Raat dobara city par utar chuki thi.
Street lights jal rahe the, par unki roshni mein bhi ek ajeeb sa halka darkness mix ho chuka tha.
Jaise sab kuch normal hote hue bhiโฆ kuch normal nahi tha.
Aarav akela chal raha tha.
Slow steps.
Usne ane haath pockets mein daale hue the.
Par uska dimaag bilkul calm nahi tha.
Kal jo huaโฆ
woh simple nahi tha.
Woh entity.
Woh "alive glitch".
Aarav ne aankhein band ki.
๐ usne us moment ko yaad kiya.
Jab usne us entity ko roka thaโฆ
jab usne usse control kiya thaโฆ
๐ usse ek ajeeb sa feel aaya tha.
Power ka.
Aur woh feel abhi bhi uske andar tha.
"Tum enjoy kar rahe the."
Aarav ruk gaya.
Woh awaaz.
Woh ladka uske saamne khada tha.
Aarav ne seedha uski taraf dekha..
๐ "Main control kar raha tha."
Woh ladka halka sa hasa...
๐ "Difference samajhta hai tu?"
Silence.
๐ "Control aur domination mein farak hota hai.
Aarav ne aankhein thodi narrow ki..
๐ "Aur main domination nahi kar raha."
Woh ladka dheere se bola..
๐ "Abhi nahiโฆ"
๐ "Par jaldi karega."
Aarav ne gusse se kaha...
๐ "Main aisa nahi hoon."
Woh ladka seedha uske paas aaya..
๐ "Tu already change ho chuka hai."
Silence.
Aarav ne kuch nahi bola.
Kyuki andar hi andar...
๐ usse bhi woh feel aa raha tha.
Control Room main...
Kabir screens ke saamne baitha tha.
"Guysโฆ ek problem hai," usne dheere se kaha.
Meera ne turant poocha...
๐ "Ab kya hua?"
Kabir ne screen zoom ki...
๐ "Multiple signals detect ho rahe hainโฆ"
Zoya ka expression serious ho gaya..
๐ "Same entity type?"
Kabir ne sir hilaya..
๐ "Nahiโฆ alag alag."
Silence.
๐ "Aur yeh move kar rahe hain."
Meera ka dil dhadakne laga...
๐ "Matlabโฆ?"
Zoya ne dheere se kaha..
๐ "Hunt."
City main alag alag jagah.
Ek gali mein...
๐ ek shadow move hui.
Dusri jagah...
๐ ek reflection apne aap shift hua.
Teesri jagah...
๐ ek aadmi ka shadow uske movement se alag chalne laga.
Aur dheere dheere...
๐ woh sab ek direction mein move karne lage.
๐ Aarav ki taraf.
Street par..
Aarav still khada tha.
Usne aankhein band ki.
๐ usse feel ho gaya.
Multiple presences.
"Yeh kya haiโฆ" usne dheere se kaha.
Woh ladka seedha bola...
๐ "Response."
Aarav ne poocha...
๐ "Kis cheez ka?"
๐ "Tumhara."
Silence.
Aarav ka saans heavy ho gaya.
๐ "Toh yeh mujhe target kar rahe hain?"
๐ "Exactly."
Achanak...
๐ hawa heavy ho gayi.
Temperature drop hua.
Aur...
๐ pehla attack aaya.
Ek shadow side se shoot hua.
Aarav ne turant react kiya...
๐ haath uthaya.
Shadow freeze ho gaya.
Par ussi moment...
๐ doosra attack peeche se.
Phir teesra.
Phir chautha.
Aarav ke aas paas...
๐ multiple entities aa chuki the.
Kabir ki awaaz comms par...
๐ "Aarav! 5 signals ek saath move kar rahe hain!"
Aarav ne teeth grind kiye...
๐ "Mujhe pata hai!"
Fight start..
Ek entity ne direct attack kiya.
Aarav ne dodge kiya.
Dusri ne ground se strike kiya.
Aarav jump back.
Teesri ne uska arm grab karne ki koshish ki..
๐ Aarav ne usse mid-air stop kar diya.
"Ruko!" usne zor se kaha.
Kuch second ke liye...
๐ sab freeze ho gaye.
Par phir...
๐ ek ek karke woh move karne lage.
Jaise woh uske control ko break kar rahe ho.
Aarav shock mein...
๐ "Yeh resist kar rahe hainโฆ"
Woh ladka bola...
๐ "Tujhse strong ho rahe hain."
Aarav ka saans fast ho gaya.
๐ "Impossibleโฆ"
Ek entity seedha uske saamne aayi.
Aur...
๐ usne Aarav ka reflection copy kar liya.
Meera ki awaaz..
๐ "Yehโฆ tera form le raha hai!"
Aarav freeze ho gaya ek second ke liye.
Aur wahi mistake hui.
๐ attack direct hit hua.
Aarav peeche gir gaya.
Pain shoot hua.
Kabir panic mein...
๐ "Aarav!"
Aarav ne teeth grind kiye...
๐ "Main theek hoonโฆ"
Par woh clearly struggle kar raha tha.
System Connection...
Aarav ne aankhein band ki.
๐ "Focusโฆ"
Par is baar...
๐ control slip ho raha tha.
Har entity alag react kar rahi thi.
Koi pattern nahi.
Koi single control point nahi.
๐ "Yehโฆ random haiโฆ"
Woh ladka seedha bola...
๐ "Nahiโฆ!
๐ "Yeh adaptive hai."
Silence.
Aarav ka dimaag fast chalne laga.
๐ "Toh mujhe bhi adapt karna padegaโฆ"
Aarav khada hua.
Usne deep breath li.
Is baar...
๐ usne sabko ek saath control karne ki koshish nahi ki.
๐ usne unhe individually feel kiya.
Har entity ka alag pattern.
Alag movement.
Alag reaction.
Slowly...
๐ Aarav samajhne laga.
Ek entity attack karti hai...
๐ Aarav uska movement predict karta hai.
Dusri...
๐ woh usse sideline karta hai.
Teesri...
๐ woh usse direct disperse kar deta hai.
Fight slow se controlled hone lagi.
Par phir...
๐ woh reflection wala Aarav wapas aaya.
Is baar...
๐ stronger.
Aur seedha attack.
Aarav ne usse roka.
Dono ek dusre ke saamne.
Same face.
Same eyes.
Par...
๐ intent different.
"Tu kya haiโฆ" Aarav ne dheere se poocha.
Reflection ne koi jawab nahi diya.
Sirf..
๐ attack.
Fast.
Aarav barely block karta hai.
Uska control phir slip hone lagta hai.
๐ "Yeh sabse strong haiโฆ"
Woh ladka dheere se bola...
๐ "Kyuki yeh tu hai."
Silence.
Aarav ka saans ruk gaya.
๐ "Matlabโฆ?"
๐ "System ne tera hi version bana diya."
Aarav ne apne reflection ko dekha.
๐ "Toh mujhe ise defeat nahiโฆ"
๐ "Understand karna hoga."
Aarav ne attack stop kiya.
Usne apne haath neeche kiye.
Sab shock mein...
๐ "Aarav kya kar raha hai?!"
Reflection bhi ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
Aarav ne dheere se kaha...
๐ "Tu main ho."
Silence.
๐ "Par tu control nahiโฆ chaos hai."
Reflection hilta hai.
Jaise woh react kar raha ho.
Aarav aage badha.
๐ "Main tujhe destroy nahi karungaโฆ"
๐ "Main tujhe balance karunga."
Ek second.
Phir...
๐ Aarav ne haath aage badhaya.
Aur...
๐ us reflection ko touch kiya.
Energy blast hui.
Sab peeche hat gaye.
Light fade hone ke baad...
๐ reflection gayab thi.
Baaki entities bhi dissolve ho chuki the.
Silence.
Aarav seedha khada tha.
Heavy breathing.
Kabir dheere se bola...
๐ "Ho gayaโฆ?"
Aarav ne dheere se sir hilaya...
๐ "Haanโฆ"
Par andar..
๐ usse feel ho raha tha...
๐ yeh sirf ek level tha.
Zoya uske paas aayi.
๐ "Tum theek ho?"
Aarav ne dheere se kaha..
๐ "Main control mein hoonโฆ"
Phir halki si ruk kar...
๐ "Abhi ke liye."
Aapko kya lagta hai kya hoga ab aage...
Comment karke jarur bataye.