuch saal pehle ki baat hai, apun kisi ka purse churakar bhaga tha. Kuch hi duri par police ne apun ko pakad liya aur ek jail mein le gaye.",

Alekh remembers the location of the prison.

"Apne ilake ke har jail ko apun ache se janta tha. Magar wo jail apun ne usse pehle kabhi nahi dekha tha.",

says Alekh.

Alekh is well familiar with the number of prisons in and around his locality. But this one was completely new to him when he first entered here. And not only new but - eerie too! Every step that he was taking towards the cell, every nerve ending was shouting at him why he must not be there! The overall vibe of that place was negative. Of course no prison gives positive vibes to anyone but this one is peculiarly negative! A regular visitor of prison can differentiate between the positive and negative vibes of a prison very well. The silence prevailing in the prison was eerie. Not only the vibes of this place were weird but the reason of his being there was equally weird!

Alekh remembers the reason of his being there and quivers!

*Flashback*

Alekh reaches his home drenched in sweat.

"Alekh kya hua beta? Tu... tu itna ghabraya hua kyun hai?",

asks a lady in Alekh's neighborhood who treats him as her son.

"Mausi... mausi aaj apun jail gaya tha!",

says Alekh in horror.

The lady laughs and asks,

"Bus itni si baat? To iss mein ghabrane ki kya baat hai?"

Alekh shakes hi head staring the lady in horror and says,

"Wo jail dusre jailon se alag hai!"

"Matlab?",

asks the lady, knitting her brows.

Alekh remembers...

*Sub-flashback*

Alekh when notices the turns of the jeep he wonders where exactly is the location of this police station where they are taking him!

Standing in front of the jail he looks around and gets a weird feeling. He must not enter this place or be here at all, he feels.

As he enters the place, while taking every step towards the interior of the jail his every nerve ending tells him that he must not be here. This place is not meant for him. Alekh finds aura of this particular prison peculiar. The rusty gate; the lengthy stems of the old trees snaking around the bars of the main gate, not only depicts the age of the police station but also tells that something out of ordinary must have happened here. Cleanliness is far from sight.

Alekh looks around and turns to look behind him and notices the two policemen who brought him here - they look old! And by old it is not only about their age but also about their weariness. They are fed up of performing their duty.

They take Alekh to the head of the department and reveals Alekh's crime - he ran away snatching a purse of an old woman.

Alekh defends himself by saying that he returned to the same place in search of the woman to return her purse but didn't find her anywhere.

Upon being asked the reason of his sudden change of attitude he says,

"Apun ne jabse uske purse ko liya tabse apun ko har pal aisa lag raha tha maano koi apun ka peecha kar raha ho."

Alekh stares the inspector with his eyes wide opened in horror.

"Sirf itna hi nahi, apun ne uske purse ko kholkar dekha to uss mein ajeeb-o-gareeb tantra-mantra ki chhoti-chhoti kitabein theen.",

Alekh explains them.

He suddenly realises how all of them are staring him as if he is some predator and they are going to hunt him down.

"Aap sub apun ko aise kyun dekh rahe hain?",

asks Alekh, finding their stare weird.

They lock him in one of the lockers.

As he walks towards the locker he keeps insisting,

"Apun to uske purse ko lautana chahta tha. Phir kyun apun ko pakda gaya hai?"

He feels their extraordinarily cold hands over his warm arms and looks towards the sub-inspectors in horror.

Nothing about this place is normal, he concludes!

It is this moment that he again looks around and prepares himself for encountering peculiar things further too!

As he walks towards his allocated locker he notices his fellow prisoners locked up in different lockers. Holding the bars of their respective lockers they stare Alekh with their pale eyes.

Alekh's heart throbs inside his chest, something which has never happened ever since his second visit to a jail in his life, he began to get accustomed to the surroundings of a prison. But this somehow is different from those surroundings.

He gets allocated to a cell that he realises he is to share with his fellow cell mate.

Few moments pass by in silence.

"Saala pata nahi apun ko yahan kyun qaid karke rakha hai! Apun to wo purse bhi lautane gaya tha usko. Agar wo mili nahi wahan to iss mein apun ki kya galti hai?",

Alekh talks to himself in anger.

His cell mate turns to look towards Alekh and asks,

"Kya jiska purse tumne churaya usne neele rang ki saree pehni hui thi?"

The coincidence that his cell mate has uttered the same colour of the lady's saree whom he robbed makes Alekh to turn to look towards him in surprise. Knitting his brows he replies,

"Haan!"

His fellow cell mate smirks, looking somewhere at the wall in front of him.

"Tereko kaise pata?",

asks Alekh, curious, keeping his brows creased.

"Kyunki mere saath bhi yahi hua tha.",

he says.

Alekh stares him surprised.

Turning to look towards Alekh he introduces himself,

"Mera naam Nitin hai."

"Apun Alekh!",

introduces Alekh.

"Pehli baar aye ho yahan?",

asks Nitin.

"Ha...an...",

replies Alekh, skeptically.

"Tu?",

asks Alekh.

Smirking, resting his head against the left side wall, sitting on the floor, Nitin says,

"Bohot waqt se intezaar tha yahan aane ka. Bus himmat nahi ho rahi thi. Akhirkar sub kuch theek ho gaya himmat bhi juta liya aur yahan tak pohnchne ka zariya bhi mil gaya."

Alekh finds his words weird, why would someone be interested in visiting a prison, and that too this one?

"Kyun yahan kya tere ko VIP treatment milti hai?",

asks Alekh, sarcastically.

Smirking, Nitin says,

"VIP to ye hain!"

Alekh knits his brows and asks,

"Matlab?"

"Hum to mamooli insaan hain aur yein...",

pointing towards the prison's caretakers, Nitin says,

"...ye pret-aatmayein, dayan, chudail, bhoot. Jo naam dena hai de sakte ho inhe!"

Alekh freezes!

"Te..ra.. matlab kya hai?",

asks Alekh, petrified.

"Matlab ye ke inki duniya humse alag hai Alekh!",

says Munna.

Alekh quivers hearing that as he understands what Nitin means.

*Sub-flashback ends*

●●●●●

Sitting in front of Kashish, Abhimanyu, the collar button of his white shirt undone, buttons of his black coat left untied too, staring at the table without blinking his eyes, says,

"Aap theek keh rahi theen. Humare dost thein wo jinhone humari Nandini ko humse cheena."

Kashish creases her brows, feeling sorry for Abhimanyu.

"Aur wo ab salaakhon ke peeche hain.",

says Abhimanyu, looking towards Kashish, with his ice cold eyes.

"Kyun kiya unhone aisa?",

asks Kashish, curious.

"Kyunki Nandini humein talaq nahi de raheen theen.",

says Abhimanyu.

Kashish widens her eyes out of shock.

"Agar wo unse pyar karti theen to aapko divorce kyun nahi de diya unhone?",

asks Kashish, frustrated.

Abhimanyu shakes his head having no answer to that.

"Shayad aap dono ka bachcha reason raha hoga.",

suggests Kashish.

"Pata nahi. All I know is I hate that woman.",

says Abhimanyu, angry.

Kashish stares him.

"Wo na humein talaaq de raheen theen, na apne uss ashiq ko chorh raheen theen. Issi wajah se gusse mein aakar uske ashiq ne uska qatal kar diya aur accident ka roop de diya.",

Abhimanyu tells her.

"Uss waqt Nandini ussi se baat karke laut rahi theen ghar. Jab gusse mein aakar unke aashiq ne apni gadi se unki gadi ko takkar maar di. Aur humari Nandini...",

he feels the lump in his throat.

"...humein humesha-humesha ke liye chorh kar chali gayeen.",

cries Abhimanyu.

"Abhimanyu... Abhimanyu ji please calm down.",

Kashish tries to console him, resting her hand on his hand.

"I... I am sorry Kashish ji.",

Abhimanyu apologizes, controlling himself.

"It's... it's just that...",

he looks into her eyes, tilting his head to the left and says,

"Jab aap kisi par pura bharosa karein; kissi se beintehaan mohobbat karein; jiske saath jeene-marne ke sapne aapne dekhe hon, aapko ek din pata chaley ke wo insaan aapko dhokha de raha tha, wo sub kasmein-waadein jhoote the jo kabhi aap dono ne saath mein liye the... it really hurts! And not only hurts but tears your heart into pieces."

His every word hits Kashish hard! She relates to his words and thoughts. Her brows knit afresh. Her breath hitches. She controls her emotions.

"Bezubaan khade reh jaate hain aap aur usse khudse duur jaate hue dekhne ke alawa aapke paas koi chaara nahi reh jaata.",

adds Kashish, her eyes get filled with tears.

"Dil ankhon ka dhokha maanta hai; aur dimag...",

smiling sarcastically, Kashish continues,

"...dimag to kaam karna hi band kar deta hai!"

Abhimanyu nods his head in affirmative.

"Yaadon ki saari tasveerein jo kal tak ankhon ke saamne saaf-saaf nazar aati theen, achanak dhundhli parh jaati hain.",

says Kashish, sadly.

"Bina kisi galti ke saza bhugatna parh jaata hai!",

she adds.

"Galti bus itni ke humne unse pyar kiya.",

says Abhimanyu.

Kashish looks towards Abhimanyu. Both stare each other sadly.

●●●●●

*Sub-flashback*

"To... to ab kya hoga?",

asks Alekh, shocked.

"Saza milegi!",

says Nitin, keeping a straight face.

"K...kaisi saza?",

asks Alekh.

And these were the last words before both of them hear random crying and shouting of people in pain. They cover their respective ears unable to bear hearing the pleas in those shouts.

"Ban...d... kar chillanaaaa!!",

shouts Alekh in anger.

But instead of coming to an end, the torture increases.

It continues for few more minutes before everything turns silent.

Alekh removes his hands off his ears, controlling his accelerated rate of heartbeat.

"Ye din mein na jaane kitni baar aise chillate hain. Kabhi agar ankh lag jaye to inke achanak chillane se darr ke marey neend khul jaati hai.",

says Nitin.

"Ye to bus ek kisam ki saza hai. Aise kayi aur hain.",

smiles Nitin, sarcastically.

"Tere ko kaise pata?",

asks Alekh, curious.

Laughing a little, Munna says,

"Itne mahino se research jo kar raha tha inn par."

Alekh knits his brow, puzzled.

"Main ek reporter hoon. Aise adbhut, avishvasneeya, akalpaniya suchchi kahaniyon ki khoj mein rehta hoon. Achanak research karte samaye inka pata chala to aa gaye yahan apni duty nibhane.",

smiles Nitin.

Alekh stares him stunned!

What is he? How can he risk his life like that?

"Yeda hai kya?!",

exclaims Alekh, shocked.

"Sher ke muh mein haath dalkar kya mila tujhe?",

he asks, raising his voice.

"Shhh... dheere bolo Alekh.",

says Nitin, looking all around, making sure that no one heard him.

"Ye dekho camera. Isse main inki harkaton ko record kar raha hoon.",

whispers Nitin, indicating towards his camera hidden at the helm of his shirt.

"Niklega kaise yahan se kuch socha hai?",

asks Alekh, frustrated.

They hear the shout again.

"Sala uske purse ko lena hi nahi chahiye tha. Mila bhi kya wo tantra-mantra ki kitaabein aur cheezein.",

says Alekh.

"Nikal jayenge. Koi to raasta hoga.",

assures Nitin.

"Ye dekho mere paas kuch chabbiyan hain.",

he shows Alekh a bunch of keys.

"Jaise hi inki nazar humse hategi inn chabiyon ki madad se hum ye tala khol lenge aur phir kuch saboot ikkaththa karke jisse main ye sabit kar paun duniya ko ke ye log hum jaise aam log nahi hain; ke inki ek alag duniya hai, hum yahan se bhaag jayenge.",

says Nitin, patting his camera.

Alekh nods his head in agreement.

"Acha theek....",

Alekh stops abruptly upon witnessing a sudden movement through his peripheral vision.

He turns around to acknowledge whatever he felt he saw. But to his utter surprise upon turning to look towards it, he finds no one there.

"Apun ne abhi kisiko yahan se jaate hue dekha!",

says Alekh staring outside the bars in utter shock.

"Kisi ki aatma hogi.",

says Nitin, trying to search the one Alekh had witnessed but he did not.

Alekh stares him in utter shock.

"Chalo nikalte hain!"

Nitin unlocks the gate of the cell.

Together they sneak out of the cell.

They feel being followed by a shadow, the thought sets the pace of their heartbeats higher.

Nitin gets lifted in the air all of a sudden - upside down. Shout escapes Alekh's mouth seeing that.

Nitin stares Alekh with his eyes wide opened and mouth opened too.

They hear the song -

'Akkad-bakkad bambe bo,
assi-nabbe purey sau.
Sau mein laga dhaaga,
chor nikalke bhaaga!'

Alekh freezes at his spot and slowly rotates his eye balls to the right.

"Al..ekh... tumhare peeche....",

Nitin trail off in horror.

Alekh slowly, giving himself all the courage that is required for him to look around and turns. He quivers upon witnessing a man with his eyes as white as milk with no eye balls, staring Alekh!

Alekh's eyes turn wide out of fear. Despite his state of horror he doesn't fail to notice the mark all around the man's neck. Alekh concludes that he had been hanged to death here.

The white eyed man follows Alekh. Alekh runs for life, sweating profusely. Changing routes; hiding behind the pillars whenever possible.

Alekh peeps from behind a pillar and gets shocked upon witnessing lifeless Nitin suspended in the air with his eyes and mouth opened. He returns to his prior position, crying, covering his mouth when suddenly someone pulls his head including his face vertically inside the pillar! Alekh moves his hands and legs in desperation to free himself but to no avail.

After few moments he is set free by the spirit.

He turns to run away when he gets shocked upon witnessing the same lady whom he robbed, standing in front of him, glaring him.

'Akkad-bakkad bambe bo,
assi-nabbe purey sau.
Sau mein laga dhaaga,
chor nikalke bhaaga!'

She sings in front of him, smiling sarcastically.

Alekh folds his hands in front of her, pleading, crying to let him go.

"Chori karna buri baat,
nahi dega koi tera saath.",

she says.

Alekh cries feeling extremely guilty.

He runs and soon reaches a secret tunnel built inside the police station by other criminals who were imprisoned - their escape route. He gets into the tunnel and slithers through the tunnel. Reaching at a particular spot, still inside the tunnel, Alekh feels someone held his feet from behind. Alekh quivers and feels suffocated - first because of the shallow tunnel; second as he is held by his feet by some unknown entity. He tries to free himself from the hold but fails.

'Akkad-bakkad bambe bo,
assi-nabbe purey sau.
Sau mein laaga dhaaga,
chor nikalke bhaaga!'

His every nerve ending stands erect hearing that!

She ties a rope around his feet and pulls him out of the tunnel.

Alekh cries and pleads further.

Upon getting out of the tunnel bunch of arrows come flying in the air. Alekh manages to save himself from them. His rate of heartbeat increased further.

Bunch of spirits - males and females walk towards Alekh in slow motion, glaring him throughout; singing in unison.

'Akkad-bakkad bambe bo,
assi-nabbe purey sau.
Sau mein laaga dhaaga,
chor nikalke bhaaga!'

They with their powers lift Alekh in the air and throws him down on the floor, hard. Alekh winces in pain as his back gets hurt.

They begin to take forward steps towards Alekh. Alekh begins to push his body back, without getting up as his feet are tied, staring at them in front of him in horror.

While he was pushing himself away from them, he feels some salt. Without giving it much thought, he picks up handful of the salt and throws it towards them. He gets shocked upon witnessing the sudden converting of the ghosts in front of him into air, as if they are water which is changing into vapor. And soon no one except for Alekh stays there! Alekh finds it unbelievable that they have vanished for real. He looks here and there to get assured. Once assured, he unties the rope; gets up and runs away.

*Sub-flashback ends*

Alekh's aunt, standing behind Alekh, whispers into his ear,

"Aadat daal le ab wohi tera naya ghar hai!"

Alekh widens his eyes and quivers! Is it really his aunt? His every nerve ending stands erect. The lady laughs her devilish laugh throwing her head behind and sings,

'Akkad-bakkad bambe bo,
agle janam tere saare adhure sapne
pure hon.',

as she ends singing these lines, she twists Alekh's neck.

Alekh falls on the ground, unconscious.

*Flashback ends*

"Kuch der baad apun ne ankhein jab kholin to apun ne khudko kankaalon ke dher mein paaya.",

says Alekh.

All stare him in shock.

"Magar tumhe to usne....",

Yudi trials off.

Alekh nods his head.

"Unhe laga apun marr gaya. Magar apun bus behosh hua tha.",

says Alekh.

"Uss kamre mein ek khidki thi usse jhaank kar apun ne dekha ke Mausi kuch kankalon ki puja kar rahi hain.",

says Alekh, widening his eyes in horror.

"O teri!",

exclaims Huda, shocked.

"Unka waisa roop apun ne pehle kabhi nahi dekha tha. Baal khuley, kali saree pehne. Aankhon mein gussa. Aisa lag raha tha jaise kisi ki jaan ki bhookhi ho.",

says Alekh, remembering the scenario.

"Apun bohot darr gaya tha. Apun samjh gaya ye apun ki bali dene ki soch rahi hai. Gaon mein bali dene ko log bohot maante hain. Khaaskar ke wo jo tantra-mantra karte hon. Magar apun ko ye nahi pata tha ke Mausi bhi ye sub karti hain. Aur wo inn sub mein itni andhi ho gayi ke unhone apun ki bali charhane se pehle ek baar bhi nahi socha."

All of them stare him in silence.

"Magar apun jaise-taise wahan se bhaag nikla. Agar uss din apun sahi waqt par hosh mein nahi aata aur na bhaagta to aaj apun aap subke saath baitha na hota.",

says Alekh.

All of them feel bad for him.

"Apun to bach gaya, dukh bus itna hai ke apun Nitin ko nahi bacha paya!",

says Alekh, sadly.

All of them stare him sadly.