Jaise hi vo chaaron uss room main pohonche wahan ki screen apne aap ON ho gyi or vahan pe likha hua aaya...
👉 "Welcome back."
Room mein woh line baar baar screen par blink kar rahi thi.
Aarav usse ghur raha tha.
"Back… matlab?" usne dheere se kaha.
Uska dimaag confuse tha… par usko andar se ek ajeeb si feeling aa rahi thi...
👉 jaise yeh sab pehle ho chuka hai.
Tabhi Kabir ne dheere se bola,
"Yeh system humein pehchaan raha hai… aur yeh achhi baat nahi hai."
Meera ne aas paas dekha or kaha...
"Kal jab hum aaye the, sab random lag raha tha… par ab sab controlled lag raha hai."
Zoya ne seedha kaha...
👉 "Kyuki ab yeh humein observe nahi kar raha… interact kar raha hai."
Room ka temperature jaise thoda aur thanda ho gaya.
Achanak....
Screens ek saath flicker hone lagi.
Lights dim ho gayi.
Aur phir chaaron taraf ek mechanical si awaaz goonji...
👉 "User identified…"
Kabir turant alert ho gaya.
"Yeh naya hai…"
Screen par lines flash hone lagi...
Or unke upar likha hua tha..
👉 "Subject: Aarav"
👉 "Memory status: Incomplete"
👉 "Restoration: In progress"
Aarav ka dil zor se dhadakne laga.
"Yeh mujhe scan kar raha hai…" usne dheere se kaha.
Zoya ne sir hilaya.
👉 "Nahi… kyuki yeh tujhe already jaanta hai."
Achanak Aarav ke dimaag mein ek aur flash aaya.
Is baar clear.
Woh wahi room tha…
Same machines thi…
Aur ek aadmi uske saamne khada tha.
Face clearly nahi dikh raha tha…
Par awaaz...
👉 "Agar yeh fail hua… toh sab kuch reset karna padega…"
Aarav ne jhatke se aankhein khol di.
"Reset…" usne dheere se repeat kiya.
Meera ne turant poocha,
"Kya yaad aaya?"
Aarav ne confused hoke bola,
"Kisi ne kaha… agar yeh fail hua toh sab reset ho jayega…"
Kabir ne tension mein kaha,
"Reset matlab… memories wipe?"
Zoya ne dheere se kaha....
👉 "Ya phir… poori reality."
"Okay, ab yeh seriously scary ho raha hai," Meera ne kaha.
Kabir ne jaldi se apna laptop nikala.
"Mujhe system access karna hoga. Shayad kuch log mil jaayein."
"Jaldi kar," Meera ne kaha.
Kabir typing karne laga.
Screens ab bhi flicker ho rahi thi.
Tabhi....
Ek screen suddenly stable ho gayi.
Sabki nazar us par chali gayi.
Us par ek video chalne laga.
Ek aur lab.
Par is baar thoda zyada clear tha.
Aur usme
👉 Aarav.
Chhota Aarav.
Room mein silence chha gaya.
Aarav ka saans ruk gaya.
"Yeh… main hoon?" usne dheere se kaha.
Video mein chhota Aarav ek chair par baitha tha.
Uske aas paas machines lagi hui thi.
Aur koi usse keh raha tha...
👉 "Yeh sirf ek test hai… tumhe kuch yaad nahi rahega."
Aarav ke haath kaanpne lage.
"Yeh sab… sach hai?" usne poocha.
Kabir ne dheere se kaha,
"Yeh recorded memory lag rahi hai…"
Tabhi video aage badha.
👉 "Subject shows high compatibility."
👉 "Memory suppression required."
Meera ne shock mein kaha,
"Yeh log… us par experiment kar rahe the…"
Zoya ne dheere se sir hilaya.
👉 "Haan… aur yeh sab plan tha."
Aarav ka dimaag ghoom raha tha.
"Matlab… main normal nahi hoon?" usne dheere se kaha.
Kisi ne turant jawab nahi diya.
Kabir ne dheere se kaha,
"Tu normal hai… par tere saath jo hua woh normal nahi hai."
Tabhi...
System ki awaaz phir se aayi...
👉 "Interference detected…"
Kabir ne turant screen dekhi.
"Interference? Kiska?"
Ab Lights aur dim ho gayi thi.
Aur ek aur line flash hui...
👉 "Unauthorized presence…"
Sab ek dusre ki taraf dekhne lag gye.
Zoya ka expression suddenly serious ho gaya.
"Yeh… achha nahi hai," usne dheere se kaha.
"Unauthorized… matlab?" Meera ne poocha.
Zoya ne dheere se jawab diya..
👉 "Matlab system ko lag raha hai ki koi yahan nahi hona chahiye…"
Kabir ne panic mein kaha,
"Hum toh hain hi yahan!"
Zoya ne uski taraf dekha...
👉 "Main humare baare mein nahi keh rahi."
Room mein silence chha gaya.
Or Achanak..
Door ke side se ek loud metallic sound aayi.
CLANG.
Aarav ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
"Yeh kya tha?" usne dheere se poocha.
Kabir ne screen ki taraf dekha..
👉 "Koi aur yahan hai."
Steps ki halki si awaaz aane lagi.
Slow… steady…
Jaise koi unki taraf aa raha ho.
Meera ne dheere se kaha,
"Guys… hum yahan akele nahi hain."
"Hamare sath koi or bhi h jo yahan hai."
Aarav ka saans tez ho gaya.
Zoya ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Maine tumhe warn kiya tha…"
Steps aur paas aane lage.
Lights flicker kar rahi thi.
Screens glitch kar rahi thi.
Aur system ki awaaz baar baar repeat ho rahi thi....
👉 "Unauthorized presence…"
👉 "Unauthorized presence…"
Aarav ne dheere se kaha,
"Ab kya karein?"
Kabir ne panic mein bola,
"Yahan se nikalte hain vo bhi abhi!"
Meera ne turant sir hilaya.
"Chalo!"
Jaise hi woh mudne lage....
Screen par ek last message flash hua—
👉 "Subject Aarav...
👉 Do not exit."
Aarav freeze ho gaya.
Uska dil zor se dhadakne laga.
Zoya ne uski taraf dekha....
👉 "Yeh tujhe rok raha hai…"
Steps ab bilkul paas aa chuke the.
Aarav ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Shayad… main hi target hoon."