[Lusty_bOOz]

VIP lounge ki jagah aur deep security guards ke beech, Sonam ka dil seene mein tezz-tezz dhadak raha tha. Uske pati Sanjay apne doston ke saath baaton mein mashgool the, aur Sonam ne issi mauke ka fayda uthaya.

Woh chupke se bheed se alag hui aur mahal ke uss aalishan heritage resort ke pichhle balcony area ki taraf badh gayi, jahan roshni thodi madham thi aur mausam mein ek ajab si thandak thi.

Sonam wahan railing se tik kar khadi thi, uski aankhein aur saansein dono Vikram ke intezaar mein bechain thi.

Tabhi peechhe se ek gehri, jaani-pehchani aawaz aayi—

"Sonam..."

Sonam jhatke se mudi. Vikram raincoat ya kaali uniform ke bajaye ab ek formal dark suit mein khade the, par unki aankhon ki wohi purani gambhirta aur aatmik tezz barkarar tha.

Sonam ne apni aanchal ko tight thama, uski aankhon se achanak ek boond aansu beh nikla. "Vikram... aap? Aap achanak bina bataye kahan gayab ho gaye the? Mujhe thoda bhi andaza hai ki main kis uthal-puthal se gujri hoon? Sarkari daftar se lekar...har jagah maine aapka pata lagane ki koshish ki."

Vikram ne ek kadam aage badhaya, par aaspas ke VIP protocol ka dhyan rakhte hue unhone khud ko control kiya. Unka chehra thoda udaas aur sankat-bhara laga.

"Main jaanta hoon, Sonam... main sab jaanta hoon," Vikram ne behad dheemi aawaz mein kaha. "Uss din rasoi ke 3-second ke sparsh ke baad jab main shehar se nikla, toh mujhe State Headquarters se ek highly confidential Operation 'Red Shadow' par bhej diya gaya tha."

"Operation?" Sonam ne hairani se poocha.

"Haan," Vikram ne charo taraf ek nazar daal kar bataya. "Woh jo library ka caretaker tha, woh koi aam blackmailer nahi tha. Woh ek bade inter-state extortion racket ka chhota sa mohra tha. Mujhe mere seniors ne iss mission par bheja tha taaki main unke main head to expose kar sakoon. Maine apna contact number aur location security reasons se poori tarah classified (gupt) kar di thi. Main kisi se bhi contact nahi kar sakta tha—yahan tak ki tumse bhi nahi."

Sonam ne nazrein jhuka li. Uske andar ka darr ab dheere-dheere door ho raha tha, par ek shikayat abhi bhi baki thi.

"Aur aapne... aapne socha ki main uss blackmailer ke saamne toot jaungi?" Sonam ne thodi teekhi aawaz mein kaha.

Vikram ke chehre par ek behad aadar aur garv bhari muskaan aayi. Unhone Sonam ki aankhon mein dekha.

"Nahi, Sonam. Mujhe tumhari maryada aur tumhare andar ki takat par poora bharosa tha. Mujhe pata chala ki tumne uss caretaker ko uske hi jaal mein phansa kar security officer ke haath thama diya. Tumne jiss hoshiyari aur courage se apna aur mera dono ka samman bachaya, usne mera tumhare prati sammaan aur badha diya hai."

Vikram ne apne coat ki andaruni pocket se ek chhota sa silver chain nikal kar Sonam ke haath mein rakh diya.

"Yeh meri posting ki nayi location ka encrypted tag hai. Ab main safe hoon, aur tum bhi safe ho. Humein ab iss chhupne-chhaapne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Tumhari maryada aur mera farz—dono apni jagah amar hain."

Sonam ne woh silver tag apni mutthi mein kas liya. Uske dil ko ek aisi shanti aur sukoon mila jo pichhle kai dino se missing tha. Tabhi door se Sanjay ki aawaz aayi—"Sonam? Kahan ho tum?"

Sonam ne Vikram ki taraf dekha. Vikram ne halka sa sar jhukakar use jaane ka ishara kiya.

Sonam ne ek aakhri haseen muskaan ke saath wahan se kadam peeche hataye. Uski zindagi ki saari uthal-puthal ab khatam ho chuki thi. Woh apne pati Sanjay ke paas wapas laut aayi, iss vishwas ke saath ki usne apni maryada bhi bachayi aur apne aatmik rishte ko bhi ek naya aur pavan aakaar diya.

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