Main gate toot chuka tha।
Facility ke alarms lagataar baj rahe the।
Red emergency lights poore corridor ko khooni rang mein rang rahi thi।
Monitor par Rohan seedha khada tha।
Uski nazar sirf ek insaan par tiki hui thi।
Aarav।
Control room mein khamoshi chha gayi।
Kashika aur Piyush dono Aarav ko dekh rahe the।
Woh bilkul hil nahi raha tha।
Jaise uska dimaag ab bhi ye maanane se inkaar kar raha ho ki bahar jo khada hai, woh uska mara hua bhai ho sakta hai।
"Aarav."
Kashika ne dheere se uska naam liya।
Lekin usne koi jawab nahi diya।
Uski aankhen monitor par jami hui thi।
Tabhi security system ki awaaz goonji।
"Intruder detected. Intruder detected."
Agli screen par facility ka map khul gaya।
Red dot tezi se andar badh raha tha।
"Woh seedha yahan aa raha hai," Piyush ne kaha।
Aarav ne dheere se saans li।
Phir usne finally monitor se nazar hatayi।
"Control room tak pahunchne mein usse teen minute lagenge."
"Kya plan hai?" Piyush ne poocha।
Aarav kuch seconds tak chup raha।
Phir bola,
"Main uska saamna karunga."
"Nahi."
Kashika ne turant jawab diya।
"Tum akele nahi jaoge."
Aarav ki aankhon mein ajeeb si thakan thi।
"Agar uske andar mera bhai kahin bhi bacha hai..."
"...to shayad main hi us tak pahunch sakta hoon."
Piyush ne sir hila diya।
"Aur agar nahi bacha?"
Aarav ne jawab nahi diya।
Kyuki uske paas us sawaal ka jawab nahi tha।
Tabhi facility ek baar phir kaanp uthi।
Is baar awaaz bahut kareeb se aayi thi।
Sab samajh gaye।
Rohan andar aa chuka tha।
Sirf kuch corridors door।
Aarav ne ek drawer khola aur usme se ek chhota device nikala।
Kashika ne poocha,
"Ye kya hai?"
"Neural disruptor."
"Project Revenant ke liye banaya gaya tha."
Piyush ne device ko dekha।
"Ye kya karega?"
Aarav ne dheere se jawab diya।
"Agar Rohan ke dimaag mein Eclipse ka control hai, to ye us connection ko tod sakta hai."
"Aur agar control nahi hai?"
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha।
"To uska brain permanently destroy ho jayega."
Room phir khamosh ho gaya।
Ye sirf ek weapon nahi tha।
Ye decision tha।
Zindagi aur maut ke beech ka decision।
Tabhi corridor se bhaari kadmon ki awaaz sunai di।
Thak...
Thak...
Thak...
Har kadam ke saath awaaz kareeb aati ja rahi thi।
Kashika ka heartbeat tez ho gaya।
Piyush instinctively uske saamne khada ho gaya।
Aur Aarav ne disruptor ko aur mazbooti se pakad liya।
Kadmon ki awaaz control room ke bahar ruk gayi।
Phir...
Poora darwaza ek hi jhatke mein andar udd gaya।
Metal ka tukda room ke doosre kone tak ja gira।
Dhool hawa mein fail gayi।
Aur us dhool ke beech ek parchhaai nazar aayi।
Rohan।
Woh bilkul waise hi lag raha tha jaise monitor mein dikha tha।
Lekin saamne se dekhne par woh aur bhi zyada darawna lag raha tha।
Uski skin aswabhavik roop se safed thi।
Aankhen poori tarah kaali।
Aur chehre par koi emotion nahi।
Sirf khaali pan।
Kuch seconds tak koi nahi bola।
Phir Aarav ek kadam aage badha।
"Rohan."
Room mein sannata chha gaya।
Rohan ne dheere se apna sir uthaya।
Uski nazar Aarav par tik gayi।
"Aarav."
Ye awaaz sunkar Aarav ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye।
Ye sach mein uske bhai ki awaaz thi।
Bilkul wahi।
Kashika ne uske chehre par umeed dekhi।
Aur usi pal use darr laga।
Kyuki umeed kabhi-kabhi sabse khatarnak cheez hoti hai।
Aarav dheere-dheere uski taraf badha।
"Rohan, meri baat suno."
"Koi baat nahi."
"Main tumhe yahan se nikal lunga."
Rohan chup raha।
Uski aankhen Aarav par tiki hui thi।
Phir achanak uske chehre par dard ubhar aaya।
Jaise woh kisi andekhi ladai se guzar raha ho।
"Aa...rav..."
Uski awaaz toot rahi thi।
Aarav ki umeed aur badh gayi।
"Bas."
"Yahi."
"Fight karo."
"Main yahin hoon."
Kuch pal ke liye laga jaise sab theek ho jayega।
Jaise asli Rohan wapas aa raha ho।
Lekin phir sab badal gaya।
Rohan achanak cheekh utha।
Ek aisi cheekh jo poore room mein goonj gayi।
Uska sharir jhatkon se hilne laga।
Kaala dhuaan uski aankhon se nikalne laga।
Aur phir speakers activate ho gaye।
Eclipse ki awaaz goonji।
"Kitna emotional reunion hai."
Aarav ka chehra gusse se bhar gaya।
"Eclipse!"
Eclipse hasa।
"Tum sach mein sochte ho ki main itni aasani se control chhod dunga?"
Rohan dard se tadap raha tha।
Uske haath sir par the।
Jaise woh kisi cheez se lad raha ho।
Aur phir usne achanak Aarav ki taraf dekha।
Is baar uski aankhen poori tarah kaali thi।
Asli Rohan gayab ho chuka tha।
Jo bacha tha...
Woh Eclipse ka weapon tha।
Ek second mein woh Aarav ki taraf jhapta।
Sab kuch itni tezi se hua ki kisi ko react karne ka mauka nahi mila।
Lekin usse pehle ki Rohan Aarav tak pahunchta—
Piyush beech mein aa gaya।
Dhadaam!
Rohan ka mukka seedha Piyush ke kandhe par laga।
Impact itna powerful tha ki Piyush peeche deewar se takra gaya।
Kashika ki cheekh nikal gayi।
"Piyush!"
Piyush neeche gira, lekin turant uthne ki koshish ki।
Uska kandha buri tarah injured lag raha tha।
Rohan phir uski taraf badha।
Lekin is baar Kashika uske saamne aa gayi।
Uski aankhon mein gussa tha।
"Tum mere pati ko haath nahi lagaoge."
Uske haathon ke aas-paas neeli roshni chamakne lagi।
Rohan ek pal ke liye ruk gaya।
Jaise usne us energy ko pehchaan liya ho।
Aur phir—
Uske honton par ek ajeeb si muskaan aayi।
Bilkul waise hi jaise Eclipse muskurata tha।
Kashika ka dil baith gaya।
Kyuki usse samajh aa gaya tha।
Eclipse sirf Rohan ko control nahi kar raha tha।
Woh uske through dekh bhi raha tha।
Aur phir Rohan ke muh se ek awaaz nikli।
Lekin woh Rohan ki nahi thi।
Woh Eclipse ki thi।
"Ab maza aayega, Kashika."
Aur us pal Kashika ko mehsoos hua ki asli jang ab shuru hone wali hai।