Car high speed se highway par daud rahi thi.
Raat ka waqt tha.
Street lights ek ke baad ek blur hote ja rahe the, jaise waqt khud tez bhaag raha ho.
Aarav passenger seat par baitha tha, uski aankhen seedha saamne thi… lekin uska focus road par nahi tha.
Uska dimag sirf ek cheez par atka hua tha—
"Ek aur aadmi hai."
---
"Naam kya hai uska?" Aarav ne phir se poocha.
Is baar uski awaaz zyada controlled thi… lekin us control ke andar ek dangerous pressure build ho raha tha.
---
Vivaan steering pakde hue chup raha.
Uski aankhen road par thi, lekin clearly woh andar se kuch fight kar raha tha.
---
"Vivaan," Aarav ne dheere se kaha—
"Ab game badal chuka hai."
---
No response.
---
"Main uske liye kaam kar raha hoon… tu uske liye kaam kar raha hai…"
Aarav ki awaaz aur thandi ho gayi—
"Lekin asli aadmi ka naam tak nahi pata?"
---
Car ke andar silence heavy ho gaya.
Sirf engine ki awaaz aur tyre ki friction sunai de rahi thi.
---
Finally…
Vivaan ne dheere se kaha—
"Tum samajh nahi rahe."
---
Aarav ka patience tootne ke edge par tha.
"TOH SAMJHA!" woh garja.
---
Car achanak brake hui.
Tyres road par ghis gaye.
---
Aarav ne turant uski taraf dekha—
"Kya kar raha hai—"
---
"Sun," Vivaan ne uski taraf mudkar kaha.
Uski aankhon me pehli baar clear fear tha.
---
"Woh sirf businessman nahi hai."
---
Aarav ne teeth grind kiye—
"Seedha bol."
---
Vivaan ne dheere se kaha—
"Woh system hai."
---
Silence.
---
Aarav kuch seconds tak uski taraf dekhta raha.
"Matlab?"
---
Vivaan ne saans li.
"Matlab… uske paas sirf paisa nahi hai."
"Uske paas log hain… influence hai… police, media, companies…"
"Sab jagah uska control hai."
---
Aarav ka dimag fast connect karne laga.
---
"Isliye…" Aarav ne dheere se kaha—
"mere father ka business ek din me crash ho gaya?"
---
Vivaan ne sir hila diya.
"Haan."
---
Flash.
---
Aarav ke dimag me woh din wapas aaya.
Boardroom.
Arguments.
Documents.
Aur phir—
collapse.
---
"Deal break hui nahi thi…" Aarav ne dheere se kaha.
"Deal todwayi gayi thi."
---
Vivaan ne seedha jawab diya—
"Exactly."
---
Silence.
---
Aarav ne apni fist itni tight ki ki uski knuckles white ho gayi.
"Kyoon?"
---
Vivaan ne uski taraf dekha.
"Power."
---
Car phir se chal padi.
---
Is baar speed aur zyada thi.
---
"Hum kaha ja rahe hain?" Aarav ne poocha.
---
Vivaan ne seedha jawab diya—
"Wahin… jahan se sab start hua tha."
---
Kuch minute baad…
car ek purani building ke saamne ruk gayi.
---
Building purani thi.
Glass toot chuke the.
Gate aadha khula tha.
---
"Yeh jagah…" Aarav ne dheere se kaha—
"yeh toh…"
---
Vivaan ne uski baat complete ki—
"Tumhare father ka old office."
---
Aarav ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
---
Dono dheere-dheere andar gaye.
---
Andar dhool thi.
Har jagah silence.
Jaise waqt yahan ruk gaya ho.
---
Ek broken table.
Kuch purani files.
Aur ek corner me—
ek locked drawer.
---
Vivaan seedha uske paas gaya.
Usne drawer khola.
---
Andar ek file thi.
---
Usne bina kuch bole woh file Aarav ko de di.
---
Aarav ne dheere se file li.
Uska dil ab zor se dhadak raha tha.
---
Usne file kholi.
---
Documents.
Contracts.
Signatures.
---
Uski aankhen ek-ek page scan kar rahi thi.
---
Aur phir—
woh ruk gaya.
---
Ek naam.
---
Half torn.
---
Sirf kuch letters visible.
---
"…R… A… V…"
---
Aarav ka dimag instantly react karne laga.
---
"Yeh naam…" usne dheere se kaha—
"yeh incomplete hai."
---
Vivaan ne uski taraf dekha.
"Poora naam kabhi kisi file me nahi milta."
---
"Kyoon?"
---
"Kyuki woh apni identity hide karta hai."
---
Silence.
---
Aarav ne file band ki.
Uski aankhon me ab gussa nahi tha.
---
Wahan kuch aur tha.
---
Clarity.
---
"Game ab samajh aa raha hai…" usne dheere se kaha.
---
Vivaan ne usse dekha.
---
Aarav ne continue kiya—
"Raghav… ek distraction hai."
---
"Main… ek pawn hoon."
---
"Tu… majboor hai."
---
Phir usne dheere se kaha—
"Lekin woh…"
---
Uski aankhen dark ho gayi—
"Woh asli player hai."
---
Silence.
---
Aur us moment par…
Aarav ne decide kar liya.
---
"Main usse dhundh nikalunga."
---
Vivaan ne dheere se kaha—
"Phir tu zinda nahi bachega."
---
Aarav halka sa hasa.
Cold.
---
"Phir dekhte hain… kaun pehle girta hai."
---
Camera slowly dark hota hai.
---
Aur kahin door…
ek aadmi screen par yeh sab dekh raha tha.
---
Uske lips par ek halki si smile aayi.
---
"Interesting…"
---
To be continued…
Who do you think the "third man" really is?
Will Aarav find him… or walk straight into his trap?