War ke liye.
Lekin iss baar…
yeh war seedha nahi tha.
Yeh andar se todne wala war tha.
---
Warehouse ke bahar raat bilkul khamosh thi.
Sirf gaadiyon ki awaaz door kahin sunai de rahi thi.
Aarav chup tha.
Uski aankhen seedha saamne thi…
lekin dimag me sirf ek hi cheez chal rahi thi—
Naina.
---
Vivaan uske side me chal raha tha.
Lekin dono ke beech ab woh pehle jaisi silence nahi thi…
yeh wali silence heavy thi.
Broken trust wali.
---
"Kitne time se?" Aarav ne finally pucha.
Uski awaaz low thi…
lekin usme gussa clearly tha.
---
Vivaan ne seedha jawab nahi diya.
Kuch seconds tak woh bas chalta raha.
Phir bola—
"Kaafi time se."
---
Aarav ruk gaya.
"Matlab?"
Vivaan bhi ruk gaya.
Usne dheere se Aarav ki taraf dekha.
"Matlab… jab se tu iss game me aaya hai."
---
Aarav ka control tootne ke edge par tha.
"TOH TU MERE SAATH THA HI NAHI?!"
---
Vivaan ne aankhen band ki.
"Main tha…"
"Lekin majboor bhi tha."
---
Aarav has pada.
Cold laugh.
"Classic line."
---
"Tu samjhega nahi," Vivaan ne dheere se kaha.
"TRY KAR!" Aarav chillaya.
---
Silence.
Phir Vivaan ne finally sach bola—
"Unke paas… meri family hai."
---
Aarav freeze.
"...kya?"
---
Vivaan ki awaaz halki si toot gayi—
"3 saal se."
---
Aarav ke dimag me sab connect hone laga.
Uska gussa thoda shift hua…
lekin pura khatam nahi hua.
---
"Isliye… tu uske liye kaam kar raha hai?"
Vivaan ne sir hila diya.
"Haan."
---
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
"Abhi bhi?"
---
Vivaan ne seedha jawab diya—
"Abhi bhi."
---
Silence.
Phir Aarav ne dheere se bola—
"Phir main tujhpe trust kyun karun?"
---
Vivaan ne seedha uski aankhon me dekha—
"Mat kar."
---
Yeh jawab unexpected tha.
Aarav thoda sa confuse ho gaya.
---
Vivaan aage badha.
"Lekin ek baat yaad rakh…"
"Main tujhe marne nahi dunga."
---
Aarav ne sarcastic tone me kaha—
"Already try kar liya na."
---
Vivaan ne kuch nahi bola.
Usne bas car unlock ki.
"Chal."
---
Scene shift.
---
Raghav ek dark room me khada tha.
Screen ke saamne.
Live feed.
Aarav aur Vivaan.
---
Usne dheere se smile kiya.
"Perfect."
---
Uske piche—
Naina.
Ab bhi bandhi hui.
Lekin iss baar—
uski aankhen seedha camera par thi.
Jaise woh kuch samajh chuki ho.
---
Raghav uske paas aaya.
Aur dheere se bola—
"Hero ready hai."
---
Naina ne dheere se kaha—
"Woh tujhe hara dega."
---
Raghav hasa.
"Sab yahi bolte hain."
---
Phir usne uske ear ke paas jhuk kar kaha—
"Lekin end same hota hai."
---
Scene shift.
---
Car ke andar silence.
Aarav window ke bahar dekh raha tha.
City lights blur ho rahi thi.
---
"Plan kya hai?" usne pucha.
---
Vivaan ne steering pakde hue kaha—
"Ab tu officially uske liye kaam karega."
---
Aarav ne seedha bola—
"Fake."
---
Vivaan ne halka sa smirk kiya.
"Good."
---
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
"Game double khelenge."
---
Vivaan ne sir hilaaya.
"Exactly."
---
"Lekin ek mistake…" Aarav ne dheere se kaha—
"aur Naina…"
---
"Main jaanta hoon," Vivaan ne interrupt kiya.
---
Silence.
---
Aarav ne apni fist tight ki.
"Is baar… koi nahi bachega."
---
Vivaan ne uski taraf dekha.
Aur pehli baar—
uski aankhon me sach me fear tha.
---
"Raghav bhi nahi?" usne pucha.
---
Aarav ne dheere se jawab diya—
"Sabse pehle woh."
---
Car speed badh gayi.
---
Game ab officially shuru ho chuka tha.
Lekin iss baar—
players bhi dangerous the.
---
Aur sabse bada twist yeh tha—
koi kisi par trust nahi kar raha tha.
---
To be continued…
"Next chapter… pehla mission decide karega kaun shikaar hai aur kaun shikari."