Curse of the Timekeeper
**Author: Mohammed Kaif
Shimla ki barfili raat thi. Hotel Royal ke kamra no. 203 me businessman Vikram Malhotra ki laash mili. Darwaza andar se lock tha, khidki band thi, aur uske haath me ek diary dabaayi thi. Diary ke aakhri panne par likha tha: “She betrayed me. Tonight will be her last night.” Inspector Arjun Mehra ko bulaya gaya. Room check karte waqt usne dekha table pe garam chai ka adha cup pada hai. Suicide lag raha tha, lekin diary pe fingerprints Vikram ke nahi, kisi aur ke the.Sabke shaq ki sooli pe Vikram ki biwi Rita chadh gayi. CCTV me wo service duct ke paas gayi thi. Case simple lagne laga: Rita ne apne pati ka murder kiya aur suicide jaisa dikhaya. Lekin ek ajeeb clue mila — Vikram ke phone me ek unsent draft message tha: “Inspector Mehra, agar aap yeh padh rahe hain… to meri maut abhi hui nahi hai. Mujhe kal raat 1 baje koi maarne aayega. Killer ka naam hai—” Message future date ka tha!Inspector hairaan reh gaya. Diary ke niche ek purani pocket watch mili, jis par likha tha: “Property of Timekeeper.” Jaise hi usne ghadi uthayi, sab freeze ho gaya. Ek pal me wo kal ki raat, murder hone se pehle ke waqt me pahunch gaya. Usne dekha — Rita duct se ghus rahi thi. Inspector ne usse rok liya. Rita cheekh uthi: “Tumhe lagta hai main qaatil hoon? Nahi Inspector! Main bas pawn hoon… ye ghadi shraapit hai!”Jail me Rita ne apna asli raaz khola. Uska asli naam Rita D’Souza tha, Goa ki ek professor jo antiques pe research karti thi. London ke ek auction house me usne ye ghadi kharidi thi. Ghadi ek shraapit timepiece thi. Uska rule: “Har naya malik ek murder cycle face karega. Ya to kisi aur ki jaan le, ya apni de. Agar na kare, to waqt khud qurbani le lega.” Rita ne ghadi chhupane ki koshish ki, par wo hamesha laut aati. Tab Vikram ne ghadi apne paas le li aur Rita se shaadi ki. Usne Rita ko hi sacrifice karne ka plan banaya. Majboori me Rita ne uska murder kiya. Aansoon behate hue usne kaha: “Main qaatil nahi banna chahti thi, Inspector. Main bas waqt ke khel ka hissa thi.”Inspector samajh hi raha tha ki uske phone me bhi ek draft message aaya: “Kal raat mera murder ho jayega…” Ghadi ne apna naya pawn choose kar liya tha — Inspector khud. Future me jake usne dekha ki uska assistant aur dost Ajay hi usse maar raha tha. Ajay ro raha tha: “Sir, maine kuch nahi kiya… ghadi mujhe majboor kar rahi hai. Har cycle ek qurbani maangti hai.”Inspector ne decide kiya: ye cycle ab todni hogi. Rita, Ajay aur Inspector ne research kiya aur pata chala ki ye ghadi ek “Timekeeper cult” ne banayi thi. Usse todne ka ek hi tareeka tha: jitne log pawn bane hain, unhe ek hi waqt me ghadi ko reject karna hoga.Us raat teeno ek circle me khade hue. Ghadi activate hui. Unke saamne unke future versions dikhayi diye — Inspector ki laash, Rita ka guilt, Ajay ka betrayal. Inspector ne zor se kaha: “Main kisi aur ki jaan nahi lunga, aur apni bhi qurbani nahi dunga!” Rita aur Ajay ne bhi wahi repeat kiya. Ghadi chamak uthi, tez gungunahat hui… aur ek bade dhamake ke saath Timekeeper watch tod gayi.Sab kuch normal ho gaya. Inspector Mehra ne diary me likha: “Maut ko maine dekha, bhavishya ko jhela… par aaj pehli baar waqt mere saath hai.” Rita ko court se rihaayi mil gayi. Usne apni academic life join ki aur “Cursed Objects” pe research start ki, taaki aur koi victim na bane. Ajay bhi free ho gaya, guilt khatam hua aur wo Inspector ka loyal dost ban kar duty pe laut aaya. Sabse badi baat — Timekeeper watch ka shraap hamesha ke liye khatam ho gaya.Shimla ki barfili hawa me Inspector ne aasman ki taraf dekha. Aaj pehli baar use laga ki waqt ab uska dushman nahi, balki dost hai.the end