"When truth comes out… it doesn't fix anything. It destroys everything."
---
Gunshots ki awaaz abhi bhi building me goonj rahi thi.
---
Aarav ne Meher ka haath tight pakda hua tha.
---
"Move!" usne zor se kaha.
---
Vivaan piche cover de raha tha.
---
"Right side!" usne chillaya.
---
Teeno narrow corridor me ghus gaye.
---
Peeche footsteps.
Fast.
Close.
---
"They're not stopping!" Meher ne panic me kaha.
---
"Woh rukne ke liye nahi aaye," Vivaan ne jawab diya.
---
Aarav ne ek sharp turn liya.
---
"Stairs!"
---
Teeno neeche utarne lage.
---
Har step par echo.
Har echo me danger.
---
Lekin Aarav ka dimag ab fight me nahi tha.
---
Woh ek hi line repeat kar raha tha—
---
"Yeh sab Meher ka idea tha."
---
Usne ek second ke liye uski taraf dekha.
---
Meher ki aankhen panic me thi.
---
Lekin kya sirf panic?
---
Ya kuch aur?
---
Aarav ne nazar hata li.
---
"Focus!" Vivaan chillaya.
---
Neeche pahuchte hi—
---
Exit blocked.
---
Metal gate.
Locked.
---
"Shit!"
---
Vivaan ne turant lock check kiya.
---
"No time…"
---
Peeche footsteps aur tez ho gayi.
---
Aarav ne surroundings scan ki.
---
"Side room!"
---
Teeno andar ghus gaye.
---
Door band.
---
Heavy breathing.
---
Silence.
---
Sirf unki saansein.
Aur heartbeat.
---
"Plan?" Vivaan ne dheere se poocha.
---
Aarav chup tha.
---
Uski aankhen Meher par thi.
---
Seedha.
---
Without blinking.
---
"Sach kya hai?" usne dheere se poocha.
---
Room freeze.
---
Meher ka saans atak gaya.
---
"Aarav—"
---
"Sach."
---
Uski awaaz calm thi.
Lekin andar—
storm.
---
"Abhi."
---
Meher ki aankhon me aansu aa gaye.
---
"Mujhe sab yaad nahi hai…"
---
Aarav ne interrupt kiya—
---
"Jo yaad hai woh bol."
---
Silence.
---
Meher ne aankhen band ki.
---
Flash.
---
Documents.
Sign.
Woh aadmi.
---
Aur ek line—
---
"Control system stable hai."
---
Flash break.
---
Meher ne dheere se kaha—
---
"Maine system design kiya tha…"
---
Room me hawa ruk gayi.
---
Vivaan bhi freeze.
---
Aarav ki aankhen dark ho gayi.
---
"Kya?"
---
"Main… involved thi…" Meher ki awaaz toot rahi thi—
---
"Lekin mujhe nahi pata tha ki woh iska use kya karega…"
---
Aarav ka control break hone laga.
---
"Tumhe nahi pata tha?!"
---
"Main—"
---
"Tumhe idea nahi tha ki log marenge?!"
---
Meher ne turant kaha—
"NO!"
---
Silence.
---
Uski awaaz genuine thi.
---
"Main sirf system bana rahi thi… control ke liye… security ke liye…"
---
"Usne usse weapon bana diya…"
---
Aarav chup ho gaya.
---
Uska dimag fight kar raha tha.
---
Trust.
Betrayal.
Logic.
Emotion.
---
Vivaan ne dheere se kaha—
---
"Ab blame ka time nahi hai…"
---
"Abhi zinda nikalna hai."
---
Suddenly—
---
Door par zor ka impact.
---
BANG!
---
"They're here!" Meher ne kaha.
---
Aarav ne turant decision liya.
---
"Window."
---
Vivaan ne dekha.
---
Second floor.
---
"Jump risky hai."
---
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya—
---
"Yahan rukna aur risky hai."
---
Door phir se hit hua.
---
CRACK.
---
Time khatam.
---
Aarav ne Meher ki taraf dekha.
---
"Trust me."
---
Meher ne bina hesitate kiye sir hilaaya.
---
Vivaan ne window tod di.
---
Glass toot gaya.
---
Fresh air.
Freedom.
---
"Go!" Aarav ne kaha.
---
Meher pehle kudi.
---
Vivaan next.
---
Aarav last.
---
Ground par land hard tha.
---
Lekin woh ruke nahi.
---
Run.
---
Phir se run.
---
Building se door.
---
Safe distance.
---
Finally—
---
teeno ruk gaye.
---
Heavy breathing.
---
Silence.
---
Koi chase nahi.
---
Temporary safety.
---
Lekin andar—
---
sab toot chuka tha.
---
Aarav seedha khada tha.
---
Usne Meher ki taraf dekha.
---
"Tumne mujhe bataya kyun nahi?"
---
Meher ne dheere se kaha—
---
"Mujhe khud nahi pata tha…"
---
Aarav ne aankhen band ki.
---
Ek second.
---
Do second.
---
Phir dheere se—
---
"Ab sab pata chal raha hai."
---
Silence.
---
Vivaan ne un dono ko dekha.
---
"Game ab aur dangerous ho gaya hai."
---
Aarav ne dheere se sir hilaaya.
---
"Haan."
---
"Ab sirf usse nahi…"
---
Pause.
---
"Apne aap se bhi ladna padega."
---
Meher ki aankhon me aansu aa gaye.
---
Lekin is baar—
---
woh strong thi.
---
"Main bhagungi nahi," usne kaha.
---
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
---
Long pause.
---
Phir dheere se—
---
"Phir prove karo."
---
Silence.
---
Door kahin—
sirens goonj rahi thi.
---
City jaag chuki thi.
---
Aur game—
---
ab control se bahar ja raha tha.
---
To be continued…