Pure room main darkness chaa chuki thi..
Endless darkness.
Na hawa chal rhi thi.
Or na hi koi awaaz aa rhi thi.
Sirf woh countless shadows… jo Aarav ko ghur rahi thi.
Har shadow uska hi version thi.
Koi injured.
Koi corrupted.
Koi completely emotionless.
Aur sabki aankhon mein ek hi cheez thi..
failure.
Aarav dheere dheere peeche hata.
Uska heartbeat uncontrollably fast ho raha tha.
👉 "Yeh… real nahi ho sakta…"
First Collapse ki awaaz void mein gunji..
👉 "Reality tum logon ki expectations se decide nahi hoti."
Origin Aarav ke saamne khada tha. Golden light us darkness ko barely rok pa rahi thi.
Par pehli baar..
Origin tired lag raha tha.
Jaise woh bhi iss jagah ko pasand nahi karta.
Aarav ne usse dekha.
👉 "Yeh sab kya hai…?"
Origin kuch seconds chup raha.
Phir dheere se bola..
👉 "Consequences."
Void suddenly distort hua.
Aur ek shadow saamne aayi.
Ek aur Aarav.
Par yeh version different tha.
Uski left eye completely black thi… aur uske body se dark smoke continuously nikal raha tha.
Woh slowly Aarav ke paas aaya.
👉 "You shouldn't exist," usne cold tone mein kaha.
Aarav freeze ho gaya.
👉 "Main.."
👉 "Hum sab ne try kiya," dusra version darkness se nikla.
👉 "Sab ne believe kiya ki hum different hain."
Teesra version hasa.
👉 "Par end same hota hai."
Suddenly..
hundreds of eyes glow karne lagi.
Pure void mein whispers spread ho gaye.
👉 "Failure…"
👉 "Collapse…"
👉 "Destruction…"
Aarav ne apne ears cover kiye.
Or vo jor se chillaya..
👉 "STOP!"
Aur us moment..
void violently shake hua.
First Collapse appeared.
Directly unke beech.
Uski presence itni heavy thi ki saari shadows instantly silent ho gayi.
Woh Aarav ke saamne aaya.
Aur calmly usse observe karne laga.
👉 "Interesting…"
Usne dheere se kaha.
👉 "Fear ke baad bhi tu break nahi hua."
Origin instantly tense ho gaya.
👉 "Usse touch mat karo."
First Collapse ne halka sa smile kiya.
👉 "You still think you can protect him?"
Origin ne jawab nahi diya.
Aarav ka anger slowly fear ko replace kar raha tha.
👉 "Tum log mujhe object ki tarah treat karna band karoge?!"
Void silent.
First Collapse ki red eyes directly Aarav par tik gayi.
Aur phir..
woh hasa.
Pehli baar genuinely.
👉 "Good."
Aarav confused ho gaya.
👉 "Kya good?!"
👉 "Anger," First Collapse calmly bola.
👉 "Fear weak banata hai. Anger evolve karta hai."
Origin cold tone mein bola..
👉 "And destroys control."
First Collapse ne uski taraf dekha.
👉 "Control is stagnation."
Suddenly..
void ke andar aur lights appear hone lagi.
Different memories.
Different timelines.
Aarav ne dekha..
ek world completely destroyed.
Sky black.
Buildings broken.
Aur center mein..
ek version of him.
Alone.
Uski aankhon mein koi emotion nahi tha.
First Collapse ne us direction mein point kiya or kaha..
👉 "Version 17."
Dusri memory.
Ek battlefield.
Fragments aur humans ke corpses har jagah.
Aur ek corrupted Aarav sky mein floating.
👉 "Version 43."
Teesri memory.
Ek peaceful city.
Normal life.
Par suddenly..
reality tear ho gayi.
Sab erase.
👉 "Version 89."
Aarav ka breathing heavy ho gaya.
👉 "Kya har version… duniya destroy karta hai?"
Silence.
Origin ne dheere se jawab diya..
👉 "No."
Aarav instantly uski taraf muda.
👉 "Then?"
Origin ka expression unreadable tha.
👉 "Some destroy themselves first."
Room silent.
Aur wahi line sabse zyada painful thi.
Aarav ne around dekha.
Thousands of failed selves.
Thousands of endings.
Suddenly..
ek choti si voice uske peeche se aayi.
👉 "Tum un jaise nahi ho."
Aarav instantly muda.
Aur freeze ho gaya.
Wahan..
ek young boy khada tha.
10–11 years old.
Black hoodie.
Golden eyes.
Aur woh…
exactly young Aarav jaisa lag raha tha.
First Collapse ka expression instantly dark ho gaya.
👉 "Impossible…"
Origin bhi shocked lag raha tha.
Aarav slowly uske paas gaya.
👉 "Tu… kaun hai?"
Boy ne halka sa smile kiya.
👉 "Main woh hoon…"
Pause.
👉 "…jo kabhi fail nahi hua."
Complete silence.
Void shake hua.
Saari shadows suddenly aggressive hone lagi.
Jaise unhe us ladke ki presence pasand nahi aa rahi.
First Collapse ka tone dangerous ho gaya.
👉 "You were erased."
Boy calmly bola..
👉 "Clearly not."
Aarav confused tha.
👉 "Koi mujhe explain karega kya ho raha hai?!"
Boy ne directly Aarav ki aankhon mein dekha.
Aur first time..
Aarav ko andar ek strange warmth feel hui.
Peace.
👉 "Tum special nahi ho," boy ne softly kaha.
👉 "Tum choice ho."
Silence.
Origin ne immediately react kiya..
👉 "Enough."
Golden light suddenly explode hui.
Void crack hone laga.
First Collapse growl ki tarah bola..
👉 "You can't hide truth forever!"
Aarav chillaya..
👉 "WAIT!"
Par late.
Everything break hone laga.
Shadows distort hone lagi.
Memories collapse ho gyi.
Aur next second..
Aarav ki aankhein abruptly khul gayi.
Woh wapas central chamber mein tha.
Heavy breathing.
Sweat.
Pain.
Meera immediately uske paas aayi. "Aarav!"
Kabir aur Zoya bhi finally chamber mein pahunch chuke the.
Par sabka focus ek hi cheez par gaya.
Kyuki Aarav ke saamne floor par..
ek chota black symbol glow kar raha tha.
Wahi symbol…
jo us unknown boy ki hoodie par tha.
Silence.
Aur andar..
Collapse dheere se bola..
👉 "…that's not possible."
To be continued...