Raat aur bhi gehri ho chuki thi. Sheher ke kone mein pada woh purana godown ab sirf ek imaarat nahi, balki raaz ka bojh ban chuka tha. Hawa mein nami thi, aur har ek awaaz kuch zyada hi tez mehsoos ho rahi thi—jaise khamoshi bhi kuch kehna chahti ho.
Ayaan ne dheere se apni jacket ka collar upar kiya. Uski aankhon mein thakan thi, lekin usse zyada ek ajeeb sa darr—jo use andar se tod raha tha. Pichhle kuch ghanton mein jo hua tha, usne sab kuch badal diya tha.
"Tumhein samajh nahi aa raha, Ayaan," Meera ki awaaz uske kaano mein goonj uthi. "Yeh sirf ek deal nahi hai… yeh ek jaal hai."
Ayaan ne aankhen band ki. Meera ke lafz ab bhi uske dimaag mein ghoom rahe the. Par sach kya tha? Aur jhoot kya?
Usne apni pocket se woh chhota sa device nikala—ek recorder. Usme wahi awaaz record thi jo usne kal raat suni thi. Ek aadmi ki awaaz… thandi, beparwah.
"Jo andhere ka sauda karta hai, usse roshni ki umeed nahi rakhni chahiye."
Ayaan ne recorder band kar diya. Yeh awaaz usse andar tak hila gayi thi. Kaun tha woh aadmi? Aur kyun lag raha tha jaise woh usse pehle se jaanta ho?
Tabhi uska phone vibrate hua.
Unknown Number.
Usne ek pal ke liye socha… phir call receive ki.
"Hello?"
Doosri taraf kuch seconds tak sirf khamoshi thi. Phir wahi awaaz…
"Tum sach ke kareeb ho, Ayaan. Lekin har sach jaan lena zaroori nahi hota."
Ayaan ka dil tez dhadakne laga. "Kaun ho tum? Aur tumhein mera naam kaise pata?"
Halka sa hansi ki awaaz aayi. "Naam se kya hota hai? Pehchaan toh tum khud bana rahe ho… dheere dheere."
Call cut ho gaya.
Ayaan ne phone ko zor se pakad liya. Yeh sab ab control ke bahar ja raha tha. Usne turant Meera ko call lagaya—lekin network unavailable.
"Damn it," usne dheere se kaha.
Usne aas paas dekha. Godown ke andar sab kuch shaant tha. Par usse mehsoos ho raha tha ki koi usse dekh raha hai.
Aur phir—ek halki si khatak.
Ayaan turant mudha. Andhere ke kone mein kuch hila.
"Kaun hai wahan?" usne zor se poocha.
Koi jawab nahi.
Woh dheere dheere us taraf badha. Har kadam sambhal kar. Jaise zameen bhi usse dhokha de sakti ho.
Phir achanak—ek shadow uske saamne se guzri.
Ayaan ne turant us shadow ka peecha kiya. Lekin jaise hi woh corner tak pahucha… wahan koi nahi tha.
Sirf ek purani kursi… aur uske upar ek file.
Ayaan ka dil aur tez dhadakne laga. Yeh sab jaal lag raha tha… par shayad yahi uska jawab bhi tha.
Usne file uthayi. Dhool se bhari hui. Upar ek naam likha tha—
"Project Raaz"
Ayaan ne dheere se file kholi.
Andar kuch photos the… kuch documents… aur ek naam jo dekhte hi uska khoon jam gaya.
"Kabir Malhotra"
Ayaan ne turant file band kar di. "Yeh possible nahi hai…" usne apne aap se kaha.
Kabir… uska purana dost. Jo teen saal pehle gayab ho gaya tha. Jise sabne mara hua maan liya tha.
"Toh yeh sab…" Ayaan ne socha, "Kabir ka plan hai?"
Uska dimaag sawalon se bhar gaya.
Tabhi usse peeche se awaaz aayi.
"Finally… tum sach tak pahunch hi gaye."
Ayaan ne dheere se mudkar dekha.
Andhere se ek aadmi saamne aaya.
Uska chehra aadha roshni mein tha… aadha andhere mein.
Aur jaise hi woh thoda aur aage badha—
Ayaan ki saansein ruk gayi.
"Kabir…?"
Kabir ne halka sa muskuraya. "Surprise."
Ayaan kuch seconds tak kuch bol hi nahi paya. "Tum… zinda ho?"
Kabir ne haan mein sir hilaaya. "Zinda bhi… aur pehle se zyada sach ke kareeb bhi."
Ayaan ka gussa ubhar aaya. "Tumhein pata hai hum sabne kya jhela? Tumhare liye… humne—"
"Emotion mein mat aao, Ayaan," Kabir ne beech mein hi rok diya. "Yeh game emotions ka nahi hai."
"Game?" Ayaan cheekha. "Yeh sab tumhare liye game hai?"
Kabir ki aankhen ek pal ke liye thandi ho gayi. "Yeh survival hai."
Khamoshi chha gayi.
Ayaan ne dheere se poocha, "Yeh 'Andhere ka Sauda' kya hai, Kabir?"
Kabir kuch pal chup raha. Jaise soch raha ho ki kitna batana chahiye.
Phir usne kaha, "Yeh ek system hai… jo logon ke darr, unki kamzori, aur unke secrets pe chalta hai."
Ayaan ne file ko zor se pakda. "Aur tum us system ka hissa ho?"
Kabir ne seedha jawab diya, "Main us system ko chalata hoon."
Yeh sunte hi Ayaan ke pairon tale zameen khisak gayi.
"Tum pagal ho gaye ho, Kabir," usne dheere se kaha.
Kabir ne halka sa sar jhukaya. "Pagal nahi… samajhdaar."
Ayaan ne gusse se kaha, "Logon ki zindagi se khelna samajhdari nahi hoti!"
Kabir ne uski aankhon mein aankhen daali. "Aur apni zindagi bachana? Woh kya hota hai?"
Ayaan chup ho gaya.
Kabir ne aage badhkar kaha, "Tumhein lagta hai main yeh sab shauk se kar raha hoon? Nahi, Ayaan. Mujhe majboor kiya gaya tha."
"Kaun?" Ayaan ne turant poocha.
Kabir ne seedha jawab nahi diya. Bas itna kaha, "Wahi log jinke saath tum abhi tak deal kar rahe ho… bina jaane."
Ayaan ka dimaag ghoom gaya.
"Toh Meera…" usne dheere se kaha.
Kabir ne turant kaha, "Us par bharosa mat karo."
Ayaan ne hairani se poocha, "Kya matlab?"
Kabir ne kaha, "Meera utni seedhi nahi hai jitni woh dikhti hai."
Ayaan ke liye yeh sab hazam karna mushkil ho raha tha.
Ek taraf Kabir—uska purana dost. Doosri taraf Meera—jisne hamesha uski madad ki.
Sach kaun bol raha tha?
Kabir ne uske kareeb aakar dheere se kaha, "Ayaan, tumhein decide karna hoga. Ya toh tum is game ka hissa ban jao… ya phir—"
"Ya phir?" Ayaan ne poocha.
Kabir ne seedha jawab diya, "Game tumhein khatam kar dega."
Yeh lafz hawa mein latak gaye.
Ayaan ne apni mutthi band kar li. "Main kisi ka puppet nahi banunga."
Kabir ne halki si hansi ke saath kaha, "Sab yahi kehte hain… shuru mein."
Tabhi bahar se siren ki awaaz aayi.
Police.
Ayaan ne hairani se Kabir ki taraf dekha. "Yeh sab tumne kiya?"
Kabir ne sirf itna kaha, "Welcome to the next level."
Usne mudkar andhere ki taraf chalna shuru kiya.
"Aur haan, Ayaan," usne peeche dekhe bina kaha, "Agar zinda rehna hai… toh kisi par bharosa mat karo. Mujh par bhi nahi."
Aur phir woh andhere mein gayab ho gaya.
Ayaan wahi khada reh gaya. Uske haath mein file… dimaag mein sawal… aur dil mein ek naya darr.
Siren ki awaaz kareeb aa rahi thi.
Game ab sach mein shuru ho chuka tha.
Aur is baar—
Har chal maut ya zindagi ka faisla karegi. To be continued…