UPDATE 4
Uss Subah Waali Raat Me
Raat ke 1 baje
Ananya apne room ki khidki se bahar dekh rahi thi. Ghar mein sab so chuke the, lekin uska mann ab tak Dev ke baare mein pareshan tha. Woh apne phone par ek message type karti hai:
"Priya, Ayush. Main ussi cafe mein tum dono se milna chahti hoon. Abhi."
Priya aur Ayush ne bina kisi deri ke reply kiya: "Okay, wahi milte hain."
Ananya dheere se apne room se bahar nikalti hai, apni car ki chaabi uthati hai aur bina kisi shor ke ghar ke compound se nikal jaati hai. Cafe ek chhoti aur secluded jagah par tha, jo raat ke iss samay aur bhi khaali lag raha tha. Wahan ek dim light glow sign aur ek board tha jisme "Midnight Brew" likha tha.
Jab Ananya cafe pahunchi, Priya aur Ayush wahan already baithe the, ek kone ki table par. Priya ke haath mein ek cup coffee thi, aur Ayush apne phone par kuch scroll kar raha tha.
Ananya unke paas pahunchi aur bina baithne ke bola, "Mujhe lagta hai Bhai kisi musibat mein hain."
Priya ne apni coffee table par rakhi aur Ananya ke chehre ki taraf dekha. "Ananya, hum tumse already ye baat discuss kar chuke hain. Shayad woh kisi important kaam mein busy hain."
Ayush ne Priya ki baat kaat di, "Nahi, Priya. Agar Dev Bhai itne din se contact mein nahi hain, toh kuch toh galat zaroor hai. Dev Bhai kabhi bina bataye disappear nahi hote. Yeh toh tu bhi jaanti hai."
Ananya ne thodi bechaini ke saath kaha, "Woh mujhe bata kar gaye the ki woh kuch personal kaam ke liye jaa rahe hain, lekin uske baad unka koi message ya call nahi aaya. Papa ne unka phone number try kiya, lekin woh switched off hai."
Priya ne thoda cautious tone mein kaha, "Par Ananya, agar Dev Bhai kisi secret mission par hain? Tumhe pata hai na, unka kaam waise bhi confidential hota hai."
Ayush ne ek sarcastic laugh ke saath bola, "Priya, yeh koi movie ka plot nahi hai. Hum Dev Bhai ke baare mein baat kar rahe hain. Agar unhone Ananya ko contact tak nahi kiya, toh iska matlab kuch serious hai."
Ananya ne unhe interrupt karte hue kaha, "Mujhe lagta hai ki mujhe kuch karna hoga. Hum bas yahan baith kar guess nahi kar sakte. Hume unki location pata lagani hogi."
Ayush ne kuch sochte hue kaha, "Main ek kaam karta hoon. Main apne ek hacker dost ko contact karta hoon. Woh Dev Bhai ke phone ke last location trace kar sakta hai, agar unka phone ab tak chalu hua hoga."
Priya thoda nervous lag rahi thi. "Ayush, yeh illegal ho sakta hai. Kya tumhe lagta hai ki yeh karna sahi hoga?"
Ananya ne thodi gusse se kaha, "Priya, agar tumhe darr lag raha hai toh tum ja sakti ho. Main apne Bhai ke liye kuch bhi kar sakti hoon."
Priya ne sharmindagi ke saath kaha, "Nahi, Ananya. Main tumhare saath hoon. Ayush, apne hacker dost se baat karo."
Ayush ne apne phone par call milaya aur ek kone mein chala gaya. Priya ne Ananya ke haath ko pakad kar kaha, "Tum tension mat lo. Hum Dev Bhai ko dhoondh lenge."
Ayush kuch der baad wapas aaya aur bola, "Maine apne dost ko bola hai. Woh kal subah tak Dev Bhai ke phone ka trace karke mujhe report de dega."
Ananya ne uski baat sun kar thoda relaxed feel kiya, lekin uska mann ab bhi pareshan tha. "Kal subah tak kaise rukoon? Mujhe darr lag raha hai."
Priya ne usse samjhaya, "Ananya, humne jo karna tha woh kar diya. Ab tum apne Bhai ke liye strong rehna hoga ."
Woh teenon ab ek dusre ki taraf dekhte hain, ek unsaid fear ke saath. Yeh baat unke dimaag mein clear thi ki kuch toh galat ho raha tha, aur Dev ki talaash ab unka sabse bada mission ban gaya tha.
Raat ke 1:30 baje – Cafe ke andar
Ananya ka patience ab khatam ho raha tha. Ayush ka hacker dost jo kal subah tak last location trace karne ki baat kar raha tha, uske liye Ananya ke paas itna waqt nahi tha. Woh Ayush ki taraf gusse aur bechaini ke mix emotions ke saath dekhte hue boli:
Ananya: "Ayush, apne dost ko abhi call lagao. Mujhe abhi aur isi waqt Bhai ki last location chahiye!"
Ayush ne casually kaha, "Ananya, maine bola na, kal subah tak ho jayega. Abhi usse disturb karna theek nahi hoga. Hacker log apne time pe kaam karte hain."
Ananya ka gussa ab control ke bahar ho raha tha. Uski aankhon mein aansoon aa gaye, lekin usne apne aap ko sambhalte hue kaha, "Ayush, tum samajh nahi rahe. Mujhe abhi aur isi waqt pata karna hai. Tumhe pata bhi hai main kitni pareshan hoon? Woh mera Bhai hai!"
Ayush thoda irritated lag raha tha. "Ananya, main samajh raha hoon, par woh easy nahi hai. Main usse baar-baar call nahi kar sakta. Uska bhi apna ek schedule hota hai."
Ananya ne ek dum se Ayush ke haath se uska phone kheench liya aur boli, "Agar tum nahi karoge, toh main khud baat kar lungi!"
Ayush ne phone wapas lene ki koshish ki, lekin Priya beech me aayi aur bola, "Ayush, tum Ananya ko ek baar chance de do. Woh kitni pareshan hai, tumhe dikh nahi raha?"
Ayush ne haar maan kar phone Ananya ke haath me de diya. "Theek hai, lekin agar mera dost naraz ho gaya, toh yeh tumhari responsibility hai."
Ananya ne jaldi se hacker ka number dial kiya. Line connect hone me kuch seconds lage.
Dusri taraf se ek thodi neend bhari awaaz aayi:
Hacker: "Kaun hai? Aur is waqt disturb kyun kar rahe ho?"
Ananya ne rone ke kareeb hoti awaaz me bola, "Bhaiya, please meri help kijiye. Mujhe apne Bhai ki location pata karni hai. Woh do din se missing hain, aur mujhe unki safety ki tension hai."
Hacker ne irritate hoke kaha, "Dekho, is waqt kaam karna mushkil hai. Mere tools ready nahi hain, aur main kal tak kar paunga."
Ananya ke aansoon ab ruk nahi rahe the. Usne thodi ghuti hui awaaz me bola, "Bhaiya, main aapke saamne haath jodti hoon. Aapko meri help abhi karni hogi. Agar kuch galat ho gaya, toh main apne aap ko kabhi maaf nahi kar paungi!"
Hacker ne thoda soft hote hue kaha, "Theek hai, mujhe 2 ghante ka time do. Main apni taraf se poori koshish karta hoon. Lekin mujhe sab details chahiye – unka phone number, aur agar unka phone kahi trackable hai toh unka pichhla status."
Ayush ne thoda muskurate hue kaha, "Dekha, maine bola tha na ki kal karne de? Lekin tumhari zidd jeet gayi."
Ananya ne uski baat ignore ki aur jaldi se Dev ka phone number hacker ko diya. Hacker ne process start karte hue kaha, "2 ghante me tumhe ek rough location mil jayegi. Mujhe fir disturb mat karna."
Ananya ne phone rakh diya aur apni seat par girte hue bola, "Bas, ab 2 ghante ka wait karna hoga."
Priya ne uska haath pakad kar usse samjhaya, "Sab theek hoga, Ananya. Hum yahan hain na tumhare saath."
Ananya ab bhi thodi pareshan thi, lekin uska mann ab thoda relaxed tha. Sabhi ab wait kar rahe the ki woh location unhe mil jaye, aur unka next step kya hoga.
Raat ke 1:45 baje – Cafe ke andar
Ayush hacker ko details forward kar raha tha, jab usne achanak ruk kar kaha, "Ananya, yeh kaunsa number hai? Mujhe lag raha tha ki tum apne Bhai ke phone ka number trace karwana chahti ho, par yeh kuch aur lag raha hai."
Ananya ne ek pal ke liye chup rehkar apna sir neeche kar liya. Phir usne dheere se kaha, "Ayush, mujhe maaf kar do. Maine tum dono se ek baat chhupai thi."
Priya aur Ayush dono confused ho gaye. Priya ne Ananya ke shoulder par haath rakha aur pucha, "Kya chhupaya tha, Ananya? Hum toh tumhari help karne aaye hain."
Ananya ne thoda hesitation ke baad kaha, "Main yahaan Bhai ke phone ko trace karwane nahi aayi. Mere Bhai ke pair ke andar ek tracker lagwaya gaya tha... Nani ne lagwaya tha."
Ayush aur Priya ekdum se chok gaye. Ayush ne shock ke saath pucha, "Pair ke andar tracker? Yeh kaise aur kyun?"
Ananya ne aankhon me aansoon liye kaha, "Nani ko hamesha lagta tha ki hamare ghar wale kisi din Bhai ke saath kuch galat karenge. Unhe pata tha ki Bhai aur unke apno ke beech ka rishta achha nahi hai. Isliye unhone unke pair ke andar ek chhota tracker lagwaya tha, bina kisi ko bataye. Nani kehte the ki agar kabhi Bhai ko kuch ho, toh kam se kam unki location trace ki ja sake."
Ayush ka chehra serious ho gaya. "Matlab tumhe yeh pehle se pata tha? Tumne hume bataya kyun nahi?"
Ananya ne guilt ke saath jawab diya, "Mujhe laga tha tum log mujhe judge karoge. Main bas chahti thi ki Bhai safe rahein. Aur ab jab unka kuch pata nahi chal raha, toh mujhe woh tracker yaad aaya."
Priya ne softly kaha, "Ananya, tumne jo kiya woh galat nahi tha. Tum sirf apne Bhai ki safety ke liye pareshan thi. Aur ab yeh tracker hi unhe dhundhne ka ek tarika ban sakta hai."
Ayush ne gusse ko side karte hue kaha, "Thik hai. Ab time waste mat karte hain. Main hacker ko yeh detail forward karta hoon."
Ayush ne tracker number hacker ke paas bhej diya. Dusri taraf se hacker ka response aaya, "Yeh interesting hai. Agar yeh tracker active hai, toh mujhe 2 ghante ke andar accurate location mil jayegi. Par mujhe ek confirm karna hoga ki yeh ab bhi kaam kar raha hai."
Ananya ne bechaini se pucha, "Aur agar tracker active na ho?"
Hacker bola, "Agar tracker off ho chuka hai, toh kuch nahi ho sakta. Lekin agar yeh working hai, toh tumhare Bhai ka exact location trace ho jayega."
Ananya ab thodi relaxed lag rahi thi, lekin uske andar ab bhi tension thi. Usne apne aap se kaha, "Nani ne mujhe kabhi galat advice nahi di. Mujhe bharosa hai ki yeh tracker ab tak kaam kar raha hoga."
Ayush ne uske shoulder ko tap karte hue kaha, "Relax, Ananya. Sab theek hoga. Bas ab hume 2 ghante ka intezaar karna hoga."
Priya ne bhi usse tasalli di, "Ananya, tumhare Bhai safe milenge. Tumhare Nani ne unka tracker lagwa kar sahi kiya."
Cafe ke andar ek uneasy silence chha gaya. Ab sabke dimaag me ek hi sawaal tha – "Dev kahan hai, aur kya woh safe hai?"
To Be Continued......