Aarav, kabir or meera jb unhe pata chla ki yahan koi gehra raaz chupa hua h toh vo jaldi se vahan se jaane ki tayyari main lag gye kyuki unhe pata tha ki vo iss chiz ke liye bilkul bhi ready nahi the or unko puri tayyari ke sath yahan aane chahiye...
Raat tk vo sab apne apne ghar pohonch chuke the.
Aarav ne raat bhar theek se neend nahi li thi.
Jab bhi woh aankhein band karta, uske dimaag mein wahi lines ghoomti jaa rhi thi...
👉 "Memory suppression successful…"
👉 "Restoration Sequence initiated…"
Usne karwat badli, lekin neend aane ka naam hi nahi le rahi thi.
Aakhir main usne aankhein band ki… aur is baar kuch alag hua.
Andhera nahi aaya.
Ek image aayi.
Blur si… lekin real.
👉 Ek chhota sa room.
👉 White walls.
Machines ki halki si beep… beep… beep…
Aur ek awaaz aai....
👉 "Dar mat… yeh zaroori hai."
Aarav ne jhatke se aankhein khol di.
Uska saans tez ho gaya.
"Yeh… kya tha?" usne dheere se khud se poocha.
Woh bed par baith gaya aur apna sir pakad liya.
Aur usne apne aap se kaha...
"Yeh memory thi… ya kuch aur?"
Par ek baat clear thi..
👉 Yeh uski normal life ka part nahi tha.
Next morning.
School bilkul usual tha.
Same noise… same log… same routine.
Par Aarav ko sab kuch ajeeb sa lag raha tha.
Jaise woh physically yahan ho… par mentally kahin aur.
Kabir uske paas aaya aur seedha bola,
"Tu bilkul theek nahi lag raha."
Aarav ne halki si smile di, lekin woh fake thi.
"Kal raat… mujhe kuch yaad aaya," usne dheere se kaha.
Kabir turant serious ho gaya.
"Kya yaad aaya?"
Aarav ne thoda socha, phir bola,
"Main… ek lab mein tha. Bachpan mein shayad.
Machines thi… aur koi mujhse baat kar raha tha."
Kabir ne aankhein thodi narrow ki.
"Tu sure hai yeh dream nahi tha?"
Aarav ne sir hila diya.
"Nahi… yeh different tha. Bahut real."
Kabir ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Matlab system ka restoration start ho gaya hai."
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
"Yeh achha hai ya bura?"
Kabir ne seedha jawab diya,
"Honestly? Mujhe nahi pata… par safe toh nahi lag raha."
"Safe toh bilkul nahi hai."
Dono ne ek saath mudkar dekha.
Ek ladki unke peeche khadi thi.
Uske Na zyada expression the or na hi vo panic kr rhi thi.
Vo Bass calm thi.
Jaise sab kuch already samajh rahi ho.
"Tum log jo kar rahe ho… woh dangerous hai," usne seedha kaha.
Aarav thoda confuse ho gaya.
"Tum… kaun ho?"
"Zoya," usne simple sa jawab diya.
Kabir ne thoda doubtful tone mein poocha,
"Tumhe kaise pata hum kya kar rahe hain?"
Zoya ne seedha Aarav ki taraf dekha.
👉 "Kyuki main tumhe observe kar rahi thi."
Aarav ka dil halka sa fast dhadakne laga.
"Observe?" usne repeat kiya.
Zoya ne sir hilaya.
"Kal tum log us jagah gaye the… jahan tumhe nahi jaana chahiye tha."
Kabir turant defensive ho gaya.
"Tumhe kaise pata?"
Zoya ne bina blink kiye kaha...
👉 "Archive."
Silence.
Poora atmosphere heavy ho gaya.
Aarav ne dheere se poocha,
"Tumhe yeh naam kaise pata?"
Zoya ne seedha jawab diya...
👉 "Kyuki yeh pehli baar nahi ho raha."
Kabir confuse ho gaya.
"Matlab?"
Zoya thoda sa aage aayi.
"Yeh system… yeh sab… pehle bhi try hua hai."
Aarav ka dimaag ghoom gaya.
"Try? Matlab yeh experiment hai?"
Zoya ne uski taraf dekha.
👉 "Haan… aur tum uska part ho."
Lunch break ke baad, teeno (aur ab Meera bhi) ek corner mein baith gaye.
Meera ne seedha bola,
"Okay, ab clearly batao. Tumhe kya pata hai?"
Zoya bilkul calm thi.
"Tum log abhi sirf aadha sach jaante ho," usne kaha.
Kabir ne thoda irritate hoke bola,
"Toh pura bata do na."
Zoya ne Aarav ki taraf dekha.
👉 "Tumhari memories… incomplete hain."
Aarav ne dheere se poocha,
"Tumhe kaise pata?"
Zoya ne bina hesitate kiye kaha...
👉 "Kyuki mere saath bhi yahi hua hai."
"Wait… seriously?" Meera ne poocha.
Zoya ne sir hilaya.
"Main bhi wahan gayi thi… kaafi pehle," usne kaha,
"Par mujhe sab yaad nahi. Sirf kuch flashes."
Aarav dhyaan se sun raha tha.
"Tumhe bhi… ajeeb images dikhte hain?" usne poocha.
Zoya ne haan mein sir hilaya.
👉 "Aur har baar… kuch na kuch badalta hai."
Kabir ne turant poocha,
"Badalta hai? Kya?"
Zoya ne seedha jawab diya...
👉 "Reality."
Meera ne thoda uneasy hoke kaha,
"Yeh thoda zyada hi ho raha hai ab."
Zoya ne uski taraf dekha.
"Archive sirf yaadein store nahi karta," usne calmly kaha,
"Woh unhe change bhi karta hai."
Aarav ka saans ruk gaya.
"Change?" usne repeat kiya.
Zoya ne sir hilaya.
👉 "Jo yaadein dangerous hoti hain… unhe ya toh delete kiya jaata hai… ya modify."
Kabir ne dheere se kaha,
"Matlab… jo hum yaad rakhte hain… woh sach bhi ho sakta hai aur nahi bhi."
Zoya ne seedha kaha...
👉 "Exactly."
Aarav ka dimaag ab heavy lag raha tha.
Usne dheere se bola,
"Toh… meri life…"
Woh ruk gaya.
Phir dheere se bola...
👉 "Meri life real hai bhi ya nahi?"
Zoya ne uski taraf dekha.
👉 "Partially."
Kuch seconds ke liye koi kuch nahi bola.
Phir Meera ne seedha poocha,
"Ab kya?"
Zoya ne bina delay krte hue kaha...
👉 "Wapas jaate hain."
Kabir ne turant react kiya,
"Again? Seriously?"
Zoya ne calm tone mein kaha,
"Is baar dekhne ke liye nahi… samajhne ke liye."
Shaam ko chaaron wapas us jagah par khade the.
Same broken building.
Same silence.
Par is baar feeling alag thi.
Aarav ne dheere se kaha,
"Tumhe feel ho raha hai?"
Zoya ne sir hilaya.
👉 "Haan… system already active hai."
Woh andar gaye.
Is baar bina rukke.
Jaise unhe pata ho andar kya milne wala hai.
Room ke paas pahunchte hi....
Lights khud ON ho gayi.
Kabir ruk gaya.
"Okay… yeh naya hai."
Screens ek ke baad ek ON hone lagi.
Is baar kisi ne touch bhi nahi kiya tha.
Aarav ka dil zor se dhadakne laga.
Aur phir...
Ek screen par ek line flash hui...
👉 "Welcome back."
Aarav freeze ho gaya.
"Back…?" usne dheere se kaha.
Zoya ne uski taraf dekha.
👉 "Maine kaha tha na… yeh pehli baar nahi hai."
Room mein phir wahi thandi hawa chalne lagi.
Aur is baar...
👉 Lag raha tha jaise system unhe pehchaan raha ho.