Chapter 4— Wo ladki jo CCTV mein nazar ayi

Seoul Metropolitan Police ki ek khaas building mein, ek chhota lekin sakht-o-mazboot kamra tha jahan sirf khaas cases handle hote thay — woh cases jo akhbaron mein nahi aate, jo chhupaye jaate hain, jahan sirf woh log kaam karte hain jinhe upar wale bharosa karte hain.

Detective Kang-Dae apni kursi par baitha, saamne screen par baar baar ek hi footage dekh raha tha.

Airport ki CCTV. Ek girta hua banner. Ek chhota bacha. Aur ek ladki — niqab pehne, teiz raftaar se bhaagti hui, jaise usne zindagi mein kabhi darr ka matlab hi nahi seekha.

Uske saathi, junior officer Park, kamre mein dakhil hua, haath mein coffee ka cup.

"Sir, aap phir wahi dekh rahe hain?"

Kang-Dae ne footage rok diya, ek frame par jahan ladki ka chehra, ya jo bhi uska hissa nazar aata tha, saaf dikh raha tha. "Yeh teesri baar hai is hafte mein jab yeh chehra humare radar par aaya hai."

"Teesri baar?" Park ne bhaun uthai, coffee peete hue.

"Ek — airport, jab usne Cha Min-Ho ke bhanje ko bachaya. Do — ek gali ki CCTV, Gangnam ke qareeb, jahan woh Obsidian ke leader ke saath dekhi gayi, us raat jab uska ankle chot lagi thi aur usse achanak hospital jana pada tha bina kisi wajah bataye. Aur teen—" Kang-Dae ne ek doosri file kholi, "—yeh."

Screen par ek naya visual aaya — kisi warehouse ke bahar ki footage, andheri raat, do gaadiyan khadi thi. Aur door, dhundhli si, ek shakal jo bilkul wesi hi lag rahi thi jaise us niqab wali ladki ki thi.

"Yeh kahan ki footage hai?" Park ne poocha, uski awaaz mein ab sanjidgi thi.

"Incheon ke qareeb ek purana warehouse," Kang-Dae ne kaha. "Jise humne mahino se watch kar rahe hain. Human trafficking aur money laundering ka network — bade log involved hain is mein, itne bade ke humein abhi tak proof nahi mil raha jo court mein khada ho sake."

"Aur aap sochte hain yeh ladki us se judi hai?"

Kang-Dae ne apni kursi peeche ki, sochte hue. "Main nahi jaanta. Shayad woh sirf ghalat waqt, ghalat jagah thi. Shayad woh unke radar par aa gayi hai bina kuch kiye. Ya shayad—" usne apni ankhein tang ki, "—woh khud is mein involved hai, aur yeh sab uska ek game hai."

"Aapko yakeen nahi hai apni hi baat par," Park ne kaha, halke se muskura kar.

Kang-Dae ne bhi halki muskurahat di, lekin uski ankhon mein woh purani professional sanjidgi thi jo bohat saalon ke tajurbe se aati hai. "Nahi. Kyunki jo insaan bachpan ke bachchon ko bachata hai bheed ke beech, jo apni jaan khatre mein daal kar kisi ajnabi idol ki madad karta hai — woh criminal nahi lagta. Lekin—" usne ruk kar screen ki taraf dekha, "—main is field mein kaafi der se hoon, Park. Aur maine seekha hai ke sabse masoom lagne wale log kabhi kabhi sabse gehre secrets rakhte hain."

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Kang-Dae ne apna phone uthaya aur ek number dial kiya.

"Cha Min-Ho ke office se baat karo," usne kaha. "Poocho ke unhe us ladki ke baare mein kuch pata hai jisne unke bhanje ki jaan bachai. Naam, address, kuch bhi."

"Aur agar unhe kuch na pata ho?"

"To hum doosra rasta try karenge," Kang-Dae ne kaha, apni ankhein wapas screen par gaddi karte hue. "Hotel records check karo airport ke aas paas. Koi bhi Pakistani passport holder jo pichle 48 ghanton mein arrive hui ho."

Park ne sar hilaya aur kamre se nikal gaya.

Kang-Dae akela reh gaya, screen ke saamne, ladki ki tasveer ko ghoor-ta hua.

*Kaun ho tum?* usne khud se socha. *Aur tumhe pata bhi hai ke tum kis mushkil mein pohanch chuki ho?*

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**Kahin Aur**

Cha Min-Ho apne office ki bulandiyon wali khidki ke saamne khada tha, Seoul ka shehr uske neeche phaila hua tha jaise koi shatranj ki bisaat. Uska phone baja — unknown number.

"Cha Min-Ho," usne jawab diya.

"Mr. Cha," police officer ki awaaz thi, professional aur seedhi. "Hum ek chhoti si maloomat chahte hain. Kal aapke bhanje, Ji-Hun, ki jaan ek khatoon ne bachai airport par. Kya aapke paas unka koi contact detail hai?"

Min-Ho ki ankhein tang hui. "Kyun poocha ja raha hai? Kya woh kisi mushkil mein hai?"

"Hum sirf ek routine follow-up kar rahe hain," officer ne kaha, lekin Min-Ho ne kaafi saal business mein guzare thay ye samajhne ke liye ke jab koi "routine" ka lafz istemal karta hai, tab kuch routine nahi hota.

"Mere paas unka naam hai," Min-Ho ne kaha, "lekin address ya contact nahi. Woh chali gayi thi bina kuch bataye."

"Naam?"

Min-Ho ne ek pal ruk kar socha. Sach yeh tha ke usse khud us ladki ka naam nahi pata tha — woh itni jaldi mein chali gayi thi ke Min-Ho ne poochne ka mauka hi nahi paya. Us ladki ki ankhon mein jo sukoon tha, us mein koi khatra nazar nahi aaya tha usse. Lekin ab police uski taraf poochh rahi thi — aur Min-Ho ka instinct, jo usse itne saalon mein kabhi ghalat nahi hua tha, kehta tha ke kuch theek nahi hai.

"Mere paas uska naam nahi hai," Min-Ho ne kaha, khud is baat par thoda hairan hote hue jab usne yeh alfaaz bole. "Woh chali gayi thi bina bataye. Sirf itna yaad hai ke woh Pakistani thi, aur niqab pehne hui thi."

"Aap ko yaad nahi kuch aur?"

"Nahi," Min-Ho ne kaha. "Main aapko wapas call karta hoon agar mujhe kuch mile."

Usne phone kaat diya, apne zehan mein us pal ko dohraate hue — us ladki ka chehra, uska sukoon, uska bina kisi wajah ke gum ho jaana bheed mein. *Maine uska naam poocha kyun nahi?*

Usne apna assistant bulaya. "Mujhe us ladki ke baare mein sab pata karna hai jisne Ji-Hun ki jaan bachai — niqab pehne hui thi, Pakistani lagti thi. Naam nahi pata, lekin airport ki CCTV se uska chehra mil jayega. Dhoondo usse."

"Sir?"

"Mujhe lagta hai," Min-Ho ne khidki se bahar dekhte hue kaha, "ke woh ladki jitni bhi masoom lagti hai, uske ird gird kuch bohat bara chal raha hai. Aur main yeh maloom karna chahta hoon ke woh khatre mein hai — ya khud khatra hai."

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Anaya ko is sab ka khayal bhi nahi tha. Woh apne hotel ke kamre mein, subah ki roshni mein, apna phone check kar rahi thi — Zara ka message, kuch business emails jo uske Karachi wale team se aaye thay, aur ek reminder apne aaj ke plan ka: shaam ko Obsidian ka concert, jahan woh Zara ke liye live stream karegi.

Woh nahi jaanti thi ke jis shehar mein woh ek waada poora karne aayi thi, us shehar ke kai kone ab uska naam poochh rahe thay — kuch mohabbat se, kuch shaq se, aur kuch un logon ki taraf se jo nahi chahte thay ke koi unke raaz ke qareeb aaye.

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