(Psychological Thriller | Hinglish | ~1100–1300 words)
Shuruat me ek ladka tha.
Na koi khaas pehchaan, na koi badi pehlu. Log use aam taur par nikamma kehte the. Din bhar ek chhote se kamre me pada rehta, chhat ki taraf dekhta rehta. Zindagi jaise uske liye ruk si gayi thi. Par us ladke ke andar ek cheez kabhi nahi ruki—uska sapna.
Ameer banne ka sapna.
Sirf ameer nahi…
duniya ka sabse ameer.
Wo aksar sochta, "Log mujhe isliye ignore karte hain kyunki mere paas paisa nahi hai."
Uske liye paisa sirf comfort nahi tha, balki izzat, power aur control tha. Use lagta tha, jab wo rich ho jaayega, duniya khud uske saamne jhuk jaayegi.
Par problem ye thi ki wo kuch kar nahi pa raha tha.
Na padhai me mann lagta, na kaam me. Jahan bhi gaya, fail hua. Log hans dete. Dost door hote gaye. Dheere-dheere us ladke ne logon se baat karna hi chhod diya. Wo sirf ek hi cheez karta—sochta.
Aur sochte-sochte uske dimaag me ek naam baar-baar aane laga.
Laru.
World ka sabse rich businessman. Media ka favorite. Log jise success ka bhagwan maante the. Laru jahan jaata, headlines banti. Us ladke ke room ki deewaron par bhi Laru ki tasveerein chipki thi—magazines se kaati hui.
Kabhi wo tasveer ko dekhta aur kehta,
"Ye sab mera bhi ho sakta tha."
Kabhi gusse me kehta,
"Is aadmi ke paas ye sab hone layak kya hai?"
Aur kabhi… bas khamosh ho jaata.
Ek raat, jab baarish ho rahi thi, us ladke ke dimaag me ek ajeeb sa khayal aaya. Pehle wo bas ek soch thi. Phir ek possibility. Aur dheere-dheere… ek decision.
Agar wo Laru jaisa ban nahi sakta…
to Laru ki jagah kyun na le?
Ye soch use daraane ke bajay, ajeeb si shanti dene lagi. Jaise puzzle ka missing piece mil gaya ho. Usne khud se kaha, "Is duniya me log naam dekhte hain, chehra nahi. Power dekhte hain, sach nahi."
Us raat wo soya nahi.
Kuch din baad duniya ne ek shocking news suni.
Headlines me sirf ek hi baat thi—Laru gayab ho chuka tha.
Koi proof nahi. Koi clear answer nahi. Media theories bana rahi thi. Police investigation chal rahi thi. Log confuse the.
Aur usi waqt… us ladke ki zindagi badalne lagi.
Usne apna naam badal liya. Kapde, chalne ka style, bolne ka tareeka—sab kuch. Jaise wo dheere-dheere kisi aur ki skin pehn raha ho. Logon ko shak hota, par sirf kuch seconds ke liye. Paisa aur power sawalon ko daba dete hain.
Duniya ne ek din accept kar liya ki Laru wapas aa chuka hai.
Bas thoda badla hua.
Board meetings, interviews, public appearances—sab smoothly chal raha tha. Jo log uske kareeb aate, wo use pehle se zyada quiet paate. Par koi sawal karne ki himmat nahi karta.
Aur jo himmat karta…
Wo zyada din tak yaad nahi rehta.
Har baar jab koi uske past ke baare me zyada poochta, us ladke ka dil tez dhadakne lagta. Uske dimaag me sirf ek hi awaaz hoti:
"Sach bahar nahi aana chahiye."
Raat ko jab wo akela hota, mirror me khud ko dekhta. Chehra Laru ka tha, par aankhon me ek anjaan sa darr tha. Kabhi-kabhi use lagta jaise asli Laru usse dekh raha ho—khamosh, sawal bhari nazron se.
"Ye sab maine apne sapne ke liye kiya," wo khud ko samjhata.
"Is duniya me kamzor log kuch nahi paate."
Par sach ye tha ki paisa mil gaya tha…
power mil gayi thi…
success bhi.
Lekin sukoon?
Wo kahin kho chuka tha.
Ek din uske desk par ek envelope aaya. Na sender ka naam, na address. Sirf ek line likhi thi:
"Main jaanta hoon tum kaun ho."
Us ladke ke haath kaanp gaye.
Peheli baar use laga—shayad uska sapna, uska sabse bada dushman ban chuka hai.
Aur yahin se shuru hota hai uski zindagi ka sabse khatarnaak mode.
— Chapter 1 End