Jaise jaise kisi ke chalne ki awaaz pass aati jaa rhi thi vaise vaise sab ke hosh udte naa rhe the.
Or tabhi aarav ne dheere se kaha...
"Shayad… main hi uska target hoon."
Aarav ke muh se yeh words nikalte hi room ka atmosphere aur heavy ho gaya.
Steps ab bilkul paas aa chuke the.
Slow… steady…
Tap… Tap… Tap…
Jaise koi jaan-boojh kar dheere chal raha ho.
Meera ne dheere se Aarav ka haath pakda.
"Aarav… humein yahan se nikalna hoga. Abhi."
Kabir ne bhi jaldi se kaha,
"Yeh system already unstable lag raha hai… aur ab koi aur bhi yahan hai. This is bad."
Zoya chup thi.
Woh sirf door ki taraf dekh rahi thi.
Uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb si tension thi..
👉 jaise woh kisi cheez ko pehchaan rahi ho.
CLANG.
Door dheere se khula.
Aur andhere se…
👉 koi bahar aaya.
Ek lamba sa figure.
Black hoodie.
Face pura shadow mein.
Kuch clearly dikh nahi raha tha.
Bas uski presence hi enough thi...
👉 dar feel karne ke liye.
Aarav ka saans ruk gaya.
"Yeh… kaun hai?" usne dheere se poocha.
Kisi ne jawab nahi diya.
Woh figure dheere dheere aage badha.
Uske steps bilkul calm the.
Na jaldi… na hesitation.
Jaise usse pata ho..
👉 yeh log kahin nahi jaa rahe.
Kabir ne dheere se bola,
"Guys… yeh normal nahi hai. Yeh banda… yahan kyun hai?"
Zoya ne finally dheere se kaha...
👉 "Yeh system ka part hai…"
Meera ne shock mein uski taraf dekha,
"Matlab?"
Zoya ki awaaz halki si heavy ho gayi...
👉 "Yeh guard hai."
Aarav ka dil zor se dhadakne laga.
"Guard… matlab?" usne poocha.
Zoya ne uski aankhon mein dekhte hue kaha...
👉 "Jo log yahan nahi hone chahiye… unhe rokne ke liye."
Room mein silence chha gaya.
Woh figure ab bilkul unke saamne tha.
Aur phir...
Usne apna sir thoda sa uthaaya.
Face abhi bhi clear nahi tha…
Par uski aankhon ki jagah...
👉 bas darkness thi.
Jaise koi andar hi nahi ho.
Meera ek step peeche hatt gayi.
"Yeh… insaan hai bhi ya nahi?" usne dheere se kaha.
Kabir ne bhi panic mein kaha,
"Yeh definitely normal human nahi hai…"
Achanak se...
System ki awaaz phir se aayi...
👉 "Security Protocol Activated."
Aur uske saath hi...
Woh figure suddenly ruk gaya.
Phir usne seedha Aarav ki taraf dekha.
👉 "Subject identified."
Aarav freeze ho gaya.
Uske pair hil nahi rahe the.
Jaise body ne respond karna band kar diya ho.
"RUN!"
Kabir zor se chillaya.
Aur uske saath hi sab bhaagne lage.
Meera ne Aarav ka haath pakda aur kheech liya.
"Aarav, move!"
Woh log room se bahar bhaagne lage.
Peeche se footsteps ki awaaz aur tez ho gayi.
👉 Woh unke peeche aa raha tha.
Hallway dark tha.
Lights flicker kar rahi thi.
Kabir aage bhaag raha tha,
Or usne kaha...
"Left side! Jaldi!"
Sab uske peeche mud gaye.
Aarav ka saans phool raha tha.
Dil itna fast dhadak raha tha jaise kabhi bhi phat jayega.
"Woh kitna paas hai?" Meera ne poocha.
Zoya ne peeche mudkar dekha...
Aur uska chehra serious ho gaya.
👉 "Bahut paas."
Achanak...
Ek loud sound aaya...
BANG.
Unke peeche wala door zor se band ho gaya.
Sab ek second ke liye ruk gaye.
Kabir ne shock mein kaha,
"Door… khud band ho gaya?"
Zoya ne dheere se kaha..
👉 "Yeh humein trap kar raha hai…"
Aarav ne panic mein kaha,
"Toh ab kya?"
Zoya ne aas paas dekha.
Phir ek dusri direction ki taraf point kiya...
👉 "Wahan… emergency exit."
Kabir ne turant bola,
"Chalo!"
Woh log phir se bhaagne lage.
Peeche footsteps ki awaaz ab aur loud ho gayi thi.
Jaise woh figure ab run kar raha ho.
Aarav ne peeche mudkar ek second ke liye dekha...
Aur jo usne dekha…
Uska khoon thanda ho gaya.
👉 Woh figure ab normal speed se nahi chal raha tha…
👉 woh unnaturally fast move kar raha tha.
"AARAV, DON'T LOOK BACK!" Meera chillayi.
Aarav ne turant aage dekha aur bhaagne laga.
Emergency exit ke paas pahunchte hi...
Kabir ne handle pakda aur zor se khola.
Door open ho gaya.
Fresh hawa andar aayi.
"Jaldi!" Kabir ne bola.
Sab ek ek karke bahar nikal gaye.
Aarav sabse last tha.
Jaise hi woh bahar nikalne wala tha...
Usne feel kiya...
👉 kisi ne uska haath pakda.
Cold.
Bilkul thanda.
Jaise ice.
Aarav ka dil ruk gaya.
Usne dheere se peeche mudkar dekha...
👉 woh figure bilkul uske peeche khada tha.
Aur is baar...
Uska face thoda sa visible tha.
Koi expression nahi.
Koi emotion nahi.
Bas ek khali sa face.
"Leave him!"
Meera ne zor se Aarav ka doosra haath pakda aur kheech liya.
Ek second ke liye struggle hua..
But Phir...
👉 Aarav free ho gaya.
Woh bahar gir gaya.
Kabir ne turant door band kar diya....
Andar se ek loud hit ki awaaz aayi...
THUD.
Jaise koi door todne ki koshish kar raha ho.
Sab kuch seconds ke liye silent ho gaya.
Phir...
kuch bhi nahi.
Aarav zameen par baitha tha.
Uska saans control mein nahi aa raha tha.
Meera uske paas baithi,
"Tu theek hai?"
Aarav ne dheere se sir hilaya.
"Woh… woh kya tha?" usne poocha.
Kabir ne seedha jawab diya...
👉 "Problem."
Zoya chup thi.
Woh building ki taraf dekh rahi thi.
Uski aankhon mein fear tha… par usse zyada kuch aur...
👉 jaise woh kuch samajh rahi ho.
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha,
"Tumhe pata hai na yeh kya tha?"
Zoya ne dheere se kaha..
👉 "Haan…"
Sab uski taraf dekhne lage.
Zoya ne dheere se bola...
👉 "Yeh sirf guard nahi tha…"
👉 "Yeh warning thi."
"Warning?" Kabir ne poocha.
Zoya ne Aarav ki taraf dekha...
👉 "System nahi chahta ki tu sach tak pahuche."
Aarav ka dil dobara heavy ho gaya.
"Par kyun?" usne poocha.
Zoya ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Kyuki tu sirf subject nahi hai…"
Woh thodi der ruki.
Phir dheere se bola...
👉 "Tu key hai."
Aarav freeze ho gaya.
"Key…?" usne repeat kiya.
Zoya ne sir hilaya.
👉 "Aur agar system ko laga ki tu control se bahar ja raha hai…"
Woh ruk gayi.
Phir dheere se bola...
👉 "Toh woh tujhe delete bhi kar sakta hai."