Mumbai ki raat unusually heavy thi. Garmi, pasina, aur ek chhota sa safehouse jahan hawa tak ruk si gayi thi.
Riya ne darwaze ko zor se dhakka diya, par lock hilne ka naam hi nahi le raha tha.
“Great… ab hum yahin phas gaye,” usne frustration mein kaha.
Peeche khada Vikram usse ghur raha tha.
“Tumhari planning thi. Deal with it.”
Riya palat kar uske saamne aa gayi. Dono ke beech distance almost khatam ho chuka tha.
“Teri wajah se sab kharab hua hai,” usne dheere se kaha, lekin uski awaaz mein gussa clearly sunai de raha tha.
Vikram thoda aur kareeb aaya.
“Ya phir tum kabhi accept nahi karogi ki tum galat thi?”
Room chhota tha… par tension bahut bada.
Dono ek doosre ko dekh rahe the — jaise fight abhi shuru hone wali ho… ya kuch aur.
Ek second ka silence.
Phir Riya ne uska collar pakad liya.
“Don’t push me.”
Vikram ne uska haath pakad kar rok liya. Grip strong thi.
“Already did.”
Unki saansein fast ho rahi thi. Garmi ya gussa… ya dono.
Riya ne usse door hone ki koshish ki, par Vikram ne usse diwaar ke paas rok diya.
Ab dono itne kareeb the ki unki heartbeat tak feel ho rahi thi.
“Tum dangerous ho,” Riya ne dheere se kaha.
Vikram halka sa smirk kiya.
“Tumhe pehle hi pata tha.”
Gussa dheere dheere kuch aur ban raha tha.
Riya ki aankhon mein ab sirf anger nahi tha… confusion bhi tha.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” usne pucha.
Vikram ne jawab nahi diya.
Bas ek second… aur phir sab change ho gaya.
Unke beech ka distance khatam ho gaya.
Ek intense moment — jahan nafrat aur attraction ek line pe aa gaye.
Jaise dono ladte ladte thak gaye ho…
Aur ab chup ho gaye ho.
Kuch der baad room phir se silent tha.
Riya khidki ke paas khadi thi, bahar andhera dekhte hue.
“Yeh galat hai,” usne slowly kaha.
Vikram ne peeche se jawab diya:
“Ya shayad… inevitable.”
Dono ko pata tha — yeh end nahi hai.
Yeh bas shuruaat hai.