Raat ka waqt tha. Sheher ki sadkein aadhi soyi hui, aadhi jaag rahi thi. Thandi hawa ke saath ek ajeeb sa sannata faila hua tha. Lekin is sannate ke beech, Arjun ke dimag mein toofan chal raha tha.
Usne apni bike ek purani factory ke bahar roki. Yeh wahi jagah thi jahan se usse kal raat ek unknown call aaya tha. Awaaz sirf itni boli thi – "Sach jaana hai toh akele aana… aur der mat karna."
Arjun ne gehri saans li aur factory ke andar kadam rakha. Andhera itna ghana tha ki torch ke bina kuch nazar nahi aa raha tha. Usne apne phone ki flashlight on ki aur dheere-dheere aage badhne laga.
"Kaun hai?" usne zor se awaaz lagayi.
Koi jawaab nahi.
Sirf hawa ki awaaz… aur kahin door kisi lohe ke darwaze ke hilne ki cheekh.
Arjun ka dil tez dhadak raha tha. Lekin usne apni himmat jamaa karke andar ke main hall ki taraf badhna jaari rakha.
Tabhi achanak…
"Tum aa hi gaye."
Awaaz peeche se aayi.
Arjun palta. Uske saamne ek aadmi khada tha—chehra andhere mein chhupa hua.
"Kaun ho tum?" Arjun ne poocha.
Aadmi dheere se aage badha. Torch ki roshni uske chehre par padi… aur Arjun ka chehra safed pad gaya.
"Raghav…? Tum?"
Raghav, Arjun ka purana dost. College ke dinon ka sabse kareebi insaan. Lekin teen saal pehle woh achanak gayab ho gaya tha.
"Surprised?" Raghav halka sa muskuraaya. "Ya darr gaye ho?"
Arjun ke dimaag mein hazaar sawaal ghoom rahe the. "Tum zinda ho… aur yahan kya kar rahe ho? Aur yeh sab… 'Andhere ka sauda' kya hai?"
Raghav ki aankhon mein ek thandi si chamak thi. "Sach jaan'na chahte ho? Toh taiyaar rehna… kyunki sach utna seedha nahi hai jitna tum samajh rahe ho."
Arjun chup raha. Usne bas haan mein sir hila diya.
Raghav ne ek purani kursi kheench kar baith gaya. "Teen saal pehle, jab main gayab hua tha… woh meri marzi se nahi tha. Mujhe uthaya gaya tha."
"Kisne?" Arjun ne turant poocha.
"Ek aisi organization ne… jiska naam tak log lene se darte hain," Raghav ne dheere se kaha. "Woh log 'Andhere ka sauda' karte hain."
"Matlab?" Arjun samajh nahi pa raha tha.
"Matlab… logon ki zindagi, unke raaz, unke sapne… sab kuch becha jaata hai. Paise ke liye, power ke liye."
Arjun ka gala sookh gaya. "Aur tum…?"
"Main unka hissa ban gaya," Raghav ne seedha jawab diya.
"Majboori thi?" Arjun ne poocha.
Raghav kuch pal ke liye chup raha. "Pehle majboori thi… phir aadat ban gayi."
Yeh sunkar Arjun ko jhatka laga. "Tum pagal ho gaye ho kya? Yeh sab galat hai!"
Raghav khada ho gaya. "Galat? Sahi? Yeh sab sirf kahaniyon mein hota hai, Arjun. Real world mein sirf power matter karti hai."
Arjun ne uski aankhon mein dekha. "Aur tumne mujhe yahan kyun bulaya?"
Raghav thoda paas aaya. "Kyuki tum special ho."
"Main?" Arjun hairaan ho gaya.
"Haan. Tumhe pata bhi nahi hai ki tumhare paas kya hai," Raghav ne kaha. "Tumhare father… unhone kuch aisa chhupa ke rakha hai jo puri game badal sakta hai."
Arjun ka dil ek pal ke liye ruk sa gaya. "Mere papa? Woh toh ek simple accountant the…"
Raghav zor se hansa. "Yahi toh sabse bada jhoot hai."
Arjun ke dimag mein bachpan ki yaadein ghoomne lagi. Uske papa—shaant, seedhe-saadhe, hamesha ghar aur kaam ke beech hi simte hue.
"Sach kya hai?" Arjun ne dheere se poocha.
Raghav ne apni pocket se ek chhoti si pendrive nikali. "Ismein sab kuch hai. Unka asli kaam, unke connections… aur woh cheez jiske liye log marne ko tayaar hain."
Arjun ne pendrive lene ke liye haath badhaya… lekin Raghav ne use peeche kheench liya.
"Itni aasani se nahi," Raghav ne kaha.
"Matlab?"
"Deal," Raghav ne seedha jawab diya. "Tumhe yeh sach chahiye… toh tumhe mere saath kaam karna hoga."
Arjun ka chehra sakht ho gaya. "Kabhi nahi."
Raghav ne thandi saans bhari. "Mujhe pata tha tum yeh hi kahoge."
Tabhi achanak factory ke bahar se gaadiyon ki awaaz aayi. Tyres ki cheekh, darwazon ke band hone ki awaaz… aur phir footsteps.
Raghav ka chehra serious ho gaya. "Lagta hai hum akela nahi hain."
"Kaun?" Arjun ne ghabra kar poocha.
Raghav ne halki si muskaan di. "Wahi log… jinke baare mein main baat kar raha tha."
Factory ke gate se kuch aadmi andar ghus aaye. Sabke haath mein guns thi.
"Pendrive de do, Raghav," ek aadmi ne chillakar kaha.
Arjun ka khoon jam gaya.
"Lagta hai tumne mujhe trap kiya hai," Arjun ne gusse se kaha.
Raghav ne seedha uski taraf dekha. "Agar main trap karta… toh tum zinda nahi hote."
Goli chalne ki awaaz goonj uthi.
Arjun jhuk gaya. Goli uske sir ke upar se guzri.
"Run!" Raghav ne cheekh kar kaha.
Dono alag-alag direction mein bhaage. Factory ke andar ek maze jaisa structure tha—purani machines, tootey hue walls, aur andhera.
Arjun bhaagte hue ek kamre mein ghus gaya. Usne darwaza band kar diya aur saans lene laga.
Bahar se footsteps ki awaaz aa rahi thi.
Usne apni pocket check ki… uska phone gayab tha.
"Shit…"
Tabhi usse peeche se kisi ne pakad liya.
Arjun ne jhatke se mud kar dekha… Raghav.
"Chup raho," Raghav ne dheere se kaha. To be continued.....