Raat aur gehri ho chuki thi.
Anath ashram ke purane kamre me hawa ki halki si goonj thi, jaise deewarein bhi kuch kehna chahti ho… par keh na pa rahi ho.
Kashika chup khadi thi.
Uske saamne Aarav… aur uske dimaag me hazaar sawaal.
"Main us raaz ka hissa hoon."
Aarav ke yeh shabd abhi bhi uske kaano me goonj rahe the.
"Matlab kya hai iska?" Kashika ne dheere par mazboot awaaz me poocha.
Aarav ne seedha jawab nahi diya.
Wo khidki ke paas chala gaya, bahar andhere me dekhte hue bola—
"Tumhe sach chahiye na? To phir tumhe poora sach sunna hoga… bina dare."
"Main darr chuki hoon," Kashika ne turant kaha, "Ab sirf sach bacha hai."
Aarav halka sa muskuraya… par us muskaan me thakan thi.
"Thik hai," usne kaha, "To suno…"
"Wo raat… jab tumhari zindagi badli," Aarav ne dheere-dheere shuru kiya,
"Main bhi wahi tha… isi ashram me."
Kashika ki aankhen us par tik gayi.
"Tab main sirf 10 saal ka tha," Aarav ne kaha,
"Par jo maine dekha… wo main kabhi bhool nahi paaya."
Hawa aur thandi lagne lagi.
"Us raat kuch log yahan aaye the," Aarav ne aage bola,
"Black cars… masked faces… aur unke saath tumhare parents."
Kashika ka dil zor se dhadakne laga।
"Mere… parents?"
Aarav ne haan me sir hilaaya।
"Wo log bhaag rahe the… kisi se bach kar," usne kaha।
"Kis se?" Kashika ne bechaini se poocha।
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya—
"Un logon se… jo sach ko zinda nahi rehne dete."
Aarav ne yaad karte hue aankhein band ki।
"Tum bahut chhoti thi… bas 4 saal ki," usne kaha,
"Tum ro rahi thi… darr se kaanp rahi thi…"
Kashika ki aankhon me aansu bharne lage।
Usse kuch yaad nahi tha… par uske dil ko lag raha tha jaise yeh sab sach hai।
"Tumhari maa ne tumhe iss ashram ke caretaker ko diya," Aarav ne kaha,
"Unhone kaha—'Isse bachaa lo… warna sab khatam ho jayega.'"
"Phir?" Kashika ne dheere se poocha।
Aarav ki awaaz halki si heavy ho gayi—
"Phir goliyon ki awaaz aayi…"
Room me ekdum sannata chha gaya।
"Main chhup kar sab dekh raha tha…" Aarav ne kaha,
"Main madad nahi kar paaya…"
"Us raat ke baad… tumhare parents kabhi nahi dikhe," Aarav ne dheere se kaha।
Kashika ki saansen tez ho gayi।
"Matlab… wo…"
Aarav ne aankhon se hi jawab de diya।
Kashika ke aansu ab ruk nahi rahe the।
"Tumne… kisi ko bataya?" usne poocha।
Aarav ne halka sa sir jhukaaya।
"Main bachcha tha… aur darr gaya tha," usne kaha,
"Par us raat ke baad… maine ek faisla liya."
"Kaisa faisla?"
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha—
"Main sach dhoondhunga."
"Saalo tak main sirf ek cheez ke peeche bhaagta raha," Aarav ne kaha,
"Wo log kaun the… aur tumhare parents kya chhupa rahe the."
Kashika dhyaan se sun rahi thi।
"Har jagah ek hi baat repeat hoti thi," Aarav ne kaha,
"Ek 'file'… ek 'code'… aur ek 'child key'."
Kashika ka dil ek pal ke liye ruk gaya।
"Child key?"
Aarav ne seedha uski taraf dekha—
"Wo tum ho, Kashika."
"Main?!" Kashika almost chilla padi।
"Yeh impossible hai!"
Aarav ne calm tone me kaha—
"Tumhe lagta hai tum normal ho… par tum nahi ho."
"Tumhare paas kuch aisa hai… jo duniya ke liye dangerous hai."
"Par mujhe to kuch yaad bhi nahi!" Kashika ne gusse me kaha।
Aarav thoda kareeb aaya—
"Isi liye to tum safe ho… abhi tak."
Tabhi Kashika ka phone phir se vibrate hua।
Dono ki nazar turant us par gayi।
"Papa"
Message aaya—
"Aarav tumhe manipulate kar raha hai. Us par trust mat karo."
Kashika ka dimaag phir se confuse ho gaya।
"Bas karo!" usne zor se kaha।
"Ek taraf tum… ek taraf papa… sach kaun bol raha hai?!"
Aarav ne thoda sa gussa control karte hue kaha—
"Tumhare papa… unhone tumhe adopt nahi kiya…"
"…unhone tumhe chhupaya."
"Matlab?" Kashika ne poocha।
"Matlab wo jaante hain tum kaun ho," Aarav ne kaha,
"Par wo tumhe sach se door rakh rahe hain."
Tabhi bahar se ek awaaz aayi।
Footsteps.
Dono ek pal ke liye freeze ho gaye।
"Tumne kisi ko bataya tha?" Aarav ne dheere se poocha।
"Nahi!" Kashika ne turant kaha।
Footsteps aur kareeb aa rahe the।
Aarav ne turant Kashika ka haath pakda—
"Hume yahan se nikalna hoga… abhi!"
Dono pichle gate ki taraf bhage।
Hawa tez ho gayi thi… jaise koi unhe rokna chahta ho।
Jaise hi wo bahar nikle… Kashika ne peeche mudkar dekha।
Gate ke paas 2 shadowy figures khade the।
Black clothes… same jaise Aarav ne describe kiya tha।
"Wo log…" Kashika ki awaaz kaanp gayi।
Aarav ne uska haath aur tight pakda—
"Run!"
Dono andheri galiyon me bhaagne lage।
Kashika ki saanse toot rahi thi… par darr usse rukne nahi de raha tha।
"Yeh log mujhe kyun chase kar rahe hain?!" usne bhaagte hue poocha।
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya—
"Kyuki tumhe zinda chahiye… ya phir…"
Wo ruk gaya।
"Ya phir?" Kashika ne poocha।
"…ya phir tumhe khatam karna chahte hain."
Kuch der bhaagne ke baad wo ek sunsaan jagah ruk gaye।
Kashika ne gehri saans li… aur Aarav ki taraf dekha।
"Ab kya?" usne poocha।
Aarav ne dheere se kaha—
"Ab sach aur dangerous hone wala hai."
"Kyuki ab wo log jaante hain…"
"…tum wapas aa gayi ho."
"Agar main sach ki chaabi hoon… to kya main khud apni taqdeer ka tala kholne wali hoon… ya apni maut ka?"