Jaise hi kabir ne tension main kaha ki ab agar hamne kuch break krne ki koshish ki toh arav kabhi bhi hamare pass nahi aa payega.
Ye sunte hi sab tension main aa gye..
Or vahan aarav ke dimaag main...
Darkness.
Sirf darkness.
Aarav ko kuch samajh nahi aa raha tha.
Na koi room… na koi wall… na koi sound.
Bas ek endless andhera.
Usne dheere se bola,
"Hello…?"
Uski awaaz khud usse hi wapas sunayi di.
Echo…
Phir silence.
Achanak se...
Door main ek halki si light dikhi.
Jaise koi door open ho raha ho.
Aarav ne us taraf dekhna shuru kiya.
Light dheere dheere bright hone lagi.
Aur phir...
👉 woh wahan khada tha.
Ek jagah…
Jo familiar thi.
"Yeh…?"
Aarav ne aas paas dekha.
Woh ek ghar tha.
Simple sa.
Warm lights.
Walls par photos lage hue the.
Aur...
👉 woh uska ghar tha.
Aarav dheere dheere andar gaya.
Sab kuch bilkul real lag raha tha.
Jaise yeh koi memory ho.
Kitchen se awaaz aayi...
"Dinner ready hai!"
Aarav freeze ho gaya.
Yeh awaaz...
👉 uski mom ki thi.
Uska saans ruk gaya.
"Mom…?" usne dheere se kaha.
Woh kitchen ki taraf gaya.
Aur wahan...
👉 uski mom khadi thi.
Smile karte hue.
Bilkul normal.
Jaise kuch hua hi nahi.
Aarav ki aankhon mein halki si nami aa gayi.
"Yeh… kaise possible hai?" usne dheere se kaha.
"Kyuki yeh real nahi hai."
Achanak peeche se awaaz aayi.
Aarav ne turant mudkar dekha.
Zoya.
Par yeh wali Zoya thodi different lag rahi thi.
Zyada calm.
Zyada serious.
"Zoya…? Tu yahan kaise?" Aarav ne poocha.
Zoya dheere se aage aayi.
👉 "Main nahi… system ka version."
Aarav confused ho gaya.
"Matlab?"
Zoya ne aas paas dekha.
👉 "Yeh sab… tere dimaag ka data hai."
Aarav ne phir se apni mom ki taraf dekha.
Woh still wahi khadi thi.
Smile karte hue.
Jaise wait kar rahi ho.
"Par yeh itna real kyun lag raha hai?" Aarav ne poocha.
Zoya ne seedha jawab diya...
👉 "Kyuki system emotions bhi copy karta hai."
Aarav ka dil heavy ho gaya.
"Matlab… yeh sab fake hai?" usne dheere se poocha.
Zoya ne sir hilaya.
👉 "Partially. Base real hai… par baaki modify kiya gaya hai."
Achanak..
Scene glitch hua.
Walls hilne lagi.
Lights flicker hone lagi.
Aur sab kuch distort hone laga.
Aarav peeche hat gaya.
"Yeh kya ho raha hai?"
Zoya ne seedha kaha...
👉 "System unstable ho raha hai."
Suddenly...
Scene change ho gaya.
Ab woh wapas us lab mein tha.
Same machines.
Same setup.
Aur...
👉 uske dad.
Is baar clear.
Bilkul saamne.
Aarav ka saans ruk gaya.
"Dad…" usne dheere se kaha.
Uske dad uski taraf dekh rahe the.
Serious expression.
👉 "Agar tum yeh dekh rahe ho… toh matlab system activate ho chuka hai."
Aarav freeze ho gaya.
"Yeh… recording hai?" usne poocha.
Zoya ne sir hilaya.
👉 "Haan… aur yeh specially tere liye hai."
Uske dad ne continue karte hue kaha..
👉 "Maine yeh sab isliye banaya… taaki hum log yaadon ko control kar sakein…"
Aarav ka dimaag ghoom gaya.
👉 "Par system unstable ho gaya…"
👉 "Aur maine… ek galti kar di."
Aarav ne dheere se bola,
"Kaunsi galti…?"
Video mein uske dad ne seedha camera ki taraf dekha...
👉 "Maine tujhe use kiya."
Silence.
Aarav ka dil toot gaya.
👉 "Tu sirf mera beta nahi… tu system ka core hai."
Aarav ke haath kaanpne lage.
"Core…?"
👉 "Teri brain structure… system ke saath perfectly sync karti hai…"
👉 "Isliye… tu hi usse control kar sakta hai…"
Aarav ka saans heavy ho gaya.
"Matlab… main hi reason hoon?" usne dheere se kaha.
Video continue hua...
👉 "Agar system control se bahar chala gaya…"
👉 "Toh tujhe hi usse shut down karna hoga."..
Room phir se glitch hone laga.
Zoya ne tension mein kaha...
👉 "Connection unstable ho raha hai!"
Real world mein...
Kabir panic ho raha tha.
"Signal drop ho raha hai!"
Meera ne poocha,
"Aarav ko bahar laa sakte hain?"
Kabir ne zor se sir hila diya...
👉 "Nahi! Abhi nahi!"
System ke andar...
Aarav ne chillakar poocha...
👉 "HOW?! Main kaise control karun?!"
Video almost end ho raha tha.
Uske dad ne last line boli...
👉 "Trust mat karna…"
Aarav freeze ho gaya.
"Trust… kisko?"
Screen suddenly BLACK ho gayi.
Silence.
Phir...
👉 "Protocol override detected."
Aarav ka dil tez dhadakne laga.
Zoya ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Koi aur system mein enter kar raha hai…"
Darkness phir se wapas aa gayi.
Pura room farm ho gya.
Wahan kuch dikhai nahi de raha tha.
Aur is baar..
👉 Aarav akela nahi tha.
Koi aur bhi wahan tha.
Aur woh dheere dheere uski taraf aa raha tha.