Chapter 13: The Broken Brother
Warehouse ke andar hawa bhari aur heavy lag rahi thi. Aarav dheere dheere andhere me aage badh raha tha. Purani building ki deewaron se halki si nami ki smell aa rahi thi. Har step par usse lag raha tha jaise koi usse dekh raha ho. Phir bhi wo ruk nahi sakta tha. Teen saal se uska bhai Vivaan gayab tha. Sab log bolte the ki Vivaan pagal ho chuka hai, lekin Aarav kabhi bhi is baat par pura yakeen nahi kar paaya. Usse lagta tha ki kahin na kahin sach kuch aur hai. Aaj usse ek unknown call mila tha jisme kisi ne bola tha ki Vivaan yahi warehouse me hai. Aarav jaanta tha ki ye trap bhi ho sakta hai, lekin agar thodi si bhi chance ho ki Vivaan zinda hai, to wo risk lene ke liye ready tha.
Dim light ke neeche ek purani chair rakhi hui thi. Us chair par ek aadmi baitha tha jiske haath chains se bandhe hue the. Aarav ka dil zor se dhadakne laga. Usne dheere se us aadmi ka face dekha aur uski saanse ruk gayi.
"Vivaan…"
Uski awaaz bahut dheemi thi.
Chair par baitha aadmi dheere dheere sar uthata hai. Uski aankhen thodi blank lag rahi thi jaise bahut time se wo kisi andhere me band ho. Lekin jab usne Aarav ko dekha to uski aankhon me ek choti si reaction aayi.
"Kafi time laga diya tumne," Vivaan ne dheere se kaha.
Aarav ki aankhon me emotions bhar gaye. Teen saal se usne apne bhai ko nahi dekha tha. Wo dheere dheere uske paas gaya.
"Vivaan… main tumhe ghar le jaane aaya hoon. Sab theek ho jayega."
Usi waqt peeche se taali bajne ki awaaz aayi.
"Kitna emotional reunion hai."
Aarav turant mud gaya.
Andhere me se ek aadmi bahar aaya. Black suit, confident walk aur face par ek thandi si smile.
Raghav Malhotra.
Aarav ka gussa turant upar aa gaya.
"Raghav!"
Raghav dheere dheere unke paas aaya jaise wo kisi show ka enjoy kar raha ho.
"Sach me Aarav, tum predictable ho. Mujhe pata tha tum zaroor aaoge."
Aarav ne usse ghurte hue kaha, "Usse chhod do."
Raghav ne Vivaan ki taraf dekha aur phir halka sa hansa.
"Sure."
Usne guard ko signal diya aur guard ne Vivaan ki chains khol di.
Aarav ek second ke liye confuse ho gaya.
"Tum itni easily usse free kar rahe ho?"
Raghav bas smile karta raha.
Vivaan dheere dheere chair se khada hua. Uske movements thode weak the jaise wo bahut time se band tha. Aarav uske paas aaya aur uske shoulder par haath rakha.
"Vivaan, main hoon. Chalo ghar chalte hain."
Ek second ke liye Vivaan ki aankhon me softness aayi.
Lekin next moment sab kuch change ho gaya.
Suddenly Vivaan ne Aarav ke face par punch maara.
Aarav seedha peeche gir gaya.
Sab kuch ek second me hua.
Aarav shock me Vivaan ko dekh raha tha.
"Tum… kya kar rahe ho?"
Vivaan dheere dheere uske paas aaya. Uski aankhon me ajeeb si darkness thi.
"Tumhe nahi aana chahiye tha," usne dheere se kaha.
Aarav confuse tha.
"Vivaan… ye tum nahi ho."
Vivaan ke haath thoda kaap rahe the jaise wo khud se fight kar raha ho. Phir usne bahut dheemi awaaz me kaha—
"Bhago…"
Aarav ne samjha nahi.
"Kya?"
Is baar Vivaan ki awaaz thodi desperate thi.
"BHAGO!"
Usi waqt warehouse ka main door zor se khula.
"Nahi!"
Aarav ne peeche mud kar dekha.
"Naina?"
Naina andar daud kar aayi thi aur uski saanse tez chal rahi thi.
"Ye trap hai Aarav!"
Raghav dheere se hansa.
"Ab realise hua?"
Usne snap kiya.
Suddenly warehouse ke upar balcony par aur guards appear ho gaye. Sabke haath me guns thi aur wo seedha Aarav aur Naina par aim kar rahe the.
Situation instantly dangerous ho gayi.
Aarav ne Naina ko apne peeche kar liya.
Raghav dheere dheere unke paas aaya.
"Game ab interesting ho raha hai."
Aarav ne gusse se poocha, "Tum kya chahte ho?"
Raghav ne Vivaan ki taraf dekha.
"Sach."
Vivaan ne dheere se sar uthaya aur Raghav ki taraf dekha.
"Tumne galti kar di," usne dheere se kaha.
Raghav ka expression ek second ke liye change ho gaya.
Aur usi moment…
Warehouse me ek gunshot ki awaaz goonji.
BANG.
Sab freeze ho gaye.
Aur Aarav ne dekha…
Gun seedha uski taraf point thi.
To be continued...