Sheher Nocturne kabhi sach-mein sota nahi tha.
Lights on hone ke baad bhi, sadkon par darr raaj karta tha. Log tez chalti kadmon se, sir jhukaye hue, dil tez dhadakte hue chalte the—kyunki ek naam hi kaafi tha ragon mein thand bharne ke liye.
Riven Black.
Ek aisa killer jo itna be-rehm tha ki criminals bhi dua karte the ki kabhi uska saamna na ho. Kisi ne uska chehra theek se nahi dekha tha. Kisi ko nahi pata tha wo kahan rehta hai. Log sirf ek sach jaante the—
Agar Riven ne tumhe chuna, to maut pakki.
Aur phir bhi… ek ajeeb raat ko, kismat ne galti kar di.
Ariana Vale koi khaas nahi thi.
Na koi powers. Na koi tragic past. Na koi raaz.
Bas ek simple ladki—soft aankhon wali, aur itna narm dil ki is zalim duniya ke liye bilkul na-munasib. Wo ek chhoti si bookstore mein kaam karti thi, purani novels se pyaar karti thi, aur ye maanta thi ki dard logon ko bura nahi banata—sirf toota hua.
Ye soch sab kuch badal dene wali thi.
Baarish ho rahi thi jab use mehsoos hua.
Wo bhaari sa ehsaas… jaise koi use dekh raha ho.
Uske kadam dheere ho gaye jab streetlights flicker karne lagi. Road khaali thi. Bahut zyada khaali. Baarish ne har awaaz daba di—siwa uske dil ki dhadkan ke. Usne apna bag mazbooti se pakad li, khud ko samjhate hue ki wo bas zyada soch rahi hai.
Tab hawa badli.
Andhere se ek presence nikli.
Lamba. Shaant. Khatarnak.
Ariana ki saansein tham si gayi.
Use naam ki zarurat nahi thi. Uski instincts cheekh rahi thi.
Ye wahi tha.
Riven Black.
Uski aankhen thandi thi—bilkul chaand bina raat jaise be-jaan. Uske haath mein chaku chamak raha tha, taaza khoon se bhiga hua. Wo kuch hi minute pehle kisi ko maar chuka tha. Shayad seconds pehle. Wo apna raasta poora karne aaya tha… aur Ariana us raaste mein aa gayi thi.
Zyadaatar log bheekh maangte the.
Kuch cheekhte the.
Kuch behosh ho jaate the.
Ariana ne kuch bhi nahi kiya.
Usne use dekha.
Chaku ko nahi.
Khoon ko nahi.
Use.
“Tum zakhmi ho,” usne dheere se kaha.
Riven bhonchakka reh gaya.
Darr ki wajah se nahi.
Balki uljhan ki wajah se.
Kisi ne kabhi usse aise baat nahi ki thi.
Wo ek kadam aage badha. Ek move, aur uski zindagi khatam. Uska saaya Ariana ko poori tarah dhak gaya. Sheher uski cheekh ka intezaar kar raha tha.
Cheekh kabhi aayi hi nahi.
“Tum… bahut akela lagte ho,” usne phusphusa kar kaha.
Uske andar kuch toot gaya.
Uski pakad aur tight ho gayi. Uska dil zor-zor se dhadakne laga—ek anjaani, hinsa bhari rhythm mein. Wo bina soche, bina mehsoos kiye maar chuka tha. Lekin ye ladki—ye insignificant, bewakoof si ladki—sirf lafzon se use tod rahi thi.
“Bhaag jao,” wo garja. “Isse pehle ki main apna iraada badal loon.”
Ariana ne sir hila diya.
“Main nahi sochti ki tum mujhe maarna chahte ho.”
Khamoshi.
Baarish unke beech girti rahi, jaise waqt hi ruk gaya ho. Kahin gehre andhere mein, purani magic hilne lagi. Wo curse jo Riven ke andar zinda tha, usne khatre ko mehsoos kar liya.
Kyunki saalon mein pehli baar…
Us killer ne kuch mehsoos kiya—
kuch jo pyaar ke bahut kareeb tha.
Aur pyaar mana tha.
Saayon ke beech se ek awaaz goonji, Ariana se chhupi hui:
“Agar wo zinda rahi… to curse jaag uthega.”
Riven ek kadam peeche hata.
Aur gaayab ho gaya.
Ariana akeli khadi rahi, kaanpti hui—
darr se nahi, balki kisi aur hi ehsaas se.
Use nahi pata tha kyun…
lekin uski rooh jaanti thi.
Ye unke raaston ka aakhri milna nahi tha.
Bilkul bhi nahi.
Write a comment ...