Room me ab bhi wahi sannata tha… lekin Anmol badal chuka tha।
Uski saanse ab steady thi, aankhen bilkul focused, aur dimaag ek ajeeb si clarity me kaam kar raha tha।
"Multiple Players…"
Usne dheere se repeat kiya।
Ye ek simple line nahi thi—ye ek revelation thi।
Matlab…
wo akela nahi tha।
Anmol dheere se khidki ke paas gaya।
Bahar shehar apni normal raftaar me chal raha tha—
log haste hue, gaadiyan chalti hui…
Lekin Anmol ke liye—
sab kuch ek illusion jaisa lag raha tha।
"Sab normal lag raha hai…"
"Lekin andar hi andar… game chal raha hai…"
Usne apni mutthi band ki।
"Observer…"
Ye naam uske dimaag me baar baar goonj raha tha।
Wo aadmi normal nahi tha—
uski presence me ek dominance tha, ek authority thi।
"Wo mujhe test karne aaya tha…"
"Matlab… koi hierarchy hai…"
TING.
System activate hua।
Is baar screen pehle se zyada stable thi।
"New Information Unlocked."
Anmol ki aankhen halki si sikud gayi।
"Finally…"
Screen par dheere dheere words aaye—
"Players are ranked."
"Survival depends on growth."
"Top players control the game."
Room ka temperature jaise gir gaya।
Anmol ne dheere se kaha—
"Matlab… ye sirf survive karne ka game nahi hai…"
"Ye domination ka game hai…"
Uske lips par halka sa smile aaya।
"Interesting…"
Usne screen ko dhyan se dekha।
"Ranks kya hai?"
System ne turant response diya—
"Current Rank: Unregistered"
"Unregistered…?"
Anmol ka expression thoda serious ho gaya।
"Matlab… main officially game ka part bhi nahi hoon…"
"Phir bhi… target bana diya gaya…"
Usne ek gehri saans li।
"System… mujhe register kaise karna hai?"
2 second ka silence।
Phir—
"Complete the Trial."
"Trial…?"
Screen flicker hui।
"Trial of Worthiness."
Anmol ka heartbeat halki si speed se badha।
"Location?"
"Tonight."
"Midnight."
"Coordinates will be sent."
Room me fir se silence chha gaya।
Anmol ne dheere se apni gardan ghumaai।
"Matlab… ab real test start hoga…"
Uski aankhon me ek ajeeb si chamak aayi—
excitement nahi…
darr nahi…
calculation।
"Observer ne mujhe chhoda kyun…?"
"Ya toh wo confident hai…"
"Ya main uske plan ka part hoon…"
Anmol ne khud se kaha—
"Dono hi dangerous hain…"
Wo dheere se bed par baith gaya।
Usne apni aankhen band ki—
aur saari recent fights ko yaad kiya।
"Speed improve hui…"
"Reaction better…"
"Emotion control…"
"Lekin…"
"Experience zero…"
Usne aankhen kholi।
"Ye log trained hain…"
"Main abhi beginner hoon…"
Ek second ke liye uska dimaag blank hua।
Phir—
usne seedha decision liya।
"Preparation…"
"Ab galti ki jagah nahi hai…"
Wo turant khada hua।
Room ke andar hi usne apni body ko test karna start kiya—
Movement… balance… speed…
Har step me ek precision tha।
Har move me ek discipline।
"Control…"
"Consistency…"
"Survival…"
Wo apne aap ko train kar raha tha—
jaise kal uski zindagi ka final exam ho।
Time dheere dheere guzarne laga।
Shaam ho gayi।
Room me light dim thi।
Anmol khidki ke paas khada tha।
"Midnight…"
"Trial…"
Uska dimaag ab bilkul calm tha।
"Ab darr ka koi use nahi…"
"Sirf ek goal hai—"
"Jeetna…"
TING.
Screen activate hui।
"Coordinates Received."
Anmol ne turant location dekhi।
Uska expression ek second ke liye freeze ho gaya।
"Ye…"
"Ye toh…"
"Wahi jagah hai…"
Uska dil ek second ke liye zor se dhadka।
"Jahan accident hua tha…"
Room me silence chha gaya।
"Matlab… sab kuch connected hai…"
Usne dheere se kaha—
"System mujhe wapas wahi le ja raha hai…"
"Kyuuun…?"
Koi jawab nahi।
Sirf ek reality—
"Trial start hone wala hai…"
Anmol ne apni jacket uthai।
Door ki taraf badha।
Har kadam me ek resolve tha।
"Is baar…"
"Main sirf survive nahi karunga…"
"Main prove karunga…"
Door khula।
Wo bahar nikal gaya।
Raat ka andhera dheere dheere shehar ko cover kar raha tha।
Aur us andhere me—
ek naya khel shuru hone wala tha।
Jaise hi Anmol building se bahar nikla—
Uske phone par ek unknown message aaya।
Usne screen dekhi—
"Don't trust the System."
Anmol ruk gaya।
Uski aankhen dheere dheere narrow huiं।
"Matlab…?"
"System bhi safe nahi hai…?"
Uska dimaag ek second me high alert me chala gaya।
"Game… expected se zyada deep hai…"
Aur us moment—
Door kahin andhere me—
koi use dekh raha tha।
Anmol ne dheere se aas-paas dekha—
lekin koi dikha nahi।
Phir uske phone par ek aur message flash hua—
"Run… before it finds you."
Anmol ka heartbeat ek second ke liye ruk gaya।
"IT…?"
Aur usi waqt—
uske peeche kisi ke kadam ki awaaz aayi।