Jaise hi kabir ne dheere se bola ki..
Aarav system ko push kr rha h.
Tabhi room mein silence chaa gaya.
Bas system ki halki si humming sound aa rahi thi.
Kabir screen ke saamne baitha tha, uski aankhein numbers aur lines pe fix thi. Meera Aarav ke paas khadi thi, uska haath tight pakde hue.
Aur Aaravโฆ
๐ woh phir se us dark space mein chla gya tha.
Is baar darkness pehle jaisi nahi lag rahi thi.
Pehle yeh darawni thiโฆ
Ab yeh basโฆ khaali thi.
Jaise koi blank page ho.
Aarav ne dheere se aankhein kholi.
Usne aas paas dekha.
"Main wapas aa gayaโฆ" usne dheere se bola.
Uski awaaz is baar echo nahi hui.
Bas absorb ho gayi.
"Good."
Awaaz peeche se aayi.
Aarav ne mudkar dekha.
๐ woh ladka phir saamne khada tha.
Same calm face.
Same cold eyes.
Par is baar...
๐ woh attack karne nahi aaya tha.
Aarav ne usse seedha dekha.
"Main bhaagne nahi aaya," usne firmly kaha.
Woh ladka thoda sa muskuraya.
"Pata hai," usne kaha,
"warna tum wapas aate hi nahi."
Aarav dheere dheere uske paas gaya.
Dil abhi bhi fast dhadak raha thaโฆ
Par woh control kar raha tha.
"Tumne bola tha naโฆ" Aarav ne kaha,
"ki main incomplete hoon."
Woh ladka sir hilata hai.
๐ "Haan."
"Phir complete kaise banu?" Aarav ne poocha.
Silence.
Woh ladka Aarav ke aas paas ghoomne laga.
Jaise usse observe kar raha ho.
๐ "Tum log ek galti karte hoโฆ"
"Kaunsi?" Aarav ne poocha.
๐ "Tum emotions ko weakness samajhte hoโฆ ya phir unse bhaagte ho."
Aarav confuse ho gaya.
"Matlab?"
Woh ladka rukta hai.
Seedha uski aankhon mein dekhta hai.
๐ "Tum dar rahe hoโฆ aur tum us dar ko ignore karne ki koshish bhi kar rahe ho."
Aarav chup ho gaya.
Sach yeh tha...
๐ woh dar raha tha.
Bahut zyada.
"Main dar raha hoonโฆ" Aarav ne finally accept kiya.
Woh ladka thoda sa smile karta hai.
๐ "Good."
Aarav shock ho gaya.
"Good??"
๐ "Haanโฆ kyuki ab tum sach bol rahe ho."
Aarav ne deep breath li.
"Phir next kya?" usne poocha.
Woh ladka dheere se bola..
๐ "Control."
Achanak...
Space change hone laga.
Darkness shift hone lagi.
Aur phir...
๐ ek naya environment bana.
Ek open field.
Door tak khaali jagah.
Koi buildings nahi.
Koi log nahi.
Bas hawa chal rahi thi.
Aarav ne aas paas dekha.
"Yeh kya hai?" usne poocha.
Woh ladka uske side mein khada tha.
๐ "Training ground."
Aarav ka dil thoda fast ho gaya.
๐ "System ko control karna hai na?"
๐ "Toh pehle tumhe khud ko control karna hoga."
Aarav ne sir hilaya.
"Kaise?" usne poocha.
Woh ladka seedha bola...
๐ "Focus."
Aarav ne aankhein band ki.
Deep breath li.
"Ab?" usne poocha.
๐ "Kuch create karo."
Aarav ne aankhein kholi.
"Create?"
๐ "Haanโฆ yeh space tumhara hai."
๐ "Jo sochogeโฆ woh banega."
Aarav thoda confused ho gaya.
"Seriously?"
Woh ladka sir hilata hai.
๐ "Try karo."
Aarav ne concentrate kiya.
Usne socha...
๐ ek simple chair.
Kuch nahi hua.
Aarav ne phir try kiya.
Zyada focus ke saath.
Still nothing.
"Yeh kaam nahi kar raha," Aarav ne frustrated hoke kaha.
Woh ladka calm tha.
๐ "Tum soch rahe hoโฆ par believe nahi kar rahe."
Aarav ruk gaya.
๐ "System sirf thought pe nahiโฆ conviction pe react karta hai."
Aarav ne aankhein band ki.
Is baar...
๐ usne sirf imagine nahi kiyaโฆ
๐ usne feel kiya.
Ek chair.
Wooden.
Simple.
Achanak...
๐ uske saamne ek chair appear ho gayi.
Aarav ki aankhein khul gayi.
"Yehโฆ maine kiya?" usne shock mein poocha.
Woh ladka halka sa smile karta hai.
๐ "Finally."
Aarav dheere se chair ke paas gaya.
Usne usse touch kiya.
๐ bilkul real.
"Yehโฆ insane hai," Aarav ne dheere se kaha.
๐ "Yeh power hai."
Aarav ne us ladke ki taraf dekha.
"Phir tum itne powerful kaise ho?" usne poocha.
Woh ladka thoda sa serious ho gaya.
๐ "Kyuki main doubt nahi karta."
Aarav chup ho gaya.
๐ "Tum har step pe doubt karte hoโฆ"
๐ "Aur wahi tumhe weak banata hai."
Aarav ne dheere se sir hilaya.
"Phir next kya?" usne poocha.
Woh ladka thoda peeche hata.
๐ "Ab dekhte hain tum kitna control kar sakte ho."
Achanak...
Environment change ho gaya.
Field vanish.
๐ Aarav wapas lab mein tha.
Same machines.
Same setup.
Par is baar...
๐ sab unstable tha.
Lights flicker kar rahi thi.
Walls glitch ho rahi thi.
"Yeh kya ho raha hai?" Aarav ne poocha.
Woh ladka dheere se bola...
๐ "System breakdown."
Aarav ka dil tez dhadakne laga.
๐ "Control karo ise."
Aarav ne aas paas dekha.
Sab kuch distort ho raha tha.
Usne aankhein band ki.
Focus kiya.
"Stable ho jaโฆ" usne dheere se kaha.
Kuch seconds tak kuch nahi hua.
Phir...
๐ flickering slow hone lagi.
Walls stable hone lagi.
Aarav ne aankhein kholi.
๐ system calm ho raha tha.
"Yehโฆ maine kiya?" usne poocha.
๐ "Haanโฆ par abhi sirf start hai."
Achanak...
system phir se violently glitch hone laga.
Is baar zyada strong.
Aarav struggle karne laga.
"Main control nahi kar paa raha!"
Woh ladka chillata hai....
๐ "Focus! Dar mat!"
Aarav ka saans heavy ho gaya.
Usne aankhein band ki.
Aur is baar....
๐ usne dar ko push nahi kiyaโฆ
๐ usne accept kiya.
"Main dar raha hoonโฆ" usne dheere se kaha.
๐ "Par main control mein hoon."
Achanak...
๐ system stabilize ho gaya.
Complete silence.
Aarav ne aankhein kholi.
Sab normal tha.
Woh ladka usse dekh raha tha.
Is baar...
๐ thoda impressed.
๐ "Not bad."
Aarav ne halki si smile di.
Real world mein...
Kabir shock mein screen dekh raha tha.
๐ "He's doing itโฆ"
Meera ne poocha,
"Kya?"
๐ "Aarav system ko control kar raha haiโฆ"
Zoya chup thi.
Par uski aankhon mein tension thi.
System ke andar...
Aarav ne dheere se poocha...
๐ "Ab main ready hoon?"
Woh ladka kuch seconds tak chup raha.
Phir dheere se bola...
๐ "Abhi nahi."
Aarav ka smile fade ho gaya.
"Kya?"
Achanak...
๐ space crack hone laga.
Jaise glass toot raha ho.
Aarav shock mein aas paas dekhne laga.
"Yeh kya hai??"
Woh ladka suddenly serious ho gaya.
๐ "Woh aa gaya."
Aarav ka dil ruk gaya.
"Kaun?"
Woh ladka dheere se bola...
๐ "System ka asli controller."
Cracks aur badhne lage.
Darkness unke aas paas phailne lagi.
Aur phir...
๐ ek aur presence feel hui.
Heavy.
Cold.
Dangerous.
Aarav ka saans ruk gaya.
๐ "Ab asli game start hogaโฆ"