Factory se wapas lautne ke baad teeno seedhe underground facility pahunch gaye।
Safar ke dauran kisi ne zyada baat nahi ki।
Piyush gaadi chala raha tha।
Kashika uske paas baithi khidki ke bahar dekh rahi thi।
Aur Aarav pichhli seat par chupchaap baitha hua tha।
Lekin uski khamoshi normal nahi thi।
Woh kuch soch raha tha।
Kuch aisa jo shayad bahut saalon se uske andar daba hua tha।
Facility pahunchte hi Aarav bina kuch kahe apne control room mein chala gaya।
Kashika ne usse jaate hue dekha।
"Tumne notice kiya?" usne dheere se poocha।
Piyush ne haan mein sir hilaya।
"Factory mein Eclipse ne jab uski taraf dekha tha, tab se woh alag behave kar raha hai."
Kashika ko bhi wahi mehsoos hua tha।
Jaise Eclipse ne koi aisi baat chhed di ho jo Aarav duniya se chhupata aa raha tha।
Do ghante baad bhi Aarav control room se bahar nahi nikla।
Aakhir Kashika aur Piyush uske paas gaye।
Room ke andar monitors jal rahe the।
Hundreds of files screen par open thi।
Aur Aarav ek purani photograph ko dekh raha tha।
Usne darwaze ki awaaz suni to turant photo band kar di।
Lekin der ho chuki thi।
Kashika ne photo dekh li thi।
Usme teen log the।
Ek young Aarav।
Ek middle-aged scientist।
Aur teesra...
Eclipse।
Ya phir Viraj।
Kashika ka dil ek pal ke liye ruk gaya।
"Aarav..."
Room mein sannata chha gaya।
Piyush ne seedha sawaal poocha।
"Tum dono kitne kareeb the?"
Aarav ne kuch seconds tak koi jawab nahi diya।
Phir usne kursi se uthkar khidki ki taraf dekha।
"Bahut."
Uska jawab chhota tha।
Lekin usme saalon ka bojh chhupa hua tha।
Kashika dheere se boli,
"Hume sach batao."
Aarav ne aankhen band kar li।
Jaise woh kisi purani yaad mein wapas ja raha ho।
"Main sirf Viraj ka student nahi tha."
"Main uska family tha."
Kashika aur Piyush dono shock mein uski taraf dekhne lage।
Aarav dheere-dheere bolna sh
uru kiya।
"Mere parents ki death bahut chhoti umar mein ho gayi thi."
"Us waqt Viraj ne hi mujhe apne paas rakha."
"Usne mujhe padhaya."
"Mujhe train kiya."
"Mujhe purpose diya."
Uski awaaz mein dard tha।
"Ghar mein main use sir kehta tha."
"Lekin dil mein..."
"Woh mere liye father jaisa tha."
Room mein khamoshi chha gayi।
Ab sab kuch samajh aane laga tha।
Isi liye Aarav ke liye ye sab itna personal tha।
Eclipse sirf ek villain nahi tha।
Woh us insaan ka badla hua roop tha jisne Aarav ko bada kiya tha।
"Kya hua tha?" Kashika ne poocha।
Aarav ki aankhon mein gussa ubhar aaya।
"Power."
"Sab kuch power ki wajah se hua."
Usne monitor par ek file kholi।
Project Eclipse ki original report।
"Viraj pehle aisa nahi tha."।
"Woh genuinely duniya ko better banana chahta tha."
"Par phir usne ye conclude kar liya ki insaan apni freedom deserve nahi karte."
Piyush ne bhaon sikodi।
"Matlab?"
"Uska maanna tha ki emotions hi duniya ki sabse badi problem hain."
Aarav ne jawab diya।
"Jealousy."
"Hate."
"Fear."
"Greed."
"Uske hisaab se agar emotions ko control kar liya jaye, to wars khatam ho sakte hain."
Kashika dheere se boli,
"Lekin usne logon ki freedom chheen li."
"Exactly."
Aarav ne table par zor se haath maara।
"Wahi baat woh samajhna nahi chahta tha."
Room phir khamosh ho gaya।
Tabhi facility ke alarm achanak bajne lage।
Red lights blink karne lagi।
Sab ekdam alert ho gaye।
"Kya hua?" Piyush ne poocha।
Aarav turant monitor ki taraf bhaaga।
Uska chehra dekhte hi Kashika ka dil baith gaya।
"Koi system ke andar ghus gaya hai."
"Eclipse?" Kashika ne poocha।
Aarav ne haan mein sir hilaya।
"Lekin is baar kuch alag hai."
Screen par facility ka blueprint khul gaya।
Ek red dot bahar se move kar raha tha।
Bahut tezi se।
"Ye kya hai?" Piyush ne poocha।
Aarav ne zoom kiya।
Aur phir uski aankhen fail gayin।
"Nahi."
"Kya?"
Aarav ne dheere se kaha,
"Ye insaan nahi hai."
Room mein sannata chha gaya।
Red dot seedha facility ki taraf aa raha tha।
Aur har second ke saath kareeb hota ja raha tha।
Kashika ne monitor ko dhyan se dekha।
Uske andar ek ajeeb si feeling jaag uthi।
Jaise woh cheez normal nahi thi।
Bilkul bhi nahi।
Achanak poori facility ka power kuch seconds ke liye chala gaya।
Andhera chha gaya।
Phir emergency lights jal uthin।
Red roshni mein sab kuch aur zyada darawna lag raha tha।
Tabhi speakers khud-ba-khud activate ho gaye।
Static ki awaaz aayi।
Aur phir Eclipse ki awaaz goonj uthi।
"Good evening."
Piyush ne daanton ko bheench liya।
"Kya chahiye tumhe?"
Eclipse halka sa hasa।
"Main bas ek gift bhej raha hoon."
Aarav ka chehra safed pad gaya।
"Kis tarah ka gift?"
Do second tak khamoshi rahi।
Phir Eclipse ne jawab diya।
"Woh cheez jo tumne samjha tha ki mar chuki hai."
Aarav ki aankhen shock se fail gayin।
"Nahi..."
Kashika ne uski taraf dekha।
"Tum kya jaante ho?"
Lekin Aarav jawab nahi de paaya।
Uske chehre par pehli baar sachcha darr tha।
Tabhi monitor par facility ke main gate ki live feed open hui।
Sabki nazar screen par tik gayi।
Gate ke bahar koi khada tha।
Lamba.
Patla.
Bilkul motionless.
Uska chehra andhere mein chhupa hua tha।
Aur phir usne dheere-dheere apna sir uthaya।
Jab uska chehra roshni mein aaya...
Aarav ke muh se bas ek naam nikla।
"Rohan..."
Kashika aur Piyush ne uski taraf dekha।
"Kaun Rohan?"
Aarav ki awaaz kaanp rahi thi।
"Mera bhai."
Room mein sannata chha gaya।
Kashika ko laga shayad usne galat suna hai।
"Tumhara bhai?"
Aarav ne dheere se sir hilaya।
"Das saal pehle woh mar gaya tha."
Monitor par khada aadmi bilkul
expressionless nazar aa raha tha।
Uski aankhen poori tarah kaali thi।
Jaise uske andar kuch bhi insaani na bacha ho।
Speaker mein Eclipse ki hansi goonji।
"Surprise."
Aarav monitor ko ghoorta reh gaya।
Uski saansein tez ho gayin।
Aur Kashika ko samajh aa gaya ki Eclipse ne apna agla attack shuru kar diya hai।
Is baar target unka dimaag nahi tha।
Is baar target Aarav ka dil tha।
Abb ye aatav ka bhai rohan kha se aa gya kya ho rha tha, har baar koi nya name.....