Riya apne bed par leti hui phone scroll kar rahi thi. Raat ke 12:47 baj rahe the. Bahar halki baarish ho rahi thi, aur window par girti boonde ek ajeeb sa sukoon de rahi thi.
"Ting!"
Ek notification aaya..
Unknown number.
Usne screen kholi…
aur message padha:
"Don't trust him.
Riya ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
"Who is this?" usne turant reply kiya.
Koi jawab nahi.
Usne phone ko kuch seconds tak dekha… phir dheere se side me rakh diya.
"Don't trust him…
matlab kisko?"
woh khud se bolti hai.
Par ab neend usse koson door thi....
Agla din college me Riya ka mood thoda off tha.
"Tu theek hai? Itni chup kyun hai aaj?" Neha ne poocha.
"Kuch nahi… bas thoda tired hoon," Riya ne halki si smile di.
Tabhi classroom ka door khula.
Ek naya ladka andar aaya.....
Tall… confident… black shirt… intense eyes.
"Guys, meet Aarav. He's a transfer student," teacher ne kaha.
Riya ne bas ek glance liya…
Par pata nahi kyun uski nazar wahin ruk gayi.
Aarav ne bhi uski taraf dekha… aur halka sa smile diya...
Riya ne turant nazar hata li.
Uska dil thoda tez dhadak raha tha.
The First Talk
Lunch break me Riya canteen me baithi thi…
Tabhi Aarav uske saamne aake ruk gaya....
"Hi… Riya, right?"
Riya thodi surprised ho gayi. "Haan… tumhe kaise pata?"
"Attendance list," Aarav muskuraya.
"Can I sit?"
Riya ne sirf head nod kiya.
Baat shuru hui… simple topics se.
Par kuch hi minutes me Riya comfortable feel karne lagi.
Jaise woh usse pehle se jaanti ho.
Aur yahi baat usse thoda darane lagi.
That Message Again
Raat ko Riya fir phone use kar rahi thi…
Aur fir—
Unknown number.
"Stay away from Aarav."
Is baar uske haath thande pad gaye.
"Aarav…?" usne dheere se kaha....
Usne turant reply kiya:
"Who are you?
What do you want?"
Typing dikhai diya…
Phir achanak gayab.
No reply.
Room me sirf silence reh gaya.
Aur Riya ke dimaag me hazaar saw
Feelings or Fear?
Agle kuch dino me Riya aur Aarav aur close ho gaye.
Library… canteen… hasi-mazaak…
Aarav hamesha uska khayal rakhta tha.
Ek din lab me Riya ka haath cut ho gaya.
Aarav ne bina soche uska haath pakda… aur bandage kiya.
"You should be careful… I don't like seeing you hurt."
Riya ka heart skip kar gaya.
Par ussi moment…
woh message yaad aaya—
"Don't trust him."
Uska smile dheere-dheere fade ho gaya.
The Hidden Truth
Ek shaam library me Riya akeli thi.
Aarav late ho raha tha.
Tabhi uski nazar Aarav ke bag par padi.
Zipper thoda open tha.
Usne bas close karne ke liye haath badhaya…
Par andar ek photo dikhi.
Usne nikaal kar dekha.
Aur jam gayi.
Photo me Aarav tha…
Aur ek ladki.
Woh ladki…
bilkul Riya jaisi thi.
Same face. Same eyes.
"Yeh…
kaise possible hai?"
"Tumhe yeh nahi dekhna chahiye tha."
Riya ne mudkar dekha.
Aarav khada tha.
Is baar uski aankhon me softness nahi thi.
Kuch aur tha.
Dark… intense… scary.
"She was my girlfriend," Aarav ne dheere se kaha.
"She died… 2 years ago."
Riya ka dil doob gaya.
"Par woh meri tarah kyun dikhti hai?"
Aarav ne seedha uski aankhon me dekha.
"Because… you remind me of her."
Riya ek kadam peeche hat gayi.
"Tum mujhe uski jagah use kar rahe ho?"
"No! It's not like that!" Aarav ki awaaz me desperation thi.
Par Riya ko ab darr lag raha tha.
Riya ghar aayi…
Phone uthaya…
Aur fir wahi number.
"Now you know."
"Tum ho kaun?!" usne gusse me type kiya.
Reply turant aaya:
"I tried to save her… but I failed."
Riya ka heart fast beat karne laga.
"Aarav is not what he seems.
Dig deeper."
Agle din Riya ne Aarav ko ignore kiya.
Par Aarav ne usse rok liya.
"Why are you avoiding me?"
"Because I don't trust you anymore!"
"Riya, please—"
"Then tell me the truth!"
Aarav kuch bolne hi wala tha…
Tabhi—
"Riya!! Don't listen to him!"
Riya ne mudkar dekha…
Aur shock ho gayi.
Woh ladki…
zinda khadi thi.
The Choice 🔥
"Impossible…" Aarav ne dheere se kaha.
Woh ladki aage badhi…
Aur muskurayi.
"Main mari nahi thi… Aarav ne mujhe marne ki koshish ki thi."
"WHAT?!"
Riya ki awaaz kaanp gayi.
"She's lying!" Aarav chillaya.
Sach kya hai… jhoot kya hai…
Riya samajh nahi pa rahi thi.
Tabhi phone vibrate hua.
Last message:
"Now choose… before it's too late."
Than