Kashika kuch pal tak wahi corridor mein khadi reh gayi।
Uski saansein tez chal rahi thi।
Eclipse gayab ho chuka tha, lekin uski baatein ab bhi hawa mein goonj rahi thi।
"Waise Piyush abhi theek hai."
Sirf ek shabd ne Kashika ke andar darr paida kar diya tha।
Abhi.
Jaise Eclipse keh raha ho ki Piyush ki safety temporary hai।
Kashika bina waqt gawaaye daudti hui Piyush ke kamre ki taraf bhagi।
Darwaza zor se kholte hi usne dekha ki Piyush bed par baitha hua tha।
Woh kisi file ko dekh raha tha।
"Kashika?"
Piyush turant khada ho gaya।
"Kya hua?"
Kashika seedha uske paas pahunchi aur uska haath pakad liya।
"Tum theek ho na?"
Piyush hairan ho gaya।
"Haan, lekin hua kya hai?"
Kashika ne saari baat bata di।
Corridor mein Eclipse ka dikhna।
Uski warning।
Aur uska achanak gayab ho jana।
Piyush ka chehra serious ho gaya।
"Matlab woh yahan tak pahunch gaya."
Tabhi Aarav bhi kamre mein aa gaya।
Usne dono ke chehre dekhe aur turant samajh gaya ki kuch gadbad hai।
Kashika ne usse bhi sab kuch bata diya।
Aarav kuch der tak chup raha।
Phir usne dheere se kaha,
"Ye acchi baat nahi hai."
"Kyun?" Piyush ne poocha।
Aarav ne jawab diya,
"Kyuki is facility ka location sirf teen log jaante the."
"Main."
"Tum."
"Aur..."
Woh bolte-bolte ruk gaya।
Kashika ne uski aankhon mein dekha।
"Aur kaun?"
Aarav ne nazar jhuka li।
"Mere mentor."
Kamre mein sannata chha gaya।
"Mentor?" Piyush ne poocha।
Aarav ne haan mein sir hila diya।
"Jisne mujhe in projects ke baare mein sab kuch sikhaya tha."
"Kya tumhe lagta hai woh Eclipse ke saath hai?" Kashika ne poocha।
Aarav ne seedha jawab nahi diya।
"Lagta nahi."
"Par mujhe darr hai ki shayad woh hi Eclipse ho."
Ye sunkar dono shock mein aa gaye।
Aarav ne kabhi apne past ke baare mein zyada baat nahi ki thi।
Aaj pehli baar usne itna bada raaz bataya tha।
"Kya naam tha uska?" Kashika ne dheere se poocha।
Aarav ka chehra sakht ho gaya।
"Dr. Viraj Malhotra."
Ye naam sunte hi facility ki lights ek pal ke liye blink hui।
Sabne ek dusre ki taraf dekha।
Phir lights normal ho gayi।
Lekin us ek second ne mahaul aur bhaari kar diya।
Us raat kisi ko neend nahi aayi।
Kashika baar-baar corridor ki taraf dekhti rahi।
Piyush uske saath baitha raha।
Subah hone tak sab thak chuke the।
Tabhi Aarav ke laptop par ek notification aayi।
Ek encrypted file।
Sender unknown।
Aarav turant alert ho gaya।
Usne file open ki।
Screen par ek video tha।
Video play hua।
Aur usme Eclipse nazar aaya।
Woh ek kursi par baitha hua tha।
Uske chehre par wahi ajeeb muskaan thi।
"Good morning."
Usne seedha camera mein dekha।
"Mujhe pata tha tum log ye message dekhoge."
Kashika ka dil zor se dhadakne laga।
Eclipse ne aage kaha,
"Aarav."
"Tum ab bhi utne hi predictable ho jitne pehle the."
Aarav ka chehra sakht ho gaya।
"Eclipse..."
Video mein woh halka sa hasa।
"Nahi."
"Viraj."
Piyush aur Kashika ne turant Aarav ki taraf dekha।
Matlab Aarav ka shak sahi tha।
Uska mentor hi Eclipse tha।
Video continue hua।
"Main tum sab ko ek mauka dena chahta hoon."
"Mere raste se hat jao."
"Kashika ko mere hawale kar do."
"Main baaki sab ko zinda chhod dunga."
Kashika ka khoon khol gaya।
"Main kabhi nahi maanungi."
Jaise Eclipse uski baat sun sakta ho।
Video mein woh muskuraya।
"Mujhe pata hai."
"Isi liye maza aayega."
Screen achanak black ho gayi।
Aur ek location appear hui।
Purani factory।
Shehar ke bahar।
Neeche sirf ek line likhi thi।
Aao aur mujhe rok lo.
Video khatam ho gaya।
Kamre mein gehri khamoshi chha gayi।
Piyush ne sabse pehle bolna shuru kiya।
"Ye trap hai."
Aarav ne haan mein sir hila diya।
"Bilkul."
"Par hume jana hoga."
Kashika ne dono ki taraf dekha।
"Main bhi chalungi."
Piyush ne turant mana kar diya।
"Nahi."
Kashika uski taraf gusse se mud gayi।
"Nahi ka kya matlab?"
"Main target hoon."
"Isi liye tum nahi jaogi." Piyush ne sakhti se kaha।
"Tumhe lagta hai main yahan chupkar baithi rahungi?" Kashika ne jawab diya।
Dono ke beech tanav badhne laga।
Aakhir Aarav ne beech mein bolkar unhe roka।
"Bas."
"Hume ladne ka waqt nahi hai."
Kuch der baad teeno factory ki taraf nikal pade।
Raasta ajeeb tarah se khamosh tha।
Jitna woh location ke kareeb pahunch rahe the, utna hi Kashika ko bechaini mehsoos ho rahi thi।
Jaise koi unka intezar kar raha ho।
Factory bahut purani thi।
Tooti hui deewarein।
Jang lage hue gate।
Aur har taraf sannata।
Teeno andar ghuse।
Andhera tha।
Sirf kuch jagahon par roshni aa rahi thi।
"Awaaz bhi mat karna," Aarav ne dheere se kaha।
Sab saavdhaani se aage badhne lage।
Tabhi ek loud metallic sound poori factory mein goonj uthi।
Aur ek-ek karke lights jalne lagi।
Kashika ne upar dekha।
Second floor par koi khada tha।
Eclipse।
Is baar woh projection nahi tha।
Woh sach mein wahan tha।
Usne neeche dekhkar halka sa muskuraya।
"Welcome."
Piyush turant uske saamne khada ho gaya।
"Game khatam ho gaya."
Eclipse ne hasi dabayi।
"Nahi."
"Abhi to shuru hua hai."
Usne ungliyon se halka sa snap kiya।
Agle hi pal factory ke chaaron taraf se darjanon log bahar aa gaye।
Unki aankhen khali thi।
Chehre emotionless।
Jaise robots।
Kashika ka dil baith gaya।
"Ye log..."
Aarav ne shock mein kaha,
"Mind-controlled."
Eclipse ne haath faila diye।
"Impressive na?"
"Main machines se zyada powerful cheez control karta hoon."
"Insaan."
Kashika ne gusse se kaha,
"Unhe chhod do."
Eclipse ki nazar us par tik gayi।
"Main unhe control nahi kar raha."
"Main sirf unki kamzoriyaan istemal kar raha hoon."
Piyush ne ek kadam aage badhaya।
"Jo bhi karna hai mujhse kar."
Eclipse kuch pal usse dekhta raha।
Phir uske chehre par ek ajeeb muskaan aayi।
"Aur yahi wajah hai ki tum sabse dangerous ho."
Kashika ka dil achanak zor se dhadakne laga।
Usse mehsoos hua ki kuch bahut bura hone wala hai।
Bahut bura।
Aur Eclipse ki agli baat ne uska darr sach kar diya।
"Sabse pehle..."
Usne seedha Piyush ki taraf ishara kiya।
"...main tumhe todunga."
Factory mein khamoshi chha gayi।
Aur Kashika ko samajh aa gaya ki Eclipse ka asli target kabhi woh nahi thi।
Uska asli target Piyush tha।
To Be Continued...