"Sometimes the enemy doesn't chase you… he waits for you to walk in."
---
Building ke andar darkness unusual thi.
---
Na sirf lights off thi—
---
balki hawa bhi heavy lag rahi thi.
---
Aarav ne dheere se signal diya.
---
"Stay sharp."
---
Vivaan ne gun ready ki.
---
Meher unke beech me thi—
lekin is baar…
woh weak nahi lag rahi thi.
---
Woh alert thi.
---
Focused.
---
Jaise uske andar kuch jag gaya ho.
---
"Camera," Vivaan ne dheere se kaha.
---
Aarav ne upar dekha.
---
Red light blink kar rahi thi.
---
"Woh hume dekh raha hai," Aarav ne calmly kaha.
---
"Good."
---
Vivaan ne eyebrow raise ki.
---
"Good?"
---
Aarav ne dheere se jawab diya—
---
"Matlab woh confident hai."
---
"Overconfidence… mistake hoti hai."
---
Silence.
---
Teeno aage badhe.
---
Hallway lamba tha.
---
Broken glass.
Old wires.
Dead silence.
---
Phir—
---
click.
---
Meher freeze ho gayi.
---
"Wait…"
---
Aarav ne turant rukne ka signal diya.
---
"Floor pressure," Meher ne dheere se kaha.
---
Vivaan ne neeche dekha.
---
"Trap?"
---
Meher ne sir hilaaya.
---
"Old system… lekin active hai."
---
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
---
"Tumhe kaise pata?"
---
Meher chup ho gayi.
---
Ek second.
---
Do second.
---
Phir dheere se—
---
"Yaad aa raha hai…"
---
Silence.
---
Vivaan ne dheere se kaha—
"Convenient."
---
Aarav ne usse sharp look diya.
---
"Focus."
---
Meher ne carefully step side me liya.
---
"Yeh path safe hai."
---
Aarav ne bina question kiye follow kiya.
---
Vivaan ne bhi.
---
Hallway cross ho gaya.
---
Lekin tension kam nahi hui.
---
Aur badh gayi.
---
"Yeh building…" Meher ne dheere se kaha—
"main yahan pehle aa chuki hoon…"
---
Aarav ne turant react kiya—
---
"Sure?"
---
Meher ne aankhen band ki.
---
Flash.
---
Same hallway.
Lights ON.
People moving.
---
Aur woh aadmi—
distance se dekh raha hai.
---
Flash break.
---
Meher ne aankhen khol di.
---
"Haan…"
---
Aarav ka dimag fast connect kar raha tha.
---
"Matlab yeh uska base hai."
---
Vivaan ne dheere se kaha—
---
"Ya tha."
---
Suddenly—
---
lights ON ho gayi.
---
Teeno freeze.
---
Pure floor illuminate ho gaya.
---
Aur saamne—
---
multiple armed men.
---
Guns aimed.
---
"Welcome."
---
Ek familiar awaaz goonji.
---
Woh aadmi.
---
Shadow se bahar aata hai.
---
Calm.
Controlled.
---
Dangerous.
---
Aarav ne usse dekha.
---
"Finally."
---
Aadmi halka sa muskuraya.
---
"Mujhe pata tha tum aaoge."
---
Vivaan ne dheere se Aarav ko dekha.
---
"Trap…"
---
Aarav ne seedha kaha—
---
"Haan."
---
Silence.
---
Aadmi ne dheere se clap kiya.
---
"Impressive."
---
"Tumne kaafi jaldi samajh liya."
---
Aarav ne uski aankhon me dekha.
---
"Game khatam karne aaye hain."
---
Aadmi hasa.
---
"Game?"
---
"Tum abhi bhi samajh nahi rahe…"
---
"Yeh game nahi hai."
---
Pause.
---
"Yeh control hai."
---
Meher ka saans ruk gaya.
---
"Tum…"
---
Aadmi ne uski taraf dekha.
---
Aur dheere se kaha—
---
"Welcome back, Meher."
---
Silence.
---
Aarav ka expression instantly change hua.
---
"Tum dono…"
---
Aadmi ne interrupt kiya—
---
"She remembers."
---
Meher ka dimag spin kar raha tha.
---
"Main… yahan thi…"
---
Aadmi ne sir hilaaya.
---
"Sirf thi nahi…"
---
Pause.
---
"Tumne design kiya tha."
---
Room me ek second ke liye sab freeze ho gaya.
---
Aarav ka dil ek beat skip hua.
---
"What?"
---
Vivaan bhi shock me tha.
---
"Matlab—"
---
Aadmi ne calmly kaha—
---
"Yeh system… yeh network…"
---
"Yeh sab Meher ka idea tha."
---
Silence.
---
Meher ka body halka sa shake hua.
---
"Nahi… yeh jhoot hai…"
---
Aadmi ne seedha jawab diya—
---
"Sach uncomfortable hota hai."
---
Aarav ne dheere se Meher ki taraf dekha.
---
Uski aankhon me sirf ek sawaal tha—
---
"Sach?"
---
Meher ne uski taraf dekha.
---
Aansu.
Shock.
Fear.
---
Aur…
---
confusion.
---
"Main… yaad karne ki koshish kar rahi hoon…"
---
Aadmi ne dheere se clap kiya.
---
"Perfect."
---
"Exactly jahan main chahta tha."
---
Suddenly—
---
guns cock hui.
---
Vivaan ne turant react kiya—
---
"Position!"
---
Situation flip ho chuki thi.
---
Teeno surrounded the.
---
Aarav ne dheere se kaha—
---
"Ab?"
---
Vivaan ne dheere se jawab diya—
---
"Ab fight."
---
Aadmi ne smile kiya.
---
"Fight?"
---
"Tum already haar chuke ho."
---
Silence.
---
Phir—
---
ek signal.
---
Aur lights blink hui.
---
Pure room me chaos explode ho gaya.
---
Gunshots.
---
Movement.
---
Screams.
---
Aarav ne turant Meher ko pull kiya.
---
"Stay close!"
---
Vivaan ne cover fire diya.
---
"Exit left!"
---
Aarav ne bina hesitate kiye move kiya.
---
Lekin uske dimag me sirf ek cheez chal rahi thi—
---
"Meher… involved thi…"
---
Game sirf bahar nahi tha.
---
Andar bhi shuru ho chuka tha.
---
To be continued…