Aarav apne apartment ke living room me khada tha.
Uske haath me wahi brown envelope tha jo Dev ne usse kuch der pehle diya tha.
Room me gehri khamoshi thi.
Window ke bahar city ki lights chamak rahi thi, lekin Aarav ka dhyaan sirf us envelope par tha.
Uska dil ajeeb tarah se dhadak raha tha.
Dev ne jaate waqt kaha tha:
"Sach dekhna hai to isse khol lena… lekin shayad tum ready nahi ho."
Aarav ne daant bhinch liye.
"Drama karta hai… dekhte hain kya hai isme."
Usne envelope khola.
Andar kuch photographs thi.
Aarav ne pehli photo uthai.
Uska expression turant change ho gaya.
Photo me ek purana warehouse tha.
Lekin shock warehouse nahi tha…
Shock tha us warehouse ke bahar khadi ladki.
Naina.
Aarav ki aankhen sikud gayi.
"Yeh… Naina yahan kya kar rahi hai?"
Usne dusri photo dekhi.
Is baar Naina kisi aadmi se baat kar rahi thi.
Aarav ne us aadmi ka face dhyan se dekha…
Aur uska dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
"Raghav…"
Uske muh se dheere se nikla.
Raghav.
Wahi naam jo pichhle kuch mahino se Aarav ki zindagi ka sabse bada nightmare ban gaya tha.
Wahi aadmi jiska naam Vivaan ke disappearance ke baad saamne aaya tha.
Aarav ka haath thoda kaanp gaya.
Usne teesri photo uthai.
Aur iss baar jo usne dekha…
Usne uska khoon thanda kar diya.
Warehouse ke andar ka scene tha.
Aur photo ke kone me ek aadmi bandha hua dikh raha tha.
Uska face clear nahi tha…
Lekin Aarav usse pehchan gaya.
Vivaan.
"Vivaan…"
Aarav ki saans ruk si gayi.
Usne photo ko aur kareeb laakar dekha.
Haan.
Wahi tha.
Uska chhota bhai.
Bandha hua.
Aur us warehouse me…
Jahan Raghav aur naina dono maujood the.
Aarav ka dimaag gusse aur confusion se bhar gaya.
"Yeh kya chal raha hai…"
Usne photos table par patak di.
Uska dil zor se dhadak raha tha.
Naina..
Raghav…
Vivaan…
Teeno ek hi jagah par.
"Impossible…"
Aarav ne apne baalon me haath phiraya.
Tabhi usse Dev ki baat yaad aayi.
"Sach kabhi simple nahi hota."
Aarav ki fists tight ho gayi.
"Dev ko yeh photos kahan se mile…"
Aur sabse bada sawal…
Naina wahan kyun thi?
Kya wo Raghav ke saath thi?
Ya…
Kya wo Vivaan ko bachane ki koshish kar rahi thi?
Aarav ko answers chahiye the.
Abhi.
Isi waqt.
Usne photos dobara uthai aur ek photo ko dhyan se dekha.
Warehouse ke gate par ek board laga tha.
Us par chhota sa naam likha tha.
Raghav Industries Storage Unit.
Aarav ki aankhon me ab gussa chamak raha tha.
"Bas…"
"Ab sach saamne aayega."
Usne apni jacket uthai aur door ki taraf badh gaya.
Uska destination clear tha.
Naina.
Agar koi sach jaanta hai…
To wo Naina hai.
Aur aaj raat…
Aarav bina answers liye wapas nahi aane wala.
Lekin Aarav ko bilkul idea nahi tha…
Ki jab wo Naina se milne jaayega…
To wahan koi aur bhi uska intezar kar raha hoga.
Raghav.
___________________________________________
Ending.
Aur us raat…
pehli baar Aarav directly us aadmi ke saamne khada hone wala tha…
Jisne uske bhai vivaan ki zindagi ko narak bana diya tha.
To be continued in Chapter 11…