Raat ab khatam hone wali thi.
Rathore Mansion ke bahar halki si subah ki roshni dikhne lagi thi.
Lekin Aarav Rathore ke dimag me abhi bhi andhera hi tha.
Uske phone me abhi bhi wahi photo open thi.
Vivaan… zinda.
Aur uske peeche khada tha Raghav Mehra.
Aarav ne phone table par rakha aur Meher ki taraf dekha.
"Tumhe pata tha na?" Aarav ne dheere se poocha.
Meher chup rahi.
Room me sirf clock ki tik-tik sunai de rahi thi.
"Meher… main dobara nahi poochunga." Aarav ki awaaz thandi thi.
Meher ne finally uski taraf dekha.
"Main janti thi ki Raghav zinda ho sakta hai…"
Aarav ka gussa phir se bhadak gaya.
"Ho sakta hai?" Aarav almost hans pada.
"Meher, woh mere bhai ke saath khada hai!"
Meher ne dheere se kaha,
"Raghav kabhi kisi par trust nahi karta… agar Vivaan uske saath hai to matlab kuch aur chal raha hai."
Aarav ne uski aankhon me dekha.
Usse samajh nahi aa raha tha…
Meheruskihelp karrahi thi...ya usse manipulate kar rahi thi.
Tabhi Aarav ka phone phir vibrate hua.
Unknown number.
Is baar message tha.
"TumorrowNight 10pm.
Come alone."
Aarav ne message Meher ko dikhaya.
Meher ka chehra serious ho gaya.
"Yeh trap hai."
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya,
"Of course hai."
"Phir bhi jaoge?"
Aarav ki aankhon me ek dangerous smile aa gayi.
"Main bhi trap set karunga."
___________________________________________
Aarav's plan
Subah hone tak Aarav ne apni team ko call kar liya tha.
Kabir, Sameer aur do aur trusted men mansion ke study room me khade the.
Table par city ka map phaila hua tha.
Kabir ne poocha,
"Sir location kya hai?"
Aarav ne phone screen unke saamne rakhi.
Old Industrial Area.
Kabir ne sir hila diya.
"Perfect place for an ambush."
Aarav ne calm tone me kaha,
"Exactly."
Sameer ne poocha,
"Sir aap alone jaoge?"
Aarav ne map par ek point circle kiya.
"Main alone jaunga… lekin tum log aas paas honge."
Kabir ki aankhon me respect dikh raha tha.
"Game shuru ho gaya hai."
___________________________________________
Meanwhile...
Mansion ke balcony par Meher khadi thi.
Subah ka suraj nikal raha tha.
Lekin uske chehre par tension thi.
Usne dheere se phone nikala.
Aur ek number dial kiya.
Phone turant uth gaya.
Dusri taraf ek aadmi ki awaaz aayi.
"Hello."
Meher ne dheere se kaha,
"Aarav kal raat wahan aa raha hai."
Dusri taraf se halki si hansi sunai di.
"Good."
Meher ne aankhen band kar li.
"Raghav… please koi stupid move mat karna."
Phone ke dusre side aadmi ne jawab diya:
"Game abhi start hua hai, sis."
Call cut ho gaya.
Meher ne phone ko tightly pakad liya.
Usse pata tha…
Kal raat sab kuch badalne wala hai.
___________________________________________
Next night
Industrial area bilkul sunsaan tha.
Broken factories aur purane warehouses khade the.
10 PM.
Aarav ki car dheere se road par ruk gayi.
Woh car se utar kar aage badha.
Andhera itna gehra tha ki aas paas kuch clearly dikh nahi raha tha.
Tabhi…
Ek awaaz aayi.
"Welcome, brother."
Aarav turant ruk gaya.
Shadow se ek aadmi bahar aaya.
Vivaan.
Zinda.
Uski aankhon me ek ajeeb sa confidence tha.
"Bahut time ho gaya, Aarav."
Aarav ne thandi nazar se usse dekha.
"Tumhe mar jana chahiye tha."
Vivaan halka sa muskuraya.
"Unfortunately… main itni aasani se nahi marta."
Tabhi dusri direction se footsteps aaye.
Aur ek aur aadmi shadow se bahar aaya.
Raghav Mehra.
Usne Aarav ko dekha aur slow clap kiya.
"Finally… Rathore brothers ek jagah."
Aarav ka patience khatam ho raha tha.
"Game kya hai?
"
Raghav ki aankhon me excitement tha.
"Simple."
Usne Aarav ke paas jhuk kar kaha:
"Abhi sirf beginning hai."
Tabhi…
Aarav ka phone vibrate hua.
Unknown message.
Aarav ne screen dekhi.
Aur uska chehra suddenly freeze ho gaya.
Message me ek photo thi.
Photo me…
Meher ek car me baithi thi.
Aur uske peeche bandook pakde hue log khade the.
Message ke niche sirf ek line likhi thi:
"Let's see who you choose...
Your brother... Or your wife."
Aarav ne dheere se phone band kiya.
Uski aankhon me ab sirf ek cheez thi.
War.
___________________________________________
Ending
Aarav Rathore ko ab samajh aa gaya tha…
Yeh game sirf enemies ka nahi tha.
Yeh game uski family, trust aur love ka tha.
Aur agar usne galat decision liya…
Toh agla chapter sirf betrayal nahi…
tabahi lekar aayega.
___________________________________________
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Chapter 6 — The Choice coming soon.