Chapter -I
Mumbai ki us raat ki baarish jaise apne saath poora sheher dho kar le jaane aayi ho… hawa thandi thi, lekin sadkon par ghumti garmi ek ajeeb sa pressure create kar rahi थी. Main, Aarav, apni tired aankhon ko coffee ke saath jagane ki bekaar koshish kar raha tha. Tabhi 2:07 AM par ek knock ne puri raat ka direction badal diya. Pehle halki, phir bechain, aur teesri baar to jaise kisi ki jaan us knock par atki ho. Door khola… aur meri zindagi seedhi, simple, boring detective wali lane se ek dark tunnel me mud gayi.
Woh ladki—Rhea—puri tarah se bheegi hui mere saamne khadi thi. Uski white shirt baarish se transparent ho chuki thi, neeche ki har curve, har movement dikh raha tha. Uske wet hair uske cheeks se chipke hue the, aur lips ke corner se halka sa blood mix ho kar baarish ki boondon ke saath neeche gir raha tha. Aisi halat me kisi ko sirf madad ki zaroorat hoti hai… par Rhea mujhe madad se zyada ek warning lag rahi thi. Usne sirf ek sentence kaha—“Agar main aaj raat akeli rahi… toh mar jaungi.” Aur uski awaaz me aisi helplessness thi ki ek pal ke liye laga jaise usne ye lafz mujh tak pahunchaane me bhi poori himmat jod li ho.
Jab woh andar aayi, room ka temperature ek second me badal gaya. Baarish ki thandi mitti ki smell ke saath uski body ki garmi ka mix… ek dangerous sa atmosphere bana raha tha. Woh mere bilkul kareeb aa kar ruki— itni kareeb ki uski thandi saans mere collar को touch kar rahi thi. Main uska cut dekh raha tha, par meri aankhen baar-baar uski translucent shirt par jaa rahi थीं. Khud ko control karna mushkil ho रहा था… kyunki us raat, baarish, silence aur uski presence… sab kuch milकर ek sensual tension create कर रहे थे।
Usne haath badha kar meri wrist lightly pakadi—thandi ungliyon ka woh garm, tight pressure… jaise woh mujhe hold nahi, anchor kar रही हो. Woh halki si kanp rahi thi. Shayad darr se. Shayad thand se. Shayad donon se. Par uske touch me ek ajeeb sa trust tha… ya fir ek trap… main abhi tak decide nahi कर पाया hoon. Woh aawaaz dheere se mere ear ke paas aakar bolti hai—“Woh mujhe follow kar raha tha… black hoodie me.” Yeh sunkar meri saans atki. Kyunki black hoodie wala naam Mumbai me murder cases ka dusra hi synonynm ban gaya tha—CCTV me sirf ek silhouette… aur phir laash. Us raat woh aadmi mere darwaze tak kaise?
Room me ek thodi der ki khamoshi chha gayi. Sirf baarish. Sirf saans. Sirf hum dono ki closeness. Aur Rhea ki body se nikalti woh halki, warm fragrance… jo mujhe ek pal ke liye bhula deti thi ki main kisi trap me bhi fasa ho sakta hoon. Usne halka sa lean karke kaha—“Tum detective ho… tum jhoot ko pehchaan lete ho… batao, main dangerous lag rahi hoon?” Aur us moment me mujhe laga ki woh jaan-bujh kar mujhe confuse kar rahi hai. Kyunki us waqt uski aankhon me darr se zyada kuch aur tha—kuch sensual, kuch intense, kuch addictive.
Main uski aankhon me answer dhoondh raha tha ki achanak darwaze par ek zabardast thud hua—jaise koi poori taakat se maar raha ho. Rhea ka haath ek second me tightly squeeze ho gaya. Mere spine me se current jaisa guzar gaya. Us se pehle ki main react karun, lights ek baar blink hui… aur poori tarah se band ho gayi. Room pitch dark ho gaya. Andhere me sirf baarish ki awaaz… aur hum dono ki breaths heavy hoti ja rahi थीं. Main slowly gun ki taraf haath badha raha tha… par us waqt meri wrist par Rhea ki grip aur tight ho gayi. Woh bilkul chip si gayi thi—jaise woh andhere se nahi, balki us awaaz se darr rahi ho jo abhi aane wali थी.
Aur phir… andhere ke uss gehre khamosh pal ko kisi ne chीर diya.
Darwaze ke bahar se ek low, cold, almost whisper jaisi awaaz aayi—
“Rhea… I found you.”
Us moment me laga… ki yeh raat sirf uski nahi, meri maut ka bhi trailer ban sakti है.
Aur sabse bada sawal yeh tha—
Rhea sach keh rahi thi… ya woh khud kisi aur ka dangerous plan ka hissa thi?
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