Chapter 14: The Gunshot in the Dark
Raat ka waqt tha. Sheher ka purana industrial area almost khali pada tha. Thandi hawa chal rahi thi aur street light ki halki peeli roshni zameen par ajeeb sa mahaul bana rahi thi.
Aarav apni car se utar kar dheere dheere us purane warehouse ki taraf badha. Uske phone par aaya hua message abhi bhi uske dimag me ghoom raha tha.
"Agar sach jaanna hai… to aaj raat akela aana."
Aarav ko pata tha ye trap bhi ho sakta hai. Lekin fir bhi woh aaya tha.
Kyuki usse ek hi cheez chahiye thi.
Sach.
Warehouse ka bada lohe ka gate aadha khula hua tha. Aarav ne use dhakka diya aur andar chala gaya.
Andar andhera tha. Sirf kuch broken windows se chand ki roshni aa rahi thi.
Aarav ke kadam ki awaaz khali warehouse me goonj rahi thi.
"Aakhir chahte kya ho tum?" Aarav ne thoda zor se kaha.
Koi jawab nahi aaya.
Achanak peeche se kisi cheez ki halki si awaaz aayi.
Aarav turant mud gaya.
"Kaun hai waha?"
Kuch seconds tak sab bilkul silent tha.
Phir andhere me se ek aadmi dheere dheere saamne aaya.
Uska chehra poori tarah se shadow me chhupa hua tha.
Aarav ki aankhen thodi si sikud gayi.
"Tumne message bheja tha?" Aarav ne seedha sawaal kiya.
Woh aadmi halka sa hasa.
"Tum expected se zyada jaldi aa gaye, Aarav."
Aarav ka expression turant change ho gaya.
"Tum mera naam kaise jaante ho?"
Aadmi thoda aur roshni me aaya… lekin phir bhi uska chehra clearly nahi dikh raha tha.
"Tum jis sach ki talaash me ho… woh tum soch bhi nahi sakte."
Aarav ka patience khatam ho raha tha.
"Seedha bolo."
Aadmi ne apni pocket se ek chhota sa envelope nikala aur Aarav ki taraf pheka.
Envelope zameen par gir gaya.
Aarav ne use uthaya.
Andar ek photo thi.
Jaise hi Aarav ne photo dekhi… uski aankhen shock se phail gayi.
"Impossible…"
Photo me Naina thi.
Lekin woh akeli nahi thi.
Uske paas ek aur aadmi khada tha.
Aur woh aadmi tha…
Raghav.
Aarav ka dimag ek second ke liye blank ho gaya.
"Yeh photo fake hai." Aarav ne gusse me kaha.
Aadmi phir se hasa.
"Sach ko fake bol dene se woh jhooth nahi ban jata."
Aarav ki grip photo par tight ho gayi.
"Tum kehna kya chahte ho?"
Aadmi dheere se bola,
"Bas itna ki… jis ladki par tum itna bharosa karte ho… shayad woh tumhari dushman ho."
Aarav ka gussa ab clearly dikh raha tha.
"Ek aur word bola na Naina ke baare me to—"
BANG!
Achaanak ek gunshot ki awaaz poore warehouse me goonj gayi.
Aarav turant mud gaya.
Door ke paas koi khada tha.
Uske haath me gun thi.
Aur uska chehra dekh kar Aarav bilkul freeze ho gaya.
"Kya…?"
Uski aankhon me disbelief tha.
"Tum… yaha…?"
Gun pakadne wala aadmi dheere dheere roshni me aaya.
Aur jaise hi uska chehra clearly dikha…
Aarav ka dil zor se dhadakne laga.
Kyuki uske saamne khada tha—
Vivaan.
Lekin kuch alag tha.
Uski aankhen ajeeb si thi… jaise woh kisi aur ke control me ho.
Vivaan ne seedha Aarav par gun aim kar diya.
"Aaj sab khatam ho jayega, Aarav."
Aarav ne dheere se kaha,
"Vivaan… ye tum kya kar rahe ho?"
Vivaan ke hont par ek thandi si muskaan aayi.
"Jo mujhe karna chahiye tha… bahut pehle."
Warehouse ke bahar hawa aur tez chalne lagi.
Aarav ko samajh nahi aa raha tha ke yeh sab kya ho raha hai.
Uska apna bhai…
Us par gun point kar raha tha.
Aur ussi waqt…
Aarav ka phone vibrate hua.
Screen par ek naam flash hua.
Naina Calling…
Aarav ne phone ki screen aur Vivaan ki gun ke beech dekha.
Aur uske dimag me sirf ek sawaal ghoom raha tha.
Kya Naina bhi is sab me shamil hai…?
Vivaan ki ungli dheere dheere trigger par tight hone lagi.
Aur warehouse me phir se ek awaaz goonjne wali thi…
BANG—
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