Footsteps aur paas aa gaye.
Sana ka haath Aliyar ke haath me tha, par is baar usse uski warmth mehsoos nahi ho rahi thi. Sirf ek thandi si warning. Jaise danger unke bilkul saamne khada ho.
"Kaun hai?" Sana ne dheere se poocha.
Aliyar ne jawab nahi diya.
Uski nazar corridor ke andhere kone par tiki hui thi.
Phir ek ladka aage aaya.
School uniform.
Senior lag raha tha.
Chehre par ajeeb si muskaan.
"Relax," usne kaha. "Main koi bhoot nahi hoon."
Sana ne Aliyar ki taraf dekha.
Uska chehra tight ho chuka tha.
"Tum yahan kya kar rahe ho, Rehan?" Aliyar ne poocha.
Rehan.
Naam sunte hi Sana samajh gayi—ye koi random insaan nahi tha.
"Wahi jo tum hamesha karte ho," Rehan ne kaha.
"Sach ke paas aana… phir darr ke peeche chhup jaana."
Aliyar ne Sana ko dheere se apne peeche kar liya.
"Use involve mat karo."
Rehan hansa.
"Par wo already involve ho chuki hai."
Uski nazar Sana par gayi.
"Tum Sana ho na? Jo hero ko chup rehna sikha rahi hai?"
Sana ne himmat karke aage kadam badhaya.
"Agar aapko kuch kehna hai, seedha kahiye."
Rehan ke chehre par muskaan gehri ho gayi.
"Sach bolne wali lagti ho. Acchi baat hai."
Aliyar ne beech me kaha,
"Tumhe kya chahiye?"
Rehan ne apni pocket se phone nikala.
Screen on ki.
Us par ek video chal rahi thi.
Sana ne ek jhalak me pehchaan li—
ye wahi basement corridor tha.
Aur frame me…
Aliyar.
Zameen par gira hua.
Aur koi uske paas khada tha.
Video blur thi, par awaaz clear thi.
"Bas itna keh do ki tum zimmedaar ho,"
kisi ne kaha tha.
Sana ka dil zor se dhadak utha.
"Ye video agar bahar aayi," Rehan ne calmly kaha,
"to tum phir se criminal ban jaoge, Aliyar."
Aliyar ki awaaz dheemi ho gayi.
"Tum chaahte kya ho?"
Rehan ne Sana ki taraf dekha.
"Tum."
Sana freeze ho gayi.
"Wo sawal karti hai," Rehan ne kaha.
"Aur sawal khatarnak hote hain."
Aliyar turant aage aaya.
"Use chhod do. Main jo boloonga, wo karunga."
Rehan ne ek second ke liye Aliyar ko dekha.
Phir phone band kar diya.
"Achha," usne kaha.
"Kal school ke baad basement."
"Akela," Aliyar ne kaha.
Rehan ne sir hilaya.
"Dekhenge."
Wo mud kar jaane laga.
Par ruk kar bola—
"Aliyar… is baar agar bhaage,
to kahani ka end bahut bura hoga."
Footsteps dheere-dheere door ho gaye.
Corridor phir se khaali ho gaya.
Sana ka haath kaanp raha tha.
"Aliyar… wo video—"
Aliyar ne uski baat kaat di.
"Tumhe is point ke baad mere saath nahi rehna chahiye."
"Tum decide nahi kar sakte," Sana ne kaha.
"Main bhi is kahani ka hissa hoon."
Aliyar ne use dekha.
Is baar uski aankhon me sirf darr nahi tha.
Kuch aur bhi tha.
Care.
"Kal jo bhi ho," usne dheere se kaha,
"agar main wapas na aaya…"
Sana ne uska collar pakad li.
"Tum aise nahi bol sakte."
Aliyar chup ho gaya.
School bell baj gayi.
Par Sana ko pata tha—
agli bell sirf class ke liye nahi bajegi.
Wo sach ke liye bajegi.
Aur shayad…
kisi ke girne ke liye.
Agar chaho, Part 5 me:
basement scene (high thriller)
Aliyar–Sana ka emotional breaking point
ek bada betrayal
next level pe le jaungi.