Chapter 15: The Shot That Changed Everything
Gunshot ki awaaz warehouse ke andar goonj rahi thi.
Aarav ka dimag kuch seconds ke liye bilkul blank ho gaya. Usse samajh hi nahi aa raha tha ki abhi kya hua hai. Uski aankhen dheere-dheere khuli aur usne saamne dekha.
Vivaan uske saamne khada tha.
Uske haath me gun thi.
Lekin gun Aarav par point nahi thi.
Aarav ne turant peeche dekha.
Jo aadmi kuch seconds pehle andhere me khada tha… ab zameen par gira hua tha. Uske shoulder se khoon beh raha tha aur woh dard se karah raha tha.
Aarav ki aankhen shock se phail gayi.
"Vivaan… tumne usse shoot kiya?"
Vivaan kuch seconds tak chup raha.
Phir usne dheere se kaha, "Agar main shoot nahi karta… to woh tumhe shoot karta."
Aarav ka dimag aur confuse ho gaya.
"Matlab?"
Vivaan ne gun niche kar di aur zameen par pade aadmi ko dekha.
"Woh Raghav ka aadmi hai."
Yeh naam sunte hi Aarav ka expression instantly change ho gaya.
"Raghav…"
Teen saal se Aarav is naam ko bhoolne ki koshish kar raha tha.
Lekin aaj sab kuch phir se saamne aa raha tha.
Aarav dheere-dheere Vivaan ke paas aaya.
"Tum kaha the itne saalon tak?" usne poocha.
Vivaan ne aankhen band kar li.
"Main wahi tha jaha Raghav ne mujhe rakha."
Aarav ko yakeen nahi ho raha tha.
"Usne tumhe kidnap kiya tha?"
Vivaan ne sir hila diya.
"Kidnap nahi… control."
Aarav samajh nahi pa raha tha.
"Control?"
Vivaan ne dheere se kaha, "Raghav sirf business nahi karta. Uske paas log hain… power hai… aur secrets bhi."
Warehouse ke andar hawa aur tez chalne lagi.
Broken windows se thandi hawa andar aa rahi thi.
Aarav ka dil tez dhadak raha tha.
"Tum kehna kya chahte ho?" usne poocha.
Vivaan ne seedha jawab diya.
"Jo kuch bhi tumhare saath ho raha hai… sab uska plan hai."
Aarav ka gussa phir se jag gaya.
"Why? Usse mujhse kya chahiye?"
Vivaan kuch bolne hi wala tha ki achanak Aarav ka phone vibrate hua.
Screen par naam flash hua.
Naina.
Aarav ne turant call receive ki.
"Naina?"
Dusri taraf se sirf heavy breathing sunai de rahi thi.
"Aarav…" Naina ki awaaz kaap rahi thi.
"Kya hua? Tum theek ho?"
"Aarav… mujhe lag raha hai koi mujhe follow kar raha hai."
Aarav ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
"Kaha ho tum?"
"Main ghar ke paas thi… lekin ab—"
Call achanak cut ho gayi.
"Aarav?" usne phone par phir se kaha.
Lekin dusri taraf se koi awaaz nahi aayi.
Line completely dead ho chuki thi.
Aarav ka dil tez dhadakne laga. Uske dimag me sirf ek hi thought ghoom raha tha — Naina danger me hai.
"Damn it!" Aarav ne gusse me phone pocket me daal diya.
Vivaan usse dekh raha tha.
"Kya hua?" usne poocha.
"Naina trouble me hai," Aarav ne turant jawab diya.
Vivaan ka expression serious ho gaya.
"Mujhe pata tha woh log usse target karenge."
Aarav turant uski taraf mud gaya.
"Woh log?"
Vivaan ne dheere se kaha, "Raghav ke log."
Aarav ka gussa ab control se bahar ho raha tha.
"Enough! Mujhe sab sach batao Vivaan."
Warehouse ke andar ek ajeeb si khamoshi chha gayi.
Vivaan ne finally bolna shuru kiya.
"Teen saal pehle jo deal cancel hui thi… woh accident nahi tha."
Aarav ka dimag instantly uss din ki taraf chala gaya.
Uske father aur Naina ke father ki business partnership.
Aur phir achanak sab kuch toot jana.
"Tum kehna kya chahte ho?" Aarav ne poocha.
Vivaan ne seedha jawab diya.
"Woh sab Raghav ne plan kiya tha."
Aarav kuch seconds tak chup raha.
Usse yakeen nahi ho raha tha.
"Impossible."
Vivaan ne sir hila diya.
"Usne dono families ko ek dusre ke against kar diya."
Aarav ka dimag ab slowly sab connect kar raha tha.
Deal cancel…
Naina ke father ka business destroy…
Families ke beech hatred…
Aur phir Aarav aur Naina ki forced marriage.
Sab kuch ek chain jaisa lag raha tha.
"Lekin kyun?" Aarav ne poocha.
Vivaan ne dheere se kaha, "Power."
Aarav ne gusse me fists tight kar li.
"Main usse chhodunga nahi."
Tabhi warehouse ke bahar gaadi ki awaaz aayi.
Screeeeech.
Aarav aur Vivaan dono turant alert ho gaye.
Footsteps.
Bahut saare footsteps.
Vivaan ne dheere se kaha, "Woh aa gaye."
Aarav ne poocha, "Kaun?"
Vivaan ne warehouse ke gate ki taraf dekha.
"Raghav ke log."
Metal gate dheere-dheere khulne laga.
Awaaz poore warehouse me goonj rahi thi.
Aarav ne apni pocket se knife nikal liya.
Vivaan ne gun phir se ready kar li.
Jaise hi gate poora khula…
Aarav ki aankhen shock se phail gayi.
Gate ke bahar kam se kam **15 armed men** khade the.
Aur un sabke beech ek aadmi khada tha.
Black suit.
Cold smile.
Raghav.
Usne dheere se taali bajayi.
"Impressive."
Aarav ne gusse se kaha, "Raghav!"
Raghav dheere-dheere unki taraf badha.
"Mujhe pata tha tum yaha aaoge."
Vivaan ne gun seedha uski taraf point kar di.
"Ek step aur aage badha to shoot kar dunga."
Raghav bas hasa.
"Tum abhi bhi wahi galti kar rahe ho."
Aarav ne poocha, "Kaunsi galti?"
Raghav ne Aarav ki aankhon me dekh kar kaha—
"Tumhe lagta hai game mere aur tumhare beech hai."
Aarav confused ho gaya.
"Matlab?"
Raghav ki smile aur dangerous ho gayi.
Phir usne dheere se kaha—
"Game to abhi shuru hua hai."
Aur us moment par Aarav ko ek baat samajh aa gayi…
Yeh sirf ek confrontation nahi tha.
Yeh ek **war ki beginning** thi.
To be continued…
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