Raat phir se shehar par aa chuki thi.
Par is baar andhera chup nahi tha —
wo wait kar raha tha.
Inspector Aarav us jagah pahuncha jahan se sab shuru hua tha.
Red Room.
Ab ye abandoned building thi.
Tooti deewarein.
Band cameras.
Par hawa me purani cheekhon ka weight tha.
Gate apne aap khula.
Andar sirf ek light jal rahi thi.
Aur uske neeche…
Kabir Malhotra.
Face clear tha ab.
No shadow.
No hiding.
"Tum aa gaye," Kabir bola.
"Akela."
Aarav ne gun neeche hi rakhi.
"Jaise tum chahte the."
Kabir muskuraya.
"Tumne seekh liya."
The Trap
Kabir ne ek screen on ki.
Live feed.
— City square
— Protestors
— Police force ready
Kabir bola, "Ya to tum sach ke saath khade rahoge…
ya system ke saath."
Screen split hui.
Dusri side ek file thi.
Red Room — Final Evidence
"Ye public hoga," Kabir ne kaha,
"agar tumne ye accept kiya ki tum bhi doshi ho."
Aarav ki aankhon me dard tha.
"Aur agar maine mana kiya?"
Kabir shaant tha.
"Toh shehar aag ban jaayega.
Sach bina zimmedari ke."
The Choice
Silence.
Aarav ne mic uthaya.
Live transmission on ki.
Usne gehri saans li.
"Main sirf ek officer nahi hoon,"
"main ek galti hoon… jo sudhri nahi."
Usne camera me dekha.
"Main apna badge surrender karta hoon.
Aur Red Room ke liye khud ko zimmedaar maanta hoon."
Screen par chaos ruk gaya.
Log chup ho gaye.
Kabir ki aankhon me pehli baar…
confusion tha.
"Tumne badla nahi liya," Kabir bola.
"Tumne khud ko tod diya."
Aarav ne sirf kaha, "Sach todta hai.
Par saaf bhi karta hai."
End… or Beginning
Sirens sunai di.
Kabir ne peeche dekha.
"Game khatam?" usne poocha.
Aarav ne jawab diya, "Badla haan.
Sach nahi."
Kabir ne aankhen band ki.
Aur pehli baar… bhaaga nahi.
Red Room ki lights band ho gayi.
Shehar ne saans li.
Par kahani yahin khatam nahi hoti.
Kuch sach,
end nahi hote…
wo sirf naye log dhoondhte hain.