Subah ho chuki thi.
Par aaj city mein ek ajeeb si heaviness thi.
Jaise hawa bhi thodi slow chal rahi ho.
Log apna kaam kar rahe the, par unke faces par ek halka sa confusion tha…
Jaise unhe yaad hi nahi ki kal kya hua tha.
Aarav ek building ke edge par baitha tha.
Usne apne pair neeche latkaaye hue the.
Uski aankhein door kahin fix thi.
Kal raat…
usne system ko rok diya tha.
Observer ko challenge kiya tha.
Par andar hi andar...
👉 usse pata tha…
yeh khatam nahi hua.
"Tumne usse rok diya."
Aarav ne dheere se side dekha.
Woh ladka uske paas baith gaya.
👉 "Temporary," Aarav ne seedha jawab diya.
Woh ladka halka sa muskuraya...
👉 "Phir bhi… impressive."
Aarav ne aankhein band ki...
👉 "Woh wapas aayega."
👉 "Haan," woh ladka bola,
👉 "par is baar seedha nahi."
Silence.
👉 "Matlab?"
Woh ladka seedha bola...
👉 "Is baar woh tumhe hurt karega… directly nahi…"
👉 "Tumhare through."
Aarav ka expression change ho gaya.
👉 "Clear bold."
👉 "Woh tumhe nahi… tumhare logon ko target karega."
Silence.
Aarav ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
👉 "Nahi…"
Woh ladka dheere se bola...
👉 "System ko pata hai tumhe kaise break karna hai."
***
Control Room main..
Kabir ne screens ON ki hui thi.
"Everything normal lag raha hai…" usne kaha.
Meera ne halki si smile ki...
👉 "Finally…"
Par Zoya chup thi.
👉 "Too normal…"
Kabir ne uski taraf dekha..
👉 "Yaar tu kabhi relax nahi hoti kya?"
Zoya ne seedha jawab diya...
👉 "Jab tak yeh khatam nahi hota… nahi."
***
Achanak...
👉 ek sharp beep aaya.
Kabir ka face serious ho gaya...
👉 "Wait…"
Screen flicker hui.
👉 "Ek signal…"
Zoom in.
👉 "Hospital area…"
Meera ka expression turant change ho gaya...
👉 "Wahan meri friend admit hai…"
Silence.
Zoya ne dheere se kaha..
👉 "Coincidence nahi hai."
***
Wahan street pe Aarav khada hua tha.
Usne aankhein band ki hui thi.
👉 usse bhi feel ho gaya.
Ek sharp disturbance.
Focused.
Jaise kisi ne specifically ek jagah choose ki ho.
👉 "Shit…"
Woh turant khada hua.
👉 "Hospital."
Aur bina wait kiye...
👉 woh wahan move kar gaya.
***
Wahan hospital ki Entrance pe...
Sab normal lag raha tha.
Patients, doctors, nurses…
sab apne kaam mein busy the.
Par Aarav jaanta tha ki..
👉 surface par sab normal hota hai.
Andar...
👉 problem hoti hai.
Woh seedha andar gaya.
Aur jaise hi woh andar aaya...
👉 usse feel hua.
Strong.
Dangerous.
***
"Late ho gaye."
Aarav ne mudkar dekha.
Woh ladka wall ke paas khada tha.
👉 "Kya matlab?"
👉 "Woh already start ho chuka hai."
***
Ward ke inside..
Meera already wahan par pohonch gyi thi.
Uski friend bed par leti hui thi.
Par..
👉 woh move nahi kar rahi thi.
Monitor stable tha.
Par uska body completely still.
Meera ne darr ke saath kaha...
👉 "Yeh… kyun react nahi kar rahi…"
Zoya ne aankhein narrow ki...
👉 "Yeh normal nahi hai."
***
Aarav wahan pahunch gaya tha.
Usne scene dekha.
Aur instantly...
👉 usse samajh aa gaya.
👉 "Yeh trap hai…"
Meera ne uski taraf dekha...
👉 "Kya?"
Aarav ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Yeh uska move hai…"
***
Achanak...
👉 monitor glitch hua.
Beep irregular ho gaya.
Room ka temperature drop ho gaya.
Aur...
👉 Meera ki friend ki aankhein khul gayi.
Par...
👉 woh normal nahi thi.
Blank.
Dark.
***
Meera peeche hati...
👉 "Yeh… kya…"
Us ladki ne dheere se apna head turn kiya.
Seedha Aarav ki taraf.
Aur phir...
👉 usne bola.
👉 "Tumne system ko rok diya…"
Awaaz uski nahi thi.
Deep.
Echo jaisi.
****
Aarav ka expression tight ho gaya...
👉 "Observer…"
Silence.
👉 "Impressive move."
Room freeze ho gaya.
Kabir dheere se bola...
👉 "Yeh uske through baat kar raha hai…"
***
Aarav aage badha...
👉 "Use chhod do."
Silence.
Phir..
👉 "Kyu?"
***
Aarav ne teeth grind kiye or kaha...
👉 "Yeh tumhari fight nahi hai."
Observer ki awaaz calm thi...
👉 "Ab hai."
Meera almost ro padi...
👉 "Please… use hurt mat karo…"
Us ladki ke lips dheere se move hue..
👉 "Emotion…"
👉 "Weakness."
Aarav ka control slip hone laga.
👉 "Bas…"
Uski awaaz heavy ho gayi.
👉 "Yeh sab band karo."
Room shake hone laga.
Lights flicker.
Machines glitch.
Or usi time zoya chillayi...
👉 "Aarav control!"
Par Aarav already edge par tha.
👉 "Tumne galat choice ki hai…"
Usne dheere se kaha.
Observer ki awaaz aayi...
👉 "Proof."
Achanak...
👉 Meera ki friend ka body utha.
Air mein.
Uska body twist hone laga.
Meera chillayi...
👉 "STOP!"
Aarav ka dimaag snap ho gaya.
👉 "BAS!"
Ek powerful wave room mein phail gayi.
Sab freeze.
Time slow ho gaya.
Aarav aage badha.
Usne haath uthaya.
👉 "Release."
Ek second...
Phir...
👉 us ladki ki body dheere se neeche aa gayi.
Aur woh unconscious ho gayi.
Silence.
Room normal hone laga.
Machines stable hone lagi.
Lights bhi normal ho gyi.
***
Kabir shock mein...
👉 "Yeh… kya tha…"
Meera turant uske paas gayi...
👉 "Tu theek hai… please…"
Aarav peeche khada tha.
Uska saans heavy tha.
Uski aankhon mein...
👉 woh cold shine wapas aa gayi thi.
Zoya uske paas aayi..
👉 "Tumne control lose kar diya tha."
Aarav ne dheere se kaha..
👉 "Nahi…"
Phir halka sa ruk kar..
👉 "Main bas… serious ho gaya tha."
Silence.
Zoya ne uski aankhon mein dekha.
👉 "Yahi problem hai."
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha...
👉 "Main unhe hurt nahi hone dunga."
Zoya ne dheere se kaha..
👉 "Aur agar uske liye tumhe khud ko change karna pade?"
Silence.
Aarav ne kuch nahi bola.
Par andar...
👉 ek decision ban raha tha.
Aur kahin door..
👉 Observer dekh raha tha.
👉 aur is baar...
👉 woh smile kar raha tha.
Aapko kya lagta h kya uss smile ke piche ka raaj... Kya plan banayega ab observer..
Kya vo apne plan ko execute kar payega?
👉Comment main jarur bataye.