Control room mein kisi ki himmat nahi ho rahi thi kuch bolne ki।
Monitor par khada aadmi bilkul motionless tha।
Uski aankhen kaali thi।
Chehra safed aur bejaan lag raha tha।
Lekin usmein ek baat saaf nazar aa rahi thi।
Woh Aarav ke bhai Rohan jaisa hi dikhta tha।
Aarav screen ko ghoorta reh gaya।
Jaise uska dimaag maan hi nahi pa raha ho jo uski aankhen dekh rahi thi।
"Ye mumkin nahi hai..." usne dheere se kaha।
Kashika uske paas aayi।
"Aarav..."
Lekin Aarav ne uski baat nahi suni।
Uski nazar sirf monitor par thi।
"Main uski body khud dekhi thi."
"Main uske funeral mein tha."
"Main usse dafnane gaya tha."
Uski awaaz tootne lagi।
"Ye Rohan nahi ho sakta."
Speaker se Eclipse ki halki hansi sunayi di।
"Tum ab bhi utne hi emotional ho."
Piyush gusse mein aage badha।
"Band karo ye sab."
Eclipse ne jawab diya,
"Main to bas sach dikha raha hoon."
Monitor par khada aadmi dheere-dheere gate ki taraf chalne laga।
Uski chaal ajeeb thi।
Bilkul machine jaisi।
Na jaldi।
Na ghabrahat।
Jaise usse pata ho ki koi use rok nahi sakta।
Aarav turant control panel ke paas gaya।
"Main gate lock kar raha hoon."
Usne security protocols activate kiye।
Heavy steel barriers gate ke peeche gir gaye।
Electronic locks active ho gaye।
Facility ab fortress ban chuki thi।
Lekin monitor par Rohan rukha nahi।
Woh bas gate ke saamne aakar khada ho gaya।
Phir usne seedha camera ki taraf dekha।
Aur pehli baar uske honton ne harkat ki।
"Aarav."
Control room mein sab jam gaye।
Aarav ka chehra safed pad gaya।
"Kya..."
Rohan ne phir kaha।
"Aarav."
Ye awaaz asli thi।
Bilkul asli।
Wahi awaaz jo Aarav ne bachpan mein hazaar baar suni thi।
Aarav ke haath kaanpne lage।
Kashika ko samajh aa gaya ki Eclipse kya kar raha tha।
Ye sirf attack nahi tha।
Ye torture tha।
Emotional torture।
Tabhi Rohan ne agla sentence bola
"Mujhe andar aane do."
Aarav ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye।
Piyush ne turant uska kandha pakda।
"Control mein raho."
Lekin Aarav khud se lad raha tha।
Agar bahar khada insaan sach mein uska bhai tha to?
Aur agar nahi tha to?
Dono possibilities equally terrifying thi।
Tabhi facility ke sensors warning dene lage।
Aarav ne monitor dekha।
Aur uska dil baith gaya।
"Impossible..."
"Kya hua?" Kashika ne poocha,
"Uska body temperature normal human se teen guna kam hai."
Piyush ne bhaon sikodi।
"Matlab?"
Aarav ne dheere se jawab diya।
"Matlab woh technically zinda nahi hona chahiye."
Room mein phir sannata chha gaya।
Monitor par Rohan ab bhi khada tha।
Jaise use pata ho ki andar kya discussion chal raha hai।
Phir usne achanak muskuraya।
Ek ajeeb muskaan।
Aur us moment Kashika ke andar warning bells bajne lagi।
Ye smile natural nahi thi।
Bilkul nahi।
Tabhi poori facility ek zor ke jhatke se hil gayi।
Sab balance lose karte-karte bache।
"Kya tha ye?" Piyush chillaya।
Aarav ne security feed dekhi।
Aur uska chehra shock se bhar gaya।
"Usne gate ko punch maara."
"Kya?"
"Ek punch.
Monitor par steel gate mein bada dent nazar aa raha tha।
Piyush ne disbelief mein screen dekhi।
"Ye impossible hai."
Aarav ne dheere se kaha,
"Normal insaan ke liye."
Doosra jhatka laga।
Is baar aur zyada powerful।
Gate aur andar ki taraf mur gaya।
Kashika ne monitor par Rohan ko dekha।
Uske haath se halka sa kaala dhuaan nikal raha tha।
Jaise uske andar koi aur power chal rahi ho।
"Eclipse ne uske saath kya kiya?" Kashika ne poocha।
Aarav chup raha।
Phir dheere se bola,
"Project Revenant."
Piyush ne uski taraf dekha।
"Project kya?"
Aarav ne ek purani file open ki।
Uska chehra aur zyada serious ho gaya।
"Ye Eclipse se bhi pehle ka project tha."
"Officially cancel kar diya gaya tha."
"Kyun?"
Aarav ki aankhon mein darr tha।
"Kyunki iska purpose dead soldiers ko revive karna tha."
Room mein khamoshi chha gayi।
Kashika ko apne kaanon par yakeen nahi hua।
"Dead soldiers?"
Aarav ne haan mein sir hilaya।
"Unhone socha tha ki memory mapping aur neural reconstruction se dead brain ko reactivate kiya ja sakta hai."
"Par result disaster tha."
"Jo log wapas aaye..."
"...woh pehle jaise nahi the."
Teesra jhatka laga।
Is baar steel gate mein crack aa gaya।
Control room ki lights blink karne lagi।
Piyush ne seedha sawaal poocha।
"Matlab bahar jo khada hai..."
Aarav ne aankhen band kar li।
"Shayad mere bhai ka body hai."
"Par mujhe nahi lagta uske andar Rohan bacha hai."
Ye sunkar Kashika ka dil bhar aaya।
Aarav ki aankhon mein jo dard tha, woh saaf nazar aa raha tha।
Ek taraf uska bhai tha।
Dusri taraf reality।
Aur dono ek dusre ke opposite khade the।
Tabhi speakers phir activate hue।
Eclipse ki awaaz goonji।
"Kitna tragic hai na?"
Koi jawab nahi diya।
Eclipse ne continue kiya।
"Ek bhai andar."
"Ek bhai bahar."
"Aur dono ke beech sirf ek gate."
Piyush gusse se bola,
"Tu coward hai."
Eclipse hasa।
"Main scientist hoon."
"Difference samjho."
Kashika ne daanton ko bheench liya।
"Tumne uske saath kya kiya?"
Kuch seconds tak khamoshi rahi।
Phir Eclipse ne shaant awaaz mein kaha,
"Mainne use second chance diya."
Aarav ka gussa finally phat pada।
"Jhooth!"
"Rohan mar chuka tha."
"Usse shanti mil chuki thi."
"Jo bhi bahar hai, woh mera bhai nahi hai."
Pehli baar Eclipse chup ho gaya।
Aur phir usne dheere se kaha,
"To phir jaakar usse khud maar do."
Room mein sannata chha gaya।
Aarav ki saansein ruk si gayin।
Ye challenge tha।
Aur Eclipse jaanta tha ki ye challenge Aarav ko andar se tod dega।
Tabhi monitor par Rohan ne apna haath gate par rakha।
Aur pehli baar uski aankhon mein kuch chamka।
Ek pal ke liye।
Sirf ek pal ke liye।
Jaise asli Rohan andar se bahar aane ki koshish kar raha ho।
Uske honton se dheemi awaaz nikli।
"Aarav..."
Aarav jam gaya।
Monitor ke kareeb aaya।
Uski aankhon mein umeed aur darr dono the।
"Rohan?"
Gate ke bahar khada aadmi kuch bolne ki koshish kar raha tha।
Lekin achanak uska chehra dard se tedha ho gaya।
Uski kaali aankhen phir chamak uthi।
Aur agle hi second usne itna powerful punch maara ki poora main gate toot kar andar gir gaya।
Facility ke alarms zor-zor se bajne lage।
Emergency lights activate ho gayin।
Monitor par dhool aur dhuaan chha gaya।
Aur jab camera clear hua...
Rohan andar aa chuka tha।
Aur is baar uski nazar seedhi Aarav par thi।