"Main… kyaban gaya hoon…?"
Room me gehra sannata tha.
Anmol bilkul seedha khada tha, lekin uske andar sab kuch toot raha tha. Uski saanse bhaari ho chuki thi, aur dimaag jaise kisi anjaan bojh ke neeche dab gaya tha.
Achanak usne zor se cheekh maari—
"AAAAHHHH!"
Wo ghutno par gir gaya. Uske haath zameen ko kas ke pakad liye, jaise wo khud ko tootne se rok raha ho.
"Ye power… mere control me nahi hai…"
System ki awaaz glitch karne lagi—
"WARNING… Mind Overload Detected… Identity Conflict — Critical…"
"Identity conflict…?" Anmol ne dheere se dohraya.
Uski aankhen achanak khul gayin.
Ek aankh bilkul normal thi… lekin doosri me halki si laal chamak ubhar aayi thi.
"Main… split ho raha hoon…?"
Tabhi uske dimaag ke andar ek thandi, gahri awaaz goonj uthi—
"Split nahi… complete ho rahe ho…"
Anmol ka chehra sakht ho gaya.
"Chup ho ja. Tu main nahi hai."
Awaaz halki si hasi.
"Main wahi hoon jise tumne hamesha dabaaya… gussa, dard, nafrat… sab main hoon."
Room ka mahaul achanak bhaari ho gaya.
Anmol dheere se khada hua. Uska sharir abhi bhi unstable tha.
"Main control karunga. Main khud ko khone nahi dunga."
"Phir rok ke dikha."
Agle hi pal—Anmol ka haath apne aap utha.
"Ye kya—"
Aur usne apne hi chehre par zor se mukka maara.
"DHAM!"
Wo peeche gir gaya.
"Pagal ho gaya hai kya…?"
Awaaz phir hasi.
"Control chahiye tha na… ab khud se lad."
Anmol ne gehri saans li.
Ab usse samajh aa chuka tha—ye bahar ki ladai nahi hai.
Ye andar ki ladai hai.
"Thik hai…"
Usne aankhen band kar li.
"Main bhaagunga nahi."
Achanak uske dimaag me ek andhera jagah ban gaya—ek khaali, kaala space.
Aur uske saamne—wo khada tha.
Dusra Anmol.
Is baar pehle se zyada stable, zyada khatarnak.
"Welcome," usne shaant awaaz me kaha, "apne asli battlefield me."
Anmol ne seedha uski taraf dekha.
"Is baar main haarunga nahi."
Dusra Anmol halka sa muskuraaya.
"Tum pehle hi haar chuke ho. Kyunki main… tum hoon."
Aur bina kisi warning ke usne attack kiya.
Ek tez mukka seedha Anmol ke seene par laga.
Anmol peeche phisal gaya.
"Speed… double… power… triple…"
Anmol shock me tha.
"Ye meri hi power hai…?"
"Main tumhari limit nahi hoon," dusra Anmol bola, "main tumhara asli potential hoon."
Anmol ne apni mutthi band ki.
"Toh phir main tujhe accept nahi karunga. Main tujhe control karunga."
Wo seedha uski taraf dauda.
Dono ke beech tez attacks ka silsila shuru ho gaya—punch, block, kick, counter.
Har impact ke saath andhera jagah goonj uthta.
Lekin farq saaf tha.
Dusra Anmol bilkul calm tha.
Anmol abhi bhi struggle kar raha tha.
"Tum emotions se lad rahe ho," dusra Anmol ne kaha, "main unhe control karta hoon."
Ek powerful kick lagi.
Anmol zameen par gir gaya.
Uski saanse tez ho gayin.
"Control… kaise…?"
Tabhi ek memory flash hui.
Maa ki awaaz—
"Gussa tab tak hi taqat hai, jab tak tum uske malik ho."
Anmol ki aankhen dheere se khuli.
"Malik…"
Usne dheere se kaha, "matlab dabana nahi… direction dena."
Wo dheere se khada hua.
Is baar uska sharir stable tha. Aankhen focused.
Dusra Anmol use dhyan se dekh raha tha.
"Samajh gaye…"
Anmol ne seedha jawab diya—
"Tu mera hissa hai. Dushman nahi. Lekin control mera hoga."
Us pal uske andar se ek nayi energy nikli—na poori andheri, na poori seedhi—ek balance.
System flash hua—
"Skill Evolved… Emotion Drive → Control Mode…"
Dusra Anmol ka expression badal gaya.
"Interesting…"
Anmol ne seedha kaha—"Ab khatam."
Aur wo achanak gayab ho gaya.
Agle hi pal wo dusre Anmol ke peeche tha.
Ek tez attack—seedha impact.
Dusra Anmol pehli baar react nahi kar paaya.
"Speed…?"
Anmol uske saamne aaya.
"Ab main control me hoon."
Ek final mukka—
Pure andhere me daraar pad gayi.
Dusra Anmol dheere dheere tootne laga.
Is baar usne resist nahi kiya.
Sirf halka sa muskuraaya.
"Ab tum ready ho…"
"Real world ke liye…"
Aur wo poori tarah Anmol me sama gaya.
Andhera space toot gaya.
Anmol wapas real world me aa gaya.
Uski aankhen dheere se khuli.
Dono aankhen ab normal thi.
Lekin andar—sab kuch badal chuka tha.
"Main ab weak nahi hoon…"
"Lekin main insaan abhi bhi hoon…"
System ka final message aaya—
"Identity Stabilized… New Phase Unlocked…"
Door dheere se khula.
Bahar se ek anjaan awaaz aayi—
"Toh tum hi ho… Anmol…"
Anmol ne apna sar uthaya.
Uski nazar teekhi ho chuki thi.
"Agla shikar… ya agla dushman…?"