Jaise hi aarav ne aisa kaha ki ab game start ho gya h..
Tabhi uske yeh words bolte hi room mein ek ajeeb sa silence chha gaya.
Kisi ne turant kuch nahi bola.
Kabir screen ke saamne khada tha, par uski fingers keyboard par ruk chuki thi. Jaise woh samajhne ki koshish kar raha ho ki Aarav ne abhi jo bola, uska matlab kitna bada hai.
Meera ne dheere se Aarav ka haath pakda.
"Aarav… tu theek hai na?"
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha, par uski aankhon mein abhi bhi wohi tension thi.
"Main theek hoon…" usne dheere se bola,
"par jo maine feel kiya… woh theek nahi tha."
Kabir ne finally react kiya,
"Clear bol na bhai… kya feel kiya tune?"
Aarav kuch seconds ke liye chup ho gaya.
Jaise woh decide kar raha ho ki kaise bataye.
"Woh jo dark version hai na mera…" Aarav ne dheere se kaha,
"uski presence alag hoti hai. Cold… controlled…"
Woh ruk gaya.
Phir dheere se bola..
👉 "Par yeh… yeh usse bhi heavy tha."
"Heavy?" Meera ne repeat kiya.
Aarav ne sir hilaya.
👉 "Jaise… system uske aas paas change ho raha ho."
Zoya ka expression turant serious ho gaya.
Woh seedha Aarav ki taraf aayi.
"Tum sure ho?" usne poocha.
Aarav ne bina hesitate kiye sir hilaya.
👉 "Haan. Aur sabse weird baat pata hai kya thi?"
"kya?" Kabir ne poocha.
👉 "Main usse dekh nahi paaya."
Room phir se silent ho gaya.
Kabir ne awkward laugh kiya,
"Matlab invisible villain type scene hai?"
Kisi ko hasi nahi aai.
Zoya ne dheere se bola—
👉 "Invisible nahi… higher level."
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha,
"Matlab?"
Zoya ne thoda soch ke jawab diya...
👉 "System ke andar har cheez ek level pe exist karti hai…"
👉 "Aur jo cheez tum dekh nahi pa rahe… woh ya toh hidden hai…"
👉 "Ya phir tumse upar hai."
Yeh sunte hi Aarav ka dil thoda fast dhadakne laga.
"Matlab koi aur bhi control kar raha hai system ko?" usne poocha.
Kabir ne turant bola,
"Impossible… agar Aarav key hai, aur uska dark version lock hai… toh teesra kaun ho sakta hai?"
Zoya ne dheere se sir hila diya.
👉 "Exactly problem wahi hai… humein pata hi nahi hai."
Meera ne thoda tense hoke kaha,
"Matlab hum abhi bhi pura truth nahi jaante…"
Aarav ne dheere se kaha..
👉 "Aur shayad jo hum jaante hain… woh bhi complete nahi hai."
Silence.
Kabir ne apna laptop uthaya aur jaldi jaldi kuch type karne laga.
"Main logs check karta hoon," usne kaha,
"shayad system ne kuch record kiya ho."
"Careful," Zoya ne turant bola,
"agar woh presence system ke upar hai… toh woh humein dekh bhi sakta hai."
Kabir ne thoda ruk ke uski taraf dekha.
"Great… toh ab hacking bhi scary ho gayi."
Aarav halka sa smile karne ki koshish karta hai, par uski woh smile zyada der tikti nahi.
Room ke screens dheere dheere ON hone lagti h ek ek karke.
Jaise system khud react kar raha ho.
Kabir ne screen ki taraf dekha.
"Uh… guys?" usne dheere se bola.
"Ab kya?" Meera ne poocha.
Kabir ne screen ki taraf point kiya.
👉 "Yeh main nahi kar raha…"
Sabki nazar screen par gayi.
Ek black background.
Aur us par white text slowly appear ho raha tha.
👉 "Observer Active."
Aarav ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
"Observer?" Meera ne dheere se repeat kiya.
Zoya ne almost whisper kiya...
👉 "Yeh woh ho sakta hai…"
Kabir ne panic mein bola,
"System khud message kyun show kar raha hai?"
Text change hua.
👉 "Subject interaction increased."
👉 "Monitoring required."
Aarav ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Yeh humein dekh raha hai…"
Achanak..
screen flicker hui.
Aur ek second ke liye...
👉 ek distorted sa face flash hua.
Bas ek second.
Par itna kaafi tha.
Meera peeche hatt gayi.
"Tum logon ne dekha??"
Kabir ne turant bola,
"Haan… par woh clear nahi tha…"
Zoya ka chehra pale ho gaya.
👉 "Woh intentional tha."
Aarav ne poocha,
"Matlab?"
Zoya ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Woh chahta hai ki hum usse notice karein…"
Silence.
Kabir ne dheere se bola,
"Matlab… yeh game nahi hai ab."
Aarav ne screen ki taraf dekha.
Uske dimaag mein sirf ek thought chal raha tha...
👉 "Yeh sab mere wajah se ho raha hai."
Usne dheere se bola...
👉 "Mujhe wapas jaana hoga."
"WHAT?" Kabir almost chillaya,
"Bhai tu abhi barely bach ke aaya hai!"
Meera ne bhi turant kaha,
"Aarav please… abhi nahi."
Par Aarav ka expression change ho chuka tha.
Is baar woh dara hua nahi lag raha tha.
👉 woh determined lag raha tha.
"Woh humein dekh raha hai," Aarav ne calmly kaha,
"aur agar hum kuch nahi karenge… toh woh next move karega."
Zoya ne dheere se poocha,
"Tum sure ho ki tum ready ho?"
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya...
👉 "Nahi."
Sab ek second ke liye ruk gaye.
Phir Aarav ne add kiya...
👉 "Par mujhe ready hona padega."
Silence.
Kabir ne finally saans chhodi.
"Theek hai…" usne kaha,
"par iss baar hum plan ke saath karenge."
Meera ne dheere se Aarav ka haath chhoda.
"Careful rehna," usne softly kaha.
Zoya ne seedha Aarav ki aankhon mein dekha.
👉 "Is baar… sirf observe mat karna."
👉 "Feel karna… samajhna… aur react karna."
Aarav ne sir hilaya.
Room phir se silent ho gaya.
Kabir ne system connect kiya.
Screens flicker hone lagi.
👉 "Subject detected."
Aarav ne aankhein band ki.
Deep breath li.
Aur phir...
👉 woh wapas andar tha.
Wahi dark space.
Par is baar...
👉 usse woh khaali nahi laga.
Jaise koi usse dekh raha ho.
Aarav ne dheere se bola...
👉 "Mujhe pata hai tum yahan ho."
Silence.
Koi jawab nahi.
Par phir...
👉 ek halki si vibration feel hui.
Jaise space react kar raha ho.
Aarav ne aankhein band ki.
Focus kiya.
"Main dar nahi raha…" usne dheere se kaha.
Aur us moment...
👉 space stable hone laga.
Phir...
👉 woh ladka (dark version) saamne aa gaya.
"Phir aa gaye?" usne calmly poocha.
Aarav ne seedha kaha...
👉 "Is baar main akela nahi hoon."
Woh ladka thoda sa confused hua.
"Matlab?" usne poocha.
Aarav ne dheere se bola..
👉 "Koi aur bhi hai yahan."
Woh ladka turant serious ho gaya.
Silence.
Phir dheere se bola...
👉 "Tumne usse feel kiya?"
Aarav ne haan mein sir hilaya.
Woh ladka pehli baar thoda tense laga.
👉 "Toh woh aa gaya…
Aarav ka dil tez dhadakne laga.
"Woh kaun hai?" usne poocha.
Woh ladka kuch seconds tak chup raha.
Phir dheere se bola...
👉 "Woh… jisne system banaya nahi…"
👉 "Par usse control karna seekh liya."
Aarav freeze ho gaya.
"Matlab…?"
Woh ladka seedha bola...
👉 "Woh hum dono se upar hai."
Achanak...
👉 space violently shake hone laga.
Jaise earthquake ho.
Cracks appear hone lage.
Darkness un cracks se bahar nikal rahi thi.
Aarav ne panic mein poocha...
👉 "Yeh kya ho raha hai?!"
Woh ladka seedha bola...
👉 "Woh aa raha hai."
Aur iss baar...
👉 Aarav ne usse feel hi nahi kiya…
👉 usne usse dekha.
Bas ek shadow.
Clear nahi.
Defined nahi.
Par uski presence...
👉 unbearable thi.
Aarav ka saans ruk gaya.
Aur us shadow ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Finally…"