Rajkot ke bahar ek chhota sa gaon tha — Devnagar. Gaon itna chhota tha ki map par naam bhi mushkil se milta. Mitti ki sadke, purane kachche ghar, aur har subah mandir ki ghanti ke saath uthti zindagi. Isi gaon mein rehta tha ek ladka — Aarav.
Log use aksar ek hi naam se bulate the: "Nikamma."
Aarav 19 saal ka tha. Patla, lambai mein theek-thaak, aankhon mein hamesha thodi thakan aur thoda sapna. Par gaon walon ke liye woh bas ek bekaar ladka tha jo na padhai mein achha, na kheti mein kaam ka, na koi hunar.
Subah 5 baje jab gaon uthta, Aarav ka ghar sabse aakhri uthta.
"Uth ja nalayak!" — uske pita, Rameshbhai, roz cheekhte.
"Din chadh gaya, aur tu abhi tak so raha hai?"
Aarav palat kar chadar aur sir par khinch leta.
Uske dimaag mein ek hi khayal hota: "Main koshish karke bhi kya badal sakta hoon?"
Usne 12th do baar fail ki thi. Pehli baar maths mein, doosri baar English mein. Gaon mein logon ko bas itna pata tha: "Do baar fail."
Uska poora naam, uski soch, uski kahani — kisi ko nahi pata.
Andar Ka Sach
Sach ye tha ki Aarav bewakoof nahi tha.
Woh bachpan se machines ko dekh kar fascinate hota tha. Gaon ke purane pump, tractor ke engine, radio — sab khol deta. Par ek problem thi:
Woh cheezein kholta to tha, par sahi tarah jod nahi pata tha.
"Haath mein shani hai tere," log haste.
"Jo pakdega, tod dega."
Aur dheere-dheere Aarav ne bhi maan liya:
"Main kuch nahi kar sakta."
Uski maa, Meena, hi ek insaan thi jo use kabhi nikamma nahi kehti.
Raat ko jab sab so jate, woh chupke se uske paas baithti.
"Tu alag hai, beta," woh dheere bolti.
"Bas abhi tujhe pata nahi tu kya hai."
Aarav halka sa muskurata, par uske andar awaaz aati:
"Maa bas tasalli de rahi hai."
Ek Ajeeb Raat
June ki garmi thi. Bijli gayi hui thi. Ghar ke bahar mitti ki thandi sugandh aur door kahin se kutte bhonkne ki awaaz aa rahi thi.
Aarav ne paani peene ke liye bahar kadam rakha.
Tabhi usne kuch dekha.
Gaon ke purane school ke paas ek jeep khadi thi.
Raat ke 1 baje.
Devnagar mein raat ko gaadi aana hi ajeeb baat thi.
Aarav ruk gaya. Dil thoda tez dhadakne laga.
Jeep ke paas 3 aadmi khade the. Sab ne kaale kapde pehne hue the. Ek aadmi ke haath mein torch thi.
Woh log school ke andar ghus gaye.
Aarav ka dimaag bol raha tha: "Ghar ja."
Par pair apne aap chal pade.
School ka building aadha toot chuka tha. Sarkari school band ho gaya tha 3 saal pehle. Log bolte the wahan bhoot hai.
Aarav diwar ke peeche chhup kar andar jhaanka.
Torch ki roshni mein dhool ud rahi thi. Bench ulti padi thi.
Aur floor par… ek bada sa lohe ka trapdoor.
Aarav ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
"Yeh school mein kab se trapdoor tha?"
Usne kabhi nahi dekha tha.
Ek aadmi ne iron ring pakdi aur trapdoor uthaya.
Neeche se thandi hawa uthi.
Aur ek ajeeb si chemical wali smell.
"Jaldi karo," ek aadmi fuspusaaya.
"Subah se pehle kaam khatam hona chahiye."
Dusra aadmi bola:
"Yahan koi aata nahi. Perfect jagah hai."
Aarav ka gala sukh gaya.
"Yeh log kya chhupa rahe hain?"
Usne thoda aur jhuk kar dekha.
Trapdoor ke neeche se halki neeli roshni aa rahi thi.
Neeli. Natural nahi. Jaise kisi machine ya lab ki.
Tabhi Aarav ka pair ek sookhi lakdi par pad gaya.
CRACK.
Teeno aadmi ek saath mud gaye.
"Kaun hai?"
Torch seedha Aarav ki taraf ghooma.
Aarav jam gaya.
Ek second.
Do second.
Phir survival instinct jagi — woh bhaaga.
Pehli Daud
Aarav ne kabhi itna tez nahi dauda tha. Mitti ki galiyon, kheton, aur patharon par se seedha ghar ki taraf.
Peeche se awaaz aayi:
"Pakdo use!"
Jeep ka engine start hua.
Headlights ne raat ko cheera.
Aarav ke pair kaanp rahe the. Saans phat rahi thi.
Par dimaag mein sirf ek cheez: "Mujhe pakadna nahi chahiye."
Woh kheton ki side mud gaya. Ganna ke khet ghane the.
Woh andar ghus gaya.
Jeep road par ruk gayi. Aadmi utare.
Torch ki roshni khet par ghoom rahi thi.
Aarav mitti par let gaya. Saans rok li.
Footsteps paas aaye.
Ek aadmi bola:
"Gaon ka hi lagta hai."
"Pehchan gaya to problem ho jayegi."
Dusra bola:
"Mil gaya to khatam kar denge."
Aarav ke kaan mein yeh shabd hammer ki tarah lage:
"Khatam."
Uska dil itna zor se dhadak raha tha ki use laga awaaz bahar sunai degi.
Torch ka circle uske pair se bas 2 foot door ruk gaya.
Ek second aur…
Tabhi door se kisi ne chillaya:
"Arre Rameshbhai! Aapki gai khul gayi!"
Aadmi ruke.
"Chalo," ek bola. "Subah aayenge."
Footsteps door chale gaye.
Jeep start hui. Awaaz dheere-dheere gayab.
Aarav ne 30 second baad saans li.
Uski body kaanp rahi thi.
Pehli baar usne maut ko itna paas mehsoos kiya tha.
Ghar Wapas
Woh chupke se ghar aaya. Darwaza khola. Maa so rahi thi.
Sab normal tha.
Par Aarav normal nahi tha.
Uski aankhon ke saamne baar-baar woh neeli roshni aa rahi thi.
Trapdoor. Aadmi. "Khatam kar denge."
Usne raat bhar neend nahi li.
Subah pita cheekhe:
"Uth! Kaam par chal!"
Aarav chup raha.
Uske dimaag mein sirf ek sawaal:
"School ke neeche kya hai?"
Faisla
Do din Aarav chup raha. Kisi ko kuch nahi bataya.
Gaon mein police par bharosa kam tha. Aur agar woh galat samjha gaya to?
Par curiosity usse kha rahi thi.
Teesri raat — woh phir gaya.
Is baar school bilkul andhera tha.
Koi jeep nahi.
Aarav ne andar kadam rakha.
Dhool, jale hue poster, tooti khidkiyon se aati hawa.
Aur floor par…
Trapdoor.
Band.
Usne aas-paas dekha.
Chup.
Usne ring pakdi.
Thandi lohe ki.
Dil: "Mat kar."
Dimaag: "Sach jaan."
Usne dheere se trapdoor uthaya.
Krrr…
Neeche se phir wahi thandi hawa.
Aur neeli roshni.
Is baar clear.
Neeche lohe ki seedhi thi jo andhere mein ja rahi thi.
Aarav ne neeche jhaanka.
Aur jo usne dekha…
…usne uski zindagi hamesha ke liye badal di.
Neeche ek bada underground hall tha.
Concrete walls. Tubes. Machines. Wires.
Jaise koi secret lab.
Aur center mein…
Ek metal capsule.
Cylinder jaisa. Human-size.
Transparent glass window.
Andar… koi pada tha.
Aarav ka dimag freeze.
Woh jhuk kar aur dekha.
Andar ek ladka tha.
Uski hi age ka.
Aankhen band. Body par sensors.
Aur chest par ek chhota glowing device — wahi neeli roshni ka source.
Aarav ka gala sukh gaya.
"Yeh… kaun hai?"
Tabhi…
Capsule ke glass par andar se ungli hilli.
Aarav ka dil ruk gaya.
Andar ka ladka… zinda tha.
Uski aankhen dheere-dheere khulne lagi.
Seedha upar.
Seedha Aarav ki taraf.
Unki nazrein mili.
Aur usi second…
Capsule ke side panel par red light blink hui.
ALERT.
Neeche kahin se siren ki halki awaaz.
Aarav ka dimag chillaaya:
"Bhag!"
Par uske pair jam gaye.
Capsule ke andar ka ladka dheere se lips hilaaya.
Aur bina awaaz ke bola:
"Bacha lo."