Update 2: The Calm Beneath
“Jo log duniya ke samne muskurate hain, unke andar sabse zyada shor hota hai.”
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Mumbai – Rajan Estate – 7:15 AM
Ayaan Rajan ka room silent tha. Curtains se nikalti subah ki roshni uske desk tak aa rahi thi, jahan ek photo frame rakha tha — Rajan parivaar ka ek purana photo.
Usme Ayaan sabse chhota tha. Ek corner mein, smile karta hua. Na aaj waala cold expression, na waise aankhen.
Aaj Ayaan mirror ke saamne khada tha. White kurta, neatly rolled sleeves, black strap watch. Kamar tak hairstyle, bilkul disciplined. Bas ek chehra — jo kuch bolta nahi, sab dekh leta hai.
Door knock hua.
Kabir: "Tu ready hai? Aaj Baba ke saath meeting hai office mein."
Ayaan: "Main sirf dekhne jaa raha hoon. Decision aap log lo."
Kabir: "Kabhi kabhi decisions un logon se bhi aate hain, jo kuch nahi bolte."
Kabir chala gaya. Ayaan ne ek minute tak mirror mein apne aap ko dekha. Phir drawer khola — andar ek black envelope rakha tha.
Uspar sirf ek symbol bana tha — inverted black flame with a lotus.
Bas dekha. Touch nahi kiya.
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Rajan Industries – Boardroom – 11:00 AM
Vikram Rajan, Kabir, aur Ayaan ke saamne investors baithe the.
Discussion chal raha tha ek new chemical plant ke expansion pe. Foreign delegate awkwardly Hindi samajhne ki koshish kar raha tha.
Investor: "Agar local dons waha ka pressure daal rahe hain, toh hum plant kahan se secure rakhenge?"
Kabir: "We’ll handle the local political pressure. Local mafia... hum unko jante hain."
Investor: "Jante hain ya deal kiya hai?"
Room mein ek thoda sa tension ka mahol ho gaya tha.
Ayaan: "Pressure sirf tab hota hai jab aap kisi aur ke rules follow karte ho. Rajan Industries apne rules khud likhti hai."
Investor kuch nahi bola. Lekin uski aankhon mein doubt bhi tha... aur thoda respect bhi.
Meeting ke baad Kabir ne corridor mein Ayaan ko roka.
Kabir: "Tu zyada sharp bol gaya."
Ayaan: "Main sirf unko woh sunwa raha tha jo darr ko kam karta hai."
Kabir: "Tu bhi baba jaisa ho raha hai... lekin tere andar kuch alag hai."
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Mumbai Business College – 2:00 PM
Ayaan ne campus enter kiya toh hamesha ki tarah kuch ladkiyan usko dekh ke whisper kar rahi thi. Lekin Ayaan ka focus bas ek Chhote group pe tha — Dev aur Shruti.
Dev: "Abe tu raat ko phone pe nahi tha. Kahan tha?"
Ayaan: "Bas... thoda personal kaam tha."
Shruti: "Tum hamesha mystery mein rehte ho, Ayaan. Kabhi normal behave karlo."
Ayaan: "Agar main normal ho jaaun, toh tumhara interest chala jaayega."
Dev: "Abe kya baat boli!"
Teeno Hans diye us bat par
Tabhi ek junior student bhaagta hua aaya.
Student: "Bhaiya... gate ke bahar kuch log aaye hain. Rohan ko pakad liya hai."
Ayaan: "Kya matlab?"
Student: "Woh Bhau ke log hain. Keh rahe hain Rohan ne unke area mein software becha."
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College Gate – 2:20 PM
Bhau ke aadmi — do body shody vale bande — Rohan ko dhamka rahe the.
Chiku : "Abe humare area ka rule todta hai? Permission liya tha tu?"
Rohan: "Sir college project tha. Profit ka nahi tha usmey kuch ."
Ek thappad padta hai uske gaal pe.
Ayaan gate ke andar se dekh raha tha. Uska phone vibrate karta hai.
Secure Ping: “dekho No action. Najar rakho Sirf kya hota hey .”
Wo ruk gaya. Ankhe choti kar ke dekh raha tha, un gundo ka face yaad rakh raha tha . Ek photo leli unki aram se..
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Rajan Mansion – Night – 9:45 PM
Dining table pe sirf Vikram aur Kabir the.
Kabir: "Bhau ka interfere badh raha hai. Apne area se nikal ke colleges tak aa gaya hai."
Vikram: "Mumbai mein rule karna ho toh Bhau jaise kutto ko ya toh paalna padta hai... ya kaatna padta hai."
Ayaan: "Kabhi kabhi kutta sirf bhaukta hai. Kaatna sirf uska sapna hota hai."
Kabir: "Tu kuch zyada hi soch raha hai. Sab thik toh hai?"
Ayaan: "Main bas dekh raha hoon."
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Adhi rat Ko – Mumbai Suburb – Abandoned Parking Lot
Ayaan black hoodie mein ek shadow ki tarah khada tha.
Ek chhoti device uske haath mein thi — laser audio scanner. Do Bhau ke log car mein baith ke baat kar rahe the.
Goon 1: "Shipment kal raat Reay Road se jayega."
Goon 2: "Aur Chiku ne Rajan college wale ko foda tha . Bhau khush tha us bat par ."
Ayaan: "Toh yeh sirf personal nahi... political bhi ho gaya hai."
Ayaan ne scanner band kiya. GPS ping bheja. Surveillance report upload.
Reply aaya:
“Marked. distance rakhna . Writ Council ko bhej diya hey .”
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Next Morning – College Corridor – 9:00 AM
Shruti ne Ayaan ko corner mein roka.
Shruti: "Tum kuch chhupa rahe ho. Aur main pakad loongi."
Ayaan: "Jo cheez chhupi ho, usse dhoondhne ka matlab sirf curiosity nahi hota... kabhi kabhi khatra bhi hota hai."
Shruti ruki. Kuch bol nahi paayi.
Ayaan ne ek second ke liye uski aankhon mein dekha, phir side se chalkar nikal gaya — ek naam ki tarah... ek raaz ki tarah.
– Unknown Room – Red Light Scanner
Ek man in shadows ne UV light mein ek black flame lotus tattoo ko scan kiya.
Voice : “The Revenant is awake.”....