Darwaza ek zor ki awaaz ke saath khula aur is baar kamra andhere mein nahi, balki tez, chubhti hui roshni mein dooba hua tha. Kiara ki aankhen ek pal ke liye band ho gayi. Jab usne dobara dekha, uska dil jam gaya. Hall ke beech mein lohe ka ek bada sa ghera bana hua tha, aur uske andar aag jal rahi thi. Dheere nahi… bhayanak tareeke se. Jaise woh kisi ka intezaar kar rahi ho. Garmi door tak mehsoos ho rahi thi.
Uski nazar turant Kiansh par padi. Woh ghutnon ke bal zameen par tha, haath bandhe hue, chehre par chot ke taaze nishaan. Khoon zyada nahi tha, lekin itna zaroor tha ke Kiara ke andar kuch toot gaya. “Kiansh!” uski cheekh hawa mein goonj gayi. Woh uski taraf bhaagne lagi, lekin beech mein hi do aadmiyon ne use rok diya.
Aprajita dheere se aage badhi. Is baar uske chehre par koi drama nahi tha, sirf ek thandi si shanti thi. “Dekha?” usne Kiara ki taraf dekhte hue kaha, “pyaar kitna kamzor hota hai.” Usne Kiansh ko kandhe se pakad kar zor se dhakka diya. Kiansh zameen par gir gaya, lekin uski nazar sirf Kiara par thi. “Main theek hoon,” usne dard chhupate hue kaha, “tum kuch mat karna.”
Aprajita ne haath utha kar sabko chup kar diya. “Game simple hai,” usne seedhe lafzon mein kaha. “Agar tumhe apne pati ko bachana hai… toh tumhe is aag mein kudna hoga.” Hall ekdum sann ho gaya. Aag ki awaaz aur Kiara ki saansein hi sunai de rahi thi. Kiara ke pair dheere dheere aag ki taraf badhne lage. Garmi uske chehre ko chhoo rahi thi. Usne Kiansh ki taraf dekha. “Main tumhe kuch nahi hone dungi,” usne dheere se kaha.
“Kiara, nahi!” Kiansh cheekha. “Yeh trap hai!” Usne zanjeer kheenchne ki koshish ki, par use aur zor se pakad liya gaya.
Tabhi achanak hall ki lights flicker karne lagi. Ek badi screen on hui aur us par ek video chalne laga. Video mein Yuvika thi. Uska chehra dara hua tha. “Kiara, please mat karna,” woh ro rahi thi, “sab jhoot hai… yeh aag real nahi hai… yeh sirf illusion hai… woh tum dono ko psychologically tod rahi hai!” Kiara ek pal ke liye jam gayi. Usne aag ko dekha, phir Aprajita ko. Kya yeh sab sach mein sirf game tha?
Aprajita ka chehra ek second ke liye badla. “Band karo yeh!” woh chillayi. Video abruptly band ho gaya. Hall mein phir se sannata chha gaya.
Lekin usi pal zameen zor se hilne lagi.
Kiara ne neeche dekha. Lohe ka ghera dheere dheere slide hone laga. Upper layer toot kar side mein hat gayi. Neeche… asli aag thi. Gehri. Bhayanak. Neeche se upar tak bhadakti hui. Garmi achanak double ho gayi. Ab koi illusion nahi tha. Yeh maut thi.
Kiara ki saansein tez ho gayi. Yuvika jhoot bol rahi thi? Ya woh sach bata rahi thi aur yeh sab last moment ka twist tha? Uska dimag tootne laga.
Aprajita ne dheere se kaha, “Ab decide karo. Illusion par bharosa karogi… ya apni aankhon par?”
Kiansh ne zor se cheekh kar kaha, “Kiara, mujhe chhod do! Main mar jaunga par tum aag mein nahi kudogi!”
Kiara ne uski taraf dekha. Aankhon mein aansu nahi the ab. Sirf ek ajeeb si shanti thi.
Woh aag ke bilkul kinare par khadi thi.
Aur tab…
Usne apni chappal utaar di.
Hall mein kisi ne saans li.
Kiansh ki awaaz toot gayi, “Nahi…”
Kiara ne dheere se kaha, “Agar mera pyaar kamzor hai… toh aaj pata chal jaayega.”
Aur usne ek kadam aage badha diya.
Aag Ka Faisla (Paragraph Version)
Darwaza ek zor ki awaaz ke saath khula aur is baar kamra andhere mein nahi, balki tez, chubhti hui roshni mein dooba hua tha. Kiara ki aankhen ek pal ke liye band ho gayi. Jab usne dobara dekha, uska dil jam gaya. Hall ke beech mein lohe ka ek bada sa ghera bana hua tha, aur uske andar aag jal rahi thi. Dheere nahi… bhayanak tareeke se. Jaise woh kisi ka intezaar kar rahi ho. Garmi door tak mehsoos ho rahi thi.
Uski nazar turant Kiansh par padi. Woh ghutnon ke bal zameen par tha, haath bandhe hue, chehre par chot ke taaze nishaan. Khoon zyada nahi tha, lekin itna zaroor tha ke Kiara ke andar kuch toot gaya. “Kiansh!” uski cheekh hawa mein goonj gayi. Woh uski taraf bhaagne lagi, lekin beech mein hi do aadmiyon ne use rok diya.
Aprajita dheere se aage badhi. Is baar uske chehre par koi drama nahi tha, sirf ek thandi si shanti thi. “Dekha?” usne Kiara ki taraf dekhte hue kaha, “pyaar kitna kamzor hota hai.” Usne Kiansh ko kandhe se pakad kar zor se dhakka diya. Kiansh zameen par gir gaya, lekin uski nazar sirf Kiara par thi. “Main theek hoon,” usne dard chhupate hue kaha, “tum kuch mat karna.”
Aprajita ne haath utha kar sabko chup kar diya. “Game simple hai,” usne seedhe lafzon mein kaha. “Agar tumhe apne pati ko bachana hai… toh tumhe is aag mein kudna hoga.” Hall ekdum sann ho gaya. Aag ki awaaz aur Kiara ki saansein hi sunai de rahi thi. Kiara ke pair dheere dheere aag ki taraf badhne lage. Garmi uske chehre ko chhoo rahi thi. Usne Kiansh ki taraf dekha. “Main tumhe kuch nahi hone dungi,” usne dheere se kaha.
“Kiara, nahi!” Kiansh cheekha. “Yeh trap hai!” Usne zanjeer kheenchne ki koshish ki, par use aur zor se pakad liya gaya.
Tabhi achanak hall ki lights flicker karne lagi. Ek badi screen on hui aur us par ek video chalne laga. Video mein Yuvika thi. Uska chehra dara hua tha. “Kiara, please mat karna,” woh ro rahi thi, “sab jhoot hai… yeh aag real nahi hai… yeh sirf illusion hai… woh tum dono ko psychologically tod rahi hai!” Kiara ek pal ke liye jam gayi. Usne aag ko dekha, phir Aprajita ko. Kya yeh sab sach mein sirf game tha?
Aprajita ka chehra ek second ke liye badla. “Band karo yeh!” woh chillayi. Video abruptly band ho gaya. Hall mein phir se sannata chha gaya.
Lekin usi pal zameen zor se hilne lagi.
Kiara ne neeche dekha. Lohe ka ghera dheere dheere slide hone laga. Upper layer toot kar side mein hat gayi. Neeche… asli aag thi. Gehri. Bhayanak. Neeche se upar tak bhadakti hui. Garmi achanak double ho gayi. Ab koi illusion nahi tha. Yeh maut thi.
Kiara ki saansein tez ho gayi. Yuvika jhoot bol rahi thi? Ya woh sach bata rahi thi aur yeh sab last moment ka twist tha? Uska dimag tootne laga.
Aprajita ne dheere se kaha, “Ab decide karo. Illusion par bharosa karogi… ya apni aankhon par?”
Kiansh ne zor se cheekh kar kaha, “Kiara, mujhe chhod do! Main mar jaunga par tum aag mein nahi kudogi!”
Kiara ne uski taraf dekha. Aankhon mein aansu nahi the ab. Sirf ek ajeeb si shanti thi.
Woh aag ke bilkul kinare par khadi thi.
Aur tab…
Usne apni chappal utaar di.
Hall mein kisi ne saans li.
Kiansh ki awaaz toot gayi, “Nahi…”
Kiara ne dheere se kaha, “Agar mera pyaar kamzor hai… toh aaj pata chal jaayega.”
Aur usne ek kadam aage badha diya.
Aakhri Kadam
Kiara ne jaise hi aag ke upar apna kadam hawa mein uthaya, us pal waqt jaise ruk gaya. Neeche bhadakti hui laal-peeli laaptein usse nigalne ko taiyaar thi. Garmi itni tez thi ke uske gaal jalne lage, par uski aankhon mein darr nahi tha. Sirf ek faisla tha. “KIARAAA!” Kiansh ki cheekh ne poora hall hila diya. Aur usi second kisi ne peeche se uski kamar pakad kar use zor se kheench liya. Kiara aag mein nahi giri. Woh kisi ki baahon mein thi. Sab kuch itni tezi se hua ke ek pal ke liye sab jam gaye. Aprajita ka chehra safed pad gaya, kyunki jisne Kiara ko bachaya tha… woh Yuvika thi.
Yuvika ne use kas kar pakda hua tha, saans tez chal rahi thi. “Pagal ho gayi ho kya?” usne gusse aur darr ke beech kaha. Kiara abhi bhi shock mein thi. “Tum…?” Yuvika ki aankhon mein aansu chamak rahe the. “Haan, main hi thi video mein. Aur main hi thi jo is game ko khatam karne wali thi.” Aprajita ka gussa phoot pada. “Tumne mujhe dhoka diya!” woh cheekhi. Yuvika ne seedha jawab diya, “Dhoka pehle aapne diya tha. Main sirf sach ke saath hoon.”
Jab sabka dhyaan Yuvika aur Kiara par tha, tabhi Kiansh ne apne haathon ko poori taqat se jhatka. Zanjeer ka pehle se dheela hook finally toot gaya. Metal ki tez awaaz hall mein goonj uthi. Sab ki nazar us par tik gayi. Woh dheere se khada hua, aankhon mein dard bhi tha aur aag bhi. Woh seedha Aprajita ki taraf badha aur uska haath pakad kar use peeche ki taraf dhakel diya. Usne use zor se jhunjhoda nahi, par itna pakad liya ke woh hil na sake. “Game khatam,” usne thandi awaaz mein kaha.
Lekin Aprajita hansi. Dheere, ajeeb si hansi. “Tum log abhi bhi samjhe nahi…” usne apni ungliyon mein pakde remote ko dabaya. Achanak hall ke saare darwaze zor se band ho gaye. Upar ceiling ke kone se halki si safed dhund nikalne lagi. Aag ek pal mein bujh gayi. Room dhund se bharne laga. Garmi gayab ho chuki thi, lekin hawa bhaari aur ajeeb si lagne lagi. Kiara ne gehri saans lene ki koshish ki, par uska seena jalne laga.
Us pal use samajh aaya — fire challenge sirf distraction tha. Real plan kuch aur tha.
Yuvika ne panic mein upar dekha. “Yeh toxic gas hai… kuch hi minute hain!” uski awaaz toot rahi thi. Kiansh ne Kiara ka haath pakad liya. Dhund tez hoti ja rahi thi. Saans lena mushkil. Nazar dhundhli.
Aur tab Kiara ne dekha — Aprajita muskur rahi thi.
“Ab asli test shuru hua hai,” usne dheere se kaha.
Room dheere dheere saans lene laga… aur unki saansein kam hone lagi.
Thank you for reading ❣️
Stay tuned 😈
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