ASHENLIGHT

Time of Burden

Warehouse ke andhere mein, jaise hi wo darwaza khula dono Abhishek or Meera us darwaze se baahaar aye wo warehouse ka backdoor tha. Phir Meera or Abhishek ki nazar ek building me terreace pe gaya joki sirf 3 flor ucnhi thi. Jaise hi Meera or Abhishek ne us ko dekha piche se ek awaaz ayi *BANG" or sara warehouse fall kar gaya or terreace par se wo mask pehna figure Abhishek aur Meera ko ghoor raha tha, lekin is dafa uska mood alag tha. Ek uneasy silence tha, jaise uske words ka intezaar ho.

*Is baar bhi Bach gaye tum dono?!, Bahut jyada hi accha kar rhe ho, lekin jo sabse jyada accha karta hai duniya use hi pehle girati hai.* Us mask pehne person ne kaha.

"Yeh sab... tum kyun kar rahe ho?" Abhishek ne gusse se poocha, uski eyes villain pe thi. "Tumhe humse kya chahiye?"

Villain ka chehra thoda grim hua, usne ek deep breath liya. "Tumhe sachai samajhni chahiye, Abhishek," uska voice ab sirf ek cold menace nahi tha, usmein ek purani kahani chup gayi thi. "Tumne mere zindagi mein pehle hi sab kuch cheen liya."

Abhishek ek kadam aage badha, confused. "Maine? Main tumhe kabhi nahi mila."

Villain ek halki si hansi leta hai, lekin usmein pain tha. "Tumhe yaad hai wo ek chor... Mr. Shadow? Jisko tumne expose kiya tha? Jise tumne police ke hawale karwa diya?" Uska chehra suddenly tighten ho gaya. "Woh mera bhai tha."

Abhishek ekdum se shock ho gaya. "Tumhara... bhai?"

Villain ki aankhon mein ek ajeeb si darkness thi. "Main chhota tha, Abhishek. Hum majboori mein chori karte the. Hamare paas paise nahi the, aur mere bhai ne mujhse kabhi kuch nahi manga. Sirf chahata tha ki main zinda rahoon."

Villain ka haath se ek gun ka nishan dikhayi diya, jo uske bhai ke khoon ka symbol tha. "Us din, jab tumne police ko call kiya, usne socha tha wo bach jaayega. Lekin ek bullet aayi, aur maine apne bhai ko apni aankhon ke saamne marte dekha. Tumne hi us din uska pata lagaya tha."

Abhishek ke saath Meera ne bhi shock mein uski taraf dekha. "Tum... tumhara bhai Mr. Shadow tha?"

Villain ka chehra stiff tha, "Haan, aur main uske saath mar gaya hota agar us din behosh na hota. Jab aankhein khuli, main hospital mein tha.

Villain ab ekdam se dark energy se bhara hua lag raha tha. "Aur tum jaante ho, Abhishek? Tum jinke saath ho, jaise Vikram Singh aur woh missing officers, yeh sabhi mere bhai ko marne ke zimmedar hain. Par tum... tum sabse bade gaddar ho. Tumne usse bechain kiya. Tumhare wajah se mera bhai gaya."

Abhishek ne shock mein ek kadam peeche liya, uske haath thande ho rahe the. "Yeh sab... yeh sab badla hai?"

Villain ne hansi mein bola, "Sirf badla nahi, Abhishek. Main tumhe wo dard mehsoos karwana chahta hoon jo maine kiya. Tumhari zindagi ki har ek cheez, jo tumhare liye zaruri hai, main tumse cheen lunga. Tumhare liye, yeh sirf ek game hai. Lekin mere liye... yeh zindagi ka akhri savaal hai."

Meera ne beech mein aate hue kaha, "Tumhe lagta hai yeh sab kuch tumhe sukoon dega? Tum jo dhoond rahe ho, woh yeh revenge se kabhi nahi milega."

Villain ne uski taraf ghusse se dekha, "Sukoon? Tum jaanti nahi ho dard kya hota hai. Sukoon mere bhai ke saath chala gaya. Ab sirf ek cheez bachi hai- tum dono ka aakhri pal, jab main tumhare aakhon mein wahi dard dekhoonga jo maine dekha."

"Welcome to my game, detectives. This time... there's no way out." villain ke chehre par ek twisted smile thi. Abhishek aur Meera ek dusre ki taraf tension se dekhe. Ab jo samne tha, wo sirf ek personal badla nahi, balki puri kahani thi jo samajh se paray thi.

Villain ne apna gun halka sa ghooma, uski aankhein dark shadows se bhari thi. "Pehli dafa tumse milne ka time yaad hai, Abhishek?" usne poocha, jaise purani yaadein abhi bhi zinda thi.

Abhishek ne gusse se kaha, "Mujhe tumhara bhai yaad hai. Tumhara mastermind jaisa bhai jo sirf crimes plan karta tha, doosron ke zindagi se khelta tha."

Villain ne haath utha kar roka, "Mere bhai ka asli plan tumhe kabhi samajh nahi aaya, Abhishek. Tum tab sirf ek inexperienced bacha the-18 saal ka ek law student, jo justice ke naam pe kuch bhi karne ko tayar tha." Uske words jaise hi girte gaye, Abhishek ki yaadein flashback mein aane lagi.

Woh ek shaam thi jab Abhishek ko inspector ke sath chori ke mastermind ka pata lagane ka ek chance mila tha. Inspector ko ek tip mili thi, aur Abhishek, jo tab ek enthusiastic 18-year-old tha, us investigation ka hissa bana. Us waqt usse nahi pata tha ki yeh ek life-changing moment ban jaayega.

"Jab tumne mere bhai ka pata lagaya tha," villain ne hansi mein kaha, "main bhi wahan tha, 18 ka tha main bhi... Bilkul tumhari umar ka."

Meera jo ab tak chup thi, usne ek halki awaz mein bola, "Toh tum dono ek hi umar ke ho..."

Villain ne ek thandi nazar Meera par daali. "Haan, bas ek farq tha--tumhare hero ne us waqt mera sab kuch cheen liya."

Abhishek ki aankhon mein gusse ke sath guilt bhi tha. "Tumhara bhai ek criminal tha, aur tum bhi uske sath involved the."

Villain ki eyes narrow hui, "Main involved nahi tha... main majboor tha." Uska voice suddenly soft ho gaya, "Us waqt main sirf 18 ka tha, aur mera bhai 21 ka. Uske har plan ka ek hi goal tha--mujhe bachaana. Hum dono ke paas kuch nahi tha... sirf ek doosre ka saath. Lekin tumne woh bhi cheen liya."

Meera ko suddenly kuch feel hua. Woh villain ki aankhon mein utna gussa nahi dekh rahi thi jitna dard aur guilt. Usne halki si awaaz mein kaha, "Tumhara bhai tumhare liye sab kuch tha..."

Villain ne ek silent nod diya. "Jab us din bullet aayi thi... maine apni aankhon ke saamne uska khoon dekha, uska blood mere haathon par tha. Main uska dard mehsoos kar raha tha, lekin kuch nahi kar paaya. Aur tum... tumne us pal ko kabhi nahi bhula, hai na Abhishek?"

Abhishek chup tha, uske mind mein woh pal wapas zinda ho gaya jab usne inspector ko bataya tha ki 'Mr. Shadow' ka hideout kaha hai. Us pal usne socha tha ki woh sirf ek chor ko pakadne mein help kar raha hai, lekin jo consequences aaye, woh uske expectations se bahut bade the.

Villain ne apne haath ka ek button dabaya, aur ek aur screen jhalak gayi. Screen par kuch old footage thi-woh din jab Abhishek aur inspector ne villain ke bhai ka encounter kiya tha. Villain us footage ko dekhta hua bola, "Waqt ka bojh tum samajhte ho? Tum ab 23 ke ho, main bhi. Meera, tum bhi yeh game mein ho, aur ab sirf 20 ki ho."

Meera ne surprise se uski taraf dekha. "Tumhe meri age kaise pata hai?"

Villain ek faint smile diya. "Kya tumhe lagta hai main tum dono ke bare mein sab kuch nahi jaanta? Yeh sab plan sirf ek revenge nahi, balki tum dono ko andar se todne ka hai. Tumhara har ek decision, har ek pal ab tumhari age ke saath ghoomta hai. Aur main tum dono ke saath yeh khel tab tak khelunga jab tak tum dono bhi wahi dard mehsoos na karo jo maine kiya."

Uska final sentence cold atmosphere mein ghoonj gaya. Villain ke liye, yeh puraani dard bhari yaadon ka ek naya khel tha, jo ab kisi anjaam ki taraf badhne wala tha.

Continues....