Alpha CEO's 90 Day Contract

Chapter 5: Alpha Ka Raaz.

Raat ke 3 baj gaye the.

Anaya bistar par baithi thi. Phone haath me tha. Us unknown number wale message ko wo 10 baar padh chuki thi.

"86 din baaki hain. Tab tak main tum dono ki zindagi narak bana dungi. - R"

R. Kaun hai R?

Anaya ne khidki ke bahar dekha. Poora mahal andhere me dooba tha. Sirf Armaan ke study room ki light jal rahi thi. 4 ghante ho gaye the dinner ke baad.

Wo Malhotra Mansion me akeli nahi thi. Bahar guard the, pack ke log the. Par fir bhi dar lag raha tha.

Sabse khatarnak contract nahi tha. Sabse khatarnak tha Armaan Malhotra ki khamoshi.

Anaya dheere se upar gayi. Darwaza aadha khula tha. Andar se tez saans lene ki awaaz aa rahi thi.

"Kya kar rahe ho?" Anaya ne pucha.

Armaan chair par baitha tha. Shirt ke 2 button khule the. Uski gardan par 3 gehre zakhm the... jo abhi abhi bhar rahe the.

Werewolf.

"So nahi rahe?" Anaya ne fir pucha.

Armaan ne nazar uthayi. Uski aankhein golden thi. Gusse wali.

"Main busy hu." Uski awaaz bhaari thi, jaise andar koi aur bhi bol raha ho. "Bahut jaana hai to jao."

Anaya ke dil me chubhan hui.

"R kaun hai Armaan?" Anaya ne seedha pucha.

Armaan ek dum se utha. Table par rakhi glass chakanachoor ho gayi.

"Tumhe isse matlab nahi rakhna chahiye!" Wo dahada.

"Matlab nahi rakhna chahiye? Usne kaha hai wo hum dono ki zindagi narak bana degi!" Anaya chilla padi.

Armaan Anaya ke bilkul paas aa gaya. Itna paas ki Anaya ko uski saans me khoon aur barf ki smell aayi.

"Tum contract ke liye aayi thi na? 90 din. Paise lo aur chali jao. Beech me... emotional mat ho."

Anaya ki aankhon me paani aa gaya.

"Main emotional nahi hu."

"To phir kyu kaamp rahi ho?" Armaan ne uska haath pakda. Uska haath bahut garam tha. "Jhooth mat bolo Anaya."

Anaya ne haath chhudaya. "Batao R kaun hai!"

Khamoshi.

Armaan ne aankh band ki aur dheere se bola, "Ruhi. Meri ex-fiancée. Pack ki sabse khatarnak she-wolf."

Anaya ka dimaag sun ho gaya.

"Usne engagement todi thi. 2 saal pehle. Us din se wo badla lene ke peeche padi hai." Armaan ne gardan ke zakhm chhupaye. "Aur haan... usi ne tumhara naam contract ke liye suggest kiya tha."

"KYA?!"

"Usne kaha tha - 'Agar Alpha mujhe nahi mila to main uski nayi Luna ko kha jaungi'." Armaan ne Anaya ki taraf dekha. Pehli baar uski aankhon me dard tha. "Maine tumhe isliye chuna... kyu ki tum insaan ho. Pack se door. Safe."

Anaya ko hansi aa gayi. "Safe? Tumhe lagta hai main safe hu?"

Tabhi Armaan ka phone bajaa. Unknown number.

Speaker on kiya.

Doosri taraf se Ruhi ki hansi aayi. Teekhi, jaanwaron wali.

"Hello Alpha babu. Kaisa laga surprise? 86 din. Main count kar rahi hu. Pehla attack... kal subah 9 baje. Board meeting me. Dekhti hu tum apni nayi Luna ko kaise bachate ho. Werewolf council ke saamne."

Phone cut.

Armaan ne phone deewar par de maara.

"Chalo." Wo bola.

"Kaha?"

"Jang shuru ho chuki hai Anaya. Ab se tum mere saath rahogi. 24x7. Pack ke andar. Meri aankhon ke saamne." Armaan ne coat uthaya. "Kyu ki agar Ruhi ko pata chal gaya ki tum kamzor ho... to wo tumhe jeete ji noch legi."

Jab wo neeche aa rahe the, Anaya ke phone par ek photo aayi.

Photo me Anaya thi. Aaj subah wali. Mansion ke gate par. Aur photo ke corner me jungle me 2 golden aankhein chamak rahi thi.

Neeche likha tha:

"Main tumhare aas-paas hi hu. Day 1/86. Bhagna mat Luna."

Anaya ke haath se phone gir gaya.

Armaan ne uska haath pakda. Pehli baar. Uske nakhoon thode lambe the.

"Darna mat." Usne dheere se kaha. "Main Alpha hu. Aur main apne pack ki raksha karta hu."

Par Anaya ko lag raha tha... Ruhi unke saath car me hi baithi hai.

Bahut kareeb.

Bahut bhookhi.

Car ki headlight band ho gayi.

Andhera.

Armaan ne Anaya ka haath aur zor se pakda.

"Anaya. Meri aankhon me dekho."

Anaya ne dekha. Armaan ki aankhen ab normal nahi thi.

Bilkul sunehri. Aur uske daant... thode nokdar.

"Wo yaha hai." Armaan fusta. "Riya. Aur wo bhookhi hai."

Anaya kaanp gayi. "Kya... kya matlab?"

"Riya bhi Alpha hai. Par pagal ho chuki hai.

Usse lagta hai main sirf uska hun. Aur tum... tum uske raaste me ho."

Tabhi car ke sheeshe par thap.

Anaya ne mud ke dekha.

Bahar andhere me ek saaya khada tha.

Lambi ladki. Safed dress. Baal chehre par.

Par uski aankhen... laal. Aur muh se khoon tapak raha tha.

"Ruhi..." Anaya ke muh se nikla.

Riya hansi. Aawaz sheeshe se takraayi.

"Day 1/86 shuru ho gaya hai, Luna. Khel shuru."

Armaan car se nikla. Ek jhatke me.

Uske sharir se awaz aayi. Haddiyan.

2 second me wo lamba, kala bhediya ban gaya.

Aankhen gold. Gardan ke baal khade.

"Anaya! Andar raho!" Armaan garja.

Riya bhi badal gayi. Safed bhediya. Par uske aankh laal.

Dono takra gaye. Sheesha toot gaya.

Anaya chiilaayi.

Armaan ne Riya ko peeche dhakela.

"Luna meri hai!" Wo garja. "Haath mat lagana!"

Riya hansi. Khoon tapakte hue.

"Dekhte hain kitne din bacha paati ho ise, Alpha."

Aur wo andhere me bhaag gayi. Gayab.

Armaan wapas insaan bana. Saans phool rahi thi.

Usne car ka darwaza khola. Anaya ko god me uthaya.

"Kuch nahi hoga tumhe." Usne kaha. Awaz kaanp rahi thi.

"Main waada karta hun."

Anaya ne uske seene se chipak ke aankh band kar li.

Pehli baar usse dar nahi laga.

Pehli baar mehsoos hua... ki ye Alpha uskahai.

Malhotra Mansion me wapas aate-aate subah ke 4 baj gaye the.

Armaan ne Anaya ko seedha uske kamre me le jaake bed par litaya.

Bahut dheere. Jaise koi keemti cheez ho.

"So jao." Usne kaha. Uski awaz ab bhi kaanp rahi thi.

"Main darwaze ke bahar hun. Koi andar nahi aa sakta."

Anaya ne aankh kholi. "Tum... tum theek ho?"

Armaan ke gaal par Riya ke panje ka nishaan tha. Halka sa khoon.

Armaan ne muskurane ki koshish ki. "Alpha ko kuch nahi hota, Luna."

Usne Anaya ke baal kaano ke peeche kiye. Uski ungliyan thandi thi.

"Day 1 khatam ho gaya." Wo fusta. "85 din baaki hain."

Phir wodarwaze ki taraf badh gaya.

Ruk ke bola bina palte: "Aur Anaya... tumhara phone.

Usme tracker hai. Riya tumhe track kar rahi hai."

Usne table par ek naya phone rakh diya. Black.

"Isi ko use karna. Samjhi?"

Darwaza band hua.

Anaya uthi. Khidki se bahar dekha.

Armaan neeche garden me khada tha. Sirf track pants.

Baarish ki boondein uske seene par gir rahi thi.

Uske saaye ke aas-paas 4 kaale bhediye baithebaithe the. Pahra de rahe the.

Anaya ke phone par notification aayi. Unknown number.

Day 2/86. Tumhe bachane wala bhi tumhe maar sakta hai, Luna. - R

Anaya ka haath kaanp gaya. Phone girte-girte bacha.

Neeche Armaan ne upar dekha. Jaise use pata chal gaya ho.

Usne mutthi bheench li. Baarish me bhi uske gusse se hawa garam lag rahi thi.

"Riya..." uske muh se nikla. "Tumne meri Luna ko haath bhi lagaya to..."

Uske peeche khade 4 bhediye ek saath garje.

Raat ka andhera ab aur gehra lag raha tha.

Khatra sirf bahar nahi tha.

Khatra ab Armaan ke andar bhi jaag raha tha.

TO BE CONTINUED...