Nafrat Ki Pehli Raat

[SCENE 1: Shisha Aur Aks]

Singhania Mansion ka shahi kamra… jahan ki har ek cheez ameeri aur taaqat ka saboot de rahi thi. Lekin us kamre me phaili khamoshi kisi qabristan se kam nahi thi.

Aanya raaniyon jaise laal joda pehne shishe ke samne khadi thi. Maang me bhara hua sindoor aur gale me pehna hua mangalsutra uske liye kisi zanjeer se kam nahi tha. Uske gaalon par abhi bhi aanso’on ke sookhe hue nishan the.

Usne shishe me apna aks dekha. Aaj uski zindagi ek hi jhatke me badal chuki thi. Raichand khandaan ki ziddi aur masoom beti ab iss shehar ke sabse khaufnaak aur beraham insaan—Reyansh Singhania—ki biwi ban chuki thi.

"Kyse... kyse hone diya main ye sab?" Aanya ne apne kaanpte hue haathon se apne bhari dupatta ko pakda. Uske zehen me baap ke wo akhri alfaz goonj rahe the—“Aanya, hamari izzat aur apne bhai ki jaan bakhshne ke liye tumhe ye shadi karni hi hogi.”

Darwaza khulne ki aahat hui.

Aanya ka dil zor-zor se dhadakne laga. Uski saansen tez ho gayi. Usne palat kar dekha.

[SCENE 2: Reyansh Ki Entry]

Reyansh Singhania kamre me daakhil hua. Usne apni black suit ki coat pehle hi utar di thi, aur shirt ke upar ke do buttons khule the. Uske chehre par koi khushi nahi thi—sirf ek thandi, beraham muskuraahat aur aankhon me nafrat ka samundar tha.

Usne darwaza peeche se lock kar diya. CLICK. Us aawaz ne Aanya ke jism me ek sansani dauda di.

Reyansh aage badha. Uski har ek step itni heavy aur dominating thi ki Aanya apne aap do kadam peeche hat gayi, jab tak ki uski peeth shishe se nahi takra gayi.

"Dar rahi ho, Wife?" Reyansh ne 'Wife' lafz par aisa zor diya jaise wo koi gaali ho.

"R-Reyansh... door raho mujhse," Aanya ne apni aawaz ko mazboot banane ki koshish ki, lekin uski kaanpti hui aawaz ne uska saath nahi diya.

Reyansh ek dum uske kareeb aa khada hua. Uske jism se mehnge perfume aur cigar ki halki thandi mehak aa rahi thi. Usne apna ek haath Aanya ke sar ke paas shishe par rakha, uske bhagne ka raasta band karte hue.

"Door?" Reyansh jhuka, uski garama-garam saansen Aanya ke kaan par mehsoos ho rahi thi. "Ab tum meri zanjeeron me jakad chuki ho, Aanya Raichand. Ya shayad mujhe aab Aanya Singhania kehna chahiye?"

"Main tumse shadi sirf apne parivaar ke liye ki hai! Tum mere jism par haq jata sakte ho, lekin mere dil par kabhi nahi!" Aanya ne uski aankhon me dekhte hue kaha.

[SCENE 3: Badle Ki Kahani]

Reyansh ke chehre par ek thandi hansi phail gayi. Usne Aanya ki chin (thuddi) ko apne sakht haath se zor se pakda. Grip itni tight thi ki Aanya ke muh se ek halki aah nikal gayi.

"Dil?" Reyansh ne nafrat se kaha. "Mujhe tumhare iss dil me koi interest nahi hai, Aanya. Mujhe toh bas tumhari aah aur tumhare baap ka ghamand toodne me interest hai."

"Tumne mere papa ke saath jo kiya... wo paap hai! Wo tumse badla lenge!" Aanya ne cheekhte hue kaha.

Reyansh ne uski thuddi chhod di aur do step peeche hata. Usne apne pocket se ek black luxury lighter nikala aur use flick karke jalaya. Lighter ki aag ki roshni uske khaufnaak chehre par pad rahi thi.

"Tumhare baap ne teen saal pehle jo khel shuru kiya tha, uska khatma main aaj kar raha hoon," Reyansh ki aawaz me ek aisi thandak thi jo haddiyon tak ko jama de. "Tumhe lagta hai ye shadi ek samjhauta hai? Nahi... ye tumhari saza ki shuruaat hai."

Reyansh ne lighter band kiya aur Aanya ki taraf dekha. Usne Aanya ke bhari dupatte ko ek hi jhatke me uske sar se kheench kar neeche phekk diya.

Aanya ne apna haath apne seene par rakha, "Reyansh... please..."

"Raichand khandaan ki rajkumari... aaj raat se iss kamre me ek qaidi ki tarah rahegi," Reyansh ne uske kaan ke paas jaakar dheere se kaha. "Iss jode ko utar kar phek do. Mujhe tum par apne dushman ka diya hua ek tinka bhi pasand nahi."

[SCENE 4: Kamre Ka Sannata]

Reyansh ne use ek taraf dhakka diya aur khud sofa par jaakar baith gaya. Usne ek scotch ka glass uthaya aur use ek hi ghoot me pee gaya.

Aanya farsh par giri hui thi. Uski aankhon se aanso beh kar uske laal jode par gir rahe the. Wo samajh chuki thi ki Reyansh ke dil me uske liye koi reham nahi hai. Wo ek aisi daldal me phas chuki thi jahan se nikalna namumkin tha.

"Wahan baith kar rone se tumhari saza kam nahi hogi," Reyansh ne glass table par rakhte hue kaha. "Kal se iss ghar ke har ek rule ko follow karna tumhari zimmedari hai. Agar ek bhi galti hui... toh tumhare bhai ki company ka agla share market me crash hona tay hai."

Aanya ne chonkk kar uski taraf dekha. "Tum... tum mere bhai ko beech me kyun laa rahe ho?"

"Kyunki main chahta hoon ki tum har pal darr me jiyo," Reyansh ne uske paas aakar uski aankhon me dekha. "Taki jab tum mujhe dekho, toh tumhe yaad rahe ki tumhari poori duniya ki chaabi mere haath me hai."

[SCENE 5: The Cliffhanger]

Reyansh ne Aanya ka haath pakda aur use zora-zori khada kiya. Uski pakad itni sakht thi ki Aanya ki kalai par laal nishan pad gaye.

Usne Aanya ko bedroom ki balcony ki taraf kheencha. Bahar tez baarish aur toofan chal raha tha.

"Dekho bahar," Reyansh ne uske kaan me kaha. "Ye toofan toh bas shuruaat hai. Kal subah jab tum iss kamre se bahar kadam rakhogi, tab tum meri biwi nahi... iss Singhania Empire ki sabse badi raazdaar aur qaidi ban kar rakhogi."

Aanya ne toofan ki taraf dekha aur phir Reyansh ke patthar jaise chehre ko.

Tabhi kamre ka landline phone baj utha.

Reyansh ne phone uthaya. Dusri taraf se kisi ki ghabrai hui aawaz aayi—"Sir! Hospital se khabar aayi hai... Aanya ma'am ka asli bhai abhi bhi coma me hai, toh phir jo ladka Raichand House me hai... wo kaun hai?!"

Reyansh ki aankhen gusse me phail gayi. Usne phone ko wahi table par pattak diya aur Aanya ki taraf ghoor kar dekha.

"Tumne mujhse koi raaz chhupaya hai, Aanya?" Reyansh ne Aanya ki gardan ke paas haath rakhte hue kaha.

Aanya ka dil baith gaya. Uska sabse bada raaz... ab Reyansh ke samne aane wala tha!

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***