31. Altered Hunters
Club activities khatam ho chuki thi, aur pehli baar kaafi dinon ke baad, Vishav aur Sahil ek saath wapas ja rahe the. Aakhri kuch dinon se, Sahil sirf jaldi ghar chala jaata tha, keh kar ki uske paas kuch important kaam hai. Vishav ko pata tha ki Sahil kuch chhupa raha hai, lekin abhi recently pata chala ki woh part-time delivery person hai.
Do din pehle, Rohit uske saath ghar gaya tha, kuch wajah se. Ab sirf dono hi saath the, aur kyunki woh ek dusre ke area mein nahi rehte, unka saath ka waqt thoda hi rehne wala tha.
Vishav soch raha tha ki kuch jokes maar kar yeh bataaye ki uska best friend ladki se haar gaya hai, lekin jab se woh log club room se nikal kar chale aaye the, Sahil ne ek bhi shabd nahi bola.
Ye khamoshi Vishav ko maar rahi thi, aur woh apne best friend ko aise nahi chhodna chahta tha. Jab tak woh rough area mein nahi enter kar lete, jahan Sahil rehta hai, unhe jaldi alag hona padega. Agar kuch kehna hai, toh abhi kehna padega.
"Arre yaar, isko apne dil se mat laga. Lagta hai woh sabse strong member thi club mein. Usse haarne mein koi sharam nahi hai. Kya pata, agar tum aur achha practice karoge aur apne Werewolf powers ko control karoge, toh agle baar usse harake date par chal sakte ho!" Vishav ne puri umang ke saath kaha, lekin uske dimaag mein bas wahi scenes chal rahe the jahan uska friend fight ke beech mein transform ho raha tha, aur usne woh soch jaldi se hata di.
"Yeh sirf haar ki baat nahi hai…" Sahil ne dheere se kaha lekin phir chup ho gaya kyunki woh Vishav ko samjha nahi paaya. Simran jo usse bohot kam weight aur uski umar ki thi, haarna iska matlab hai ki agar Underdogs ya koi aur uski family ka address jaan le, toh woh easily usse maar sakte hain.
Underdogs ke alawa, doosre gangs ke members bhi ladne mein bohot achhe hain. Alag-alag martial arts to unki basic training hai. Aur Underdogs ke paas Kirk bhi hai, jo ek Altered hai aur Altered rookie championship jeet chuka hai. Agar woh kabhi Sahil ki family ko handle karne bheja ga, toh kya woh abhi ki condition mein kuch second bhi tik paayega?
Normaly, Vishav ko abhi tak chale jana chahiye tha aur opposite direction mein jaana chahiye tha, lekin use Sahil ko aise chhord kar jana sahi nahi lag. Jaise hi usne street ke end par dekha, usne dekha ek red colored gang area mein ghoom rahi hai.
Jab unki nazar mili, Vishav ne turant aankhein hata di.
“Yeh red gang bhi is area mein aa gayi hai?” Vishav ne Sahil se kaha. “Lagta hai Underdogs is area ka pura control nahi rakhte? Yeh tumhare liye accha ho sakta hai.”
“Sach mein tumhe lagta hai ki mujhe yeh accha lag raha hai ki zyada gangs mere area mein ghoom rahe hain?” Sahil ne nafrat se kaha. “Yeh accha hai kyunki iska matlab hai ki Underdogs ki apni problems hain aur woh is jagah ko aur kharab nahi karenge, lekin black aur red colored gangs yahan zyada frequently lad rahe hain. Shukr hai ki main gangs abhi tak involved nahi hue hain, lekin… school tak jaana bhi mushkil ho raha hai.”
Is baare mein soch kar, Sahil ko wo ladki yaad aayi jise usne dekha tha. Usse abhi bhi samajh nahi aata ki black colored gang ne usse itni openly kyun kidnap karne ki koshish ki. Aur zyada ajeeb baat yeh hai ki woh somehow Karn se related lagti thi, lekin Karn ne uska kabhi zikr nahi kiya.
“Arre haan, mein almost bhool hi gaya tha tumhe batane.” Vishav ne sahil se kaha jaise hi use gangs ke baare mein kuch yaad aeya. “Tumhe pata hai, kuch din pehle, maine raat ko shop ke liye gya tha, aur yeh log mere peeche aa gaye.”
Achanak, Sahil apne friend ke liye deeply concerned ho gaya. Kahani sunne mein achhi nahi lag rahi thi, lekin Vishav ko dekh kar usne dekha ki uski body par koi injury nahi hai aur woh thoda relieved hua. Yeh baat Vishav ne notice ki, aur usse accha laga ki Sahil ab bhi uski fikar karta hai.
“Main theek hoon. Jo main kehna chahta tha woh yeh hai ki ek banda black mein aaya aur sabko maar diya. Sach mein, kaafi badass tha. Hey, shayad agar tumhare paas aise teacher hote, toh jo pehle hua woh na hota.” Vishav ne apne friend ko tease karte huye kaha, lekin turant hi usko samajh gaya ki usne apne dost ki dukti navaz daba di hai.
“Huh, bura idea nahi hai…” Sahil ne vishav se kaha. “Toh tumhe kya lagta hai, woh gangster boss tha jo walk par nikla tha ya kuch?”
“Nahi, woh waisa nahi lag raha tha.” Vishav ne area mein ghoom rahe gang members ko dekha. Jo banda usne dekha, woh dusron se alag lag raha tha. “Sochne par lagta hai, woh ek Altered ho sakta hai. Shayad isliye uski body itni badi thi, aur aam taur pe, Altereds ki bodies superhuman jaisi hoti hain bina transform kiye. Ya phir… woh ek Altered hunter bhi ho sakta hai.”
“Altered hunter, huh? Lagta hai Altereds ke bhi apne issues hote hain.” Sahil ne comment kiya.
Aakhir mein, Vishav dusre side of town mein zyada nahi ja sakta tha. Usse ghar jaana tha aur usne Sahil ko yeh bataya. Sahil ne samjha ki Vishav ne kitna door tak uska saath diya hai, aur decide kiya ki woh usse ek safer area tak chod dega, kyunki shayad woh second time aise mysterious stranger uski madad karne nahi aye ga.
Raat hone wali thi, lagbhag 6pm ka time ho chuka tha, suraj dhalne wala tha aur isi samaye zyada luche lafange log streets par ghoomne lagte hain. Vishav ko is baare mein chinta thi, lekin Sahil ne usse yaad dilaya ki woh ab ek regular person nahi raha aur use vishwash dilya ki woh seedha ghar jaayega.
Lekin, apna hood uthaate hue, Sahil ne apna phone nikaala aur apni maa aur behen ko ek text bheja.
[I’m at Vishav’s and will be coming home late tonight.]
Sahil ka ghar jaane ka abhi koi iraada nahi tha, aur woh thoda hungama karne ke liye tayyar tha.
Milte hein agle update mein.............
