Control room mein ekdum silence chha gaya tha.
Sabki nazar screen par thi… aur Aarav ki saanse dheere dheere heavy hoti ja rahi thi.
Woh chehra.
Wahi aankhein.
Wahi expression.
Jaise screen ke bahar khada insaan koi aur nahi… balki Aarav khud ho.
Kabir ne disbelief mein screen ki taraf ungli ki. "Yeh… yeh koi joke hai kya?"
Zoya ka expression serious tha. Bohot zyada serious.
👉 "Nahi," usne dheere se kaha, "yeh coincidence nahi ho sakta."
Meera seedha Aarav ko dekh rahi thi.
Uska face pale ho chuka tha.
👉 "Aarav…"
Par Aarav khud kuch bol nahi pa raha tha.
Kyuki andar..
Collapse silent ho gaya tha.
Aur Origin…
pehli baar uneasy feel hua.
👉 "Impossible…" Origin ne dheere se kaha.
Aarav ne andar hi poocha, "Tu ise jaanta hai?"
Silence.
Phir..
👉 "Unfortunately."
Aarav ka heart aur fast beat karne laga.
👉 "Kaun hai yeh?"
Origin ne turant answer nahi diya.
Par uske silence ne hi Aarav ko samjha diya..
yeh dangerous hai.
Bohot dangerous.
Base ke bahar...
woh figure dheere dheere entrance ki taraf chal raha tha.
Bilkul calmly.
Jaise usse pata ho koi usse rok nahi sakta.
Kabir ne turant apni weapon energy activate ki. "Bas bohot ho gaya. Is baar jo bhi hai seedha fight."
Zoya ne usse roka. "Wait."
👉 "Ab kya wait karein?!"
👉 "Observe first."
Meera ne dheere se poocha, "Woh… Aarav jaisa kyun dikhta hai?"
Kisi ke paas answer nahi tha.
Sirf Aarav ke andar..
Origin finally bola.
👉 "Woh Echo hai."
Aarav freeze ho gya or usne kaha..
👉 "Echo?"
Collapse ne irritate tone mein kaha, "Mujhe yeh banda pehle se pasand nahi."
👉 "Kaun hai woh?" Aarav ne almost demand kiya.
Origin ka answer slow tha.
👉 "He was never supposed to exist."
Entrance ka door suddenly khul gaya.
Sab instantly defensive stance mein aa gaye.
Aur phir..
woh andar aaya.
Black hoodie.
Calm face.
Aur aankhein…
bilkul Aarav jaisi.
Usne room ko casually observe kiya.
Phir uski nazar seedha Aarav par ruk gayi.
Aur woh smile kiye bina nahi reh paya.
👉 "Wow…"
Usne dheere se kaha.
👉 "Original finally mil gaya."
Room heavy ho gaya.
Kabir turant bola, "Tu hai kaun?"
Woh uski taraf dekhe bina bola..
👉 "Relax. Main fight karne nahi aaya."
👉 "Jhoot," Zoya ne instantly kaha.
Woh finally uski taraf muda.
👉 "Smart."
Phir..
usne hoodie neeche ki.
Aur ab sab clearly dekh pa rahe the.
Woh literally Aarav ka doosra version lag raha tha.
Bas difference yeh tha ki..
uski aankhon mein emotion nahi tha.
Thi toh sirf emptiness.
Aarav ne dheere se poocha..
👉 "Tu… kya hai?"
Woh halka sa hasa or usne kaha...
👉 "Complicated question."
Phir woh thoda aur paas aaya.
👉 "Par short answer?"
Pause.
👉 "Main woh hoon… jo tu ban sakta hai."
Silence.
Kabir irritate ho gaya. "Yeh log seedha answer kyun nahi dete?!"
Meera uneasy feel kar rahi thi.
Aarav ki nazar us figure se hat hi nahi rahi thi.
Kyuki jitna woh usse dekh raha tha…
utna zyada ek ajeeb connection feel ho raha tha.
Jaise woh insaan fake nahi.
Real ho.
👉 "Echo…" Aarav ne dheere se repeat kiya.
Woh smile kar diya.
👉 "Good. Toh Origin ne bata diya."
Origin andar se immediately bola..
👉 "Usse trust mat karna."
Echo hasa.
👉 "Still controlling people? Typical."
Aarav ka body stiff ho gaya.
👉 "Tu… uski awaaz sun sakta hai?"
Echo ne seedha jawab diya..
👉 "Main sab sun sakta hoon."
Silence.
Zoya ne instantly realize kiya..
👉 "Yeh connected hai."
Echo ne uski taraf dekha. "Congratulations."
Kabir ka patience khatam ho raha tha.
👉 "Bhai main ise maar sakta hoon kya?"
Echo finally uski taraf properly muda.
Aur bas ek second mein..
Kabir ka body freeze ho gaya.
Completely.
Jaise invisible pressure ne usse hold kar liya ho.
👉 "KABIR!" Meera chillayi.
Echo ne calmly kaha, "Relax. Bas noise kam kar raha hoon."
Aarav turant aage badha. "Usse chhod."
Echo ne usse dekha.
Aur phir..
smile.
👉 "Interesting…"
👉 "Tu genuinely care karta hai."
Aarav ne teeth clench kiye or kaha... "Maine kaha usse chhod."
Room ke andar energy build hone lagi.
Light aur dark dono flicker.
Echo observe kar raha tha.
👉 "Still unstable…" usne casually kaha.
👉 "Par expected se better."
Suddenly..
Kabir free ho gaya aur neeche gir gaya.
👉 "Abe Teri toh..." woh uthte hi attack karne wala tha, par Zoya ne rok diya.
👉 "Not now."
Echo ne control room ko dekha.
👉 "Cute setup."
👉 "Tum log sach mein believe karte ho ki yeh place safe hai?"
Zoya ne seedha poocha, "Tu yahan kyun aaya hai?"
Echo chup ho gaya.
Phir usne Aarav ki taraf dekha.
👉 "Warning dene."
Silence.
Aarav confused.
👉 "Warning?"
Echo ka expression first time serious hua.
👉 "Haan."
Pause.
👉 "Origin jhoot bol raha hai."
Andar..
Origin silent.
Collapse interested.
Aarav ka dimaag instantly race karne laga.
👉 "Kya matlab?"
Echo dheere dheere uske paas aaya.
Itna paas ki dono almost same reflection lag rahe the.
👉 "Tu sochta hai woh tujhe guide kar raha hai…"
👉 "Par reality?"
Echo ki aankhon mein dark flicker aaya.
👉 "He's using you."
Silence heavy.
Aarav ne andar hi poocha..
👉 "Origin?"
Koi answer nahi.
Bas silence.
Aur wahi silence…
sabse dangerous tha.
Echo ne dheere se kaha..
👉 "See?"
👉 "Ab samajh aa raha hai?"
Meera ne tension mein Aarav ka naam liya, "Aarav…"
Par Aarav ka focus toot nahi raha tha.
Kyuki pehli baar..
Origin jawab nahi de raha tha.
Echo peeche hata.
👉 "Main enemy nahi hoon."
Kabir ne turant bola, "Bhai tera face hi villain jaisa hai."
Echo halka sa hasa.
👉 "Fair."
Phir usne final line kahi..
👉 "Par agla phase start hone se pehle…"
👉 "Truth choose kar lena."
Aarav ne poocha, "Aur agar galat choose kiya toh?"
Echo ka smile dheere dheere disappear hua.
👉 "Phir tu bhi… baaki versions ki tarah khatam ho jayega."
Room silent.
Aur ussi second..
base ke bahar ek massive explosion hua.
Pure building shake ho gayi.
Alarms activate.
Red lights flash.
Zoya instantly screen ki taraf bhaagi.
👉 "Oh no…"
Kabir ne poocha, "Ab kya hua?!"
Zoya ka face pale ho gaya.
👉 "Fragments…"
Pause.
👉 "Hundreds of them."
Aarav ka heart sink ho gaya.
Echo ne dheere se kaha..
👉 "They found you."
Aur phir..
woh suddenly disappear ho gaya.
Jaise woh kabhi tha hi nahi.
Sirf uski last line hawa mein reh gayi..
👉 "Now choose fast."
To be continued...