Chapter 3: Beyond the 100 Days (Contract se Mohabbat Tak)
Mansion mein sannata tha, lekin Aryan ke dimaag mein tufan chal raha tha. Vikram Rathore ne hadd paar kar di thi. Agli subha, Zoya ko ek call aaya. Dusri taraf se ek bhari awaaz aayi, "Agar apne baap ko zinda dekhna chahti ho, toh purane City Warehouse par akeli aao. Police ya Aryan ko bataya, toh anjaam tum janti ho."
Zoya ka dil doob gaya. Usne Aryan ko batane ki koshish ki, lekin Aryan ek emergency meeting mein tha. Majbooran, Zoya ne ek note likha aur chupke se ghar se nikal gayi.
Jab wo warehouse pahunchi, wahan Vikram apne gundon ke saath maujood tha. Usne Zoya ke pita ko ek kursi se baandh rakha tha. "Aakhirkar tum aa hi gayi," Vikram ne darindagi se haste hue kaha. "Aryan ne mujhse sab kuch cheen liya, ab main usse uska sabse keemti 'khilona' cheen lunga."
"Main koi khilona nahi hoon!" Zoya chillayi. "Aryan aapko chhodega nahi."
"Aryan ko toh maine fasa diya hai," Vikram ne pistol nikaalte hue kaha. Lekin tabhi, warehouse ka bhari darwaza ek zordaar dhamake ke saath khula.
Dhuen ke beech se ek saya nazar aaya—wo Aryan tha. Uska chehra gusse se laal tha aur aankhon mein maut ka khauf nahi, balki Zoya ko khone ka darr tha.
"Vikram! Use chhod do," Aryan ki awaaz poore hall mein goonji.
"Peeche hat jao Aryan, warna main goli chala dunga!" Vikram ne chillakar kaha.
Aryan bina dare aage badha. "Tumhe paisa chahiye? Le lo. Meri company chahiye? Le lo. Lekin Zoya ko kharash bhi aayi, toh main tumhe zinda dafna dunga."
Vikram ne goli chalayi, lekin Aryan ne waqt par jhuk kar khud ko bachaya aur Vikram par jhapat pada. Dono ke beech khooni jhadap hui. Zoya ne himmat dikhayi aur apne pita ki rasiyan kholi. Jab Vikram ne dobara pistol uthayi, Zoya ne ek bhari lakkadi ka tukda uske sar par de mara.
Police wahan pahunch gayi aur Vikram ko giraftaar kar liya gaya. Sab khatam ho chuka tha.
Ghar wapas aakar, Aryan ne Zoya ke zakhmo par patti ki. Kamre mein ek ajeeb si khamoshi thi. Zoya ne dekha ki calendar par 100th day par nishaan laga tha. Aaj contract khatam ho raha tha.
Zoya ne dabi awaaz mein kaha, "Pappa ab theek hain. Kal subha... main chali jaungi. Contract poora hua."
Aryan ruka. Usne patti rakh di aur Zoya ka hath thama. "Zoya, maine kaha tha ki mujhse pyar karne ki galti mat karna. Lekin wo naseehat shayad mujhe khud ke liye deni chahiye thi."
Zoya ne hairani se use dekha.
"Maine yeh contract sirf tumhe bachane aur dadi ko khush karne ke liye banaya tha," Aryan ne confess kiya. "Lekin in 100 dino mein, tumne is banzar dil mein phool khila diye hain. Main nahi chahta ki tum jao."
Aryan ne apni pocket se ek asli ring nikaali—yeh koi contract ki ring nahi thi. "Kya tum is fake contract ko ek asli rishte mein badlogi? Kya tum hamesha ke liye meri 'Mrs. Singhania' ban kar rahogi?"
Zoya ki aankhon mein khushi ke aansu the. Usne sar haan mein hilaya aur Aryan ne use gale se laga liya. Contract ke panno par likhi shartein mit chuki thi, aur wahan sirf ek naye safar ki shuruat thi.
Author's Words:
"Toh doston, kaisa laga aapko Aryan aur Zoya ka ye safar? Kabhi-kabhi jo rishte majboori mein shuru hote hain, wo sabse mazboot ban jate hain. 'The 100-Day Deal' yahan khatam hoti hai, lekin unki mohabbat ab shuru hui hai.
Aapko ye short novel kaisi lagi? Kya aap chahte hain ki main aisi hi aur romanchak kahaniyan likhun? Comments mein apne reviews zaroor dein aur mujhe follow karein agle bade dhamake ke liye! Shukriya!"
