Chapter 1: The Golden Cage (Sone ka Pinjra)
Shehar ki chamchamati roshniyon ke beech, 'The Grand Imperial' hotel ki 50wi manzil par khamoshi ka raj tha. Zoya apne thartharate hathon se us file ko pakde khadi thi, jo uski zindagi ka faisla karne wali thi. Uske samne wali badi si mahogany desk ke peeche Aryan Singhania baitha tha—shehar ka sabse ameer aur beraham businessman.
"Waqt kam hai, Zoya. Mere paas faltu baaton ke liye samay nahi hota," Aryan ki thandi aur robdar awaaz kamre mein goonji. Usne apni mehengi ghadi par waqt dekha.
Zoya ne gehri saans li. Uske pita hospital mein ICU mein the aur unke ilaj ke liye 50 lakh rupaye ki sakht zaroorat thi. Rishtedaaron ne munh mod liya tha aur bank ne loan dene se mana kar diya tha. Ab sirf Aryan hi uska aakhri sahara tha, lekin uski shart aisi thi jo Zoya ki rooh kanpa rahi thi.
"Main... main taiyar hoon," Zoya ne dabi hui awaaz mein kaha.
Aryan ne ek halki si muskurahat di, jo bilkul bhi dosti bhari nahi thi. Usne ek paper aage badhaya. "Yeh contract hai. Isme saaf likha hai: Agle 100 din tak tum meri patni ban kar rahogi. Duniya ki nazron mein hum ek khush-haal joda honge, lekin band darwazon ke peeche, tum sirf ek karzdaar ho. Mere ghar ke niyam man-ne honge, aur sabse zaroori baat—mujhse pyar karne ki galti kabhi mat karna."
Zoya ne kaanpte hathon se pen uthaya aur sign kar diye. Usne apni azadi bech di thi, apne baap ki jaan bachane ke liye.
Agli subha, Zoya khud ko ek nayi duniya mein paati hai. Singhania Mansion kisi mahal se kam nahi tha, lekin wahan ki hawa mein ek ajeeb si thandak thi. Aryan ki dadi, jo is shaadi ki asli wajah thi, Zoya ko dekh kar behad khush huin. Unhe lagta tha ki unka "pathar dil" pota aakhirkar sudhar gaya hai.
Lekin asliyat kuch aur thi. Shaam ko jab Aryan ghar lauta, uska vyavhar bilkul badal chuka tha. Dadi ke samne wo Zoya ka hath thamta, uski tareef karta, lekin jaise hi wo dono apne kamre mein aate, Aryan ka chehra sakht ho jata.
"Yeh tumhara hissa hai," Aryan ne kamre ke ek kone ki taraf ishara karte hue kaha. "Sofa tumhara hai, bed mera. Mere niji mamlo mein dakhal mat dena."
Zoya ne himmat juta kar poocha, "Aapne mujhe hi kyun chuna? Shehar mein itni haseen aur ameer ladkiyan hain..."
Aryan ruka, uski aankhon mein ek dard ki jhalak dikhi jo pal bhar mein gayab ho gayi. "Kyunki tum lachar thi. Aur lachar log sawal nahi puchte, sirf hukum mante hain."
Zoya ki aankhon mein aansu bhar aaye. Wo us kamre ki balcony mein chali gayi. Baarish shuru ho chuki thi. Wo soch rahi thi ki kya wo yeh 100 din jhel payegi? Use laga tha Aryan sirf ek magroor insaan hai, lekin uski aankhon mein chhupa dard kuch aur hi kahani bayan kar raha tha.
Raat ke do baje, Zoya ki neend ek ajeeb si awaaz se khuli. Usne dekha ki Aryan bed par tadap raha tha. Wo neend mein chilla raha tha, "Nahi... mujhe chhod kar mat jao! Maa!"
Zoya bina soche uske paas gayi. Aryan ko tez bukhaar tha aur wo nightmare (bura sapna) dekh raha tha. Zoya ne uske maathe par hath rakha. Aryan ne neend mein hi uska hath zor se pakad liya, jaise koi doobta hua tinke ka sahara leta hai.
"Mat jao..." Aryan ne ladkhadati awaaz mein kaha.
Zoya wahan se hil na saki. Poori raat wo wahi baithi rahi, Aryan ka hath thame. Usne dekha ki yeh "Rakshas" jise duniya darti hai, andar se kitna toota hua hai. Subha jab suraj ki pehli kiran kamre mein aayi, Aryan ki aankh khuli. Usne dekha Zoya uske bed ke niche zameen par baithe-baithe so gayi hai, uska hath ab bhi Aryan ke hathon mein tha.
Aryan ka dil, jo barson pehle barf ban chuka tha, halka sa pighalne laga. Lekin usne turant apna hath jhatak diya.
"Tum yahan kya kar rahi ho?" Aryan ki awaaz fir se sakht thi.
Zoya hadbada kar uthi. "Aapko bukhaar tha... main bas..."
"Zaroorat nahi hai. Apni hadd mein raho," Aryan ne kaha aur bathroom mein chala gaya. Lekin mirror mein apna chehra dekhte hue, wo khud se jhoot nahi bol saka. Zoya ki masoomiyat uski deewaron ko tod rahi thi.
Usi waqt Aryan ke phone par ek message aaya: "Contract shuru ho chuka hai, lekin dushman kareeb hain. Kya tum us ladki ko bacha paoge?"
Aryan ki mutthi bheenchi gayi. Yeh shaadi sirf dadi ki khushi ke liye nahi thi, balki Zoya ko ek bade khatre se bachane ka uska apna tareeka tha, jise wo kabhi zahir nahi hone dena chahta tha.
Author's Words:
"Doston, yeh pehla chapter ek shuruat hai us safar ki jahan nafrat aur majboori ke beech pyar ki ek kachi dori bandhne wali hai. Kya Zoya, Aryan ke dil tak pahunch payegi? Aur wo kaun sa khatra hai jo Zoya ka peecha kar raha hai? Jan-ne ke liye padhte rahiye! Agar aapko kahani pasand aa rahi hai, toh comments mein zaroor batayein." ❤❤❤
