Subah ka suraj Rajput haveli par nikla,par aaj uski roshni me narmi nahi thi— sirf taiyaari thi.
Courtyard me mitti geeli thi. Hawa me gunpowder aur paseene ki mili-juli khushboo.
Ishika safed kurti me khadi thi, haathon me gloves, aankhon me neend nahi— sirf focus.
“Gun uthao,”
Rudra ki awaaz gungi, par tez thi. Ishika ne rifle uthayi. Wazan uske kandhe par pada, par is baar usne complain nahi ki.
“Trigger se pehle saans,”
Veer ne peeche se kaha. “Bandook haath se nahi, dimaag se chalti hai.”
Target saamne tha— lakdi ka bana hua, beech me laal nishaan.
Ishika ne aankhen band ki.
Saans li.
Phir chhodi.
Bang.
Goli nishaan se thodi si door lagi.
Rudra ne hansi daba ke kaha, “Behen, dushman thoda side me khada hoga kya?”
Ishika ne Rudra ki taraf dekha. “Dobara lagwaun?”
Veer ne ishare se roka. “Phir se.”
Is baar Ishika ne aankhen khol kar aim li. Uski ungli trigger par ruki— ek pal ke liye. Phir—
Bang.
Seedha center.
Courtyard me khamoshi chha gayi.
Aarav ne phone se nazar uthayi.
“Beginner’s luck?”
Ishika ne rifle neeche rakhi.
“Beginner hoon. Luck nahi.”
Training sirf bandook tak simit nahi thi.
Maps, codes, body language, aur sabse mushkil—
trust.
Room ke andar whiteboard par teen naam likhe the:
Raj Malhotra
Samar Sheikh
Unknown
“Delhi sirf ek sheher nahi,” Aarav bola.
“Ye ek maze hai. Aur har maze ke beech me ek trap hota hai.”
Veer ne Ishika ki taraf dekha. “Tumhe lagta hai trap kaun hai?”
Ishika ne bina soche kaha, “Unknown.”
Rudra ne eyebrow uthayi. “Naam hi unknown hai.”
“Isliye,” Ishika boli, “Jo dikh raha hai, wo asli dushman nahi hota.”
Veer ke chehre par halki si tasalli aayi. Shaam ke waqt, haveli ke pichhle hisse me training ruk gayi.
Sab apne-apne kaam me lag gaye.
Ishika akeli corridor se guzar rahi thi jab usne kisi ko terrace par dekha.
Kabir.
Wo railing ke paas khada tha, haath me cigarette— par jalayi nahi thi.
“Smoking chhod di?” Ishika ne poocha.
Kabir ne chauk kar peeche dekha. " Nahi. Bas aaj zeher ki zarurat nahi.”
Ishika paas aakar khadi ho gayi. Neeche sheher ki lights jagmagaa rahi thi.
“Kabir,”
Ishika ne dheere se kaha, “tum Delhi se sach me nikal chuke ho?”
Kabir ne hansi ki—bina khushi ke. “Delhi kabhi nikalne nahi deti.”
“Phir yahan kyun ho?” Ishika ka sawal seedha tha.
Kabir ne uski taraf dekha. “Aaj subah jab tumne trigger dabaya… tumhare haath nahi kaanpe.”
Ishika chup rahi.
“Us pal mujhe samajh aa gaya,” Kabir bola, “tum sirf Rajput behen nahi ho. Tum jung ka hissa ban chuki ho.”
Ishika ne uski aankhon me dekha. “Tum kis side ho, Kabir?”
Ye sawal hawa me latak gaya.
Kabir ne ek kadam peeche hat kar kaha, “Main us side hoon… jahan tum zinda raho.”
Usi waqt Veer terrace par aa gaya.
“Kabir,”
uski awaaz shaant thi, par warning saaf.
“Meeting.”
Kabir bina kuch bole nikal gaya.
Ishika ne Veer ki taraf dekha. “Tum uspe bharosa karte ho?”
Veer ne aasman ki taraf dekha. “Main uske darr pe bharosa karta hoon.”
“Darr?” Ishika ne poocha.
“Jo insaan darrta hai,” Veer bola, “wo gaddari se pehle sau baar sochega.”
Raat gehri ho rahi thi
jab Aarav ka encrypted phone baja. “Movement confirm ho gayi,” usne kaha.
“Delhi ka ek aadmi Jaipur aa raha hai.”
“Kaun?” Rudra ne poocha.
Aarav ne naam padha— “Samar Sheikh.”
Ishika ka chehra sakht ho gaya. “Ye test hai.”
Veer ne sar hilaaya.
“Ya invitation.”
“Ya temptation,”
Ishika ne kaha.
Sab uski taraf dekhen lage.
“Wo mujhe milna chahega,” Ishika boli.
“Friendly face, sweet deal, aur badle me… meri kamzori.”
Rudra ne gusse se kaha, “Main usse gate se hi uda dunga.”
“Nahi,” Ishika ne seedha kaha. “Main milungi.”
Veer ne turant kaha, “No.”
Ishika ne uski taraf dekha—
pehli baar behen nahi,
ek equal ki tarah.
“Agar main is game ka hissa hoon,” usne kaha,
“toh pehli chaal meri honi chahiye.”
Kamre me sannata chha gaya.
Veer ne kuch pal baad kaha, “Ek shart par.”
“Kya?” Ishika ne poocha.
“Ek bhi jhooth nahi,” Veer bola.
“Na usse, na humse.”
Ishika ne haan me sir hilaaya.
Raat ko Ishika apne kamre me akele baithi thi.
Table par revolver rakhi thi— wohi zimmedari wali.
Sheeshe me uska reflection badal chuka tha.
Masoomiyat kam,
irada zyada.
Uske phone par ek unknown number se message aaya:
“Jaipur aa raha hoon. Sirf baat karni hai. —S”
Ishika ne reply kiya:
“Baat tab hoti hai jab sach bolne ki himmat ho.”
Message read hua. Kuch seconds baad typing dikhi— phir gayab.
Ishika ne phone side me rakh diya. Neeche courtyard me guards ki awaaz, upar aasman me andhera. Aur beech me—
ek ladki
jo ab sirf behen nahi thi,
na hi sirf pawn.
Wo choice ban chuki thi.
Door kahin Delhi me,
kisi ne muskurate hue kaha,
“Game interesting hota ja raha hai.”
Aur Jaipur me,
Rajput haveli ke andar,
jung ka agla kadam likha ja chuka tha.
Chapter 9 Ends
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