Jaise hi arav ko pata chala ki ye uski hi story h toh usne dheere se apni saans control karne ki koshish ki, lekin uska dil abhi bhi bahut tez dhadak raha tha.
Room mein halki si red light thi, aur screens baar-baar flicker kar rahi thi. Kabir aur Meera uske paas khade the, par Aarav ko lag raha tha jaise woh unse door hota ja raha ho.
Uske dimaag mein ajeeb si images flash ho rahi thi.
Kuch jagah… kuch awaazein… kuch chehre…
Lekin woh unhe pehchaan nahi pa raha tha...
"Yeh… kya ho raha hai?" Aarav ne dheere se kaha.
Kabir turant uske paas aaya. "Aarav, focus. Tu theek hai na?"
Aarav ne aankhein band ki, ek gehri saans li, phir dheere se bola,
"Pata nahi… par yeh sab pehle bhi ho chuka hai."
Meera ne uski taraf dhyaan se dekha. "Kya matlab?"
Aarav ne aankhein kholi or kaha....
"Jaise… main yahan pehle bhi aaya hoon. Same jagah… same feeling."
Kabir ne turant mana kiya. "Nahi, yeh possible nahi hai. Hum sab pehli baar hi aaye hain."
"Main jaanta hoon," Aarav ne kaha, "par phir bhi… yeh sab familiar lag raha hai."
Kuch seconds ke liye teeno chup rahe.
Phir Meera ne dheere se kaha,
"Ya phir yeh bhi toh ho sakta h ki yeh jagah tujhe yaad kar rahi ho."
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha, lekin is baar usne uski baat ko ignore nahi kiya.
Kyuki andar se usse bhi wahi feel ho raha tha jo meera ne usse kaha tha..
Kabir ne turant apna laptop nikala aur system ke paas baith gaya.
"Jo bhi ho, humein answers chahiye," usne kaha.
"Agar yeh system active hai, toh isme data bhi hoga."
👉 Usne kuch wires connect kiye aur fast typing start kar di.
Screens ab bhi flicker kar rahi thi.
Aarav dheere dheere us screen ke paas gaya jahan usne apne dad ko dekha tha.
Usne ek second ke liye hesitate kiya… phir screen ko touch kar diya.
Flicker.
Screen suddenly change ho gayi.
Ab wahan ek clear scene chal raha tha.
Wahan Ek lab jaisi jagah thi.
Machines, monitors, aur kuch log kaam kar rahe the.
Aur un sab ke beech jo khada tha woh uski baat ko samajh rhe the or jaisa woh keh rha tha vaise hi vo krte jaa rhe the.
Lekin jab uska chehra saamne aaya toh woh...
👉 Aarav ke dad nikale.
Aarav ekdum freeze ho gaya.
"Yeh… sach hai?" usne dheere se poocha.
Kabir ne screen ki taraf dekha. "Yeh recording hai… koi memory file lag rahi hai."
Meera ne dhyaan se sunne ki koshish ki.
"Volume badhao…"
Kabir ne quickly adjust kiya.
Ab awaaz thodi clear ho gayi.
Wahan koi aisa bol rha tha...
👉 "Agar yeh system control se bahar chala gaya… toh log apni asli yaadein pehchaan nahi paayenge…"
Room mein silence chha gaya.
Aarav ka saans ruk gaya.
Kabir ne dheere se kaha, "Yeh… bahut serious hai."
Video aage badha.
👉 "Isliye kuch yaadon ko lock karna zaroori hai…"
Meera ne turant react kiya,
"Matlab unhone jaan-boojh kar memories hide ki hain?"
Kabir ne sir hilaya. "Haan… aur shayad permanently."
Aarav ne screen se nazar nahi hatayi.
Uske dimaag mein ek hi sawal ghoom raha tha...
👉 "Par kyun?"
Usne dheere se poocha,
"Koi apni hi yaadein kyun mitaayega?"
👉 Meera ne seedha jawab diya,
"Kyuki shayad woh yaadein dangerous thi."
Kabir ne add kiya,
"Ya phir… sach itna bura tha ki log usse handle nahi kar paate."
Aarav chup ho gaya.
Agar yeh sab sach hai…
Toh uski life mein kitna kuch jhooth ho sakta hai?
"Guys…" Kabir ne achanak kaha,
"Mujhe kuch mila hai."
Aarav aur Meera turant uske paas aaye.
Laptop screen par ek file open thi.
File ka naam dekhte hi Aarav ka dil ruk gaya...
Uss file ka naam tha...
👉 "Subject: Aarav"
"Yeh… main hoon?" usne dheere se kaha.
Kabir ne file open ki.
Andar multiple logs the..
Dates, codes, aur short notes.
Kabir ne ek line read ki....
👉 "Memory suppression successful."
Meera ne turant kaha,
"Suppression… matlab yaadein jaan-boojh kar remove ki gayi hain."
Kabir ne sir hilaya.
"Exactly… aur yeh specifically Aarav ke liye hai."
Aarav ka dimaag blank ho gaya.
Usne dheere se kaha,
"Matlab… meri yaadein asli nahi hain?"
Kisi ne kuch nahi kaha.
Kyuki shayad jawab sabko pata tha… par koi accept nahi karna chahta tha.
Tabhi....
Screens phir se glitch karne lagi.
Lights aur dim ho gayi.
Aur woh awaaz wapis aayi...
👉 "Tum sach ke kareeb ho…"
Aarav ne zor se poocha,
"Kaun ho tum?!"
Is baar awaaz turant aayi...
👉 "Main wahi hoon… jo tum bhool chuke ho."
Aarav ka dil tez dhadakne laga.
Room aur thanda ho gaya.
Meera ne dheere se kaha,
"Yeh system… sirf machine nahi hai."
Kabir ne complete kiya,
"Yeh aware hai."
Aarav ne screen ki taraf dekha.
Uski saari soch ek jagah aa kar ruk gayi thi....
👉 "Main kaun hoon… aur mujhe apni hi yaadein yaad nahi?"
Uske paas koi jawab nahi tha.
Tabhi screen par ek aur line flash hui...
👉 "Restoration Sequence Initiated."
Kabir ka expression change ho gaya.
"Mujhe yeh bilkul achha nahi lag raha…"
Meera ne turant kaha,
"Humein yahan se nikalna hoga. Abhi."
Aarav ne ek last baar screen ki taraf dekha.
Usse lag raha tha...
Jaise sach usse bula raha ho.
Aur shayad…
👉 Woh sach usse tod bhi sakta hai.