Jaise hi aarav ko pata chala ki ab uska enemy or koi nahi vo khud h..
Toh vo zameen par baith gya.
Uska saans abhi tak control mein nahi aa raha tha.
Dil itna tez dhadak raha tha jaise abhi bhi woh uss dark space mein hi ho.
Meera uske paas baithi hui thi.
Usne usse pucha...
"Aarav… tu theek hai na?"
Aarav ne turant jawab nahi diya.
Uski aankhein khuli thi… par focus kahin aur tha.
Kabir ne thoda tense hoke poocha,
"Bhai… tu sun raha hai na?"
Tab jaake Aarav ne dheere se react kiya.
"Haan…" usne halki si awaaz mein kaha,
"main yahan hoon…"
Par sach yeh tha....
👉 woh poori tarah yahan nahi tha.
Uske dimaag mein abhi bhi woh ladka ghoom raha tha.
Wahi cold eyes…
Wahi calm smile…
Aur uski baat...
👉 "Main tum hoon."
Aarav ne apna sir pakad liya.
"Yeh kaise possible hai…?" usne dheere se kaha.
Meera ne gently uska haath pakda.
"Jo bhi hai… hum saath hain. Tu akela nahi hai."
Kabir ne bhi add kiya,
"Haan, aur iss baar hum bina soche kuch nahi karenge."
Zoya chup khadi thi.
Woh bas Aarav ko dekh rahi thi.
Jaise woh uske andar kuch samajhne ki koshish kar rahi ho.
"Tumne usse dekha na?" Aarav ne achanak Zoya se poocha.
Zoya ne dheere se sir hilaya.
"Haan… feel kiya maine."
"Woh…" Aarav ruk gaya,
"woh main tha…"
Room ek second ke liye silent ho gaya.
Kabir ne dheere se bola,
"Matlab tera dark version?"
Aarav ne haan mein sir hilaya.
👉 "Aur woh mujhse zyada powerful hai."
"Yeh zaroori nahi hai," Zoya ne turant jawab diya.
Sab uski taraf dekhne lage.
Zoya aage badhi.
Or usne kaha...
👉 "Power sirf strength se nahi aati…"
👉 "Control se aati hai."
Aarav ne confuse hoke poocha,
"Control?"
Zoya ne seedha jawab diya...
👉 "Tum system se connected ho…"
👉 "Par tum usse samajh nahi rahe."
Kabir ne interest se poocha,
"Matlab Aarav bhi system control kar sakta hai?"
Zoya ne sir hilaya.
👉 "Haan… par problem yeh hai ki Aarav dar raha hai."
Aarav ne turant react kiya,
"Of course dar raha hoon! Maine abhi apna hi ek version dekha hai jo logon ko control kar raha hai!"
Zoya ne calm tone mein kaha...
👉 "Aur isi wajah se woh strong hai."
Aarav chup ho gaya.
Zoya ne dheere se kaha....
👉 "Tum usse lad nahi sakte… jab tak tum khud ko accept nahi karte."
"Accept?" Aarav ne poocha.
Zoya ne sir hilaya.
👉 "Haan. Woh tumhara part hai…"
👉 "Aur jab tak tum usse reject karoge… woh control mein rahega."
Yeh baat Aarav ke dimaag mein seedha ghus gayi.
Kuch seconds tak sab chup rahe.
Phir Kabir ne halka sa tone change kiya,
"Toh ab plan kya hai?"
Zoya ne seedha bola...
👉 "Aarav ko train karna hoga."
"Train?" Meera ne poocha.
Zoya ne haan mein sir hilaya.
👉 "Usse system ke andar control lena seekhna hoga."
Aarav ne dheere se poocha,
"Aur agar main fail ho gaya toh?"
Zoya ne seedha jawab diya....
👉 "Toh woh jeet jayega."
Silence.
Aarav ne aankhein band ki.
Deep breath li.
Phir dheere se bola....
👉 "Phir try karte hain."
Kabir ne shock mein kaha,
"Abhi? Bhai tu abhi barely bach ke aaya hai!"
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
👉 "Aur agar main abhi nahi seekha… toh shayad next time chance hi na mile."
Meera ne thoda hesitant hoke kaha,
"Par yeh risky hai…"
Aarav ne halki si smile di or kaha...
👉 "Sab kuch risky hi toh hai ab."
Zoya ne dheere se sir hilaya.
👉 "Theek hai."
Woh log wapas us room ke andar gaye.
Same jagah.
Same screens.
Par is baar...
👉 Aarav ready tha.
Kabir ne laptop set kiya.
"Connection establish karne mein time lagega…"
Aarav ne screen ke saamne khade hoke kaha,
"Main ready hoon."
Jaise hi usne screen touch ki....
👉 "Subject detected."
System activate ho gaya.
Lights flicker karne lagi.
Kabir ne fast typing start ki.
"Connection open!"
Is baar...
Aarav ne aankhein band ki.
Aur consciously system ke andar enter kiya.
Darkness.
Phir wahi dark space.
Par is baar...
👉 Aarav dara nahi.
Usne dheere se bola...
👉 "Main wapas aa gaya hoon."
Koi awaaz nahi aayi.
Aarav ne ek step aage badhaya.
Phir ek aur.
Achanak...
Space thoda distort hua.
Aur phir...
👉 woh ladka saamne aa gaya.
Wahi calm face.
Wahi cold eyes.
"Phir aa gaye tum," usne halki si smile ke saath kaha.
Aarav ne seedha uski aankhon mein dekha or kaha...
👉 "Is baar bhaagne nahi aaya."
Woh ladka thoda sa interested lagne laga.
👉 "Achha… toh kya karne aaye ho?"
Aarav ne deep breath li.
👉 "Samajhne."
Silence.
Woh ladka dheere se hasa.
👉 "Finally… thoda progress."
Aarav ne dheere se kaha....
👉 "Tum main ho… right?"
Woh ladka ruk gaya.
Phir dheere se bola...
👉 "Haan."
👉 "Toh phir main tumse dar kyun raha hoon?"
Woh ladka kuch seconds tak chup raha.
Phir dheere se bola...
👉 "Kyuki main woh hoon… jo tum ban sakte ho."
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya....
👉 "Par main tum nahi banna chahta."
Woh ladka thoda sa aage aaya.
👉 "Phir strong kaise banoge?"
Aarav ne aankhein band ki.
Phir dheere se bola...
👉 "Apne tareeke se."
Achanak...
Space glitch hone laga.
Jaise system react kar raha ho.
Woh ladka thoda serious ho gaya.
👉 "Tum change ho rahe ho…"
Aarav ne aankhein kholi.
👉 "Haan."
Aur iss baar...
👉 uski aankhon mein dar nahi tha.
Real world mein...
Kabir shock mein screen dekh raha tha.
"Yeh… yeh alag hai…"
Meera ne poocha,
"Kya hua?"
Kabir ne dheere se bola...
👉 "Aarav system ko push kar raha hai…"