Alpha CEO's 90 Day Contract

Chapter 13: Khoon Ka Waada

Sheher ki raat hamesha ki tarah chamak rahi thi. Lekin Ayaan Malhotra ke penthouse me aaj raat bilkul khamoshi thi.

90 din ka contract khatam ho chuka tha. Paper pe sab khatam tha. Lekin khoon ka hisaab... wo abhi baaki tha.

Anaya darwaze par khadi thi. Haath me uska chota sa bag tha. 90 din pehle isi bag ke saath wo is ghar me aayi thi majboori me. Aaj wo jaa rahi thi... azad.

"Ruk jao."

Peechhe se awaaz aayi. Gehri, bhari, aur thodi si thaki hui.

Anaya palti. Saamne Ayaan khada tha. White shirt, black pant. Baal thode bikre hue. Aankhon me wo thakaan jo wo kabhi dikhata nahi tha.

"Contract khatam ho gaya Ayaan," Anaya ne dheere se kaha. "Tumhara karz chuka diya. Mere bhai ka ilaaj ho gaya. Ab main ja sakti hu."

Ayaan 2 kadam aage badha. Uske chehre pe na gussa tha na dard. Bas ek ajeeb si khamoshi.

"Tumhe lagta hai 90 din me sab khatam ho jata hai?" usne poocha. "Tumhe lagta hai main tumhe jaane dunga?"

"Ye hamara agreement tha," Anaya ki awaaz kaanp gayi. "Tumne kaha tha 90 din baad main azad."

"Agreement?" Ayaan hansa. Lekin us hasi me dard tha. "Anaya, tum abhi tak samjhi nahi. Ye contract sirf paper ka tha. Asli contract... wo to us raat likha gaya tha jab tumne mere saamne apne bhai ke liye ghoont ghoont ke ro kar bheek maangi thi."

Anaya ki aankhen bhar aayi. "Matlab?"

"Matlab ye ki main tumhe nahi jaane dunga," Ayaan ne seedha kaha. "Na is ghar se, na meri zindagi se."

Flashback - 3 mahine pehle

Hospital ka bill 40 lakh ka tha. Anaya ke haath kaanp rahe the. Doctor ne kaha tha "24 ghante hain."

Tabhi Ayaan aaya tha. Sheher ka sabse khatarnaak Alpha CEO. Uske chehre pe rehmat nahi, sauda tha.

"90 din. Meri fake wife bano. Mere dushmanon ko dikhao ki meri ek family hai. Badle me main tumhare bhai ka ilaaj karwa dunga."

Anaya ke paas koi option nahi tha. Usne haan kar di.

Wapas Present me

"To tum mujhe dhokha de rahe the?" Anaya chilla padi. "Sab jhooth tha?"

"Jhooth?" Ayaan ek kadam aur paas aaya. "Pehle 30 din shayad jhooth tha. Agle 30 din aadat ban gayi. Aur aakhri 30 din... Anaya, main tumse pyaar karne laga."

Anaya ke pairon tale zameen khisak gayi.

"Jhooth!"

"Sach," Ayaan ne uska haath pakda. Uske haath barf jaise thande the. "Tumhe pata hai sabse mushkil kya tha? Roz raat ko tumhe sote dekhna aur khud ko rokna. Tumhe pata hai sabse asaan kya tha? Tumhare saath rehna."

Anaya ne haath chhudaya. "Main ek aam ladki hu Ayaan. Tum Alpha ho. Tumhare dushman, tumhari duniya... main usme nahi reh sakti."

"Kaun kaha tum aam ho?" Ayaan ki aankhen laal ho gayi. "Tumne 90 din me ek pathar dil ko pighla diya. Tumne ek Alpha ko jhukna sikha diya. Tum aam nahi ho Anaya. Tum meri kamzori ho."

Tabhi darwaze par zor se knock hua.

Dono dar gaye.

Ayaan ka phone baja. Usne screen dekha aur uska chehra ekdum sakht ho gaya.

"Kya hua?" Anaya ne poocha.

"Malhotra family," Ayaan ne phone band kiya. "Unhone maan liya hai ki 90 din khatam. Ab unhe apna hissa chahiye. Aur unka hissa ho tum."

Anaya peeche hat gayi. "Mera matlab?"

"Contract khatam hote hi, purane kanoon ke hisaab se, Alpha ki patni uski property hoti hai. Aur agar Alpha use chhod de... to dusre Alpha use claim kar sakte hain," Ayaan ne muthi bheench li. "Mere chacha, Vikram Malhotra. Wo tumhe apni duniya me le jaana chahte hain."

Anaya ka gala sookh gaya. "Lekin main tumhari patni nahi hu. Contract khatam."

"Paper pe," Ayaan ne kaha. "Lekin khoon ke kanoon me, jab tak main na kahun ki main tumhe chhod raha hu, tum meri ho."

"To keh do!" Anaya ro padi. "Keh do ki main azad hu!"

Ayaan khamosh ho gaya. 10 second... 20 second...

Phir usne dheere se kaha: "Nahi keh sakta."

Anaya toot gayi.

"Main tumse pyaar nahi karti," wo jhooth boli.

"Jhooth mat bolo," Ayaan ne uska chehra apne haathon me liya. "Jis raat tumhe bukhar tha, tumne neend me mera naam liya tha. Jis din tumhe chot lagi, tum sabse pehle mujhe dhoond rahi thi. Jhooth mat bolo Anaya."

Anaya ki saans tez ho gayi.

Bahut door se gadiyon ki awaaz aa rahi thi. Vikram ke log aa gaye the.

"Decision lo Ayaan," Anaya fisalti awaaz me boli. "Ya to mujhe azad kar do, ya..."

"Ya?"

"Ya mujhe apna lo. Hamesha ke liye. Bina contract ke. Bina shart ke."

Ayaan ne aankh band ki. Jab kholi to usme faisla tha.

Usne Anaya ka haath pakda aur use apne peechhe kiya.

"Sun lo sab!" Ayaan chillaya. Darwaza khud khul gaya. Saamne 10 kaale kapde wale khade the. Sabse aage Vikram Malhotra.

"Ye ladki," Ayaan ne Anaya ka haath aur kas ke pakda. "Ye Anaya Sharma hai. Meri... hone wali patni."

Vikram hansa. "Contract to khatam ho gaya bhatije."

"Contract khatam hua," Ayaan ne kaha. "Rishta nahi. Main Anaya se shaadi kar raha hu. Asli shaadi. 7 pheron wali. Aur agar kisi ne beech me pair rakha..."

Ayaan ki aankhen ekdum bhediye jaisi ho gayi. Nakhoon lambe ho gaye. "To main use maar dunga."

Pure kamre me khamoshi chha gayi.

Vikram ne ghoor kar dekha aur thook kar chala gaya. "Dekhte hain kitne din chalti hai ye mohabbat."

Sab chale gaye.

Anaya aur Ayaan akeli reh gaye.

Anaya abhi tak kaanp rahi thi.

"Kyun?" usne poocha. "Kyun kiya ye sab?"

Ayaan ne uske maathe par chumban kiya. Pehli baar. Bahut halka.

"Kyun ki 90 din ka contract jhootha tha," usne kaha. "Lekin ye waada... ye khoon ka waada hai. Aur khoon ke waade kabhi nahi tootte."

Anaya ne aankh band kar li. Aansoo gir pade.

"To ab?"

"Ab," Ayaan ne uska haath pakda. "Ab shuruaat hai. Asli shuruaat. Bina contract ke. Bina majboori ke."

Bahar sheher ki roshni aur tez ho gayi.

Vikram ke jaane ke baad bhi kamre me darwaze ki awaaz goonj rahi thi.

Anaya abhi tak Ayaan ke haath ko pakde khadi thi. Uske dil ki dhadkan itni tez thi ki use lag raha tha kahin Ayaan sun na le.

"Tum... tumne abhi kya kaha?" Anaya ne dheere se poocha.

"7 pheron wali shaadi?"

Ayaan ne uske haath ko chhod diya aur khidki ke paas chala gaya. Sheher ki roshni uske chehre par pad rahi thi.

"Haan," usne bina palte kaha. "Main jhooth nahi bolta Anaya. Chahe duniya mujhe raakshas kahe."

"Kyun?" Anaya ki awaaz bharra gayi. "90 din pehle tumne kaha tha ye sirf deal hai. Na dil, na jazbaat. To ab achanak..."

"Achanak nahi hua," Ayaan palta. "Tum roz subah 6 baje uth kar mere liye chai banati thi. Bina poochhe. Tumne mere zakhm dhote waqt aankh tak nahi milayi thi. Tum us raat royi thi jab mera kutta bimaar tha. Tum pathar nahi ho Anaya. Aur main bhi insaan ban gaya."

Anaya ki aankhon se aansoo gir gaye. "Lekin tumhari duniya... Vikram... wo log humein jeene nahi denge."

"Denge," Ayaan ne ek kadam aage badhaya. "Kyunki main Ayaan Malhotra hu. Is sheher ka Alpha. Aur Alpha apno ki hifazat khud karta hai."

Usne apni shirt ki button kholi. Uske seene par 3 gehre nishaan the. Purane zakhm.

"Ye nishaan Vikram ke baap ke diye hue hain," Ayaan ne kaha. "Jis din main 18 ka hua tha, usne mujhe mara tha. Kaha tha 'kamzor mat ban'. Aaj main kamzor nahi hu. Aur main tumhe bhi kamzor nahi padne dunga."

Anaya ne dheere se haath badhaya aur un nishaanon ko chhua. Ayaan ek pal ke liye kaanp gaya.

"Thand lag rahi hai?" Anaya ne poocha.

"Nahi," Ayaan ne aankh band ki. "90 din me pehli baar garmi lag rahi hai."

Dono ke beech khamoshi thi. Lekin ye khamoshi ab dard wali nahi thi. Sukoon wali thi.

Tabhi Ayaan ka phone phir baja. Usne dekha aur turant kaat diya.

"Kaun tha?" Anaya ne poocha.

"Maa," Ayaan ne lambi saans li. "Malhotra family ki sabse badi. Wo milna chahti hain tumse. Kal subah."

Anaya ghabra gayi. "Main? Main kya bolungi?"

"Sach," Ayaan ne uske dono haath pakde. "Bas sach bolna. Ki tum majboori me aayi thi. Aur ab mohabbat se ruk rahi ho."

"Mohabbat?" Anaya ne nazar jhuka li.

"Haan mohabbat," Ayaan ne uski thodi ungli se upar ki. "Bolo Anaya. Kya tum mujhse shaadi karogi? Bina contract ke. Bina paise ke. Sirf mere naam se."

Anaya ki saans ruk gayi. 90 din ka safar, hospital, darr, aadat... sab ek pal me saamne aa gaya.

Usne dheere se sar hilaya. "Haan."

Bas ek shabd. Lekin us ek shabd ne pure penthouse ko roshan kar diya.

Ayaan ne pehli baar khul kar saans li. Jaise 90 din se usne saans roki hui thi.

"To pakka?" usne muskura kar poocha.

"Haan pakka," Anaya bhi halka si muskurayi. "Lekin ek shart hai."

"Kya?"

"Chai tum banaoge kal. Roz wali chai."

Ayaan hansa. 90 din me pehli baar dil se hansa.

"Deal," usne kaha. "Lekin is baar contract paper pe nahi... dil pe likha jayega."

Bahar raat dheere dheere khatam ho rahi thi. Nayi subah aa rahi thi.

Aur is nayi subah ke saath... Anaya aur Ayaan ki nayi kahani bhi.

To be continued in Chapter 14: "Malhotra Family Ka Faisla"...