Factory ke andar hawa bhaari ho chuki thi।
Har taraf khade mind-controlled log bina palak jhapkaye unhe dekh rahe the।
Unki aankhon mein koi emotion nahi tha।
Na gussa।
Na darr।
Na samajh।
Jaise kisi ne unki marzi chheen li ho।
Aur un sabke beech, second floor par khada Eclipse muskuraha raha tha।
"Sabse pehle main tumhe todunga."
Uski nazar seedhi Piyush par thi।
Kashika ka dil zor se dhadakne laga।
Woh turant Piyush ke saamne aa gayi।
"Nahi."
Eclipse halka sa hasa।
"Interesting."
"Tum hamesha use bachane ki koshish karti ho."
Piyush ne Kashika ke kandhe par haath rakha aur dheere se use apne peeche kar diya।
"Kashika, peeche raho."
"Nahi."
"Main tumhe kuch nahi hone dungi."
Piyush uski taraf dekhkar halka sa muskuraya।
"Main bhi to yahi chahta hoon."
Kuch pal ke liye dono ki nazrein mili।
Phir Eclipse ki taali ki awaaz factory mein goonj uthi।
"Kitna emotional."
"Isi wajah se tum log haar jaoge."
Agle hi pal usne haath uthaya।
Aur saare mind-controlled log ek saath unki taraf badhne lage।
Aarav ne turant chillakar kaha,
"Move!"
Sab alag-alag direction mein hat gaye।
Pehla aadmi Piyush par jhapta।
Piyush ne uska haath pakadkar side mein ghuma diya।
Dusra peeche se aaya।
Usne usse bhi rok diya।
Lekin problem ye thi ki ye log dushman nahi the।
Ye victims the।
Unhe chot pahunchana solution nahi tha।
"Eclipse!" Kashika gusse se chillaayi।
"Unhe chhod do!"
Eclipse balcony par khada bas dekh raha tha।
"Maine kaha na."
"Main unhe control nahi kar raha."
"Main bas unke dimaag ke andhere ko awaaz de raha hoon."
Kashika ko uski baat samajh nahi aayi।
Tabhi uske saamne ek aur aadmi aaya।
Uski aankhen poori tarah kaali ho chuki thi।
Woh seedha Kashika par attack karne laga।
Kashika ne uska haath pakda।
Aur usi pal uske dimaag mein ek flash hua।
Usne dekha—
Woh aadmi apni family ko kho chuka tha।
Uske andar bahut saara dard tha।
Bahut saara gussa।
Aur Eclipse ne us dard ko weapon bana diya tha।
Connection toot gaya।
Kashika peeche hat gayi।
Ab use samajh aa gaya tha।
Eclipse logon ko control nahi karta tha।
Woh unke emotions ko manipulate karta tha।
Isi liye woh itna dangerous tha।
Kyunki har insaan ke andar koi na koi andhera hota hai।
Aur Eclipse us andhere ko jagata tha।
"Kashika!" Aarav ki awaaz sunai di।
"Focus!"
Teen aur log uski taraf badh rahe the।
Kashika ne aankhen band ki।
Uske andar ki energy activate hone lagi।
Blue light uske haathon ke aas-paas chamakne lagi।
Phir usne dono haath aage badhaye।
Ek halka energy wave poore hall mein phail gaya।
Jin logon par uska asar hua, woh dheere-dheere ruk gaye।
Jaise unke dimaag mein chal raha shor kuch pal ke liye shaant ho gaya ho।
Eclipse ki muskaan halka sa kam hui।
"Interesting."
"To tum seekh rahi ho."
Kashika ne uski taraf dekha।
"Main tumhe rok dungi."
Eclipse hasa।
"Nahi."
"Tum khud ko rokne mein busy ho jaogi."
Ye kehkar usne seedha Piyush ki taraf dekha।
Aur us pal sab kuch badal gaya।
Piyush achanak jam gaya।
Uski aankhen khaali si ho gayi।
Jaise woh kisi aur jagah dekh raha ho।
"Piyush?"
Kashika turant uski taraf bhagi।
Lekin Piyush ne koi jawab nahi diya।
Woh bas ek jagah khada tha।
Uske chehre par ajeeb sa expression tha।
Darr।
Dard।
Aur guilt।
"Piyush!" Kashika ne uska kandha pakda।
Tabhi Piyush ne dheere se kaha,
"Ye meri galti hai."
Kashika ka dil baith gaya।
"Kya?"
Piyush ne uski taraf dekha hi nahi।
"Sab meri wajah se hua."
Aarav ka chehra safed pad gaya।
"Eclipse uske dimaag mein ghus gaya hai."
Kashika ne gusse se upar dekha।
Eclipse ab bhi balcony par khada tha।
"Usse chhod do!"
Eclipse ne sir jhuka kar kaha,
"Main kuch nahi kar raha."
"Main bas usse uske sach dikha raha hoon."
Piyush ka saans tez ho gaya।
Uski aankhon mein aansu aa gaye।
Kashika ne kabhi use aise nahi dekha tha।
Kabhi nahi।
"Piyush meri taraf dekho."
Lekin usne nahi dekha।
Woh apne hi andhere mein kho gaya tha।
"Main sabko protect nahi kar saka."
"Main tumhe bhi nahi bacha paunga."
Kashika ka dil toot gaya।
Ab use samajh aa gaya tha ki Eclipse ka asli attack kya tha।
Woh sharir par hamla nahi karta tha।
Woh dimaag par hamla karta tha।
Aur har insaan ke andar jo sabse bada darr hota hai...
Woh use zinda kar deta tha।
Eclipse jaanta tha ki Piyush ki sabse badi kamzori kya hai।
Kashika।
Uska use kho dene ka darr।
"Piyush." Kashika ne uska chehra apni taraf ghumaya।
"Meri taraf dekho."
Is baar uski aankhen Kashika se mili।
Aur Kashika ka dil toot gaya।
Uski aankhon mein itna dard tha ki use dekhna mushkil tha।
"Kya hoga agar main tumhe nahi bacha paya?"
Usne dheere se poocha।
Kashika ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye।
Usne bina soche use gale laga liya।
"Suno."
"Tumhe har baar mujhe bachane ki zarurat nahi hai."
Piyush chup raha।
"Tumhara mere saath hona hi kaafi hai."
Factory mein kuch pal ke liye khamoshi chha gayi।
Jaise waqt ruk gaya ho।
Aur phir...
Piyush ki aankhon ka andhera dheere-dheere kam hone laga।
Uski saansein normal hui।
Aur usne Kashika ko zor se pakad liya।
Jaise woh kisi gehri khai se wapas aaya ho।
Upar balcony par khada Eclipse pehli baar serious nazar aaya।
"Interesting."
Uski muskaan gayab ho chuki thi।
Aarav ne ye notice kar liya।
Aur us pal usse ek baat samajh aa gayi।
Eclipse emotions ko weakness samajhta tha।
Lekin Kashika aur Piyush ka connection uske liye problem ban raha tha।
Kyuki woh us connection ko samajh nahi pa raha tha।
Eclipse ne dheere se peeche kadam rakha।
"Lagta hai maine tum dono ko kam samjha."
Kashika ne seedha uski taraf dekha।
"Ab bhaag kyun rahe ho?"
Eclipse halka sa hasa।
"Bhaag nahi raha."
"Bas agla move prepare kar raha hoon."
Usne Aarav ki taraf dekha।
Aur uski muskaan wapas aa gayi।
"Aur is baar..."
"...target Piyush nahi hoga."
Aarav ka chehra sakht ho gaya।
"Kya matlab?"
Eclipse ne jawab nahi diya।
Uska sharir dheere-dheere andhere mein ghulne laga।
Aur gayab hone se pehle usne sirf ek line kahi—
"Milte hain jaldi."
Factory phir khamosh ho gayi।
Lekin Kashika ko mehsoos ho raha tha ki asli jang ab shuru hui hai।
Aur sabse buri baat ye thi...
Eclipse ab unki har kamzori jaan chuka tha।
Aage kya hoga...