"Interference detected."
Woh awaaz jaise poori space mein phail gayi.
Na loud… na fast…
Par itni heavy ki Aarav ko laga jaise uske dimaag par pressure badh raha ho.
Aarav ekdum still khada tha.
Uska saans dheere dheere fast ho raha tha.
👉 usne galti kar di thi.
Woh sirf ek second ka decision tha.
Ek impulse.
Kisi ko help karne ka.
Par ab...
👉 Observer usse notice kar chuka tha.
"Too late…" uske dark version ne dheere se bola.
Is baar uski awaaz mein calm kam… aur seriousness zyada thi.
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
"Ab kya hoga?" usne poocha.
Woh ladka seedha jawab deta hai...
👉 "Ab woh tumhe test nahi karega…"
Thoda rukta hai.
👉 "Ab woh tumhe push karega."
Space dheere dheere dark hone laga.
Jo field Aarav ne create ki thi…
👉 woh dissolve ho rahi thi.
Aarav ne turant react kiya.
"Stable ho ja…" usne focus karke bola.
Kuch seconds tak...
👉 environment ruk gaya.
Par phir..
👉 ek strong wave aayi.
Jaise kisi ne system ko zor se hit kiya ho.
Aarav ka balance hil gaya.
Woh ek step peeche gaya.
"Yeh… yeh main control nahi kar paa raha…" usne teeth grind karte hue bola.
Woh ladka usse dekhta hai.
👉 "Kyuki yeh tumhara control nahi hai."
Aarav ne confuse hoke poocha...
"Matlab?"
👉 "Yeh uska control hai."
Achanak...
👉 poori space ekdum pitch black ho gayi.
Na ground… na sky…
Bas darkness.
Aur us darkness ke beech...
👉 ek faint si shape bani.
Clear nahi…
Par presence clear thi.
Aarav ka saans ruk gaya.
👉 "Tumne boundary cross ki."
Observer ki awaaz phir se aayi.
Is baar...
👉 thodi close.
Aarav ne himmat karke bola...
👉 "Main kisi ko hurt nahi kar raha tha."
Silence.
Phir...
👉 "Tumne system ke bahar interfere kiya."
Aarav ne turant jawab diya...
👉 "Woh glitch tha!"
👉 "Glitch system ka part hota hai."
Aarav chup ho gaya.
👉 "Tumne usse change kiya."
Aarav ke paas answer nahi tha.
Woh ladka side mein khada sab observe kar raha tha.
Observer ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Interesting…"
👉 "Tum rules tod rahe ho… bina samjhe."
Aarav ne deep breath li.
👉 "Toh samjha do."
Silence.
Woh ek risky line thi.
Dark version ne Aarav ki taraf dekha.
Jaise keh raha ho..
👉 "Tu zyada bol raha hai."
Observer ne dheere se react kiya...
👉 "Tum seekhna chahte ho?"
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya..
👉 "Haan."
Silence.
Phir...
👉 ek halki si vibration hui.
Jaise system khud decide kar raha ho.
👉 "Phir survive karo."
Aarav ka dil zor se dhadakne laga.
"Survive?" usne repeat kiya.
Achanak..
👉 ground wapas appear hua.
Par is baar..
👉 woh stable nahi tha.
Cracked.
Broken.
Aur har jagah...
👉 fragments float kar rahe the.
Reality pieces.
Aarav ne aas paas dekha.
👉 "Yeh kya hai?"
Observer ki awaaz aayi...
👉 "System ke fragments."
👉 "Jahan control fail hota hai… wahan yeh bachta hai."
Aarav ka saans fast ho gaya.
👉 "Inhe stabilize karo."
Aarav ne turant react kiya.
Usne aankhein band ki.
Focus kiya.
Ek fragment ke paas gaya.
"Stay…" usne dheere se kaha.
Kuch seconds tak...
👉 woh fragment stable ho gaya.
Aarav ne relief li.
Par next second...
👉 10 aur fragments unstable ho gaye.
Aarav shock mein peeche hata.
👉 "Impossible…"
Observer ne calmly kaha...
👉 "Balance."
👉 "Tum ek ko control karte ho… dusre lose kar dete ho."
Aarav ka dimaag fast chalne laga.
"Main sab ko ek saath control nahi kar sakta…"
Dark version ne dheere se bola...
👉 "Isliye tum weak ho."
Aarav ne uski taraf gusse se dekha..
👉 "Help karega ya bas judge karega?"
Woh ladka thoda sa smile karta hai.
👉 "Seekhna hai na?"
Aarav ne teeth grind kiye.
"Fine… bol."
Woh ladka dheere se aage badha.
👉 "Feel karo…"
👉 "Force mat karo."
Aarav ne aankhein band ki.
Is baar...
👉 usne control push nahi kiya.
👉 usne system ko feel kiya.
Fragments…
Unka flow…
Unka pattern…
Aur phir...
👉 usne react kiya.
Ek saath.
👉 multiple fragments stable hone lage.
Aarav ne aankhein kholi.
👉 woh kaam kar raha tha.
Observer ne dheere se kaha..
👉 "Better…"
Aarav ka confidence thoda sa badha.
Par next second..
👉 ek massive crack open hui.
Aur us crack se...
👉 darkness bahar aayi.
Aarav freeze ho gaya.
👉 "Ab final test."
Observer ki awaaz thodi heavy ho gayi.
👉 "Isse roko."
Aarav ka saans ruk gaya.
"Yeh… main kaise.."
👉 "Ya toh control karo…"
👉 "Ya phir khud lose ho jao."
Darkness rapidly spread hone lagi.
Ground dissolve hone laga.
Fragments collapse hone lage.
Aarav panic karne laga.
"Main nahi kar paunga…"
Dark version chillata hai...
👉 "Control!"
Aarav ne aankhein tightly band ki.
"Main control mein hoon…" usne zor se bola.
Par is baar...
👉 darr zyada strong tha.
Aur system respond nahi kar raha tha.
Darkness uske paas aa rahi thi.
Real world mein..
Kabir panic mein tha.
👉 "Connection unstable ho raha hai!l
Meera almost ro padi...
👉 "Aarav ko bahar lao!"
Zoya ne usse roka.
👉 "Nahi… agar ab disconnect kiya…"
👉 "Toh woh wapas nahi aayega."
System ke andar..
Aarav ghutno par gir gaya.
Darkness usse touch karne wali thi.
Uska saans toot raha tha.
"Main…"
"Main…"
Phir..
👉 usne aankhein kholi.
Aur dheere se bola...
👉 "Main akela nahi hoon…"
Woh ladka uske paas aaya.
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
👉 "Tu main hai…"
👉 "Aur main tu hoon…"
Silence.
Woh ladka kuch seconds tak usse dekhta hai.
Phir..
👉 usne apna haath badhaya.
Aarav ne bhi apna haath aage badhaya.
Jaise hi dono ka touch hua..
👉 energy burst hui.
Aur..
👉 darkness ruk gayi.
System ek second ke liye completely freeze ho gaya.
Observer ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Interesting…"
Aarav aur uska dark version ek saath khade the.
👉 "Ab tum samajh rahe ho…"
Darkness dheere dheere vanish hone lagi.
Fragments stabilize ho gaye.
Space calm ho gaya.
Aarav heavy saans le raha tha.
Observer ki last line aayi..
👉 "Next phase… begin."