Factory ke andar ab bhi khoon ki smell hawa me ghuli hui thi.
Zameen par padi body ab thandi ho chuki thi.
Lekin Aarav ke andar jo chal raha tha… woh abhi bhi jal raha tha.
Uski aankhen seedha Vivaan par tikki hui thi.
"Ab bolega?" usne dheere se kaha.
Uski awaaz calm thi… lekin us calm ke andar ek storm chhupa tha.
Vivaan ne apni gun dheere se niche ki.
"Yahan nahi," usne seedha jawab diya.
Aarav ka patience tootne ke edge par tha.
"YAHAN KYUN NAHI?!" woh garja.
Warehouse ki khali deewarein uski awaaz se goonj uthi.
Vivaan ek step aage badha.
"Kyuki yeh jagah safe nahi hai."
Aarav ne uski aankhon me dekha.
Wahan jhoot nahi tha.
Lekin sach bhi poora nahi tha.
Aur wahi Aarav ko sabse zyada irritate kar raha tha.
---
Kuch der baad…
Dono factory se bahar nikle.
Raat aur bhi gehri ho chuki thi.
Aasman me badal the.
Hawa tez chal rahi thi.
Jaise nature bhi warning de raha ho.
---
Car me baithte hi Aarav ne seedha kaha—
"Ab koi excuse nahi, Vivaan."
Vivaan ne engine start kiya.
Lekin kuch seconds tak chup raha.
Phir dheere se bola—
"Jo tum sunne wale ho… uske baad tum sab kuch alag tarah se dekhoge."
Aarav ne thandi awaaz me kaha—
"Already dekh raha hoon."
---
Scene shift.
---
Meher ghar par akeli thi.
Living room me halki si light jal rahi thi.
Clock ki ticking awaaz pure ghar me sunai de rahi thi.
Uska dil ajeeb sa feel kar raha tha.
Restless.
Uneasy.
Jaise kuch galat ho raha ho.
---
Usne phone uthaya.
Aarav ko call kiya.
Ring…
Ring…
No response.
---
"Pick up the phone, Aarav…" usne dheere se kaha.
Uski awaaz me tension clearly thi.
---
Tabhi—
Doorbell baji.
---
Meher ek second ke liye freeze ho gayi.
Itni raat ko?
---
Woh dheere se door ki taraf badhi.
Handle pakda.
Aur door khola.
---
Bahar koi nahi tha.
Sirf ek envelope.
---
Uska dil zor se dhadakne laga.
Woh dheere se jhuki…
envelope uthaya.
---
Andar ek photo thi.
---
Meher ne jaise hi photo dekhi—
uski saans ruk gayi.
---
Photo me—
Aarav ke father.
Naina ke father.
Aur ek teesra aadmi.
---
Woh aadmi seedha camera ki taraf dekh raha tha.
Uski aankhon me ek ajeeb sa confidence tha.
Jaise woh sab kuch control kar raha ho.
---
"Yeh kaun hai…?" Meher ne dheere se kaha.
---
Uska dimag kaam karne laga.
Flash…
ek vague memory…
kisi party ki…
ek handshake…
---
Usne apna sir pakad liya.
"Aah…"
---
Jaise kuch yaad aane ki koshish kar raha ho…
lekin poora clear nahi ho raha.
---
Scene shift.
---
Car ke andar silence tha.
Sirf engine ki awaaz.
Aur Aarav ki heavy breathing.
---
"Bol," Aarav ne finally kaha.
---
Vivaan ne dheere se kaha—
"Jo kuch hua… woh Raghav ne start nahi kiya."
---
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
"Matlab?"
---
Vivaan ne road par focus rakhte hue kaha—
"Ek aur aadmi hai."
---
Silence.
---
Aarav ka dimag instantly alert ho gaya.
"Kaun?"
---
Vivaan ne seedha jawab nahi diya.
Bas itna bola—
"Wahi… jisne tumhare father aur Naina ke father ko alag kiya."
---
Aarav ke andar kuch shift hua.
Gussa…
shock…
aur curiosity.
---
"Naam," Aarav ne dheere se kaha.
---
Vivaan ne sirf ek line boli—
"Abhi nahi."
---
Aarav ne apni fist tight kar li.
Game ab aur deep ho raha tha.
---
Aur ab…
woh sirf Raghav tak limited nahi tha.
---
To be continued…
Who do you think the third man is?
Is he really the mastermind… or is there something even bigger behind all this?