Room andhera tha.
Sirf screens ki halki blue light us jagah ko illuminate kar rahi thi.
---
Raghav seedha khada tha.
Uski aankhen saamne wali screen par tikki hui thi—
jahan Aarav aur Vivaan ka live feed chal raha tha.
---
Uske lips par halki si smile thi.
Lekin uske andar kuch aur chal raha tha.
---
"Iss baar… tu zyada door nahi ja payega, Aarav…" usne dheere se kaha.
---
Tabhi—
piche se ek awaaz aayi.
---
"Tum sure ho?"
---
Raghav freeze.
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Woh dheere se mudha.
---
Room ke corner me andhera tha.
Lekin wahan koi khada tha.
---
Sirf uski silhouette visible thi.
---
Lekin uski presence…
heavy thi.
Dominating.
---
"Sir…" Raghav ne dheere se kaha.
---
Awaaz calm thi.
Controlled.
---
"Tumhara kaam simple tha, Raghav."
---
"Unhe busy rakho."
---
Raghav ne apni jaw tighten ki.
"Main control me rakha hua hai sab."
---
Halki si hansi goonji.
---
"Control…" awaaz ne repeat kiya.
---
"Tumhare paas kab tha?"
---
Silence.
---
Raghav ki aankhon me irritation flash hua.
Lekin usne apna head jhukaya.
---
"Main situation handle kar raha hoon."
---
"Handle?" awaaz ne dheere se kaha—
"Ya situation tumhe handle kar rahi hai?"
---
Raghav ne kuch nahi bola.
---
Room me sirf machines ki halki humming sunai de rahi thi.
---
Phir awaaz fir se boli—
---
"Aarav expected se zyada fast hai."
---
"Meher… expected se zyada important hai."
---
Raghav ne aankhen utha kar us shadow ki taraf dekha.
---
"Main unhe control kar loonga."
---
Awaaz halki si muskurayi.
---
"Tum ab bhi samajh nahi rahe…"
---
Ek step aage badha.
Ab thodi si light uske chehre par padi—
lekin phir bhi poora face clear nahi tha.
---
"Control unke paas nahi hai…"
---
"Control mere paas hai."
---
Raghav ki fists tight ho gayi.
---
"Sir… aap mujhe underestimate kar rahe hain."
---
Silence.
---
Phir awaaz dheere se boli—
---
"Tum ek piece ho, Raghav."
---
"Bas ek piece."
---
Room me hawa heavy ho gayi.
---
Raghav ke andar ka gussa clearly surface par aa gaya.
---
"Main pawn nahi hoon," usne dheere se kaha.
---
Awaaz ne seedha jawab diya—
---
"Har koi pawn hota hai."
---
"Difference sirf itna hota hai…"
---
"koi apni position samajh leta hai… aur koi nahi."
---
Silence.
---
Raghav ne aankhen band ki.
Ek second ke liye.
---
Phir dheere se kaha—
"Next step?"
---
Awaaz ne bina delay ke jawab diya—
---
"Push him."
---
"Usse force karo choose karne ke liye."
---
"Family… ya truth."
---
Raghav ne sir hila diya.
---
"Understood."
---
Awaaz thodi der chup rahi.
---
Phir dheere se bola—
---
"Aur Meher…"
---
Raghav ne turant react kiya—
"Usse main handle kar loonga."
---
Awaaz halki si hasi.
---
"Nahi."
---
"Usse main handle karunga."
---
Silence.
---
Raghav ne kuch nahi bola.
---
Lekin uske face par clearly likha tha—
yeh usse pasand nahi aaya.
---
"Ja sakte ho," awaaz ne finally kaha.
---
Raghav bina kuch bole mudha.
Aur room se bahar nikal gaya.
---
Door band hote hi…
room fir se silent ho gaya.
---
Sirf woh aadmi…
aur uski screens.
---
Ek screen par—
Aarav.
---
Dusri par—
Meher.
---
Teesri par—
Vivaan.
---
Usne dheere se kaha—
---
"Pieces move ho rahe hain…"
---
"Ab dekhte hain…"
---
"Kaun sacrifice hota hai."
---
Uski aankhon me ek ajeeb sa shine tha.
---
"Game ab interesting ho gaya hai."
---
Screen slowly dark hone lagi.
---
Aur us moment par ek baat clear ho gayi—
---
Yeh game Raghav ka nahi tha.
---
Yeh game uska tha.
---
Aur ab…
woh khud move karne wala tha.
---
To be continued…
Do you think Raghav will stay loyal… or turn against the mastermind?
And what do you think his next move will be?