Shaadi ke baad ghar ek ajeeb khamoshi se bhara tha.
Rathore mansion ki deewarein jaise har saans ko sun rahi thi.
Aarav apna study room me khada tha.uske haath me phone tha...screen per woh message abhi bhi chamak raha tha.
"Vivaan Rathore is Alive"
Uska jaw tighten hogaya.
"Impossible..."usne dheere se khud se kaha.
Vivaan ki laash usne khud dekhi thi. Khud dafan kiya tha..
Phir yeh message kisne bheja?
Aur sabse bada sawaal...
Kyu aaj?
Shaadi ki raat hi kyun?
Door dheere se khula.
Meher andar aayi.
Heavy bridal jewelry ab utar chuki thi.
Simple red saree me woh zyada dangerous lagrahi thi..
"Still thinking about the message ?"usne shaant awaaz me poocha.
Aarav ne uski taraf dheere se dekha.
"Tumhe kaise pata message ke baare me"?
Meher halki si muskurayi.
"Because you forgot to lock your screen".
Ek second k liye Aarav chup raha.
Ye ladki bahut smart thi...ya bahut reckless.
"Tumhari family ne mere bhai ko maara".
Aarav ki awaaz thandi hogayi."Aur ager woh zinda nikla..to kisine mujhe bewakoof banaya hai."
Meher uske bilkul saamne akar ruk gayi.
"Ye shayad tumhe khud sach dekhna hi nahi chaha."
Room ka temperature jaise suddenly drop ho gaya.
Us raat...
City ke dusre kone me ek underground meeting chal rahi thi.
Dim light,black table,aur 5log.
"Aarav Rathore ko shaq hochuka hai."ek aadmi bola.
"Good,"dusra hansa."game tabhi mazedaar hota hai jab king ko pata chale ki board par aur bhi pieces hain."
Shasdow me khada ek aur aadmi chup tha.
Usne sirf ek sentence bola:
"Meher apna role perfect nibha rahi hai."
Wapas mansion me...
Aarav ne meher ka haath achanak pakad liya.
"Tum kya chahti ho?" Usne seedha poocha.
Meher ne apna haath chudaya nahi.
"Main sach chahti hoon."
"Sach ya power"
"Difference kya hota hai." Meher ki ankhein uski ankhon se locked thi.
Aarav ko pehle baar mehsoos hua...
Yeh sirf revenge marriage nahi thi.
Ye koi aur level ka plan tha..
Phone phir vibrate hua.
Is baar ek image aayi.
Aarav ki saans ek pal ke liye rukgayi.
Image me ek aadmi tha.
Zinda.
Zakhmi.
Bandha hua.
Aur uske paas likha tha:
"If you want your brother alive... come alone."
Location attached thi.
Old Dockyard.
Aarav ne meher ki taraf dekha.
"Ye tumhari planning hai?"
Meher ki expression ek second ke liye change hui...phir normal ho gayi.
"Tum jaoge?" Usne seedha pucha.
Aarav ne coat uthaya.
"Main kabhi peeche nahi hatta."
Wo door ki tarat badha...phir ruk gaya.
"Lekin ager yeh trap hua..."
Meher dheere se boli.
"Phir kya tum maroge..ya koi aur."
Door band hua.
Room me sirf meher reh gayi.
Usne apne phoone nikala.
Ek.number dial kiya.
"Phase one complete," usne dheere se kaha
Dusri side se awaaz aayi:
"King move on karchuka hai".
Meher ki ankhon me halki si chamak aayi.
"Ab asli khel shuru hoga."
Old Dockyard ke andhere me hawa tez chalrahi thi.
Aarav Rathore apni car se utar.chuka tha..
Har kadam ke.saath uska gussa aur badh raha tha.
Usse sird ek.cheez chahiye thi ---
Sach.
Lekin usse bilkul andaza nahi tha..
Ki jis bhai ko bachane woh aya hai---
Wo sirf zinda nahi... Badal chuka hai.
"What happens at the dockyard will.change everything see you in chapter 3."