Day 2 – Ajeeb Khel
Subah ka waqt tha. Kaalkot shehar dheere-dheere jag raha tha, lekin Sia Verma ki raat abhi tak khatam nahi hui thi.
Kal raat jo unknown message aaya tha —
"Game shuru ho chuka hai."
Woh message abhi bhi uske dimaag mein ghoom raha tha.
Sia ne phone ko dobara check kiya. Number unknown tha. Na koi display picture, na koi naam.
"Yeh mazaak hai kya?" usne dheere se khud se kaha.
Lekin andar hi andar usse ek ajeeb si feeling ho rahi thi… jaise koi usse dekh raha ho.
Dusri taraf…
Kaalkot ke sabse mehngi building ke top floor par Ayaan Khanna khada shehar ko dekh raha tha.
Uske bodyguard Kabir ne report di,
"Sir, ladki ka naam Sia Verma hai. Journalism student. Kaalkot University mein padhti hai."
Ayaan ne halka sa smirk kiya.
"Interesting… ek journalist."
Kabir ne pucha,
"Sir, kya karna hai?"
Ayaan ne table par rakha phone uthaya aur bola,
"Abhi kuch nahi. Bas… usse thoda sa darr mehsoos hone do."
Kabir ne hairani se pucha,
"Sir… kal raat wala message aapne bheja tha?"
Ayaan kuch seconds ke liye chup ho gaya.
Phir dheere se bola…
"Message? Kaunsa message?"
Kabir thoda confuse ho gaya.
"Sir… Game shuru ho chuka hai wala…"
Ayaan ki aankhen thodi si narrow ho gayi.
"Main ne koi message nahi bheja."
Room mein ek pal ke liye khamoshi chha gayi.
Agar message Ayaan ne nahi bheja…
toh phir kisne bheja?
Dopehar mein Sia apni friend Riya ke saath university canteen mein baithi thi.
Riya ne hasi mein kaha,
"Kal bazaar mein hero banne ka plan tha kya? Tumne us aadmi ko thappad maar diya!"
Sia ne shoulders ucha diye.
"Jo galat karega usse sunna padega."
Riya ne dheere se bola,
"Par tumhe pata hai log kya keh rahe hain?"
Sia ne eyebrow raise ki.
"Kya?"
Riya ne halki si awaaz mein kaha,
"Log keh rahe hain woh aadmi Raavan tha…"
Sia thoda confuse ho gayi.
"Raavan?"
Riya ne dheere se kaha,
"Kaalkot ka sabse dangerous mafia."
Sia ek second ke liye chup ho gayi… phir hansi.
"Nice joke."
Lekin Riya bilkul serious thi.
"Main mazaak nahi kar rahi."
Sia ka phone achanak vibrate hua.
Ek naya message.
Usne turant screen dekhi.
Unknown number.
Message tha —
"Sach dhoondhna tumhari aadat hai na, Sia?"
Sia ka dil ek second ke liye tez dhadakne laga.
Riya ne pucha,
"Kya hua?"
Sia ne phone usse nahi dikhaya.
Bas dheere se bola,
"Kuch nahi."
Lekin agla message turant aa gaya.
"Agar himmat hai… to aaj raat 10 baje Rangmahal Bazaar aana."
"Wahi jagah jahan tumne usse thappad maara tha."
Sia ki aankhen thodi si sikud gayi.
"Kaun ho tum?" usne turant reply kiya.
Lekin saamne se koi jawab nahi aaya.
Raat ke 10 baje…
Rangmahal Bazaar aadha khaali tha. Street lights ki halki roshni aur hawa mein ajeeb sa sannata tha.
Sia dheere-dheere wahan pahunchi.
Usne aas-paas dekha.
Koi nahi tha.
Tabhi peeche se ek awaaz aayi —
"Tum sach mein aa gayi."
Sia turant palti.
Woh Ayaan tha.
Black jacket… wahi thandi aankhen.
Sia gusse mein boli,
"Tumne message bheja tha?"
Ayaan ne bhauen chadha di.
"Kaunsa message?"
Sia ne phone dikha diya.
Ayaan ne screen dekhi…
Aur uske chehre ka expression ek pal ke liye serious ho gaya.
Kyuki…
ye message usne nahi bheja tha.
Tabhi Sia ke phone par ek aur message aaya.
Dono ne ek saath screen ki taraf dekha.
Message tha —
"Perfect."
"Ab asli game shuru hota hai."
Aur usi waqt…
bazaar ki ek building ki chhat par kisi ki parchai hilti hui dikhi.
Sia aur Ayaan dono ek saath upar dekhte reh gaye.
Lekin tab tak…
woh parchai gayab ho chuki thi.
To be continued… (Day 3) 🖤