Warehouse ke andar khamoshi chha gayi thi.
Raghav ke shabdon ke baad hawa jaise aur thandi ho gayi thi.
Aarav usse ghur raha tha.
Uska dimag ek hi baat repeat kar raha tha.
*Game abhi shuru hua hai.*
Aarav ne dheere se kaha,
"Tumhe lagta hai main tumse darr jaunga?"
Raghav halka sa hasa.
"Darr?" usne repeat kiya.
Phir woh dheere dheere Aarav ke kareeb aaya.
Uske bodyguards turant alert ho gaye.
Vivaan ne gun aur tight pakad li.
"Bas wahi ruk jao," Vivaan ne warning di.
Raghav ruk gaya.
Lekin uske chehre par koi tension nahi thi.
"Relax Vivaan," usne calm tone me kaha.
"Tum abhi bhi utne hi emotional ho."
Aarav ne cold voice me kaha,
"Seedha bolo tum chahte kya ho."
Raghav ne Aarav ko kuch seconds tak dekha.
Phir usne dheere se kaha—
"Control."
Aarav ne sarcastically hansa.
"Power ke baad ab control?"
Raghav ki aankhon me ek ajeeb si shine aayi.
"Tumhe lagta hai duniya paiso se chalti hai?"
Aarav chup raha.
Raghav ne khud hi jawab diya.
"Nahi… duniya control se chalti hai."
Warehouse ke bahar khade armed men hilne lage.
Unhone apni guns aur tight pakad li.
Situation aur tense hoti ja rahi thi.
Vivaan ne Aarav se dheere se kaha,
"Ye log shoot karne me ek second bhi nahi lagenge."
Aarav ne bina uski taraf dekhe jawab diya,
"Mujhe pata hai."
Raghav ne un dono ko observe kiya.
Phir woh halka sa hasa.
"Mujhe ye family bonding pasand hai."
Aarav ka gussa phir se jag gaya.
"Tumne meri family destroy ki hai."
Raghav ne seedha jawab diya.
"Main sirf opportunity create karta hoon."
Aarav ne gusse me kaha,
"Tumne deal destroy ki."
Raghav ne shoulders ucha diye.
"Deal already weak thi."
Vivaan ne cold tone me kaha,
"Jhoot."
Raghav ki nazar us par tik gayi.
"Proof hai?"
Vivaan kuch seconds chup raha.
Phir usne dheere se kaha,
"Maine dekha tha."
Warehouse me ek second ke liye silence chha gaya.
Aarav turant uski taraf mud gaya.
"Kya?"
Vivaan ne dheere se kaha,
"Teen saal pehle… jab deal cancel hui thi… us raat main Raghav ke office me tha."
Aarav shock me usse dekhne laga.
"Tum waha kya kar rahe the?"
Vivaan ne aankhen neeche kar li.
"Main uske liye kaam kar raha tha."
Aarav ka dimag blank ho gaya.
"Kya?"
Vivaan ne slowly kaha,
"Usne mujhe force kiya tha."
Raghav ne taali bajayi.
"Finally sach bahar aa raha hai."
Aarav ka gussa aur badh gaya.
"Tumne usse majboor kiya?"
Raghav ne calm tone me kaha,
"Majboor nahi… motivate."
Us moment par Aarav ka phone phir vibrate hua.
Unknown number.
Aarav ne call receive ki.
Dusri taraf se ek aadmi ki awaaz aayi.
"Hello Aarav."
Aarav ka dil tez dhadakne laga.
"Kaun ho tum?"
Aadmi hasa.
"Main wahi hoon jiske paas tumhari wife hai."
Aarav ka khoon khol utha.
"Naina kaha hai?"
Dusri taraf se halki si cheekh ki awaaz aayi.
"Nahi—!"
Call cut ho gayi.
"Aarav!" Vivaan ne uska naam liya.
Aarav ka gussa ab control se bahar ja raha tha.
Usne seedha Raghav ki taraf dekha.
"Where is she?"
Raghav ne calmly jawab diya,
"Relax."
Aarav ek step aage badha.
"Where… is… she?"
Raghav ne smile ki.
"Bas itna samajh lo… woh safe hai."
Vivaan ne gun aur tight pakdi.
"Ye sab khatam ho jayega Raghav."
Raghav hasa.
"Tum log abhi bhi samajh nahi rahe."
Aarav ne poocha,
"Kya?"
Raghav ki smile aur dangerous ho gayi.
"Tumhe lagta hai ye sab maine plan kiya?"
Aarav confused ho gaya.
"Matlab?"
Raghav ne dheere se kaha—
"Main sirf ek piece hoon."
Warehouse ke andar hawa jaise ruk gayi.
Aarav ne dheere se poocha,
"Piece?"
Raghav ki aankhen thandi ho gayi.
"Asli game kisi aur ka hai."
Aarav ka dimag instantly alert ho gaya.
"Kaun?"
Raghav kuch bolne hi wala tha ki achanak—
BANG!
Gunshot ki awaaz warehouse me goonj gayi.
Sab log shock me mud gaye.
Ek bodyguard zameen par gir gaya.
Sabki nazar warehouse ke upar wale balcony par gayi.
Waha koi khada tha.
Aur uske haath me sniper rifle thi.
Aarav ki aankhen shock se phail gayi.
Kyuki woh aadmi koi aur nahi…
Vivaan ka purana dost **Kabir** tha.
Aur uski gun seedha Raghav par aim thi.
"Game khatam, Raghav."
Aarav ka dimag abhi bhi Raghav ke words process kar raha tha.
*Main sirf ek piece hoon.*
Ye sentence uske dimag me baar baar repeat ho raha tha.
Agar Raghav sirf ek piece hai… to asli player kaun hai?
Warehouse ke andar hawa aur tez chalne lagi.
Metal roof se halki awaaz aa rahi thi. Door ke bahar khade armed men restless ho rahe the. Unhone apni positions change ki jaise unhe bhi situation ka tension feel ho raha ho.
Aarav ne dheere se Vivaan ki taraf dekha.
"Tumhe pata hai woh kiski baat kar raha hai?" Aarav ne dheere se poocha.
Vivaan kuch seconds tak chup raha.
Uska expression strange tha.
Jaise woh kuch yaad karne ki koshish kar raha ho.
"Teen saal pehle…" Vivaan ne dheere se kaha, "Raghav kisi aur ke saath kaam karta tha."
Aarav turant alert ho gaya.
"Kaun?"
Vivaan ne sir hila diya.
"Maine usse kabhi clearly nahi dekha."
Aarav ka patience khatam ho raha tha.
"Vivaan ye time riddles ka nahi hai."
Vivaan ne finally Aarav ki taraf dekha.
"Main sach bol raha hoon."
Phir usne dheere se add kiya—
"Lekin ek baat mujhe yaad hai."
Aarav ne poocha, "Kya?"
Vivaan ne kaha,
"Raghav bhi us aadmi se darta tha."
Aarav shock me usse dekhne laga.
"Raghav… kisi se darta tha?"
Vivaan ne sir hila diya.
"Haan."
Aur us moment par Aarav ko realize hua…
Shayad asli enemy Raghav bhi nahi hai.
To be continued....
Thank you for reading this chapter!
Agar aapko story pasand aa rahi hai to please ise apni library me add karein aur comment karke batayein aapko chapter kaisa laga. Your support motivates me to update faster!