Warehouse ke andar hawa heavy ho chuki thi.
Raghav ki aankhon me wohi cold confidence tha… jaise usse already pata ho ki kya hone wala hai.
Aarav ne knife aur tight pakda.
Uska dimag sirf ek cheez bol raha tha—
"Yeh yaha khatam karna padega."
Vivaan uske side me khada tha, gun ready position me.
"Stay behind me," Vivaan ne dheere se kaha.
Aarav ne turant jawab diya, "Main peeche rehne wala nahi hoon."
Raghav ne halka sa clap kiya.
"Wow… dosti abhi bhi strong hai."
Uske piche khade armed men dheere-dheere spread hone lage.
Circle ban raha tha.
Trap set ho chuka tha.
Vivaan ne Aarav ko dheere se signal diya—
3… 2… 1…
Aur agle hi second—
Gunshot!
Pehli goli Vivaan ne chalayi.
Ek aadmi seedha neeche gira.
Chaos shuru ho gaya.
Aarav ne turant side se dodge kiya jaise hi ek aur aadmi ne uspar attack kiya.
Knife seedha us aadmi ke haath par laga—
"AAAAAH!"
Weapon zameen par gir gaya.
Aarav ne usse kick maar kar door feka.
Dusra aadmi piche se aaya—
Punch.
Aarav ka balance hil gaya.
Lekin usne turant counter kiya—
Elbow seedha uske face par.
Khoon.
Warehouse ab battlefield ban chuka tha.
Vivaan ek ke baad ek shots le raha tha—
Precise. Calculated. Deadly.
Har goli apni jagah par lag rahi thi.
Raghav bas khada dekh raha tha.
Smile ke saath.
Jaise yeh sab uske liye koi game ho.
Aarav ne usse dekha aur chillaya—
"Tu bas khada rahega ya fight karega?!"
Raghav dheere se aage badha.
"Fight? Aarav… tum abhi bhi samajh nahi rahe."
Ek aadmi ne Aarav par gun point ki—
Lekin usse pehle—
BANG!
Vivaan ne usse shoot kar diya.
"Focus!" Vivaan chillaya.
Aarav ne sir hilaaya.
Lekin tabhi—
Ek heavy hit uske piche se aaya.
Aarav seedha zameen par gira.
Uske haath se knife chhoot gaya.
Ek aadmi ne uske chest par pair rakh diya.
Gun seedha uske face par.
"Game over."
Aarav ne aankhen band kar li—
Lekin agle hi second—
BANG!
Khoon uske face par gira.
Aarav ne aankhen kholi—
Woh aadmi gir chuka tha.
Aur uske piche—
Vivaan.
Uski aankhon me gussa tha.
Real wala.
"Main bola tha… peeche reh."
Aarav halka sa hasa.
"Abhi time nahi hai lecture ka."
Dono khade hue.
Ab sirf kuch hi log bache the.
Lekin Raghav…
Ab bhi untouched.
Calm.
Dangerous.
Aur phir usne dheere se kaha—
"Enough."
Sab ruk gaye.
Jaise kisi ne pause button dabaya ho.
Aarav confused ho gaya.
"Kya—"
Tabhi Raghav ne apni pocket se phone nikala.
Screen Aarav ki taraf ghumayi.
Aarav ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
Screen par—
Naina.
Bandhi hui.
Chair par.
Uske face par darr clearly dik raha tha.
Aarav ka gussa instantly fear me badal gaya.
"Raghav… tu—"
Raghav ne interrupt kiya—
"Abhi samajh aaya game?"
Vivaan ka expression bhi change ho gaya.
Situation flip ho chuki thi.
Aur Raghav ne dheere se bola—
"Ab tum dono mere rules follow karoge."
Warehouse ki hawa aur bhi heavy ho gayi.
Aarav ki aankhen sirf phone screen par tik gayi thi.
"Naina…"
Uski awaaz halki si toot gayi.
Raghav ne phone wapas pocket me daal diya.
"Relax. Abhi zinda hai."
Aarav ne gusse me uski collar pakad li.
"AGAR USE KUCH HUA NA—"
Turant—
10 guns uspar point ho gayi.
Vivaan ne turant Aarav ko peeche khicha.
"Control, Aarav!"
Raghav bas hasa.
"Yahi problem hai tumhari… emotions."
Phir usne Vivaan ki taraf dekha.
"Tum better the."
Vivaan ne cold tone me kaha—
"Main ab tumhare side pe nahi hoon."
Raghav thoda sa smirk kiya.
"Are you sure?"
Silence.
Aarav ne confuse hokar Vivaan ki taraf dekha.
"Vivaan…?"
Vivaan chup tha.
Usne aankhen neeche kar li.
Aur dheere se kaha—
"Main kabhi uske side se gaya hi nahi tha."
Aarav ka dimag blank.
"WHAT?"
Uske kaan me sirf ek hi line goonj rahi thi—
"Main kabhi uske side se gaya hi nahi tha."
Vivaan ne aankhen utha kar uski taraf dekha.
Uski aankhon me regret tha…
Lekin sach bhi.
"Main majboor tha… Aarav."
Aarav piche hata.
Jaise kisi ne uske andar se sab kuch nikal diya ho.
"Toh… jo kuch bhi hua… sab fake tha?"
Vivaan ne jawab nahi diya.
Raghav aage badha.
"Welcome to reality."
Aarav ka gussa ab phir se jag gaya.
Lekin is baar…
Woh alag tha.
Zyada dangerous.
Zyada personal.
"Tu jeet gaya… ab kya?"
Raghav uske bilkul saamne aaya.
Aur dheere se bola—
"Ab tum mere liye kaam karoge."
Aarav ne seedha mana kar diya—
"Never."
Raghav ne halki si sigh li.
"Expected."
Phir usne snap kiya.
Do aadmi aage aaye.
Aur ek tablet Aarav ke saamne rakha.
Screen on hui—
Live feed.
Naina.
Uski aankhon me aansu.
Aur uske piche—
Gun.
Aarav ka dil toot gaya.
"STOP!"
Raghav ne dheere se kaha—
"Simple deal hai."
"Ya to tum mere liye kaam karo…"
"Ya phir—"
Usne haath se signal diya.
Gun Naina ke head par press ho gayi.
Aarav chillaya—
"NO!!"
Silence.
Warehouse me sirf Aarav ki heavy breathing sunai de rahi thi.
Uska dimag fight kar raha tha—
Logic vs Emotion.
Aur phir…
Usne dheere se bola—
"...theek hai."
Vivaan ne shock me uski taraf dekha.
"Aarav—"
Aarav ne usse roka.
"Main karunga."
Raghav ke lips par slow smile aayi.
"Good choice."
Lekin us moment par…
Aarav ke andar kuch change ho gaya tha.
Woh haar nahi raha tha.
Woh plan bana raha tha.
Aur usne apne aap se ek promise kiya—
"Main sab khatam karunga… tujhe bhi… aur is game ko bhi."
Raghav ne peeche mud kar chalna shuru kiya.
Uski awaaz last time goonji—
"Game abhi start hua hai."
Aur iss baar…
Aarav ready tha.
War ke liye.
To be continued....
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