Raat aur gehri ho chuki thi…
Kabristan se nikalne ke baad bhi Aarohi ka dil ab tak shaant nahi hua tha.
Har step ke saath uska dimaag wahi repeat kar raha tha
"Kabir ki death… accident nahi thi."
Wo line uske dimaag me goonj rahi thi.
Jaise kisi ne uski puri duniya dobara hila di ho.
"Tum sure ho… jo tumne dikhaya wo real tha?" Aarohi ne dheere se pucha.
Wo insaan jo ab tak apna naam bhi nahi bataya tha uske saath chal raha tha.
"Tumhe kya lagta hai?" usne seedha jawab diya.
Aarohi irritate ho gayi.
"Mujhe riddles nahi chahiye! Straight bolo!"
Wo ruk gaya.
Aarohi bhi ruk gayi.
Usne Aarohi ki taraf seedha dekha.
"Video fake nahi tha."
Aarohi ka dil phir se heavy ho gaya.
"Matlab… kisi ne jaan bujhkar…"
Wo sentence complete nahi kar paayi.
"Kill kiya," us insaan ne calm tone me bola.
Aarohi ke haath thande pad gaye.
Kabir…
Kill…
Ye words ek saath accept karna uske liye impossible tha.
"Tum mujhe sab sach kyun bata rahe ho?" Aarohi ne pucha.
"Tum police kyun nahi gaye?"
Wo insaan halka sa hasa.
"Police?"
"Tumhe lagta hai itna simple hai?"
Aarohi chup ho gayi.
"Jisne ye kiya hai… wo powerful hai," usne dheere se kaha.
"Proof ke bina police kuch nahi karegi… aur proof dhoondhna easy nahi hai."
Aarohi ne uski taraf dekha.
"Tumhe itna sab kaise pata?"
Wo kuch seconds tak chup raha.
Phir bola
"Kyuki main bhi iss game ka part hoon."
Aarohi ka doubt aur badh gaya.
"Matlab?"
Wo uski taraf thoda close aaya.
"Matlab… main bhi target tha."
Aarohi ka heart skip kar gaya.
"Tumhe bhi maarne ki koshish hui thi?"
"Almost," usne calmly kaha.
Aarohi ke liye ye sab ek nightmare jaisa tha.
"Tumhara naam kya hai?" Aarohi ne finally pucha.
Wo insaan ruk gaya.
Aur dheere se bola
"Ayaan."
Aarohi ne naam repeat kiya
"Ayaan…"
"Thik hai Ayaan… ab clearly batao ye sab kaun kar raha hai?"
Ayaan ne seedha jawab nahi diya.
"Pehle tumhe kuch dekhna hoga."
Wo dono ek purani building ke paas ruk gaye.
Building thodi abandoned lag rahi thi.
"Yaha?" Aarohi ne doubtful tone me pucha.
Ayaan ne sir hilaaya.
"Trust me."
Aarohi ne deep breath li.
Aur uske saath andar chali gayi.
Andar andhera tha…
Bas ek tube light blink kar rahi thi.
Ayaan ne apna phone torch on kiya.
"Yaha sambhal ke…" usne kaha.
Aarohi ka heart fast beat kar raha tha.
"Ye jagah safe hai na?"
Ayaan ne halki si smirk di.
"Abhi ke liye."
Ye answer Aarohi ko bilkul pasand nahi aaya.
Wo dono ek room me enter hue.
Room ke andar ek table thi…
Aur us par bohot saare papers, photos, aur ek laptop rakha tha.
Aarohi ne shock se sab dekha.
"Ye sab kya hai?"
Ayaan ne kaha
"Proof."
Aarohi dheere se table ke paas gayi.
Usne ek photo uthayi…
Aur uska dil ruk gaya.
Wo Kabir tha.
Ek cafe me baitha hua.
Par wo akela nahi tha.
Uske saamne ek aadmi baitha tha.
Face clear nahi tha.
"Ye kaun hai?" Aarohi ne pucha.
Ayaan uske paas aaya.
"Yahi se sab start hua tha."
Aarohi confused thi.
"Matlab?"
Ayaan ne laptop on kiya.
Aur ek file open ki.
"Accident se ek hafte pehle… Kabir kisi se mil raha tha."
Aarohi ne screen dekhi.
Multiple photos.
Different locations.
Same aadmi.
Same Kabir.
"Par Kabir ne mujhe kabhi nahi bataya…"
Aarohi ka dimaag aur confuse ho gaya.
Ayaan ne dheere se kaha
"Kyuki wo tumhe protect kar raha tha."
Aarohi ne uski taraf dekha.
"Protect? Kis se?"
Ayaan ne ek aur file open ki.
Is baar ek document.
"Kabir ne kuch discover kiya tha…"
Aarohi ka heart race karne laga.
"Kya?"
Ayaan ne seedha uski aankhon me dekha
"Ek illegal deal."
Aarohi ka dimaag blank ho gaya.
"Deal?"
"High-level log involved the… paisa… power… sab kuch."
Ayaan ne explain kiya.
"Kabir galti se usme involve ho gaya."
"Usne kuch aisa dekh liya jo usse nahi dekhna chahiye tha."
Aarohi ke haath kaanp rahe the.
"Isliye… usse…"
Wo bol nahi paayi.
Ayaan ne sentence complete kiya
"Isliye usse hata diya gaya."
Room me silence chha gaya.
Sirf Aarohi ki heavy breathing sunai de rahi thi.
"Ye sab… itna bada tha?"
Ayaan ne sir hilaaya.
"Bohot bada."
"Par tum kaise involved ho?" Aarohi ne pucha.
Ayaan thoda serious ho gaya.
"Main Kabir ke saath kaam karta tha… indirectly."
Aarohi shocked thi.
"Tum dono ek dusre ko jaante the?"
Ayaan ne dheere se kaha
"Last moment tak."
Aarohi ke dimaag me flash aaya
"Late ho gaya…"
"Tum… wahi ho na?" Aarohi ne dheere se pucha.
Ayaan ne seedha jawab nahi diya.
Par uski aankhon me answer tha.
Aarohi ka dil bhar aaya.
"Tum use bacha sakte the…" usne dheere se kaha.
Ayaan ne aankhen band kar li.
"Main try kiya…"
"Par main late tha."
Wahi word…
Phir se.
Aarohi ne kuch nahi kaha.
Wo bas samajh rahi thi.
Achanak…
Ek awaaz aayi.
Thak…
Aarohi freeze ho gayi.
"Ye kya tha?"
Ayaan turant alert ho gaya.
"Someone's here."
Aarohi ka heart race karne laga.
"Kaun?"
Ayaan ne dheere se kaha
"Shayad wo log…"
Room ke bahar footsteps sunai dene lage.
Slow… heavy…
Aarohi ka saans ruk gaya.
"Ab kya kare?"
Ayaan ne quickly lights off kar di.
Room pura dark ho gaya.
"Chup raho…" usne whisper kiya.
Footsteps aur paas aa rahe the.
Aarohi ne apni saanse control karne ki koshish ki.
Door handle hilne laga…
Click…
Door dheere se open hua.
Light andar aayi.
Kisi ka shadow room me gira.
Aarohi ka dil zor se dhadak raha tha.
Ayaan ne uska haath pakad liya
Tight.
Jaise keh raha ho
"Stay still."
Shadow dheere-dheere andar aaya.
Aur phir
Ek awaaz aayi
"Mujhe pata tha tum yaha aaoge…"
Ayaan ka grip aur tight ho gaya.
Aarohi ne uski taraf dekha.
Ayaan ke face par pehli baar darr tha.
Aur usne dheere se kaha
"Ye… yahi hai…"
Aarohi ka dil ruk gaya.
"Kaun?" usne almost silent me pucha.
Ayaan ne seedha answer diya
"Kabir ka killer."
"Kya Aarohi aur Ayaan bach payenge… aur kaun hai wo insaan?"
To be continued…