Raat dheere-dheere khamosh hoti ja rahi thi, par Yasha ke liye neend ek door ka khayal ban chuki thi.
Table lamp ki peeli roshni uske room ko aadha hi chamka rahi thi. Baaki sab andhera… bilkul uske dimaag ki tarah.
Phone abhi bhi uske haath me tha.
Last message uski aankhon ke saamne ghoom raha tha—
"Aur ye sirf shuruaat hai."
Usne screen lock kar diya, par darr lock nahi ho raha tha.
"Anuvardhan…"
usne dheere se kaha.
"Haan, main hoon,"
uski awaaz turant aayi. Strong. Steady.
"Wo unknown number… usse tumhara naam kaise pata?"
Yasha ne poocha.
Dusri taraf thodi der chup raha.
Phir Anuvardhan bola,
"Yahi baat mujhe bhi disturb kar rahi hai."
Yasha bed ke edge pe baith gayi.
"Matlab koi teesra bhi hai… jo sab dekh raha hai."
"Ya phir koi jo Kushagra ko bhi jaanta hai,"
Anuvardhan ne calmly kaha,
"aur shayad usse zyada dangerous bhi ho sakta hai."
Ye sunte hi Yasha ka gala sookh gaya.
"Dangerous… kis sense me?"
"Mind games,"
Anuvardhan bola,
"jo saamne nahi aata, bas daraata hai. Aise log aksar control ke bhookhe hote hain."
Yasha ne apne ghutnon ko seene se laga liya.
"Main thak gayi hoon… har rishte me darr kyun aa jaata hai?"
"Kyuki tum strong ho,"
Anuvardhan ne kaha,
"aur strong logon ko todne ke liye pehle unhe daraaya jaata hai."
Yasha ki aankhon se aansu beh nikle.
"Par mujhe strong banna nahi tha… mujhe sirf safe feel karna tha."
Is baar Anuvardhan kuch seconds chup raha.
Phir dheere se bola,
"Tum safe ho. Jab tak main hoon."
Agli subah.
Yasha ki neend subah ke 6 baje hi khul gayi.
Phone pe koi naya message nahi tha, par uske dil me ajeeb si ghabrahat thi.
Usne window ki taraf dekha.
Sab normal lag raha tha. Gali me doodh wala, ek stray dog, aur subah ki halki si awaaz.
"Shayad raat ka overthinking tha,"
usne khud se kaha.
Tabhi doorbell baji.
Yasha freeze ho gayi.
Is waqt?
Koi nahi aata itni subah.
Usne phone uthaya aur bina soche Anuvardhan ko call kiya.
"Doorbell baji hai,"
uski awaaz phir se kaanp gayi.
"Gate kholna mat,"
Anuvardhan ne turant kaha,
"pehle peephole se dekho."
Yasha dheere-dheere chal ke gate ke paas gayi.
Saans rok ke peephole se dekha.
Bahaar koi nahi tha.
Uska dil aur tez dhadakne laga.
"Bahaar koi nahi hai,"
usne kaha.
"Good,"
Anuvardhan bola,
"ab gate ke neeche dekho… koi note ya parcel."
Yasha ne jhuk kar dekha.
Ek white envelope pada tha.
Uske haath thode kaanp gaye.
Usne envelope uthaya aur room me wapas aa gayi.
"Ispe mera naam likha hai,"
usne dheere se kaha.
"Kholo mat,"
Anuvardhan ne bola,
"pehle photo bhejo."
Par Yasha ka patience toot chuka tha.
Usne envelope khol diya.
Andar sirf ek line likhi thi, black ink se—
"Kuch log sirf pyaar karna nahi jaante… unhe sirf jeetna aata hai."
Neeche likha tha—
K
Yasha ka sir ghoom gaya.
"Kushagra,"
usne almost whisper me kaha.
"Ye warning hai,"
Anuvardhan ne kaha,
"aur saath hi ek test."
"Test?"
Yasha ne poocha.
"Haan,"
wo bola,
"dekhne ke liye ki tum dar ke peeche jaati ho… ya sach ke saath khadi hoti ho."
Yasha ne ek gehri saans li.
Uske andar kuch badal raha tha.
"Main bhaagna nahi chahti,"
usne suddenly kaha.
Anuvardhan thoda surprised tha.
"Kya matlab?"
"Matlab main har baar strong banne ka natak nahi karna chahti,"
Yasha boli,
"par is baar main chup bhi nahi rehna chahti."
Anuvardhan ke chehre pe halki si muskaan aayi.
"Yahi to main sunna chahta tha."
Tabhi Yasha ke phone pe ek aur message aaya.
Unknown number.
"Tumne envelope khol liya."
Yasha aur Anuvardhan dono chup ho gaye.
Agla message—
"Ab game officially start ho chuka hai."
Aur teesra message—
"Aur is baar… jeet sirf ek ki hogi."
Yasha ne phone band kiya.
Uske chehre pe darr tha…
par uske saath kuch aur bhi tha.
Decision.
Raat sirf shuruaat thi.
Asli kahani…
ab din ke ujale me likhi jaane wali thi.
To be continued…