CHAPTER 6 — "Pehli Darr Ki Chhaav"
Living room me hawa ab bhi bhaari thi. Reyansh ne jo last line kahi thi —
"Woh log wapas active ho gaye hain."
— usne jaise har kisi ki saanson ko thama diya.
Aarohi ke liye ye sab ek dum se bohot zyada ho gaya tha. Pichhle kuch ghanton me usne teen badi cheezein suni thi—
• uske bachpan ke dost ka sudden wapas aana
• uski family ka ek secret past
• aur ab… unki life par ek naya threat
Uska dimag ek hi saath itni baatein absorb nahi kar pa raha tha.
◆
Mom ne halki ghabrahat ke saath Reyansh se poocha—
"Tumhe ye kaise pata chala? Koi proof hai?"
Reyansh ne slowly sir hilaya.
"Direct proof nahi… par kuch changes jo hum jaise log samajh lete hain."
Aarohi ne confused hoke pucha—
"Kaise changes?"
Reyansh ne uski taraf dekha, ek pal socha, phir explain kiya—
"Jo unit mere dad handle karte the, woh kuch specific pattern observe karti thi. Last kuch dino me wahi pattern phir se dikhai diye."
Aarohi ke dad ne is baat ko confirm kiya—
"Haan… main ne bhi suna hai kuch purane cases ki movement shuru hui hai."
Aarohi ke liye yeh sab bilkul naya tha.
"Par kaunse cases? Kaun log? Aur humara unse kya lena-dena?"
Reyansh ne halki si sigh li.
"Aarohi… tumhari family directly target nahi thi. Tum indirect risk me thi."
"Indirect risk?"
Aarohi ka dimaag thoda sa blank sa ho gaya.
Reyansh ne dheere se kaha—
"Un logon ka maksad tumhare ghar ko harm karna nahi tha. Unka intention mere dad tak pahunchna tha."
Aarohi ne hichki li.
"Matlab… main collateral damage thi?"
Woh words bolte hi uski aankhon me paani aa gaya.
Bachpan ki woh sweet dosti… ek dum kisi khatarnak kahani ka tukda lagne lagi.
Uske chest me ek tight sa dard uth gaya.
Reyansh ne turant kaha—
"Nahi Aarohi, tum damage nahi. Tum priority thi. Isliye hum dono ko alag kiya gaya."
Uski aankhon me bilkul sachcha dard tha.
◆ — Aarohi ka pehla emotional break
Aarohi apni jagah se uth gayi.
Woh normal lagne ki koshish kar rahi thi, par uske aas-paas ki hawa uski halat chhupa nahi paa rahi thi.
Woh balcony ki taraf chal padi.
Reyansh bhi uske peeche gaya, par Aarohi ne haath utha kar use rok diya—
"Abhi mat aao. Please… ek minute."
Reyansh ruk gaya.
Aarohi balcony ke railing ke paas aake deep breath lene lagi.
Uski aankhon me tears aa gaye the jo woh rok nahi par rahi thi.
Usko samajh nahi aa raha tha ki kya feel kare—
gussa? dard? shock? ya woh purani yaadein jo ab ache nahi, painful lag rahi thi?
Wo halki si awaaz me boli—
"Mera bachpan ek jhoot tha kya…? Sab kuch jhoot tha?"
Reyansh ne peeche se awaaz di—
"Nahi Aarohi. Ek bhi pal jhootha nahi tha."
Aarohi ne aankhen band kar li, tears roll down ho gaye.
"Par tum chale gaye… bina bataye. Mujhe sabse zyada zarurat thi tumhari, par tum nahi the."
Reyansh ka dil literally tighten ho gaya.
Woh dheere-dheere uski taraf aaya, par distance maintain rakha.
"Main tumhari zarurat ka hi toh jawab nahi de paaya tha… ussi baat ka guilt lekar jeeya hoon main."
Aarohi ne aankhon se aansu pochhe.
"Tumne kabhi try kyun nahi kiya? Ek message bhi nahi?"
Reyansh ki voice heavy ho gayi.
"Kyunki agar main ek message bhi bhejta… tumhari tracking ho sakti thi. Tumhari family ka location leak ho sakta tha."
Aarohi ne dheere se turn karke uski taraf dekha.
Woh pehli baar notice kar rahi thi —
Reyansh ki aankhon ke neeche halki dark circles, uske shoulders ka tension, aur uski awaaz ka bojh.
Yeh woh cheerful sa bachpan wala Reyansh nahi tha.
Yeh woh ladka tha jo saalon se ek secret guilt aur pressure me jee raha tha.
◆ — Reyansh ka Truth, Part Two
Aarohi ne slow voice me pucha—
"Tumhari family ko kaise pata chala ki woh log active ho gaye?"
Reyansh ne jawab diya—
"Kyuki humara monitoring system chhota nahi hai. Mere dad ne chahe job leave kiya ho, par kuch links kabhi cut nahi hote."
Aarohi ne eyebrow raise ki.
"Tum keh kya rahe ho… ke tum bhi involve ho?"
Reyansh kuch seconds ke liye silent ho gaya.
Phir usne finally admit kiya—
"Ha. Main unke under trained ho chuka hoon."
Aarohi literally freeze ho gayi.
"Tum…? Tum 20 saal ki age me…?"
Reyansh ne halka sa smile kiya
—woh smile jisme pain tha, maturity thi, aur thoda sa woh purana innocence bhi.
"Jab tum normal school life ji rahi thi… main training camps me tha. Maine tumhe protect karne ka kaam apna bana liya tha."
Aarohi ke liye yeh sab unbelievable tha.
"Tumne mujhe protect kiya… door reh kar?"
"Haan."
"Kyuuuuun?"
Aarohi ki awaaz toot gayi.
Reyansh ne uski aankhon me dekh kar reply diya—
"Kyuki tum meri responsibility nahi… meri priority thi."
Woh ek sentence Aarohi ke dil par seedha laga.
Uski aankhon me phir tears bhar gaye.
◆ — Threat ka First Clue
Room ke andar se Aarohi ke dad ki awaaz aayi—
"Reyansh! Woh files dikhao jo tum laaye the."
Aarohi ne quickly tears wipe kiye.
Woh aur Reyansh dono andar aa gaye.
Reyansh ne ek backpack khola aur usme se kuch folded documents nikale.
Un documents par koi official stamp nahi thi — matlab ye private copies the.
Dad ne ek file kholi aur turant serious ho gaye.
Usme ek old black-and-white photo thi.
Photo me ek aadmi camera ki taraf nahi dekh raha tha… par uska face partially visible tha.
Aarohi ki mom ne gasp kiya—
"Ye… ye toh same aadmi hai…"
Dad ne confirm kiya—
"Haan. Ye hi woh banda tha jisne hume pehli warning di thi."
Aarohi ne photo dekhi.
Us aadmi ka expression cold tha.
Aankhon me ek ajeeb si blankness — jaise koi emotion hi nahi.
She whispered—
"Kaun hai ye…?"
Reyansh ne deep voice me bola—
"Ye un logon ka leader hai. Aur iska naam… ab bhi unknown hai."
Aarohi ka heart drop ho gaya.
"Unknown? Matlab koi nahi jaanta?"
Reyansh ne slight nod diya.
"Haan. But ek cheez ka pata chalega…"
Aarohi ne pucha—
"Kya?"
Reyansh ne uski aankhon me seedha dekh kar kaha—
"Ye aadmi tumhare past se bhi jura hua hai… tum soch bhi nahi sakti kaise."
Aarohi ka saans phir se ruk gaya.
Mom ne worried tone me kaha—
"Reyansh… abhi sab mat batao. Aarohi pehle hi stress me hai."
Reyansh ne Aarohi ki taraf dekha—
"Tum chaho toh main ruk jaata hoon."
Aarohi ne steady saans li.
Uski aankhon me dar tha… par ek new strength bhi.
"Nahi. Mujhe poora sach chahiye. Ab aur nahi chhupao."
Reyansh ke lips slight curve hue—
ek respect bhari smile ke saath.
"Theek hai. Kal subah 10 baje. Main tumhe ek jagah le jaunga."
Aarohi confused ho gai—
"Kahan?"
Reyansh ki aawaz bahut calm thi—
"Wahi jagah… jahan se sab shuru hua tha."
Aarohi ka dil zor se dhadakne laga.
Chapter ends....!!!