Phone ab bhi Aarav ke haath me tha.
Call cut ho chuki thi.
Lekin Meher ki last line uske dimaag me repeat ho rahi thi—
"Main us deal ka hissa thi na?"
---
Car ke andar silence itna heavy ho gaya tha ki saans lena bhi mushkil lag raha tha.
---
Vivaan ne dheere se side glance liya.
"Usse yaad aa raha hai?"
---
Aarav ne seedha jawab nahi diya.
Uski aankhen window ke bahar thi.
City lights blur ho rahi thi…
lekin uska dimag ab crystal clear ho raha tha.
---
"Game badal gaya hai," Aarav ne finally dheere se kaha.
---
Vivaan ne steering tight pakdi.
"Abhi shuru hua hai."
---
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
"Usne directly Meher ko contact kiya."
---
Silence.
---
Vivaan ka expression serious ho gaya.
"Yeh expected nahi tha…"
---
"Matlab woh already usse monitor kar raha tha," Aarav ne kaha.
---
Vivaan ne sir hila diya.
"Haan."
---
Aarav ne apni fist tight ki.
"Matlab… woh hume dekh raha hai."
---
Vivaan ne dheere se kaha—
"Har waqt."
---
Car ki speed aur badh gayi.
---
"Hum seedha ghar ja rahe hain," Aarav ne kaha.
---
Vivaan ne ek second hesitate kiya.
---
"Woh trap ho sakta hai."
---
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya—
"Phir bhi."
---
"Meher alone hai."
---
Silence.
---
Vivaan ne kuch nahi bola.
Car ne sharp turn liya.
---
Scene shift.
---
Meher living room me aage-peeche chal rahi thi.
Uska dimag overload ho chuka tha.
---
"Main involved thi…"
"Yeh kaise possible hai…"
---
Usne apna sir pakad liya.
---
Flash.
---
Table.
Documents.
Sign.
Aur woh aadmi—
seedha uski taraf dekh raha hai.
---
"Tum samajh rahi ho na consequences?" uski awaaz goonjti hai.
---
Flash break.
---
Meher jhatke se reality me wapas aayi.
"Nahi…" usne dheere se kaha—
"Yeh meri memory nahi ho sakti…"
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Tabhi—
Lights flicker hui.
---
Meher freeze.
---
Ek second.
Do second.
---
Lights stable ho gayi.
---
Lekin TV…
apne aap ON ho gaya.
---
Screen par static.
---
Phir slowly image clear hone lagi.
---
Wahi aadmi.
---
Is baar clear.
---
Uski aankhen seedha Meher par thi.
Jaise woh usse dekh raha ho.
---
"Hello, Meher."
---
Uski awaaz calm thi.
Controlled.
Dangerous.
---
Meher ek step peeche hati.
"Tum… kaun ho?"
---
Aadmi halka sa muskuraya.
---
"Main woh hoon…"
---
"Jisne tumhari life design ki hai."
---
Silence.
---
Meher ka dimag blank ho gaya.
---
"Yeh sab tum kar rahe ho?" usne dheere se poocha.
---
Aadmi ne seedha jawab nahi diya.
---
"Tumhe yaad aana shuru ho gaya hai," usne kaha.
---
"Good."
---
"Ab tum sach se door nahi bhaag paogi."
---
Meher ka gussa aur darr mix ho gaya.
"Main tumhe jaanti bhi nahi!"
---
Aadmi ne dheere se sir tilt kiya.
---
"Galat."
---
"Tum mujhe sabse zyada jaanti ho."
---
Silence.
---
Meher ka saans control se bahar ho gaya.
---
"Tum jhoot bol rahe ho…"
---
Aadmi ne dheere se kaha—
"Sach kabhi jhoot nahi hota."
---
Screen suddenly black ho gayi.
---
Room me silence chha gaya.
---
Meher wahi khadi reh gayi.
Uski aankhen shock me thi.
---
Door achanak khula.
---
Aarav andar aaya.
---
"Meher!"
---
Meher ne turant uski taraf dekha.
Aur bina soche uske paas aayi.
---
"Aarav…" uski awaaz toot rahi thi—
"Woh… woh yahan tha…"
---
Aarav ne uske shoulders pakde.
"Kaun?"
---
"Wahi aadmi…"
---
Silence.
---
Aarav ka expression dark ho gaya.
---
"Usne kya kaha?"
---
Meher ne dheere se kaha—
"Usne bola… main us deal ka hissa thi…"
---
Aarav freeze.
---
Vivaan bhi andar aa chuka tha.
---
Usne dono ko dekha.
Aur dheere se kaha—
"Ab woh khud game me aa gaya."
---
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
"Matlab?"
---
Vivaan ne seedha jawab diya—
"Matlab… ab koi safe nahi hai."
---
Silence.
---
Aarav ne dheere se Meher ka haath pakda.
---
"Ab hum attack karenge," usne kaha.
---
Vivaan ne uski taraf dekha.
"Tu ready hai?"
---
Aarav ki aankhen dark ho gayi.
---
"Ab yeh personal hai."
---
Camera zoom out.
---
Ghar ke bahar…
ek car khadi thi.
---
Andar koi baitha tha.
---
Shadow me.
---
Aur woh unhe dekh raha tha.
---
"Perfect…"
---
Usne dheere se kaha—
---
"Game ab shuru hota hai."
---
To be continued…
Do you think Meher is hiding something… or was she used in the past?
And what will Aarav do now — follow orders or break the game?