Raat ab aur bhi gehri ho chuki thi.
Old Dockyard ke warehouse ke andar hawa tez chal rahi thi.
Broken windows se samundar ki namkeen hawa andar aa rahi thi.
Aarav Rathore ab bhi wahi khada tha.
Uske haath me ek chhota sa silver bracelet tha.
Wahi bracelet… jo usne Meher ko shaadi ke ek din baad gift kiya tha.
Aarav ne bracelet ko zor se pakad liya.
"Impossible…" usne dheere se kaha.
Uska dimag ek hi sawal repeat kar raha tha.
Meher ka bracelet yahan kaise aaya?
Teen minute pehle tak warehouse me Raghav tha… Vivaan tha… gunshots hue the…
Aur ab…
Sab gayab.
Sirf khamoshi.
Aarav ne apni gun uthai aur dheere dheere warehouse ke andar chalne laga.
"Vivaan!"
Uski awaaz puri building me goonj gayi.
Koi jawab nahi.
Bas hawa ki awaaz.
Achanak usse ek halki si kharak sunai di.
Warehouse ke peeche wale gate ke paas.
Aarav turant us taraf dauda.
Gate aadha khula tha.
Bahar samundar ke paas ek black SUV khadi thi.
Engine abhi bhi garam tha.
Matlab…
Koi abhi abhi yahan se gaya tha.
Aarav ne aas paas dekha.
Tyre marks seedha main road ki taraf ja rahe the.
"Damn it!" Aarav ne gusse me mutthi bhinch li.
Usne turant phone nikala aur apne trusted man Kabir ko call kiya.
Phone teen ring me uth gaya.
"Sir?"
"Dockyard pe turant log bhejo. Abhi."
Kabir ki awaaz serious ho gayi.
"Kya hua?"
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya.
"Vivaan zinda hai."
Do second ki khamoshi.
"...What?"
"Aur Raghav Mehra bhi."
Phone ke dusre side Kabir bilkul chup ho gaya.
"Sir… agar ye sach hai to iska matlab—"
"—Game abhi khatam nahi hua." Aarav ne uski baat kaat di.
Usne bracelet ko apni pocket me rakha.
Uska dimag ab ek hi direction me ja raha tha.
Meher.
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Rathore mansion
Subah ke kareeb 2 baj chuke the.
Mansion ke living room me lights jal rahi thi.
Meher Rathore sofa par baithi thi.
Uske haath me ek book thi… lekin woh padh nahi rahi thi.
Uski aankhen bas page par tikki hui thi.
Jaise woh kisi ka wait kar rahi ho.
Tabhi main door khula.
Aarav andar aaya.
Uska chehra thaka hua tha… lekin aankhon me aag thi.
Meher ne turant uski taraf dekha.
"Aarav… tum itni raat—"
Aarav seedha uske saamne aa kar ruk gaya.
Usne pocket se bracelet nikala.
Aur table par rakh diya.
Room me ek second ke liye khamoshi chha gayi.
Meher ka chehra suddenly pale ho gaya.
"Aarav… ye—"
"Dockyard."
Aarav ne thandi awaaz me kaha.
Meher ki aankhen shock se badh gayi.
"Dockyard…?"
"Wahi jagah jahan aaj raat mera bhai zinda mila."
Meher ka saans ruk gaya.
"Vivaan…?"
Aarav uske aur paas jhuk gaya.
"Aur wahan tumhara bracelet mila."
Room ka atmosphere ek second me heavy ho gaya.
Meher khadi ho gayi.
"Aarav listen—"
"Bas ek sawal."
Aarav ki awaaz dangerously calm thi.
"Tum wahan thi?"
Meher chup ho gayi.
Uski aankhen Aarav ki aankhon me thi.
Aur phir…
Usne dheere se kaha:
"...Nahi."
Aarav ne uski aankhon ko dhyan se dekha.
Usse jhooth pehchanne ki aadat thi.
Aur abhi…
Usse laga Meher sach bol rahi thi.
Lekin phir…
Meher ne ek aur line boli.
"Lekin mera bhai wahan zaroor tha."
Aarav ka expression change ho gaya.
"Tumhe pata tha?"
Meher ne aankhen band kar li.
"Raghav kabhi mara hi nahi tha."
Aarav ka gussa phir se upar aa gaya.
"Tumne mujhe bataya kyun nahi?"
Meher ne dheere se kaha:
"Because… agar tumhe pata hota…"
"...to tum usse maar dete."
Room me phir khamoshi chha gayi.
Aarav seedha khada tha.
Uska dimag ek hi cheez soch raha tha.
Raghav.
Vivaan.
Meher.
Sab ek hi game ka hissa lag rahe the.
Tabhi…
Aarav ka phone vibrate hua.
Message.
Unknown number.
Aarav ne screen dekhi.
Uska chehra suddenly serious ho gaya.
Message me sirf ek photo thi.
Photo me…
Vivaan tha.
Zinda.
Aur uske peeche khada tha Raghav.
Aur photo ke niche ek line likhi thi:
"Next time, bring your wife."
Aarav ne dheere se phone neeche kiya.
Uski aankhon me ab sirf ek cheez thi.
War.
___________________________________________
Aarav ko ab samajh aa gaya tha…
Yeh sirf uske bhai ka khel nahi tha.
Yeh uski shaadi ka bhi imtihaan tha.
Aur agar Meher sach me is war ka hissa bani…
Toh agla chapter sirf sach nahi…
Khoon bhi aayega.
Chapter 5 — TheTrapbegins
Coming soon.
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