Maine number ko das minute tak dekha.
Phir maine call kiya.
Do ring. Teen ring. Phir kat gaya — kisi ne kaata, kyunki voicemail nahi aayi.
Maine dobara kiya. Is baar pehli ring pe hi kat gaya.
Maine likha: “Aap kaun hain?”
Blue tick. Turant. Koi typing nahi.
Maine likha: “Paise aap bhejte hain?”
Is baar typing shuru hui. Bahut der tak. Phir rukh gayi. Phir phir shuru hui.
Phir: “Aap pareshan mat hoiye.”
Maine phone itni zor se pakda ki ungliyan dukhne lagi.
“Main pareshan hun. Do saal se pareshan hun. Aap batayenge aap kaun hain?”
Typing.
“Abhi nahi.”
Maine likha: “Phir kab?”
Koi jawab nahi aaya. Us raat nahi, agle din nahi.
Maine number ko WhatsApp pe dekha. Koi display picture nahi. Koi status nahi. “Last seen” bhi off tha.
Truecaller pe daala. “Unknown” aaya. Kuch nahi.
Do din baad maine woh kiya jo mujhe shayad nahi karna chahiye tha. Maine Rajesh ke purane phone ka charger dhoonda — woh phone maine sambhal ke rakha tha, alamari mein, ek plastic ke bag mein — aur usse charge kiya.
Woh chalu ho gaya. Battery theek thi. Screen pe uski wallpaper thi: Aarav, saat saal ka, samandar ke paani mein khada, haath hilata hua.
Maine uske contacts khole.
Aur us number ko search kiya.
Woh tha.
Uske phone mein woh number save tha. Naam ke saath.
Ek hi shabd: Bhaiya.
Rajesh ka koi bhai nahi tha.