Hospital ke us kamre mein maut ka nanga naach shuru ho chuka tha. Vikram (The Shadow) ne chair ko dhakka de diya tha. Deepak Mathur, jo ki ek purani wheelchair se bandhe hue the, tezi se khuli hui khidki ki taraf badh rahe the. Fourth floor se neeche girne ka matlab tha seedhi maut.
"Nahi!" Sia ki ek kamzor cheekh nikali aur wo farsh par gir gayi. Gas uske phephadon (lungs) mein zeher ghol rahi thi.
Aryan ki aankhein laal ho chuki thi. Usne ek pal ke liye bhi nahi socha. Usne apni gun floor par phenki aur ek cheetah ki raftar se wheelchair ki taraf jhapa. Usne apni puri taqat laga kar wheelchair ke handles ko pakda, thik us waqt jab uska ek pahiya (wheel) khidki ki dehleez se bahar nikal chuka tha.
Aryan ke muscles tan gaye, uske zakhmi kandhe se khoon dubara nikalne laga, par usne Deepak Mathur ko peeche khench liya.
"Bach gaye... filhaal," Vikram ne ek thandi hansi hasi. Usne apni jeb se ek chhota remote nikala. "Lekin khel abhi khatam nahi hua, bade bhai. Maine hospital ke oxygen plant mein RDX set kar diya hai. Agar tumne mujhe rasta nahi diya, toh pura hospital kabristan ban jayega."
Aryan ne Deepak Mathur ki chair ko safe jagah par kiya aur phir Sia ki taraf bhaga. Usne Sia ko apni baahon mein uthaya. Sia ka chehra safed pad chuka tha.
"Tum... tumne papa ko bachaya?" Sia ne ladkhadati awaaz mein pucha, uski aankhon mein hairani aur thoda sa sukoon tha.
"Maine kaha tha na, Sia," Aryan ne uske maathe ko apne maathe se lagaya, uski awaaz mein ek junooni garmi thi. "Tumhari har cheez par ab mera haq hai. Unki zindagi par bhi."
The Stand-off in the Smoke
Vikram dhuein ke beech kisi bhoot ki tarah khada tha. "Aryan, tum hamesha se 'Golden Boy' rahe ho. Sab kuch tumhara tha—naam, paisa, Thorne empire ka taj. Aur mujhe kya mila? Is jaley hue chehre ke saath andheri kothriyan. Aaj, main sab barabar kar dunga."
"Tumhe lagta hai Maa tumhe taj dengi?" Aryan ne nafrat se kaha, jabki wo Sia ko lekar darwaze ki taraf badh raha tha. "Wo tumhe sirf isliye wapas layi hain taaki wo mujhe control kar sakein. Tum sirf ek mohra (pawn) ho, Vikram."
Vikram ka chehra gusse se bigad gaya. Usne remote ka button dabane ki koshish ki, par tabhi darwaze se ek goli chali aur remote Vikram ke hath se nikal kar door ja gira.
Gayatri Thorne andar dakhil hui. Uske peeche uski personal black-ops team thi. Uske chehre par koi mamta nahi thi, sirf ek thanda guroor tha.
"Bas bahut hua," Gayatri ne kaha. "Vikram, tumne hadd paar kar di hai. Maine tumhe zinda isliye rakha tha taaki tum Thorne parivaar ki gandagi saaf karo, na ki naya kabristan banao."
Vikram ne apni Maa ki taraf dekha. "Maa... maine wahi kiya jo aapne sikhaya tha. Berahmi."
"Maine tumhe dimaag istemal karna sikhaya tha, Vikram. Pagalpan nahi," Gayatri ne ishara kiya aur uske guards ne Vikram ko gher liya. "Ise North Wing ke cellar mein le jao. Wahan, jahan se ye aaya tha."
Vikram ne Aryan ki taraf dekha, uski aankhon mein badle ki aag abhi thami nahi thi. "Ye khatam nahi hua hai, Aryan. Jab tak hum dono ke andar Thorne ka khoon hai, tab tak ye jung chalti rahegi."
The Gilded Cage Returns
Agli subah, Thorne Mansion mein sannata tha, par ye sannata kisi tufan ke pehle ki khamoshi thi. Sia ko mansion ke medical wing mein rakha gaya tha. Jab use hosh aaya, usne dekha ki Aryan uske bed ke paas baitha hai. Usne ek black shirt pehni thi, jiske button upar se khule the, aur uske hath mein wahi purani Thorne Signet Ring thi.
"Papa kahan hain?" Sia ne turant pucha.
"Wo thik hain. Mere private farmhouse mein hain, 50 guards ki security mein. Wahan Vikram ya Maa unhe touch bhi nahi kar sakte," Aryan ne kaha, uski awaaz mein ek ajeeb sa sukoon tha.
Sia ne relief ki saans li, par phir usne Aryan ki aankhon mein dekha. Wo sukoon ki aankhein nahi thi, wo ek shikari ki aankhein thi jisne apna shikar pakad liya tha.
"Ab mera sauda, Sia," Aryan ne uska hath pakda. Usne Sia ki ungli mein wahi ring pehnane ki koshish ki.
"Kaisa sauda?" Sia ne apna hath peeche khencha.
Aryan khada ho gaya aur bed par jhuk gaya, apne dono hath Sia ke dono taraf rakh kar use block kar diya. "Maine tumhare baap ko bacha liya. Maine apne bhai ko dubara jahannum mein bhej diya. Maine Maa se bagawat kar li... sirf tumhare liye. Ab tum kahin nahi ja rahi ho."
"Aryan, tumne jo kiya uske liye main shukrguzar hoon, par iska matlab ye nahi ki main tumse pyar karti hoon!" Sia ne himmat juta kar kaha.
Aryan ne ek sard hansi hasi. "Pyar? Sia, tum abhi bhi bachchi ho. Mujhe tumhara pyar nahi chahiye. Mujhe tumhari rooh chahiye. Mujhe ye chahiye ki jab tum saans lo, toh mera naam lo. Jab tum aankhein band karo, toh mera chehra dekho. Tum is ghar ki malkin ho, par meri qaid mein."
Sia ne dekha ki Aryan ne kamre ke bahar naye biometric locks lagwa diye the. Uska 'Obsession' ab ek naye level par pahunch chuka tha.
The Secret of the Third Brother?
Raat ko, Aryan apne study room mein baitha tha jab Marcus (Security Head) ne ek purani file uske samne rakhi.
"Sir, aapne jo DNA reports mangwayi thi hospital se... wo aa gayi hain."
Aryan ne file kholi. Jaise-jaise wo padhta gaya, uska chehra safed padne laga. File mein teen birth certificates ki copies thi.
"Teen?" Aryan ki awaaz kanpi.
"Ji sir. Gayatri ma'am ne hamesha twins (judwa) ki baat ki. Lekin report ke mutabiq, us raat teen bachche paida hue the. Reyansh, Vikram... aur ek aur."
Aryan ne file ko zor se table par maara. "Teesra kahan hai? Use kyun chhupaya gaya?"
"Wo record mein 'Deceased' (mara hua) dikhaya gaya hai, par uska koi death certificate nahi hai. Aur sir... hospital ki footage check karte waqt humein pata chala ki 'X' jo humein messages bhej raha hai, wo Vikram nahi hai. Vikram toh sirf ek mohra tha."
Aryan ki aankhon mein darr ki ek leher daudi. "Toh 'X' kaun hai?"
Marcus ne ek photo dikhayi jo hospital ke corridor se mili thi. Usme ek aadmi dikh raha tha jiske hath par wahi 'Thorne' ka tattoo tha, par uski height aur chalne ka danda Aryan aur Vikram se alag tha.
Tabhi, Aryan ke phone par ek naya message chamka:
"Bade bhai ne raj-paat sambhala, majhle (middle) ne khoon kiya... par sabse chhota abhi tak bhookha hai. Coronation mein milte hain. – The Lost Thorne."
Aryan ne piche mud kar dekha, jahan Sia so rahi thi. Use ehsaas hua ki dushman bahar nahi, balki unke hi khoon mein chhupa hai. Aur wo teesra bhai... wo Sia ke liye laut raha tha.
Author's Note
Kahani ne ek aisa mod liya hai jo kisi ne nahi socha tha! 😱 Teen bhai? 'The Lost Thorne' kaun hai? Kya Aryan Sia ko is teesre khatre se bacha payega? Aur Gayatri Thorne ne teesre bete ko kyun chhupaya? 🌑🏯
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