Raat phir se ho chuki thi.
City ki lights chamak rahi thi… par aaj unmein ek ajeeb si thakaan thi.
Jaise poora sheher ek invisible bojh ke neeche dabha hua ho.
Aarav akela khada tha.
Ek purani building ke rooftop par.
Hawa tez chal rahi thi, par uska dhyaan kahin aur tha.
Kal jo hua hospital mein…
woh sirf ek attack nahi tha.
👉 woh ek message tha.
Aarav ne aankhein band ki.
Usne feel kiya...
System.
Connections.
Movement
Sab normal tha.
Par...
👉 ek layer aur thi.
Deep.
Hidden.
👉 Observer.
"Ab samajh aa raha hai?"
Aarav ne aankhein kholi.
Woh ladka uske peeche khada tha.
👉 "Haan…"
Aarav ne dheere se kaha..
👉 "Woh direct nahi attack karega."
👉 "Woh mujhe todne ki koshish karega."
Woh ladka halka sa muskuraya..
Or usne kaha..
👉 "Aur kaafi had tak successful bhi ho chuka hai."
Silence.
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha...
👉 "Main break nahi ho raha."
Woh ladka dheere se bola..
👉 "Abhi nahi…"
👉 "Par cracks aa chuke hain."
***
Idhar control room main..
Kabir screens ke saamne baitha tha.
Uske face par stress clear tha.
"Yaar mujhe yeh sab sahi nahi lag raha…" usne dheere se kaha.
Meera ne poocha...
👉 "Kya?"
Kabir ne Aarav ki last activity logs dikhayi..
👉 "Uska behavior…"
👉 "Woh change ho raha hai."
Meera ne turant defend kiya...
👉 "Obviously change hoga, usne itna sab face kiya hai…"
Kabir ne sir hilaya..
👉 "Nahi Meera… yeh normal change nahi hai."
Silence.
Zoya corner mein khadi thi.
Chup.
Phir usne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Kabir sahi keh raha hai."
Meera ne uski taraf dekha..
👉 "Tum bhi…?"
Zoya ne seedha jawab diya..
👉 "Main usse observe kar rahi hoon."
👉 "Aur woh control use nahi kar raha…"
👉 "Woh control ban raha hai."
Silence.
***
Street pe aarav...
Vo neeche road par chal raha tha.
Uska dimaag calm lag raha tha.
Par andar hi ander...
👉 storm chal raha tha.
"Tu unse door ho raha hai."
Woh ladka uske saath chal raha tha.
👉 "Mujhe focus karna hai."
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya.
👉 "Ya phir…"
👉 "Tu unhe ignore kar raha hai."
Silence.
Aarav ruk gaya.
👉 "Main unhe protect kar raha hoon."
Woh ladka dheere se bola..
👉 "Ya phir unhe use kar raha hai…"
Aarav ka expression tight ho gaya.
👉 "Bas."
Woh aage badh gaya.
Achanak..
👉 usse ek sharp disturbance feel hua.
Strong.
Par is baar...
👉 alag.
👉 familiar.
Aarav freeze ho gaya.
👉 "Yeh…"
Woh ladka dheere se bola...
👉 "Jaake dekh."
***
Location.... Ek Abandoned subway
Andhera.
Silence.
Aarav wahan pahunch gaya.
Jaise hi woh andar gaya...
👉 hawa heavy hone lagi.
Aur...
👉 usne usse dekha.
Ek aur entity.
Par yeh pehle wali jaisi nahi thi.
Yeh stable thi.
Calm.
Aur...
👉 uska shape clear tha.
Human jaisa.
Aarav dheere se aage badha..
👉 "Tum kya ho?"
Silence.
Phir...
👉 woh entity move hui.
Aur dheere dheere..
👉 uska face form hone laga.
Aarav ka saans ruk gaya.
👉 "Nahi…"
Woh face...
👉 Kabir ka tha.
Aarav peeche hata..
👉 "Yeh… kya…"
Woh ladka dheere se bola..
👉 "System tumhe dikhata hai jo tumhe tod sakta hai."
Entity ne Aarav ki taraf dekha.
Aur dheere se bola..
👉 "Trust…"
Awaaz distorted thi.
👉 "Break…"
Aarav ka control shake hone laga.
👉 "Yeh real nahi hai…"
Par uska dimaag..
👉 confuse ho raha tha.
Entity ne attack kiya.
Aarav ne block kiya.
Par uska movement..
👉 Kabir jaisa tha.
Same style.
Same reactions.
Aarav hesitate kar gaya.
👉 "Main isse hurt nahi kar sakta…"
Woh ladka chillaya..
👉 "Yeh Kabir nahi hai!"
Par woh ek second..
👉 enough tha.
Entity ne direct hit kiya.
Aarav wall se takra gaya.
Pain shoot hua.
Aarav khada hua.
Uska saans heavy tha.
Uski aankhon mein...
👉 anger.
👉 confusion.
👉 aur doubt.
***
"Yeh real nahi hai…" usne phir se kaha.
Par is baar...
👉 uski awaaz weak thi.
Entity phir attack karti hai.
Par is baar..
👉 Aarav dodge karta hai.
Phir counter.
Fight intense ho gayi.
Par Aarav full force use nahi kar raha tha.
👉 woh hesitate kar raha tha.
Woh ladka dheere se bola..
👉 "Aise tu haar jayega…"
Aarav ne aankhein band ki.
👉 "Focus…"
Usne feel kiya.
System.
Energy.
Aur phir..
👉 usse samajh aaya.
👉 yeh Kabir nahi hai.
👉 yeh sirf ek pattern hai.
Aarav ne aankhein kholi.
Is baar...
👉 clear.
Entity attack karti hai.
Aarav sidestep karta hai.
Usne haath uthaya..
👉 "Enough."
Ek second mein...
👉 entity freeze ho gayi.
Aarav aage badha.
Usne uske face ko dekha.
👉 "Tum usse use nahi kar sakte."
Aur...
👉 usne haath aage badhaya.
Entity dissolve hone lagi.
Slowly…
Slowly...
👉 woh vanish ho gayi.
Silence.
Aarav wahan khada tha.
Heavy breathing.
Woh ladka uske paas aaya..
👉 "Tu pass ho gaya."
Aarav ne dheere se kaha..
👉 "Yeh test nahi tha…"
👉 "Yeh warning thi."
***
Control Room main...
Aarav wapas aaya.
Sab uski taraf dekhne lage.
Kabir ne poocha..
👉 "Sab theek hai?"
Aarav ne uski aankhon mein dekha.
Ek second ke liye...
👉 woh hesitate hua.
Phir...
👉 "Haan."
Silence.
Zoya ne dheere se kaha..
👉 "Tum jhoot bol rahe ho."
Room freeze.
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha..
👉 "Main sab handle kar raha hoon."
Zoya ne seedha jawab diya..
👉 "Yahi problem hai."
Meera beech mein boli...
👉 "Guys please…"
Kabir awkward ho gaya..
👉 "Yaar fight mat karo…"
Aarav ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Main jo kar raha hoon… woh sahi hai."
Zoya ne uski aankhon mein dekha..
👉 "Ya phir tumhe lagta hai ki tum hamesha sahi ho."
Silence.
Aur us moment pe..
👉 trust mein pehli crack aa gayi.
Aarav ne kuch nahi bola.
Par andar hi ander..
👉 kuch shift ho gaya.
Aur kahin door...
👉 Observer dekh raha tha.
Aur is baar..
👉 usse koi jaldi nahi thi.
Aapko kya lagta h kya Krna chahta h observer..
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