Alpha CEO's 90 Day Contract

Chapter 4: Dinner That Changed Everything

Anaya ko laga tha ki 90 din ka contract ek khamosh jail hai.

Subah hospital, shaam ko wapas Armaan ke bade se ghar. Koi baat nahi, koi sawal nahi.

Contract ke 5 rule the. Usme se rule number 4 sabse mushkil tha: "Public me hum pati-patni hain."

Raat ke 7:55 baje doorbell baji.

Anaya ne darwaza khola to saamne Armaan Malhotra khada tha. 3-piece black suit, baal thode bigde hue, haath me Bentley ki chabi ghuma raha tha.

"Dinner," usne kaha. Aawaz me hukum tha. "15 minute."

Anaya ne kaha, "Ye contract me nahi tha."

Armaan ki aankh siki hui. "Rule 4 padha hai? Public. Pati. Patni. Chalo."

Uske paas inkaar ka option nahi tha. Kyunki contract me ek aur line thi: "Anaya Sharma contract todti hai to 5 Crore dena hoga." 5 Crore. Uske bhai Aarav ke cancer ke ilaaj ke barabar.

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Restaurant "Lumiere" sheher ka sabse mehenga tha. Crystal chandelier, violin ki dhun, aur har table par crorepati.

Armaan ne waiter ko dekha tak nahi. Sirf Anaya se pucha, "Kya logi?"

Anaya chup rahi. 3 saal se usne sirf hospital canteen ka khana khaya tha. Pasand? Wo lafz hi bhool gayi thi.

"Grilled salmon aur red wine," Armaan ne khud order kar diya.

Khana aane hi wala tha ki ek tez perfume ki khushboo aayi. Laal dress, diamond ka necklace, aur nafrat bhari muskurahat.

"Armaan baby," ladki boli. "Tum yaha? Aur ye... ye kaun hai?"

Anaya ka dil baith gaya. Ye Riya Khanna thi. News me dekha tha. Armaan ki ex-fiancée.

1 second. 2 second.

Phir Armaan ne jo kiya, Anaya ne socha bhi nahi tha.

Usne mez ke neeche se haath badhaya aur Anaya ka haath apne haath me jakad liya.

"Miliye," Armaan ki aawaz baraf jaisi thandi thi. "Ye meri wife hai. Anaya Malhotra."

Riya ka chehra ek pal me safed pad gaya. "Wife? Kab? Tumne to..."

"Contract hua tha," Armaan ne baat kaat di. "3 mahine pehle."

Jhooth. Ek bada, khatarnak jhooth.

Riya hansne ki koshish ki. "Congrats. Bade jaldi me shaadi kar li." Aur wapas chali gayi. Lekin jaate-jaate usne Anaya ko aise dekha jaise wo koi keeda ho.

Anaya ne turant haath chhudaya. "Ye kya tha?"

Armaan ne wine ka glass uthaya. "Rule 4."

"Jhooth bola tumne."

"Business me jhooth zaroori hota hai, Anaya."

Khane ke baad ghar wapas aate waqt car me khamoshi thi. Sirf engine ki awaaz.

Anaya se raha nahi gaya. "Tum Riya se kyu chupa rahe ho? Darr gaye?"

Armaan ne steering kas kar pakda. "Mujhe kisi se darr nahi lagta."

"To phir?"

"Kyunki wo meri company ke 20% shares maang rahi thi. Alimony ke naam par."

Anaya ko samajh aa gaya. Ye shaadi sirf uske bhai ke liye nahi thi. Armaan bhi phas raha tha.

Ghar pahunchte hi Armaan seedha apne study me chala gaya. Anaya apne kamre me.

Raat 12 baje uske phone par ek unknown number se message aaya.

Photo: Armaan aur Riya, 2 saal pehle, engagement ring ke saath.

Caption: "Tum sirf 90 din ki ho. Main hamesha ki thi. Game on, Anaya Sharma."

Anaya ke haath kaanpne lage. Darwaze par khadkhadahat hui.

Armaan khada tha. Baal pareshan, shirt ke 2 button khule. Haath me uska phone tha.

"Tumhe ye kisne bheja?" usne phone screen dikhaya. Wahi photo.

Anaya peeche hat gayi. "Mujhe nahi pata."

"Jhooth mat bolo." Armaan ek kadam andar aaya. "Mere ghar me, mere contract me, mere saath. Aur tum mujhse jhooth?"

Anaya ki aankh me aansu aa gaye. "Main majboor hun Armaan. Mere bhai ko bachana hai. Lekin main tumhari mohre nahi banungi."

Armaan 2 second tak use dekhta raha. Phir achanak usne Anaya ka chehra apne dono haathon me bhara. Bahut kareeb. Itna kareeb ki Anaya uski saans mehsoos kar saki.

"Mohre?" Armaan dheere bola. "Agar tum mohra hoti to main tumhe dinner par nahi le jata. Riya ke saamne wife nahi batata."

"To phir kya hun main?" Anaya ki aawaz kaanp rahi thi.

Armaan ne jawab nahi diya. Sirf uske maathe par ek halka sa touch kiya. Bahut tez, bahut khatarnak.

Phir wo peeche hata. "So jao, Anaya. Kal subah hospital jana hai na? Aarav ka chemo hai."

Aur wo chala gaya.

Anaya darwaza band karke farsh par baith gayi. Uska dil itna zor se dhadak raha tha ki saans nahi aa rahi thi.

Contract me likha tha 90 din. Koi emotion nahi. Koi touch nahi.

Lekin aaj Armaan ne uska haath pakda tha. Maathe ko chhua tha. Aur sabse khatarnak baat... Anaya ko bura nahi laga tha.

Phone par dobara message aaya. Wahi unknown number.

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

Anaya ne phone band kar diya. Khidki se bahar dekha. Armaan ke study ki light abhi bhi jal rahi thi.

Sabse khatarnak cheez contract nahi tha.

Sabse khatarnak tha Armaan Malhotra ki khamoshi. Aur us khamoshi ke peeche chupa sach.

86 din baaki hain. Aur jang abhi shuru hui hai.

Dining table set tha. Bada. Lamba.

Sirf 2 plates. Beech me 10 kursi ka faasla.

Raghav pehle se baitha tha. Black shirt. Sleeves fold.

Saamne wine glass. Par pee nahi raha tha.

Anaya dheere se aayi. Red saree. Haath kaap rahe the.

Raghav ne nazar uthayi. Ek second dekha. Phir neeche.

"Dinner." Bas itna bola.

Khana aaya. Lekin dono me se koi nahi kha raha tha.

Sirf kaanchon ki awaz.

Achanak Raghav ne glass zor se table par rakha.

"Wo message kisne bheja?" Uske awaz me barf thi.

Anaya chaunk gayi. "K-konsa message?"

"Mat ban." Raghav utha. Anaya ke paas aaya.

Uske phone utha liya table se. Screen on ki.

'90 din. Countdown shuru... - R'

Raghav ki jabda tight ho gayi. "R? Kaun hai R?"

"Mujhe nahi pata!" Anaya chilla padi. "Main sach keh rahi hun!"

Raghav ne phone uske haath me phenka.

"Nahi pata? Ya batana nahi chahti?"

Uske saans garam thi. Anaya ke chehre ke bahut paas.

Anaya ki dhadkan tez ho gayi. Dar se ya... kuch aur se?

"Sun le Anaya." Raghav ne uske baal kaan ke peeche kiye.

Uski ungliyan thandi thi. "Is khel me main haar nahi manta.

Aur jo meri cheez ko haath lagayega... main use khatam kar dunga."

Usne Anaya ki thodi uthayi. Aankhon me aankhen.

"Chahe wo 'R' hi kyun na ho."

Phir wo palat ke chala gaya. Bina khana khaye.

Anaya wahi khadi reh gayi. Kaap rahi thi.

Upar study room me, khidki ke peeche ek saaya hat gaya.

Kisi ne sab dekha tha.

TO BE CONTINUED...