He Trapped In Own Game

Raat ke do baj rahe the. Delhi ke ek chhote se 2-BHK kiraye ke makan ke ufnate hue seelan bhare kamre mein, sirf ek table fan ki khadkhadahat aur khidki se aati halki baarish ki aawaz thi.

Neha ne apne haath mein pakdi sasti si chai ki kulhad ko kasker bheench rakha tha. Usaki ungliyan kaamp rahi thin. Kamre ki peeli tubelight ki roshni mein saamne khada tha—Amit.

Wahi sadharan sa cotton ka kurta, wahi uljhe hue baal, aur wahi halki si daadhi wala chehra. Usaki reodh mein ek thandi siharan daud gayi. Aakarshan aur khauf ka ek aisa nasha, jo Neha ko andar tak jhakjhor raha tha.

"Neha, tum itni raat ko jagi hui kyon ho? Aur mujhe is tarah kyon dekh rahi ho?" Amit ne apni wahi jaani-pehchaani, dheemi aur maadak aawaz mein poochha. Woh chal kar Neha ke kareeb aaya.

Neha ka dil seene mein dhak-dhak karne laga. Jab Amit ki garam saansen Neha ki gardan se takrayin, toh uska badan sulag utha. Amit ne Neha ki patli kamar par apne haath rakhe aur use apni taraf kheench liya. Neha ne apni aankhen band kar lin. Amit ke hont uski gardan par sarakne lage—woh chhuan itni maadak aur gehri thi ki Neha apne saare hosh khone lagi.

Lekin is pyaar aur tadap ke peeche ek bahut bada, ganda aur kadwa raaz chhipa tha.

Neha ek middle-class family ki ladki thi. Sarkari naukri ki taiyari karne wale Amit se usne bepanah mohabbat ki thi. Lekin do saal pehle, Amit ne Neha ke chhote se parivaar ki saari jama-poonji (5 lakh rupaye ka loan) ainth liya, Neha ki cousin ke saath affair chalaya aur jab pakda gaya toh raataraat gaayab ho gaya. Baad mein khabar aayi ki shehar ke paas ek sadak haadse mein Amit ki jal kar maut ho gayi.

Neha ka dil toot chuka tha. Samaaj ke taane, karj ka bojh aur Amit ka dhokha—in sabne Neha ko andar se patthar bana diya. Woh na toh Amit ko bhool paa rahi thi, aur na hi us dhokhe ko maaf kar paa rahi thi.

Badle ki isi aag mein jalte hue Neha ne apni zindagi ki sabse badi galti ki. Hospital mein Amit ki body pehchante waqt usne chupke se uska baalon ka sample chura liya tha. Neha ne din-raat private tuition padha kar, apni maa ke jewar girwi rakh kar aur dark web ke zariye ek illegal Indian bio-hacking group ko laakhon rupaye diye. Usne Amit ka ek illegal biological clone (Amit 2.0) banwa liya.

Neha ka irada koi seedha-saadha pyaar paana nahi tha. Woh is clone ko apna gulaam banana chahti thi.

Neha ne us lab walon ko paise dekar Amit ki memory mein badlaav karwaya tha—Amit ki chaalaaki, uska ghamand aur uska dhokha sab mita diya gaya tha. Use sirf itna yaad tha ki woh Neha ka berozgaar pati hai aur Neha se paaglon ki tarah pyaar karta hai.

Pichhle chaar mahinon se, us chhote se kiraye ke makan mein Neha Amit ko apne ishaaron par nacha rahi thi. Amit dinbhar ghar ka kaam karta, Neha ke pair dabata, aur raat ko Neha apni puraani jillat ka badla lene ke liye Amit ke jism ka istemaal karti. Amit uske saamne pyaar ki bheek maangta, aur Neha ko lagta ki usne apne dhokhebaaz ex ko aukaat dikha di hai.

Lekin us raat, kahaani poori tarah badal gayi.

Amit ne jab Neha ko apni baahon mein bhara, toh achanak uski ungliyan Neha ki gardan par zarurat se zyada kas gayin. Neha ki saansen atakse lagin.

"A-Amit... yeh kya kar rahe ho? Chhodo mujhe!" Neha tadapte hue uske seene par haath maar kar peeche hatne ki koshish karne lagi.

Amit ruka, lekin usne Neha ko chhoda nahi. Uske chehre par jo maasoomiyat aur deewangi thi, woh achanak gaayab ho gayi. Uski aankhon mein wahi chaalaak, kameeni aur khaufnaak muskaan aa gayi, jisse Neha do saal pehle nafrat karne lagi thi.

"Kya hua Neha? Bada maza aa raha tha na mujhe apni ungliyon par nachane mein?" Amit ki aawaz ab seedhi-saadhi nahi rahi, usmein ek zaherila nasha tha.

Neha ka khoon jam gaya. "T-Tum... tumhari memory... tum yeh sab kaise bol rahe ho?"

Amit ne Neha ko dhael kar almari se sata diya aur uske ekdam kareeb aa gaya. Uski saansen Neha ke chehre se takra rahi thi.

"Tujhe kya laga tha, Neha? Ki tu tuition padha-padha kar aur maa ke jewar bech kar ek insani clone bana legi?" Amit ne hanste hue uske gaalon ko thapthapaya. "Tu ek middle-class ladki hai, Neha. Teri soch jahan khatam hoti hai, meri chaalaaki wahan se shuru hoti hai."

Neha ki aankhen fati ki fati reh gayin.

"Do saal pehle jo accident hua tha, usmein koi aur mara tha," Amit ne uske kaan mein fusfusaya. "Mujh par bank ka bhaari karj tha aur police mere peeche thi. Mujhe apni farzi maut ka naatak karna tha. Lekin mujhe pata tha ki tu mere pyaar mein kis had tak andhi aur paagal hai. Maine hi apni us farzi body par apna DNA sample chhoda tha taki tu us bio-lab tak pahuche."

Neha ka jism dar se kaampne laga.

"Jis bio-lab ko tune apni maa ke gahne bech kar paise diye the, woh lab mere hi ek dost ki thi," Amit ne shaatirpan se muskuraate hue kaha. "Maine koi clone banne ka naatak nahi kiya. Main asli Amit hi hoon! Maine bas chaar mahine tak tere ghar mein muft mein rehne, tere paison par palne aur kanoon ki nazar se chhipe rehne ke liye naatak kiya. Tu soch rahi thi ki tu mujhse badla le rahi hai... lekin tu toh bas mere chhipne ka sabse safe adda bani hui thi."

Neha ke pairon tale zameen khisak gayi. Jis mard ko woh apni kathputli samajh kar nacha rahi thi, usi ne Neha ke badle ki aag, uske jismani junoon aur uski gareebi ka istemaal karke khud ko police se chhupaaye rakha tha.

"Ab meri nayi farzi ID ban chuki hai," Amit ne Neha ki thodhi ko kasker pakda. "Aur woh 5 lakh ka loan? Woh toh ab bhi tere hi naam par hai. Ab badla main loonga, Neha... aur shuruaat isi kamre se hogi."

Neha us chhote se kamre ki deewar se sati reh gayi. Baarish ki boonden khidki par patak rahi thin, aur shikaar karne nikli ladki khud apne hi bichhaye jaal mein sabse बुरी tarah shikaar ban chuki thi.