ASHENLIGHT

Game Begins

Meera aur Abhishek ab tak kuch clues ko suljha chuke the, lekin ab unke saamne ek naye level ki paheli thi, aur iss baar unke liye sab kuch asaan nahi hone waala tha. Unhone Blue Orchid ke basement mein ek mysterious file aur pehle ek mask pehne person ko dekha tha. Ab woh samajh rahe the ki yeh koi normal case nahi, balki ek dangerous game hai. Aur iss baar, kuch zyada hi khaufnaak hone waala tha.

"Toh... ab kya plan hai?" Meera ne pocha, apni notebook band karte hue, par uski awaaz mein ek tension tha, jaise kuch badh chuka ho.

"Plan? Plan simple hai, Meera. Hum paheli suljhaenge, trophy jeetenge, aur phir chole bhature khane chalenge," Abhishek bola, lekin uski aankhon mein ek spark tha, jaise wo sirf mazaak kar raha ho, par kuch zyada soch raha ho.

Meera ab irritable ho rahi thi. "Yeh koi game nahi hai Abhishek! Yeh kuch aur hai." Phir Usne apne phone ki taraf dekha. "Yeh log humare aas paas hain, aur humse ek ek kadam aage chal rahe hain."

Jaise hi usne ye baat kahi, ek aur mysterious beep unke phone par aayi. Dono ne turant phone check kiya. Naya message tha:

"Tum dono itne samajhdar ho toh ek chhoti si paheli try karo... agar solve kar paaye toh agla clue tumhara hoga: 'Mujhe bina dekhe use kiya jaata hai, lekin mujhe dekh kar koi nahi chahta.' Batao main kaun hoon?"

"Yeh kya bakwaas hai?" Meera ne message ko ghur kar dekha. "Paheli ke liye hum detective nahi bane hain."

"Lagta hai hum ban gaye hain," Abhishek bola, lekin is baar uski muskurahat mein ek tension thi. "Paheli ka jawab jaldi dena padega, warna humari timing galat ho gayi toh..."

"Tu samajhta kya hai? Yeh koi film nahi hai, hum real life mein hain!" Meera gusse se bolte hue ek kadam aage badhi. Par phir uske dimaag mein kuch click hua.

"Mujhe bina dekhe use kiya jaata hai... aur dekh kar koi nahi chahta... kya ho sakta hai?"

Abhishek ne apne haath se imaginary lightbulb on karte hue bola, "Main toh samajh gaya! Jawab hai "Kachori"

Meera ne ek thanda expression diya. "Kachori? Seriously? Tera dimaag samose aur Kachori ke aaspaas hi ghoomta hai."

"Lagta toh sahi hai!" Abhishek ne self-confidence ke saath bola. Usne jawab send kar diya. Par usi waqt ek zor ka dhamaaka hua!

*BANG*

Dono ne chonkar kar dekha. Ek taraf se concrete ka tukda zameen par aaya, balcony ki wall se kuch fragments gir gaye the, jaise kisi ne bullet chalai ho. "Yeh kya tha?" Meera ne panic me kaha, apni pistol ko quickly holster se nikaalte hue. Abhi kuch seconds hi hue the, ki ek aur goli balcony ke edge ko hit kar gayi.

"Neeche jhuk!" Abhishek ne zor se bola aur dono ne apne aapko chhupa liya. Achanak se environment badal gaya tha. Yeh game ab jaanleva ho gaya tha.

"Tune jawab galat diya!" Meera ne gusse se kaha, peeche mudhte hue.

"Okay, okay, galti ho gayi, madam" Abhishek ne zameen par lette hue kaha, "Tera jawab kya hai, madam perfect?"

Meera ne deep breath liya, apni surroundings ko analyze kiya. "Jawab hai *Andhera*."

"Samajh gaya!" Abhishek bola. "Bina dekhe use hota hai, andhera hi toh hai!" Usne jaldi se phone nikala aur jawab send kiya: *Andhera*. Bas kuch seconds ke baad ek aur message aaya.

*"Tum sahi ho, lekin jaldi karo. Agla clue tumhe balcony ke neeche milega, wahan jahan tumhe sabse kam umeed hai. Time kam hai."*

"Ab kya karna hai?" Meera ne kaha, apni pistol ready rakhte hue. "Woh hamari jaan ke peeche hain."

"Toh hume chalna padega, aur jaldi!" Abhishek bola.

Dono ne balcony ke neeche jaane ka rasta dhunda, par tabhi ek aur bullet pass hui. Ab us masked figure ne un dono ko fully target karna shuru kar diya tha. Abhishek ne balcony ke edge ke neeche ek pipe dekha, jo neeche ke maidan tak jaa raha tha.

"Kya tum yeh soch rahi ho jo main soch raha hoon?" Abhishek ne poocha.

"Pipe se utarna?" Meera ne gusse se kaha, "Tu pagal ho gaya hai."

"Lekin yeh hi rasta hai!" Abhishek ne jawab diya.

Dono ne bina time waste kiye pipe se neeche utarna shuru kiya. Har kadam par unhe lag raha tha ki koi unke peeche hai. Jaise hi woh neeche land kiye, unhone dekha ki ek envelope unke liye wahi pada tha.

"Yeh raha surprise," Abhishek ne smile ke saath envelope uthate hue kaha, lekin uske andar ek tension tha.

Envelope kholte hi unke haath mein ek dusri file thi. Us par likha tha: *" Project Krishna ka asli sach tumhare saamne hai. Aur yeh sirf shuruat hai."*

Meera ne file ko ghur kar dekha. "Project Krishna phir se? Yeh kya cheese hai?"

Abhishek ne dheere se bola, "Lagta hai yeh mystery aur bhi gehri hone wali hai... aur hum iss deadly game ke beech mein hain."

Dono kaafi serious ho chuke the. Ab unhe pata tha ki yeh sirf clues solve karna nahi, balki unki jaan bhi daav par hai. Lekin Abhishek ne apni signature smile ke saath bola, "Chall, ab bas yeh game jeetna baaki hai."

Jaise jaise mystery aur gehri hoti ja rahi thi, action aur suspense bhi badh raha tha.

                     -Chapter Ends-

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