Khoon ka Khel
Conference room ka mahaul tense tha. Har jagah silence, sirf laptops ki click-click ki awaaz aur Rathod ki kadam chalne ki gungunahat sunayi de rahi thi. Ek taraf se Shree apne system mein hacking codes chala raha tha, doosri taraf Liza forensic records check kar rahi thi.
Rathod, apni usual commanding tone mein:
"Report. Jaldi."
Shree ne turant apna screen Rathod ki taraf ghumaaya.
"Sir, maine Riya ke phone ka last location trace kiya hai. Raat 11:42 PM par uska signal ek sudden jhatke se cut hua. Last ping: Andheri West, uske apartment ke paas."
Chotu ne table par haath maara.
"Par sir, unke ghar ke saamne toh ek chowki bhi hai. Aise kaise…?"
Ayesha ne calm par sharp voice mein interrupt kiya:
"Aur Arjun sir ka phone? Uska bhi signal 12:05 AM par disappear hua. Location – unka apartment. Matlab dono ko apne gharon se hi uthaya gaya hai."
Rathod ki aankhen gusse se bhar gayi.
"Matlab attackers ne planning ki thi. Har ek detail. Ek hi raat mein ETF ke do officers ko nikalna… yeh koi ordinary gang ka kaam nahi ho sakta."
Liza: “Sir, maine abhi abhi ek aur cheez trace ki hai. Dono ke ghar ke 2 km ke radius mein power fluctuations report hue hain raat ke time. Matlab koi electrical interference… maybe kisi ne deliberately blackout kiya ho unke moves cover karne ke liye.”
Shree ne turant bola:
"Sir, yeh koi professional operation lagta hai. Matlab attackers ne humein seedha target kiya hai."
***
Next shot – ETF SUV zoom karke Riya ke ghar ke bahar rukti hai. Rathod, Ayesha aur Chotu utarte hain, Shree aur Liza peeche laptops leke aate hain.
Ayesha turant building guard ko interrogate karti hai.
"Kal raat koi unusual activity? Kisi ko andar aate hue dekha?"
Guard (ghabraate hue):
"N-nahi madam. Bas… ek white van raat ko road par khadi thi. Mujhe laga kisi guest ka hoga."
Chotu ka haath gusse se mooh pe gaya.
"Yaar, tum log guard hoke bhi kuch dekhte kyun nahi ho!"
Rathod ne turant Chotu ko calm kiya.
"Relax, Chotu. Anger abhi waste nahi karna."
Shree ne forensic kit nikal ke Riya ke ghar ke andar scan kiya. Fingerprints scattered the, but sab gloves ke. Phir bhi ek subtle cheez mili—sink ke paas girah hua ek cup, aur zameen pe faint chloroform residue.
Shree: "Sir, clear hai. Riya ko kitchen se pick kiya gaya. Multiple footprints hain, kam se kam teen log."
Ayesha ne narrowed eyes ke saath kaha:
"Matlab unhe overpower karne ke liye trained log lage. Normal criminals aise precision se kaam nahi karte."
***
Dusre din kehte hain ki Arjun ka ghar toh fortress jaisa tha— har cheez calculated, har corner secure. Lekin phir bhi wo bhi abduct ho gaya.
ETF uske ghar mein enter karti hai. Room ka haal dekh kar sab ek pal ke liye shock ho jaate hain.
Living room kaafi mess tha. Ek shattered whiskey glass, floor par ek revolver, aur side par smoke grenade ke remnants. Wall pe ek chhoti si blood smear.
Chotu ne gussa se mutthi bandh ki.
"Sir ko rokne ke liye kisi ne head blow maara. Yeh log sirf professional hi ho sakte hain."
Ayesha ne ek broken chair ka tukda uthaya.
"Arjun sir ne fight kiya tha. Lekin agar unhe bhi pakad liya gaya… iska matlab hai ki attackers trained aur heavy in number the."
Shree ne system se floor scan kiya.
"Sir, maine yahan se ek steel rod ke metallic particles detect kiye hain. Same residue Arjun sir ke blood smear ke saath match karega."
Rathod apne haathon ko kamar par rakhta hai, uska face steel jaisa.
"Rawte aur Riya… abduct. Attackers ke paas resources bhi hain aur information bhi. Matlab yeh koi purana dushman hai."
***
Conference room mein dobara sab ikatthe hue. Liza ne ek projector chalu kiya jisme ek list dikhi.
Liza:
"ETF ke major cases mein teen bade names bache hain jo ya toh bhage hue hain ya fir revenge ki wajah se humare peeche aa sakte hain. Number one – Ajay Shekhawat, human trafficker. Number two – Vicky Rao, arms dealer. Aur number three – Narayan Tiwari, corrupt businessman jiske against humne evidence gather kiya tha."
Ayesha: “Ajay Shekhawat toh Kolkata police ke encounter mein mar gaya tha. Vicky Rao abhi tak underground hai. But Narayan Tiwari… he had political backup. Ho sakta hai wohi ho.”
Shree: “Par sir, abhi tak koi ransom call nahi aaya. Agar kidnapping paison ke liye hoti toh ab tak contact kar lete.”
Rathod: “Exactly. Matlab motive paisa nahi hai. Yeh personal hai. Yeh ETF ko todne ki koshish hai.”
***
Cut to—ek andhera godown. Riya ab poore hosh mein thi, uske haath abhi bhi bandhe the. Usne thoda struggle karke apna kapda thoda dheela kiya. Aankhen andar ghoom rahi thi.
Doori par Arjun abhi bhi unconscious tha.
Riya (halki si phusphusaahate hue):
"Arjun sir… please uthiye… hum akelay nahi bacha paayenge."
Tabhi ek khaufnaak hasi gunjti hai. Ek aadmi, black coat mein, unke saamne aata hai. Uska chehra half shadow mein tha.
"Tum logon ko lagta hai ETF hamesha jeetega? Ab dekhte hain kaise bachaata hai Rathod apni team ko."
Usne apne aadmi ko ishara kiya. Arjun ke sir par ek balti paani daala gaya. Arjun ke hoonth se “tchhh” ki awaaz nikalti hai aur uski aankhen khulti hain.
Arjun ne turant apne surroundings ko scan kiya—bandhi kursi, chains, attackers, aur Riya jo pehle hi uski taraf hope se dekh rahi thi.
Riya: “Sir…”
Arjun ke chehre par wohi thandi determination wapas aa gayi. Usne ek steel glare ke saath attackers ko dekha.
"Tumne galti ki hai."
***
ETF office mein Rathod ka phone budget ke buzzer ke saath bajta hai. Unknown number.
Rathod pick karta hai. Dusri taraf wahi shadowed voice.
"ACP Rathod. Tumhare dono officers hamare paas hain. Agar unhe zinda dekhna hai… toh iss game mein khelna hoga. Varna… ek ek karke laash milegi."
Aur call cut.
Sab shocked rehte hain. Chotu gusse se table pe punch maar deta hai.
"Kamino! Main chhodunga nahi."
Ayesha ki aankhen blaze karti hain.
"Sir, yeh war hai. Aur ab hum yeh war jeetenge."
Rathod ki awaaz steel jaisi, lekin andar se ek dard chhupa hua.
"Team. Yeh sirf mission nahi. Yeh hamare apno ki jaan ka sawaal hai. Aur jab tak Riya aur Rawte wapas safe nahi aate… hum chain se nahi baithenge."
Camera zoom karta hai—ETF ka logo ek dam ke liye flash hota hai.
[TBC]
Edited by SarafWasima - 8 hours ago
637