Riven Black blast ke baad bina peeche dekhe chal dene wala aadmi tha.
Usne laashen chhod di thi jaise parchaiyaan—na yaad rakhne layak, na pyaar ke layak, na poori kahani wali.
Lekin us raat, jab Nocturne ki khaali sadkon par baarish gir rahi thi,
wo usse chhod kar nahi ja saka.
Ariana Vale.
Uska chehra andhere me bhi uska peecha karta raha.
Riven ek abandoned cathedral ki chhat par khada tha, kaali coat se paani tapak raha tha, aur uski muththiyan itni zor se band thi ki ungliyon se khoon nikal aaya. Neeche shehar phaila hua tha—dar se saans leta hua, jaise koi zinda cheez.
Ye uska raaj tha.
Jahan uska naam sirf maut ka matlab tha.
Phir bhi ek ladki ki awaaz ne use hila diya.
You look lonely.
Uske andar ki laanat (curse) jaag uthi—gusse me, bechain. Ye purani magic thi, jo uski rooh se bandhi hui thi, usse pehle se jab wo killer bana bhi nahi tha. Ye khaali-pan, khoon aur nafrat se jeeti thi.
Pyaar ise kamzor kar deta tha.
Pyaar ise khatam kar sakta tha.
Aur isi wajah se jisse bhi usne kabhi apna maana—wo mar gaye.
Riven ne aankhein band kar li.
“Use mujhe bhool jaana chahiye,” usne dheere se kaha.
Lekin kismat ne nahi suna.
Us raat Ariana so nahi paayi.
Wo apni chhoti si khidki ke paas baithi rahi, sheeshe par phisalte baarish ke nishaan dekhte hue, dil sawaalon se bhara hua. Dar use tod dena chahiye tha. Trauma use sataana chahiye tha.
Par use sirf udaasi mehsoos ho rahi thi—ek aise aadmi ke liye jo andhere me doob raha tha.
Usne apni kalai chhoo li.
Jahan Riven ka haath usne pakda tha, wahan abhi bhi garmi thi.
Suraksha thi.
Ye baat use chaku se bhi zyada dara rahi thi.
“Tumne mujhe mara kyun nahi?” usne khaali kamre se pucha.
Baahar, bina dekhe, kuch use dekh raha tha.
Agla din Nocturne afwaahon se bhar gaya.
Ek aur katle-aam.
Ek aur naam mita diya gaya.
Ek aur saboot ki Riven Black abhi bhi shikaar par hai.
Bookstore me Ariana ne logon ko fusfusaate suna. Customers kaanp rahe the. Koi ro raha tha. Koi dua maang raha tha.
Aur Ariana ne ek thandi sachchai samjhi.
Jis killer se sab darte the…
Usne use zinda chhod diya tha.
Shaam ko, jab sooraj khoon jaise rang me doob raha tha, use phir mehsoos hua—wo kheench. Wo yakeen ki wo akeli nahi hai.
“Saamne aao,” usne apni building ke peeche wali khaali gali me kaha.
Parchaiyaan hili.
Riven aage badha.
Zinda. Khatarnak. Toota hua, phir bhi khoobsurat.
“Tumhe yahan nahi hona chahiye,” usne thandi awaaz me kaha. “Maine tumhe warn kiya tha.”
Ariana ne saans roki—par peeche nahi hatti.
“Main bheekh maangne nahi aayi,” usne kaha. “Main samajhne aayi hoon.”
Uska jabda kas gaya. “Mujhe samajhna tumhe barbaad kar dega.”
“Toh phir tum abhi yahan khade kyun ho?” Ariana ne narmi se pucha.
Dono ke beech khamoshi fail gayi—bhaari aur bhari hui.
Riven ek kadam aage aaya. Hawa badal gayi. Zameen ke neeche magic kaanp uthi. Curse uske andar cheekh utha, khatre ko mehsoos karte hue.
“Tum nahi jaanti main kya hoon,” usne kaha.
“Main jaanti hoon tum kya banne ka naatak karte ho,” Ariana ne jawab diya. “Par jo tum chhupa rahe ho—wo nahi.”
Tabhi wo hua.
Riven ke seene me tez dard uthha.
Wo ladkhada gaya.
Ariana ne dekha—uski skin par kaale nishaan ubhar aaye, laal aag ki naso jaise chamakte hue. Curse react kar raha tha—uski maujoodgi par. Uske dil par.
“Nahi,” Riven ne sisakte hue kaha. “Ye mumkin nahi—”
Andhere se ek awaaz goonji—purani, mazaak bhari, aur behad taqatwar.
“Tumne uski rooh ko chhoo li, killer. Ab keemat chukao.”
Ariana ne Riven ko pakad li jab wo ghutno par gir gaya.
“Tumhare saath kya ho raha hai?” wo ro padi.
Riven ne upar dekha—uski aankhon me kuch khaufnaak jal raha tha.
“Mujhse door raho,” usne dheere se kaha.
Lekin ab der ho chuki thi.
Curse jaag chuka tha.
Aur Ariana…
Ab uski kismat ka hissa ban chuki thi.
END OF chapter 2
Next chapter tomorrow at 6pm
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