Jaise hi aarav ne aankhein kholi.
Sabse pehle usne ceiling dekhi.
White… simple… par thodi blurry.
Uska saans heavy tha, jaise woh abhi bhi poori tarah wapas nahi aaya ho.
"Aarav…?" Meera ki awaaz uske paas se aayi.
Woh turant uski taraf jhuki.
"Tu theek hai na?"
Aarav ne bolne ki koshish ki, par awaaz pehle thodi atki.
"Haan…" usne finally dheere se kaha,
"main… wapas hoon."
Kabir ne relief ki saans li.
"Bhai seriously… tu har baar heart attack de deta hai," usne thoda forced smile ke saath kaha.
Par uski aankhon mein tension abhi bhi thi.
Zoya thodi door khadi thi.
Woh bas Aarav ko dekh rahi thi.
Jaise woh check kar rahi ho..
👉 ki kya woh same Aarav hai… ya kuch change ho chuka hai.
"Tumne usse dekha?" Zoya ne finally poocha.
Room phir se silent ho gaya.
Aarav dheere se baith gaya.
Usne apne haath dekhe.
Thode kaanp rahe the.
👉 par control mein the.
"Haan…" usne dheere se kaha,
"iss baar sirf feel nahi kiya… maine usse suna bhi."
Kabir ne turant poocha,
"Kya bola usne?"
Aarav ne seedha jawab nahi diya.
Woh kuch seconds tak chup raha.
Phir dheere se bola..
👉 "Woh hume test kar raha hai."
"Test?" Meera ne repeat kiya.
Aarav ne sir hilaya.
👉 "Uske liye yeh sab ek experiment hai…"
👉 "Main… mera dark version… aur system…"
Kabir ne frustrated tone mein kaha,
"Great… matlab hum koi lab rats hain."
Zoya ne calmly kaha...
👉 "Nahi…"
Sab uski taraf dekhte hain.
👉 "Lab rats ko itna control nahi diya jaata."
Aarav ne dheere se uski taraf dekha.
"Matlab?"
Zoya ne seedha jawab diya..
👉 "Tum dono variables ho."
Room phir se silent.
Kabir ne halka sa sarcastic tone mein bola,
"Haan bas… ab maths bhi aa gaya."
Meera ne usse elbow maara,
"Serious reh Kabir."
Zoya ne Aarav ki taraf dekha.
👉 "Tumhe samajhna hoga…"
👉 "Observer sirf dekh nahi raha…"
👉 "Woh wait bhi kar raha hai."
"Wait kis liye?" Aarav ne poocha.
👉 "Result ke liye."
Aarav ka dil thoda heavy ho gaya.
Usne dheere se kaha..
👉 "Aur agar result usse pasand nahi aaya toh?"
Zoya ne kuch seconds tak kuch nahi bola.
Phir dheere se kaha...
👉 "Toh woh system reset kar sakta hai."
Silence.
Kabir ne turant react kiya...
👉 "Reset matlab??"
Zoya ne uski taraf dekha.
👉 "Sab kuch khatam."
Room ka atmosphere ekdum heavy ho gaya.
Aarav ne dheere se apni fists tight ki.
👉 "Main yeh hone nahi dunga."
Uski awaaz calm thi.
Par usme determination clear tha.
Zoya ne sir hilaya.
👉 "Isliye tumhe stronger banna hoga."
Kabir ne sigh kiya.
"Phir training?" usne poocha.
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya..
👉 "Ab sirf training nahi… control."
Kuch der baad…
Room ka setup change ho chuka tha.
Kabir ne apne laptop aur system ko adjust kar diya tha.
Multiple screens ON thi.
Har screen par alag data flow ho raha tha.
Meera corner mein khadi thi, silently observe kar rahi thi.
Zoya Aarav ke saamne khadi thi.
👉 "Iss baar ek rule hai," Zoya ne kaha.
Aarav ne poocha,
"Kya?"
👉 "Dar aayega… aur tum usse ignore nahi karoge."
Aarav ne sir hilaya.
Kabir ne kaha,
"Connection ready hai."
Aarav ne deep breath li.
Aur phir...
👉 usne screen touch ki.
System ke andar…
Aarav phir se us space mein tha.
Par is baar...
👉 woh aur clear lag raha tha.
Jaise uska control thoda improve ho gaya ho.
"Main yahan hoon," Aarav ne dheere se kaha.
Koi turant response nahi aaya.
Usne aankhein band ki.
Focus kiya.
Aur phir...
👉 usne environment change karne ki koshish ki.
Ek field…
Jaise pichli baar.
Is baar..
👉 woh instantly appear ho gayi.
Aarav ne aankhein kholi.
👉 "Better…" usne dheere se kaha.
"Improve ho rahe ho."
Awaaz aayi.
Aarav ne mudkar dekha.
👉 woh ladka (dark version) phir wahan tha.
Aarav ne seedha bola...
👉 "Woh phir aayega."
Woh ladka halka sa smile karta hai.
👉 "Of course aayega."
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha...
👉 "Aur iss baar… main ready rehna chahta hoon."
Woh ladka thoda serious ho gaya.
👉 "Ready hone ka matlab samajhte ho?"
Aarav ne sir hilaya.
👉 "Control… bina lose kiye."
Woh ladka dheere se bola..
👉 "Aur bina dar ke?"
Aarav ruk gaya.
Phir dheere se bola..
👉 "Nahi… dar ke saath."
Silence.
Woh ladka usse dekhta hai.
Phir dheere se kehta hai...
👉 "Shayad tum samajhne lage ho."
Achanak..
👉 real world mein kuch change hua.
Kabir ne screen dekhi.
"Uh… guys?" usne tension mein bola.
Meera ne poocha,
"Kya hua?"
Kabir ne screen ki taraf point kiya...
👉 "Data spike ho raha hai…"
Zoya ne turant react kiya...
👉 "Kahan?"
Kabir ne zoom kiya.
👉 "Outside… real world mein."
System ke andar…
Aarav ko ek sudden jhatka feel hua.
"Yeh kya tha?" usne poocha.
Woh ladka turant serious ho gaya.
👉 "Kuch bahar ho raha hai…"
Aarav ka dil fast dhadakne laga.
"Matlab system ka effect… bahar ja raha hai?"
Woh ladka seedha bola...
👉 "Ya phir koi system ko bahar use kar raha hai."
Real world…
Ek street.
Normal log.
Normal traffic.
Phir..
👉 ek aadmi ruk gaya.
Bilkul freeze.
Phir...
👉 usne ek hi action repeat karna shuru kiya.
Phone uthana…
rakhna…
phir uthana…
phir rakhna…
Loop.
Endless loop.
Room ke andar…
Kabir shock mein tha.
👉 "Yeh… yeh normal nahi hai…"
Meera ne poocha,
"Kya ho raha hai?"
Kabir ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Reality glitch ho rahi hai…"
Zoya ne aankhein band kar li.
👉 "Observer…"
System ke andar…
Aarav ne suddenly feel kiya...
👉 connection strong ho raha hai.
Jaise woh sirf andar nahi…
👉 bahar bhi linked ho.
"Main… usse feel kar sakta hoon," Aarav ne dheere se kaha.
Woh ladka turant bola...
👉 "Mat karo."
Aarav ne poocha,
"Ky—?"
👉 "Woh tumhe notice kar lega."
Par Aarav already connect ho chuka tha.
Usne aankhein band ki.
Aur phir..
👉 usne us glitch ko feel kiya.
Ek aadmi…
Loop mein phasa hua…
Aarav ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Stop…"
Ek second ke liye...
👉 loop ruk gaya.
Real world…
Woh aadmi suddenly normal ho gaya.
Jaise kuch hua hi nahi.
Room.
Kabir shock mein chillaya...
👉 "It stopped!"
Meera ne Aarav ki taraf dekha...
👉 "Yeh tune kiya?"
System ke andar…
Aarav ne aankhein kholi.
👉 "Maine… control kiya…"
Woh ladka usse dekhta hai.
👉 "Ab tum samajh rahe ho…"
Achanak..
👉 space dark hone laga.
Heavy pressure wapas aa gaya.
Aur phir...
👉 woh awaaz wapas aayi.
👉 "Interference detected."
Aarav freeze ho gaya.
Woh ladka dheere se bola..
👉 "Too late…"
Aur darkness ke beech....
👉 woh presence phir se aa gayi.