Us band store-room ke bheetar, waqt jaise kisi gehri aur kaali khayi mein girkar thamm gaya tha.
Baahar ki moosladhaar baarish ki awaaz ab Arjun ke dimaag ke pichhle hisse mein ek dabi hui cheekh ki tarah goonj rahi thi. Vicky ka wo khaufnaak anth ab is kamre ki hawa mein ek bhaari bojh ban chuka tha.
Arjun wahin zameen par pada tha, uski peeth deewar ki thandi aur geeli eenton se chipki hui thi. Uska jism darr se tharra raha tha, lekin uski aankhein khuli thi—wo andhere mein us sach ko dhoond rahi thi jo ab tak chhupaya gaya tha.
Dheere-dheere, kamre mein ek ajeeb si roshni failne lagi. Ye suraj nahi tha, balki shehar ki door ki battiyaan thi.
Us halki roshni mein Arjun ne dekha ki jahan Vicky ko ghasita gaya tha, wahan kuch chamak raha tha. Wo glass nahi tha. Wo ek purani, chamde ki cover wali diary thi.
Arjun ne apne kaampte hue haath aage badhaye. Uska dimaag, jo hamesha doosron ko niyantrit (control) karna chahta tha, ab usse sach janne ko majboor kar raha tha.
Wo ghisat-ghisat kar us diary tak pahuncha. Diary ke cover par dhundhle aksharon mein likha tha:
"Verma - Safai Ka Register" (The Cleaning Ledger)
Usne pehla panna palta. Wahan jo likha tha, wo rooh kanpa dene ke liye kaafi tha. Wo syahi nahi, balki sookha hua khoon tha.
Wahan naamon ki ek lambi soochi thi. Har naam ke aage ek tareekh thi aur bade aksharon mein likha tha: "CLEANSED"
Arjun ki saansein atak gayi. 2010, 2015, 2018... har saal koi na koi 'saaf' kiya gaya tha. Tabhi uski nazar aakhri panne par padi.
Wahan aaj ki tareekh ke niche do naam likhe the: Vicky aur Arjun.
Vicky ke naam par ek gehra laal cross (X) laga tha. Magar Arjun ka naam abhi saaf tha. Uske niche Verma sir ki barik likhawat mein ek note tha:
"Ek naya aur behtar sigma instrument... jo meri kadi banega."
Arjun ka dimaag sunn ho gaya. Ye koi shraap nahi, ye ek purani aur khatarnaak yojana thi. Rahul ka gayab hona koi hadsa nahi, balki ek bali thi jo Verma sir har kuch saalon mein dete the.
Arjun ne upar dekha. Chhat ki lakdi ki balliyon se kai purane putle latke hue the, jinke chehre bilkul asli bacchon jaise dikh rahe the.
Wo sab 'Cleansed' log wahan ek khamosh museum ki tarah sajaaye gaye the. Unke beech mein ek nayi jagah bani thi, jahan Vicky ki fati hui jacket ab ek naye putle par lapeti ja rahi thi.
Arjun ke andar ki sigma personality ne sab samajh liya. Usne apne aansuon ko gusse mein badal diya. Verma sir use parakh (test) rahe the—unhe ek aisa saathi chahiye tha jo unki tarah nirdayi aur chalaak ho.
Arjun ne wo diary apni jacket mein chhupa li. Agar Verma sir ne use ek 'instrument' banne ke liye chuna tha, to Arjun unka sabse khatarnaak hathiyar banega... par khud ke liye.
Raat dhalte-dhalte Arjun us andhere mein bilkul badal gaya. Usne apni masoomiyat ka mask wahin chhod diya.
Usne mehsoos kiya ki Rahul ka putla ab uske bagal mein baitha hai, uski laal aankhein ab samarthan (support) se chamak rahi thi. Arjun ne dheere se kaha:
"Tune Vicky ko mara kyunki wo kamzor tha. Par main... main is khel ko khatam karunga."
Andhera ab uske andar samata ja raha tha. Puri raat wo register ko seene se lagaye baitha raha, Verma sir ke kadmon ka intezaar karte hue.
Wo jaan gaya tha ki asali rakshas wo putla nahi, balki wo insaan hai jo bahar se masoom dikhta hai.
Subah ki pehli kiran jab aayi, to usne Arjun ke chehre par ek ajeeb si shanti dekhi. Usne apne kapde theek kiye aur seedha darwaze ki taraf dekhne laga.
Wo ab sirf ek maqsad ke saath jee raha tha—is andhere ka raja banna. Use pata tha ki bahar kadmon ki aahat shuru hone wali hai, aur ye uski nayi zindagi ki pehli subah thi.