✦ UPDATE 47 ✦
Ghar mein ab shaanti thi, lekin woh shaanti jhoothi thi.
Mom aur Chachi kitchen mein abhi bhi thodi sehami hui baatein kar rahi thi. Sanjana aur Kirti apne room mein chali gayi thi, unki aankhon mein sawal the.
Hall mein sirf hum bache the — main, Pari, Saloni Didi aur Neha.
Saloni ne phone band kiya aur seedha meri taraf dekha.
Saloni (Dheere se):
"Dev… tu samajhta hai kya ho raha hai? Shanaya ka video already do lakh views cross kar chuka hai. Log bol rahe hain tere ghar mein bhoot hai. Aur Vikram Singhania… woh aadmi itna powerful hai ki school ke Principal uske saamne haath jodte hain."
Neha (Tension mein):
"Agar usne administration ko pressure diya toh aapka admission cancel ho sakta hai. Aur Pari… uski aankhon mein jo usne dekha, woh normal nahi tha."
Pari sofe par baithi thi, apne haath dekh rahi thi. Uski awaaz mein confusion thi.
Pari:
"Main… main kuch nahi kiya Didi. Usne haath uthaya, maine bas uski aankhon mein dekha… phir woh chillane lagi. Mujhe khud nahi pata kya hua."
Maine uska haath pakad liya. Uski skin ab normal se thodi zyada thandi thi.
Main:
"Pari, tension mat le. Jo hua, woh tere andar ki taqat ne kiya. Woh taqat ab jaag rahi hai. Main usko control karunga."
Saloni ne halki si aankh maari.
Saloni:
"Control? Abhi toh usne bas trailer dikhaya hai. Agar asli Mina fully jaag gayi toh…"
Maine uski baat kaat di.
Main:
"Toh main uska zimmedar hoon. Woh meri zimmedari hai."
Pari ne meri taraf dekha. Uske gaal halka sa laal hue, lekin usne kuch nahi kaha. Sirf mera haath aur kas liya.
Itna bol kar hum sab apne room mein chale gaye bina kuch discuss kiye.
•·················• ✦ •·················•
Raat ke ek baj rahe the.
Pari mere bed par leti thi, meri black t-shirt pehne hue. Neeche sirf panty. Uska sar mere seene par tha.
Pari (Dheere se):
"Dev… aaj jab usne mujhe maarne ki koshish ki, toh mujhe ek awaaz sunayi di. Andar se. Kehti thi… 'Yeh meri property hai. Haath mat laga.'"
Maine uske baalon mein ungliyan feri.
Main:
"Woh teri doosri side hai. Destruction ki shakti. Jab hum ek hue the, usne tujhe poori tarah accept kar liya. Ab woh tujhe protect karegi… chahe tujhe hosh na ho."
Pari ne apna chehra upar uthaya. Uski aankhon mein halka sa golden-black glow tha.
Pari:
"Kya main… monster ban rahi hoon?"
Maine uske honthon par ungli rakhi.
Main:
"Nahi. Tu meri Rani ban rahi hai. Aur Rani ko darr nahi hota."
Usne aage badhkar mujhe kiss kar diya. Soft, lekin hungry.
Maine usko apni taraf khinch liya. T-shirt upar uthi. Uski nangi chhati mere seene se chipak gayi.
Kdev (Man mein):
"Bhai… uski energy spike ho rahi hai. Agar climax hua toh poore ghar mein black pulse phail sakti hai."
Maine uske kaan mein fusfusaya.
Main:
"Aaj slow. Control ke saath. Ghar mein sab so rahe hain."
Pari ne haan mein sir hilaya.
Maine uski panty side ki. Apne track-pant neeche kiye. Dheere se andar gaya.
Pari ne apna muh mere kandhe mein daba liya. Sirf halki siskiyan nikal rahi thi.
Har thrust ke saath uski power thodi-thodi meri taraf aa rahi thi. Black energy meri golden energy se mil rahi thi.
Kuch der baad hum dono ek saath release hue.
Ek chhoti si black-golden lehar room mein phaili… aur phir gayab.
Pari haanf rahi thi, lekin muskurayi.
Pari:
"Ab… main thodi kam darr rahi hoon."
Maine uske maathe par kiss kiya.
Main:
"So ja. Kal badi ladai hai school mein."
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Subah ke 7:40 baj rahe the.
Breakfast table par sab baithe the. Mom ne parathe nikaale the, Chachi ne chai banayi thi. Pari kitchen se plates laa rahi thi. Atmosphere thoda bhaari tha — kal ka police-media drama abhi tak sabke dimag mein ghum raha tha.
Tabhi Dad living room se aaye. Unke peeche Bade Chacha bhi the. Dono ke chehre serious the.
Dad ne newspaper table par rakhte hue seedha mujhe dekha.
Dad:
"Dev, baith. Baat karni hai."
Maine paratha rakh diya aur unki taraf dekhne laga. Mom ne bhi chai ka cup neeche rakh diya. Badi Chachi sofe se uthkar aage aa gayin.
Bade Chacha (Gambhir awaaz mein):
"Kal jo kuch hua… woh chhota nahi tha. Shanaya ke baap Vikram Singhania ka naam maine suna hai. Woh aadmi seedha nahi chhodta. Usne school administration ko already pressure dena shuru kar diya hai."
Mom (Pareshani se):
"Beta, hum soch rahe hain ki hum log hi is matter ko sambhal lein. Tere Dad aur Chacha unse milenge. Baat clear kar denge. Tu beech mein mat pad."
Badi Chachi:
"Haan Dev, tu abhi student hai. Aise powerful logon se ulajhna theek nahi. Hum bade hain, hum dekh lenge. Tu bas padhai pe dhyan de."
Dad ne mera kandha pakad liya.
Dad:
"Beta, hum tere liye hain. Tu tension mat le. Hum isko family level pe solve kar denge. Vikram se seedha baat hogi."
Pari kitchen door ke paas khadi thi, sab sun rahi thi. Uske chehre par tension thi, lekin woh chup thi.
Maine dheere se saans li. Phir sabki taraf dekha — Mom, Dad, Bade Chacha, Badi Chachi.
Main (Shaant lekin mazboot awaaz mein):
"Nahi."
Sab ek second ke liye chup ho gaye.
Mom:
"Kya nahi?"
Main:
"Main sambhal lunga. Aap log isme mat padiye."
Dad ki bhawein thodi choti huin.
Dad:
"Dev, yeh koi aam ladai nahi hai. Yeh…—"
Maine unki baat narmi se kaat di.
Main:
"Papa, main samajhta hoon. Vikram Singhania dangerous hai. Uske paas paise hain, power hai, connections hain. Lekin yeh meri ladai hai. Kal uski beti mere ghar aayi, mere parivaar ko pareshan kiya, jhootha case lagaya. Ab uska baap aa raha hai. Agar main peeche hat gaya aur aap log beech mein aaye, toh woh samjhega ki main kamzor hoon. Aur phir woh aur aggressive ho jayega. Main khud dekh lunga. Aap log bas ghar pe shant rahiye. Mujhe trust kariye."
Bade Chacha ne aankhein narrow ki.
Bade Chacha:
"Beta, ghamand theek nahi. Kabhi-kabhi bade logon ka support lena padta hai."
Main (Muskurate hue, lekin aankhon mein pakka irada):
"Chacha, yeh ghamand nahi hai. Yeh zimmedari hai. Jo mere khilaaf aaya hai, uska jawab bhi main dunga. Aap log tension mat lo. Main promise karta hoon — koi galat cheez nahi hone dunga. Na ghar ko, na aap logon ko."
Mom ke chehre pe ab bhi pareshani thi, lekin unhone kuch nahi kaha. Dad ne lambi saans li aur mere sar par haath rakh diya.
Dad:
"Theek hai. Agar tujhe itna confidence hai… toh ja. Lekin yaad rakhna — agar kabhi lage ki haath nahi aa raha, toh turant batana. Hum hain na."
Main:
"Haan Dad, aap log free rahiye. Main sambhal lunga."
Badi Chachi ne halka sa sir hilaya, lekin unki aankhon mein abhi bhi shaq tha.
Pari ne mujhe door se dekha. Uske chehre pe ek chhoti si muskaan thi — jaise woh jaanti ho ki main sach mein sambhal lunga.
Maine apna bag uthaya.
Main:
"Chalta hoon. School late ho jayega."
Dad:
"Ja… aur careful rehna."
Main gate ki taraf badha.
Peeche se Mom ki awaaz aayi—
Mom:
"Dev… khana time pe khana."
Maine bina mude haath hila diya.
Bahar nikalte hue Kdev ki awaaz aayi.
Kdev:
"Bhai, family ko protect karna hai toh unhe is khel se door hi rakhna padega. Main sambhalu kya is baar?"
Maine muskura diya.
Main (Man mein):
"Nahi be, mujhe dekhne de. Ab dekhte hain Vikram Singhania kitna bada khelta hai."
✦ School Campus ✦
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
School gate par pahuchte hi mahaul alag tha.
Har taraf fusfusahat. Log phone mein Shanaya ka viral video dekh rahe the — jisme woh "Bhoot! Monster!" chillate hue bhaag rahi thi.
Akash aur Sam gate par khade the.
Akash:
"Bhai… tu viral ho gaya hai. Log bol rahe hain tera ghar haunted hai. Aur dekh… woh dekh."
Maine nazar ghumayi.
Parking mein ek black luxury car khadi thi. Uske saamne Vikram Singhania khada tha — white hair, sharp suit, aankhon mein wohi arrogance jo uski beti mein thi. Uske peeche do bodyguards. Principal unke saath tha, haath jode hue.
Sam (Tension mein):
"Woh aadmi seedha Principal ke cabin mein ja raha hai. Tere against complaint file karne."
Tabhi peeche se awaaz aayi.
Komal:
"Dev…"
Maine mudkar dekha. Komal uniform mein thi, chehre par tension thi. Usne mera haath pakad liya.
Komal:
"Main aa gayi. Dad ko maine already call kar diya hai. Woh Vikram Chacha ko warn karenge. Par tu careful rehna. Woh aadmi dangerous hai."
Pari thodi door khadi thi. Usne Komal ka haath mere haath mein dekhte hue apni nazar neeche kar li.
Uske haathon se halki si black smoke nikalne lagi… jo air mein gayab ho gayi.
Maine jaldi se Komal ka haath chhudaya aur Pari ke paas chala gaya. Uske haath ko apne haath mein le liya.
Main (Dheere se):
"Control. Main hoon na, maine pehle hi kaha tha tum mat aao yahan."
Pari:
"Nahi nahi, main theek hoon."
Aankhon mein jalan saaf thi.
Peeche Komal khadi reh gayi. Uske chehre se muskaan gayab ho gayi. Usne apna haath dheere se apne seene par rakh liya, jaise koi chubhan si mehsoos ho rahi ho. Uski aankhon mein ek gehri si bechaini thi — samajh nahi aa raha tha ki Dev ne uska haath kyun chhod diya, aur seedha Pari ke paas kyun chala gaya.
Thodi der baad main office ke bahar khada tha jab andar se awaaz aayi.
Vikram Singhania (Andar se):
"Principal Sahab, yeh ladka mere parivaar ko insult kar raha hai. Meri beti ko public mein pagal banaya. Main chahta hoon iska admission turant cancel ho. Nahi toh main Board of Trustees ko call karta hoon."
Principal:
"Sir… uske against koi solid proof nahi hai. Aapki beti khud…"
Vikram:
"Proof? Main proof bana dunga. Ya toh yeh ladka school chhode, ya main is school ko band karwa dunga."
Main door kholkar andar ghus gaya. Chaal mein koi ghabrahat nahi thi.
Main (Thande lehje mein):
"Singhania Uncle… itni subah subah gussa theek nahi. BP high ho jayega."
Vikram ne mujhe aise dekha jaise koi keeda dekh raha ho.
Vikram:
"Tu hai woh Dev? Mere saamne bakwas mat kar. Kal tak yeh school chhod de, nahi toh teri zindagi barbaad kar dunga."
Maine uske table par haath rakh diya. Meri aankhon mein wohi coldness aa gayi jo Shanaya ko sehma gayi thi.
Main:
"Uncle… aapki beti mere ghar pe police aur media le aayi thi. Jhootha case. Maine sirf sach dikhaya. Agar aap power dikhana chahte ho… toh try kariye."
Tabhi office ki lights flicker karne lagi.
Halki si black energy ki lehar floor se uthkar Vikram ke jooton tak pahunchi… aur gayab.
Vikram ek kadam peeche hata.
Main (Muskurate hue):
"Ab aap decide kariye. Ya toh yeh matter yahin khatam, ya phir main aapko bhi wohi trailer dikhaun jo aapki beti ne dekha tha."
Principal toh pehle hi darr ke maare kursi mein dhas chuka tha, aisa lag jaise woh black energy se sab jam se gaye the.
Vikram ne apne bodyguards ko ishara kiya.
Vikram (Gusse mein, lekin awaaz mein darr chhupa tha):
"Yeh… yeh khatam nahi hua. Main wapas aaunga."
Woh nikal gaya.
Main Principal ki taraf muda.
Main:
"Sir, koi problem nahi hogi ab. Aap free hain."
Bahar nikalte hi Akash, Sam, Komal aur Pari mil gaye.
Akash:
"Bhai… kya kiya tune andar? Woh aadmi thar-thar kaanp raha tha."
Komal ne mera haath pakadne ki koshish ki, lekin maine pehle hi Pari ka haath thaam rakha tha. Komal ka haath hawa mein reh gaya. Uske chehre par ek gehri si chubhan thi. Usne apni nazar neeche kar li.
Maine Komal ki taraf dekha. Uski aankhon mein dard saaf dikh raha tha.
Main (Dheere se, Komal se):
"Thodi der baad baat karta hoon. Abhi ek kaam hai."
Komal ne sirf sir hilaya, lekin uske honth kas gaye the. Woh thodi door hat gayi.
Maine Pari ke kaan ke paas jaakar dheere se kaha—
Main:
"Woh theek hai. Main usse deal kar lunga. Tu tension mat le. Aaj shaam ko… hum dono akele milenge. Teri power ko main absorb karunga."
Pari ne meri aankhon mein dekha. Usme ab darr nahi tha… ek ajeeb si bhookh thi.
Pari (Fusfusate hue):
"Theek hai… Dev."
✦ School Garden – Ten Minutes Later ✦
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Main Komal ke paas gaya. Woh bench par baithi thi, phone mein kuch scroll kar rahi thi, lekin uski aankhein screen pe nahi thi.
Maine uske bagal mein baith gaya.
Main:
"Komal…"
Usne meri taraf dekha. Aankhon mein gussa nahi tha, sirf dard tha.
Komal (Dheere se):
"Tumne mera haath chhod diya… aur seedha uske paas chale gaye. Sabke saamne. Mujhe laga… shayad main ab utni important nahi rahi."
Maine aage badh kar uska narm haath apne haathon mein thaam liya aur uski aankhon mein dekhte hue kaha, "Galat soch rahi ho tum, aisa bilkul kuch nahi hai. Aur waise bhi, Pari abhi thodi bimar hai... samjho na Komal."
Komal ki aawaz tharthara rahi thi, chehre par saaf ghabrahat thi. Woh hichkichate hue boli, "K... k-kya hua Pari ko? M-mujhe sach mein nahi pata tha... main baat karun us se?"
Uski masoomiyat dekh kar main khud ko rok na paaya aur use halka sa jhatka dekar apni taraf kheench liya. Woh seedhe aakar mere upar gir padi aur bina kisi faasle ke hum dono ke honth aapas mein mil gaye. Ek pal ke liye mera khud par se poora control chhoot gaya, aur usi achanak lage jhatke mein mere andar se thodi Black Energy nikal kar uske shareer mein daakhil ho gayi.
Hosh aate hi maine ghabra kar Komal ko hataya aur use sahara dekar uthaya. Woh bilkul shaant hokar side mein baith gayi, jaise achanak kisi gehri soch mein kho gayi ho. Usne dheere se apni aankhein band keen, aur agle hi pal usne aankhein khol kar poori taqat se chillana shuru kar diya,
"I love you Dev! I love you... I love you so much!"
Woh deewano ki tarah mere gale lag gayi aur mujhe be-tahasha kiss karne lagi. Aas-paas ke log ruk kar humein hi ghoorne lage the. Maine mushkil se use sambhala, bike start ki aur use lekar seedha shehar ke bheed-bhaad se door ek sunsaan Hills Area ki taraf nikal gaya.
Pahaadi ke kinare bike rokte hi hum dono neeche utre. Maine pareshani se pucha, "Komal, kya hua tumhe achanak?"
Jawab dene ke bajaye Komal ne bina soche-samjhe khud ke gaal par ek zordar thappad maar liya.
Maine lapak kar uska haath pakad liya, "Yeh kya kar rahi ho?!"
"Mat roko mujhe Dev, marne do mujhe!"
Komal rote hue cheekh padi. "Main kitni khudgarz hoon... main tumhare pyaar ke layak hi nahi hoon. Pari ne itne saalon tak tumhara intezaar kiya, itna sab saha, aur main use tumhare saath dekh kar jalan mehsoos karne lagi!"
Maine aage badhkar uska sar thaama aur use zor se apne seene se laga liya, "Pagal kahin ki, kya behki-behki baatein kar rahi ho?"
Maine uska chehra upar uthaya aur aankhon mein aankhein daal kar pucha, "Matlab... tumhe sab yaad aa gaya?"
Komal ke aansu tham nahi rahe the, usne rote hue sar hilaya, "Haan Dev, haan... tumhari wife ko sab kuch yaad aa chuka hai."
Maine chain ki saans lete hue maze mein kaha, "Thank God! Bach gaya main."
Sunte hi usne gusse aur pyaar ke mile-jule ehsaas mein mere seene par ek halka sa mukka jad diya.
Par mere dimaag mein khatre ki ghanti baj rahi thi. Maine foran apni Detection Eye active karke uske body ko scan kiya. Uski body mein 10% Black Energy phail chuki thi, jo behad khatarnak thi. Maine turant apni jeb mein haath daala jahan maine Pari Lok se laya hua ek durlabh gem rakha tha. Woh gem maine Pari ke liye converter banane ke liye rakha tha, par abhi Komal ko uski zyaada zaroorat thi.
Maine kuch gupt mantron ka uccharan kiya, apni divine powers ko us gem mein flow karwaya aur dekhte hi dekhte use ek khoobsurat Ring mein badal diya. Maine woh ring Komal ki ungli mein pehna di.
"Isko hamesha pehne rehna," maine uski aankhon mein dekhte hue samjhaya. "Galti se tumhare andar Black Energy chali gayi hai. Par maine is ring mein apni Light Energy ka converter daal diya hai, yeh use dabaye rakhega aur tumhe poore control mein rakhega."
Phir maine dhyan se dobara scan kiya toh dekha ki uski body ka main Point of Control abhi bhi Komal ke honthon par kendrit tha. Maine bina der kiye use apni baahon mein jakda aur ek baar phir uske honthon par tez, gehra kiss kiya. Apni light power ko bilkul suppress rakhte hue maine wahan se energy ko kheench kar neutralize kiya.
Alag hokar jab maine dobara check kiya, toh uska Black Energy level gir kar 6% par aa chuka tha.
•·················• ✦ •·················•