Chapter 13: Mussoorie Ka Anjaan Chehra 🏔️❤️🔍
Subah ke 5 baje.
Gaon abhi poori tarah jaga bhi nahi tha.
Lekin Aarav aur Meera tayari kar chuke the.
Unke paas sirf kuch clues the:
📄 Nandini ka naya naam — Naina
📄 Last Recorded Address — Mussoorie
📄 Unknown Number ki warning
Aur ek umeed...
Ki 20 saal purana raaz ab khatam hone wala hai.
Viren bhi unke saath jaana chahta tha.
Lekin Mahesh ne use rok diya.
"20 saal se tumhara intezaar khatam hone wala hai."
"Lekin is baar jaldbazi mat karna."
Viren ne Aarav ke kandhe par haath rakha.
"Agar tumhe Nandini mil jaye..."
"To use kehna main aaj bhi uska intezaar kar raha hoon."
Meera ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.
🚗 Mussoorie Ka Safar
Pahaadon ki sadken.
Thandi hawa.
Aur badalon se ghiri hui waadiyan.
Aarav aur Meera pehli baar itni door saath safar kar rahe the.
Ek jagah gaadi ruk gayi.
Neeche poori valley nazar aa rahi thi.
Badal itne paas the ki haath badhao to chhoo lo.
Meera railing ke paas khadi ho gayi.
Uske baal hawa mein ud rahe the.
Aarav kuch pal use dekhta raha.
"Tum mujhe aise kyun dekh rahe ho?"
Meera muskuraayi.
Aarav pakda gaya.
"Main... bas scenery dekh raha tha."
"Accha?"
"Bilkul."
"To phir scenery ki aankhen meri taraf kyun hain?"
Dono hans pade.
Pichhle kuch dino mein pehli baar.
Lekin phir Meera serious ho gayi.
"Aarav..."
"Hmm?"
"Agar hume bua mil gayi to?"
"To?"
"Sab kuch badal jayega."
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
Aur dheere se bola,
"Chahe jo ho jaye... main tumhare saath hoon."
Meera ka dil ek pal ke liye ruk sa gaya.
Pata nahi kyun...
Lekin Aarav ke saath use har darr chhota lagne laga tha.
🏔️ Mussoorie
Shaam tak dono Mussoorie pahunch gaye.
Pahaadon mein basi wo khoobsurat jagah kisi film jaisi lag rahi thi.
Lekin unka mission romance nahi tha.
Unhe Nandini ko dhoondhna tha.
File mein diye gaye address par pahunchte hi unhe ek purana trust home mila.
Board par likha tha:
"Shanti Care Rehabilitation Center"
Building kaafi purani thi.
Aur dekh kar lag raha tha ki yahan bahut saalon se koi bada badlav nahi hua.
Reception par ek buzurg lady baithi thi.
Aarav ne Nandini ki photo dikhayi.
"Ma'am, kya aap is aurat ko pehchanti hain?"
Lady ne photo dekhi.
Aur uske chehre ka rang badal gaya.
"Tum log kaun ho?"
Aarav aur Meera ne ek dusre ko dekha.
Ye reaction normal nahi tha.
"Please hume sach batayiye."
Lady ne kuch seconds tak chup rehkar kaha,
"Main use jaanti thi."
Meera ka dil zor se dhadakne laga.
"Wo yahan thi?"
"Haan."
Aarav aur Meera dono ek saath khade ho gaye.
"Kahan hai wo ab?"
Lady ne gehri saans li.
Aur jo jawab diya...
Usne sab kuch badal diya.
"Wo yahan se 15 saal pehle chali gayi thi."
"Akeli?"
Aarav ne pucha.
Lady ne dheere se sir hila diya.
"Nahi."
"Wo apni chhoti beti ke saath gayi thi."
😱😱😱
Poora kamra khamosh ho gaya.
"BETI?!"
Meera ki awaaz kaanp gayi.
Lady ne haan mein sir hila diya.
"Haan."
"Uski ek beti thi."
Aarav ka dimaag sunn ho gaya.
Viren ne kabhi kisi beti ka zikr nahi kiya.
Kisi diary mein nahi.
Kisi record mein nahi.
"Us beti ka naam kya tha?" Aarav ne pucha.
Lady ne dheere se jawab diya:
"Aashi."
Aur usi pal...
Meera ke haath se Nandini ki photo gir gayi.
Kyuki...
Usne ye naam pehle bhi suna tha.
Bahut baar.
Apne bachpan mein.
"Aashi..." Meera dheere se boli.
Lady hairan reh gayi.
"Tum use jaanti ho?"
Meera ka chehra safed pad gaya.
"Mere papa aksar ek naam lete the..."
"Aashi."
"Lekin jab bhi main poochti thi wo kaun hai..."
"Papa baat badal dete the."
Aarav ko lagne laga ki raaz aur gehra hota ja raha hai.
Tabhi reception ke landline phone ki ghanti baji.
☎️
Lady ne call uthaya.
Do second baad uska chehra peela pad gaya.
"Kya hua?"
Aarav ne pucha.
Lady ne dheere se phone rakha.
Aur kaanpti hui awaaz mein boli:
"Abhi kisi aadmi ka phone tha."
"Kya kaha usne?"
Lady ne seedha Aarav aur Meera ki taraf dekha.
Uski aankhon mein darr tha.
Bahut zyada darr.
"Usne kaha..."
"Agar tum dono Nandini ko dhoondhna band nahi karoge..."
"...to agli laash pahaadon mein milegi."
Kamre mein sannata chha gaya.
Aur usi waqt...
Trust home ke bahar khadi Aarav ki gaadi ka alarm achanak bajne laga.
🚨🚨🚨
Dono bhaagte hue bahar nikle.
Gaadi ke sheeshe par kisi ne laal rang se ek message likh diya tha:
"GO BACK."
"AAKHIRI WARNING."
Meera ne darr ke maare Aarav ka haath pakad liya.
Lekin Aarav ki nazar us message ke neeche padi ek chhoti si cheez par atak gayi.
Wahan ek photo rakhi thi.
Ek purani photo.
Aur photo mein...
Nandini thi.
Ek chhoti bachchi thi.
Aur teesra chehra...
Dekhkar Aarav aur Meera ke hosh udd gaye.
Kyuki wo chehra kisi anjaan ka nahi tha.
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