Hotel ke us aalishaan presidential suite mein dhuyein aur makhmali khushboo ka gubar tha. Khidkiyan band thin, lekin andar ka mahaul bahar ki garmi ko bhi maat de raha tha.

Rudra Suryavanshi—ek aisa naam jise sunkar Delhi se lekar Dubai tak ke underworld mein sannata pasar jata tha. 25 saal ki umra, gora rang, aur un zehreeli neeli aankhon mein ek aisi chamak thi jo kisi ko bhi sammohit kar sakti thi. Vah Suryavanshi khandan ka iklauta waris tha. Dadaji ke alawa uske paas apna kehne wala koi nahi tha, aur shayad isi liye usne puri duniya ko hi apna dushman bana liya tha. Karodon ki sampatti, behisab paisa, aur us paise ko aur badhane ki bhookh ne use ek machine bana diya tha.

Bistar par halchal tez thi. Uske neeche dabi ladki paseene se tar-batar, besudh hokar tadap rahi thi.

"Rudra...!" ladki ki aawaz kaanp rahi thi, uske honth Rudra ke naam ko japne ki koshish mein ladkhada rahe the.

Rudra ke chehre par koi bhav nahi tha. Uski nasen ubhri hui thin, aur uski aankhen jaise kisi shikaar ko dekh rahi hon. Usne ladki ke baalon mein haath dala aur use zor se peeche ki or kheencha.

"Shit! Bakwas band kar aur chupchap jhel," Rudra ne kaha, uski aawaz mein kisi tarah ki narmi nahi, bas ek ajeeb si darindagi thi. "It’s not heaven, it’s just business."

Tabhi, kamre ki mez par rakhe uske keemti phone ki ringtone goonji. Kamre ke sukoon ko us shor ne cheer diya. Rudra ruka, gehri saans li, aur bina kisi jhijhak ke ek haath se phone utha liya. Dusri taraf se jo aawaz aayi, usne Rudra ki aankhon ki putliyon ko sikod diya.

Usne ek second bhi barbad nahi kiya. Ladki ko dhakelte hue vah bistar se utha. Usne shirt pehanna bhi zaroori nahi samjha. Uski chaudi peeth jis par Bholenath ke trishul ka tattoo tha, paseene ki boondon se chamak rahi thi. Usne apni pant theek ki aur seedhe balcony ki or badh gaya.

Balcony mein ek ladki khadi thi—vardi mein. Ek police officer. Uske chehre par paseena tha aur haath kaanp rahe the. Vah shayad kisi saboot ki talash mein thi ya Rudra ko range haathon pakadne aayi thi, lekin vah nahi jaanti thi ki vah maut ke munh mein khadi hai.

Jaise hi Rudra balcony ke darwaze par pahuncha, uska ek guard daudta hua aaya aur usne Rudra ke kandhon par makhmali coat daal diya. Kamre ki light jalte hi pura suite jagmaga utha.

Rudra ne us officer ladki ko dekha. Ladki ne ghabrate hue kaha, "Rudra, tumhare khilaf darjano case hain. Is baar tum nahi bachoge. Kanoon tumhari..."

Rudra ki aankhon mein ek thandi hansi aayi. Usne ladki ki baat puri hone ka intezar bhi nahi kiya. Usne furti se aage badhkar ladki ko dhakka diya. Yeh teesri manzil thi. Ladki ki cheekh hawa mein goonj gayi aur agle hi pal neeche girne ki dhamak ne pure mahaul ko khamosh kar diya.

"Mere kaam ke beech mein jo aayega, uska hashra yahi hoga," Rudra ne thandi aawaz mein kaha.

Uske aadmi ne turant aage aakar use cigar offer ki. Rudra ne cigar jalai, ek lamba kash liya aur balcony ki railing par haath rakhkar bahar ke shahar ki jagmagati roshni ko dekhne laga. Uske chehre par ab koi thakaan nahi thi, bas ek ajeeb si santushti thi.

Neeche se police ki siren ki aawazen aane lagi thin. Rudra ne dhuan hawa mein chhoda aur muskuraya. Use pata tha ki neeche laash padi hai, lekin use koi darr nahi tha. Vah jaanta tha ki kanoon uske pairon ki dhool bhi nahi chhoo sakta.

Usne andar mudkar dekha. Vah ladki abhi bhi bistar par padi use dari hui nazron se dekh rahi thi.

"Abhi waqt hai," Rudra ne apni ghadi dekhte hue kaha, "jaldi taiyaar ho ja. Raat abhi bahut baaki hai aur mujhe abhi bahut saare paap karne hain."

Vah balcony mein hi khada raha, ek samrat ki tarah, jiske paas sab kuch tha lekin sukoon ka ek tukda bhi nahi. Uski neeli aankhen andhere mein chamak rahi thin, jaise vah kisi aur ke vinash ki patkatha likh raha ho. Suryavanshi khandan ka yeh waris sirf paisa nahi kama raha tha, vah dheere-dheere khud ko aur apni insaniyat ko usi nark ki aag mein jhonk raha tha jo usne khud apne liye banayi thi.

Rudra ne ek baar phir apne phone ko dekha. Ek naya message tha. Ek nayi deal. Uska chehra phir se patthar jaisa sakht ho gaya. Khel to abhi shuru hua tha.

Kya aapko lagta hai ki Rudra ke andar ki ye shaitani bhookh kabhi shaant hogi, ya vah apne hi banaye is chakravyuh mein ek din khud hi phans jayega?

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