Ghar ke andar ajeeb si khamoshi thi.
Clock ki ticking awaaz itni clear sunai de rahi thi jaise har second Meher ke dimaag par knock kar raha ho.
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Meher living room ke beech khadi thi.
Uske haath me woh photo ab bhi tightly pakdi hui thi.
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Aarav ke father.
Naina ke father.
Aur woh teesra aadmi.
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Uski nazar us aadmi par jam chuki thi.
Jaise woh us face ko tod kar andar ghusna chahti ho…
aur uske peeche ka sach nikalna chahti ho.
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"Main tumhe jaanti hoon…" Meher ne dheere se kaha.
---
Uski saans tez ho gayi.
Uska heartbeat control se bahar ja raha tha.
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Flash.
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Ek hall.
Bright lights.
Log has rahe hain.
Music chal raha hai.
---
Meher ek side khadi hai.
Aur uske saamne—
Aarav ke father.
Aur woh aadmi.
---
Woh aadmi smile kar raha hai.
Controlled.
Confident.
---
"Deal finalize ho jayegi," uski awaaz goonjti hai.
---
Flash break.
---
Meher jhatke se wapas reality me aayi.
"Aah!" usne apna sir pakad liya.
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Uski aankhen band ho gayi.
Jaise dimaag overload ho gaya ho.
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"Yeh… kya ho raha hai…" usne halki si awaaz me kaha.
---
Uske haath kaamp rahe the.
Photo almost girne wali thi.
---
Tabhi—
Phone ring hua.
---
Meher jhat se seedhi hui.
Usne screen dekhi.
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Unknown Number.
---
Uska dil aur tez dhadakne laga.
---
Kuch seconds ke liye woh bas phone ko dekhti rahi.
Pick kare… ya nahi?
---
Phir usne call receive kiya.
"Hello…?"
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Dusri taraf se kuch seconds tak silence raha.
---
Phir ek awaaz aayi.
Calm.
Deep.
Controlled.
---
"Finally…"
---
Meher freeze.
"Kaun bol raha hai?"
---
Awaaz halki si hasi.
---
"Memory wapas aani shuru ho gayi na?"
---
Meher ka grip phone par tight ho gaya.
"Tum kaun ho?!"
---
"Tum already jaanti ho," awaaz dheere se boli.
---
"Bas accept nahi kar rahi."
---
Meher ka dimag ghoom gaya.
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Flash.
---
Woh aadmi.
Uski aankhen.
Uski smile.
---
"Tum…" Meher ne dheere se kaha—
"tum wahi ho na?"
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Silence.
---
Phir awaaz boli—
"Good."
---
"Tum expected se zyada fast ho."
---
Meher ka gussa ab darr ke saath mix ho gaya.
"Tumhe kya chahiye mujhse?!"
---
Awaaz bilkul calm thi.
---
"Main tumse kuch nahi chahta, Meher…"
---
"Main sirf dekh raha hoon…"
---
"Kaise tum sab kuch yaad karti ho."
---
Meher ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
---
"Yeh sab tumne kiya hai?" usne dheere se poocha.
---
Awaaz ne seedha jawab nahi diya.
---
"Tumhe yaad hai…" usne dheere se kaha—
"tum us deal ka hissa thi."
---
Silence.
---
Meher ki aankhen shock se fail gayi.
---
"NO…" usne turant kaha—
"Main kabhi—"
---
"Sach ko deny karna easy hota hai," awaaz ne interrupt kiya.
---
"Lekin sach change nahi hota."
---
Meher ka dimag completely blank ho gaya.
---
"Main… involved thi?" usne dheere se kaha.
---
Awaaz ne halki si laugh ki.
---
"Tum soch bhi nahi sakti… kitni important thi."
---
Call cut.
---
Silence.
---
Meher ka haath dheere se neeche gir gaya.
Phone almost slip ho gaya.
---
Uski saanse heavy ho gayi.
---
"Yeh… sach nahi ho sakta…" usne khud se kaha.
---
Lekin andar kahin…
woh jaanti thi.
---
Kuch toh sach hai.
---
Tabhi—
uska phone phir vibrate hua.
---
Is baar—
Aarav.
---
Meher ne turant call pick kiya.
"Aarav!"
---
Dusri taraf se Aarav ki awaaz aayi—
"Meher, tum theek ho?"
---
Meher kuch seconds chup rahi.
Phir dheere se boli—
"Mujhe sab yaad aane laga hai…"
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Silence.
---
Aarav ka dimag ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
---
"Kaunsa sab?" usne dheere se poocha.
---
Meher ki awaaz ab kaap rahi thi—
"Main… us deal ka hissa thi na?"
---
Car ke andar silence chha gaya.
---
Vivaan ne side glance liya.
---
Aarav ne aankhen band ki.
---
Game ab sirf dangerous nahi raha tha…
---
Ab yeh personal ho chuka tha.
---
"Meher…" Aarav ne dheere se kaha—
"Tumhe jo yaad aa raha hai…"
---
"Woh incomplete hai."
---
Meher ne turant pucha—
"Toh complete kya hai?!"
---
Silence.
---
Aarav ne dheere se kaha—
"Main aa raha hoon."
---
Call cut.
---
Meher wahi khadi reh gayi.
---
Uski aankhen ab bhi shock me thi.
---
Aur uske dimaag me sirf ek line goonj rahi thi—
---
"Tum us deal ka hissa thi."
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To be continued…
What do you think Meher's real role was in the past?
Is she a victim… or part of the mastermind's plan?