Ariya FF: Veiled Darkness

Prologue

Raat ka aakhri peher tha. Mumbai ki galiyon mein aksar iss waqt shanti hoti hai, lekin ek ajeeb si khamoshi uss raat hawaon mein gungun rahi thi. Streetlights halki-halki timtima rahi thi, jaise kisi buri aahat ki gavaahi de rahi ho.

Camera ek apartment ke andar zoom karta hai – Riya Mukherjee apne chhote, saaf-suthre ghar mein files dekh rahi thi. Table pe khuli hui ek purani case file thi, uske paas uski diary, aur ek steaming cup of coffee. Riya ki aadat thi ki wo cases ko baar-baar analyse karti thi, kabhi khud ko prove karne ke liye, kabhi apne Arjun sir ki tarah sharp sochne ke liye.

Usne halki muskaan ke saath diary band ki.
"Bas Riya, aaj ke liye kaafi hai… kal subah Rathod sir ko presentation dikhana hai."

Wo apne glasses utarkar aankhen masal hi rahi thi ki usne khidki ke paas ek halki si aahat suni. Usne gardan ghoomayi— kuch nahi. Lekin phir, lights ek second ke liye blink ki.

Riya: “Kisne kaha tha horror movies dekhne ko? Abhi se hallucinations ho rahe hain… uff.”

Wo hansi ke saath uthi, cup uthakar kitchen ki taraf gayi. Lekin peeche se ek shadow tez kadmon se chhupkar aage badh raha tha.

Dhadd!
Riya jaise hi cup sink mein rakhti hai, peeche se ek haath uske mooh par kapda chadha deta hai. Uski aankhen badi ho jaati hain, wo ghutne lagti hai.

Riya zor se resist karti hai, elbows se attack karti hai, par attackers trained the. Do aadmi uske haath-pair pakad lete hain, teesra uske muh par chloroform ragadta hai.

Riya ki halki si aawaz nikalti hai:
"Chhodo mujhe! Arjun si—"

Aur phir sab andhera.

***

Dusre kone mein, ek aur apartment. Arjun Suryakant Rawte apne ghar ke chhote se balcony mein khada tha. Uski aankhen door sheher ke skyline par tiki thi. Hawa tez chal rahi thi, aur uska expression usual tarah se stone-faced tha.

Haath mein ek purani tasveer. Roshni ki. Usne tasveer ko palat kar rakha aur gehri saans bhari. Phir andar aaya, jahan uski table par ek half-finished whiskey glass tha aur laptop screen par kuch confidential ETF reports khuli thi.

Suddenly, usne bhi wahi mehsoos kiya—ek aahat.

Arjun apne sharp senses ke liye jaana jaata tha. Usne turant apna service revolver uthaya aur aankhon ko narrowed kar diya.
"Kaun hai?"

Silence. Sirf hawa ki awaaz.

Usne dheere-dheere kadam badhaye, har corner check karte huye. Lights normal chal rahi thi. Lekin jaise hi wo apne living room ke beech mein aaya, peeche se ek halki si click hui.

Aur usse pehle ki wo react karta, ek smoke grenade uske saamne ghir gaya. White gas ne pura kamra bhar diya. Arjun turant apne muh ko kapde se cover karta hai aur blindly fire karne jaata hai— lekin teen silhouettes ne usse overpower kar liya.

Ek ne uske haath pakde, doosre ne uski kamar par strike kiya. Arjun ne apni full strength se counter kiya—ek aadmi ka collar pakad kar usse diwar se takraya. Dusre ko kick maara. Ek do second ke liye laga ki wo bach jaayega.

Lekin teesra aadmi pichhe se steel rod se uske sir par zor ka vaar karta hai.

"Tchhh!" Arjun ke hoonth se ek khoon ki boond nikli, uski aankhen dhundhli ho gayi.

Uska revolver zameen par girta hai. Uska sharir dheere-dheere ladkhadaya, aur phir woh behosh hokar neeche gir gaya. Attackers turant usse uthakar ek van mein le jaate hain.

***

ETF office usual tarah se busy tha. ACP Sameer Rathod apne cabin se nikal kar conference room ki taraf gaye, jahan Shree, Chotu, Ayesha aur Liza apne laptops aur case reports khol kar baithe the.

Sameer: “Good morning, team. Aaj ka kaam zyada hai, toh everyone be on your toes. Riya kahan hai? Aur Rawte?”

Shree ne turant laptop screen se upar dekha.
Shree: “Sir, Riya ne kal raat ek file ke baare mein bola tha ki wo complete karke aaj subah bhej degi. Lekin abhi tak na file aayi, na uska phone lag raha hai.”

Chotu ne apna phone check kiya.
Chotu: “Aur Arjun sir bhi missing hai. Usually is waqt tak toh wo aa jaate hain. Phone unka bhi unreachable ja raha hai.”

Ek second ke liye sab chup ho gaye. ETF ki training thi unke liye— lekin Arjun aur Riya dono ka ek saath missing hona… yeh sirf coincidence nahi ho sakta.

Ayesha ne apne straight-forward tone mein kaha:
“Sir, mujhe lagta hai yeh koi normal delay nahi hai. Dono ka phone ek saath unreachable hona… something’s off.”

Rathod ki aankhen sankar gayi.
"Tum keh rahi ho ki…"

Ayesha: “Yes sir. Mujhe lagta hai dono ko… abduct kiya gaya hai.”

Room mein ek thandi hawa jaise chal gayi. Shree ke haath ke neeche keyboard ruk gaya, Chotu ne apne mooh se “Kya?!” nikal diya, aur Liza turant Rathod ki taraf dekhne lagi.

Rathod ne table par apna haath maara.
"Rawte… aur Riya… kidnapped?! Impossible. Lekin agar yeh sach hai, toh iska matlab hai ki dushman ne ETF ko seedha challenge diya hai."

***

Rathod khada hua, uski awaaz office mein goonj gayi.

"Team, iss waqt ek second bhi barbaad karne ka waqt nahi hai. Ab yeh sirf case nahi, humare apne logon ki zindagi ka sawal hai. Shree—phones ka last location trace karo. Chotu—Arjun aur Riya ke ghar check karo. Ayesha aur Liza—possible enemies ki list nikalo jo ETF se badla lena chaahte hain."

Sabne ek sur mein kaha: “Yes, Sir!”

***

Cut to—ek dark, damp godown. Chains latak rahi thi, hawa se hilti hui. Ek kone mein, kursi par bandhi hui thi Riya, uska mooh bandha hua, aankhen dheere-dheere khul rahi thi. Usne hosh mein aakar samjha ki wo apne ghar mein nahi hai. Uski saansen tez ho gayi.

Dusre kone mein, ek aur kursi par—Arjun, abhi bhi behosh, sir par chot ka nishaan.

Riya ki aankhon mein dar ke saath ek aur ehsaas tha—ek determination.

Usne apne bandhe haathon ko hilaaya aur dheere se kaha:
"Sir… Arjun sir… uthiye… please… humein bachna hoga…"

Camera zoom out karta hai— aur ek shadowed figure door se unhe dekh raha hota hai. Uske hoonth par ek thandi, khaufnaak muskaan.

"Welcome to the game, ETF."

[TBC]

So their torture will be live streamed or what

Delicious 😋

Galat panga leliya Bande ne. Chalo, de hi diya hn toh, dekha jayega. Mhare ETF wale kisise kam koni?

Sounds interesting..whose is this crazy who has captured ariyya ..hope that ri finds a way out and we some badass action 🤩

Oh you are back with another story yay

Anbd this one seems dark

But English mein likhogi to I feel it will carry more depth