Zoya ne us raat neend nahi li thi.
Woh bas ek hi cheez soch rahi thi...
Aarav.
Ya phir…
jo ab Aarav ke andar tha.
Usne clearly dekha tha.
Woh ek second ka change.
Woh smile.
Woh awaaz.
👉 "Yeh control nahi hai… yeh kuch aur hai."
Subah hone tak Zoya ne decision le liya tha.
Ki ab woh wait nahi karegi.
Base ke andar sab normal behave karne ki koshish kar rahe the.
Kabir breakfast ke time usual funny harkatein kar raha tha jisse sabka mood thoda sahi ho jaaye.
Or usne kaha...
👉 "Kal ka training session thoda zyada hi intense nahi ho gaya?" Usne hansne ki koshish ki, par kisi ne properly respond nahi kiya.
Meera chup thi.
Aur Aarav…
woh bilkul normal behave kar raha tha.
Too normal.
👉 "Main aaj bahar jaana chahta hoon," Aarav ne casually bola.
Kabir ne turant poocha, "Kyun?"
👉 "Bas… thoda clear mind chahiye."
Simple answer.
Par Zoya ne turant notice kiya ki... uski aankhon mein woh same flicker tha.
👉 "Main bhi chalti hoon," Zoya ne bina delay ke bola.
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
Ek second ke liye silence.
Phir...
👉 "Sure."
Aarav ne kaha.
Dono base se bahar nikle.
City ka area ab thoda recover ho raha tha, par kal ki destruction ke marks abhi bhi clearly visible the.
Kuch der tak dono bina bole chalte rahe.
Phir Zoya ne seedha poocha..
👉 "Kitne time tak act karega?"
Aarav ruk gaya or usna kaha..
👉"Matlab?"
Zoya seedha uski aankhon mein dekhte hue boli..
👉 "Main ne dekha tha."
Silence.
Hawa halki si tez chalne lagi.
👉 "Kal raat…"
👉 "Woh tu nahi tha."
Aarav ne thoda sa sir jhukaya… phir dheere se smile ki.
👉 "Tu overthink kar rahi hai."
"Main nahi," Zoya ne turant jawab diya, "Tu jhoot bol raha hai."
Ek second ke liye tension peak par chali gayi.
Phir..
Aarav ne dheere se saans li.
👉 "Fine."
Woh uski taraf muda.
Aur uski aankhon ka color..
badal gaya.
Half dark.
Half normal.
Zoya ki body automatically defensive stance mein aa gayi.
👉"Finally," Aarav ne thodi heavy awaaz mein kaha, "kisi ne notice kiya."
Zoya ka doubt confirm ho gaya.
👉 "Tu kaun hai?"
Aarav... ya jo bhi tha... halki si hansi.
👉 "Main woh hoon jo tum sab ignore kar rahe the."
👉 "Answer de."
Pause.
👉 "Main Collapse hoon."
Silence.
Zoya ne ek step peeche liya.
👉 "Tu Aarav ke andar kya kar raha hai?"
"Same cheez jo tum sab karte ho.. use kar raha hoon."
"Usse chhod de."
👉 "Impossible."
"Phir main tujhe rok dungi."
Collapse ne usse dekha… aur phir hasa.
👉 "Try."
Next moment..
Aarav ne attack launch kiya.
Fast.
Direct.
Zoya ne barely block kiya.
Impact heavy tha.
"Yeh uski full power nahi hai…" Zoya ne realize kiya.
👉 "Yeh controlled version hai."
Matlab...
agar yeh control lose hua…
toh sab khatam.
"Tu usse hurt karega toh main rukungi nahi," Zoya ne warning di.
Collapse ne thoda sa sir tilt kiya.
👉 "Interesting… tum log usse itna protect kyun karte ho?"
👉 "Kyuki woh humara hai."
Ek second ke liye...
Aarav ke face par flicker.
Original Aarav.
"Zoya… mat..."
Par turant darkness wapas.
👉 "Annoying," Collapse ne kaha.
Phir usne ek aur attack launch kiya.
Is baar..
stronger.
Zoya peeche push ho gayi.
Ground crack.
"Tu jitna resist karega… utna weak hoga," Collapse bola.
Zoya ne deep breath li.
"Phir main tujhe weak kar dungi."
Usne apni energy focus ki.
Environment distort hone laga.
Collapse ek second ke liye slow hua.
"Smart," usne kaha.
"Par enough nahi."
Phir..
suddenly...
Collapse ruk gaya.
Bilkul.
Zoya confused.
"Ab kya..?"
Aarav ne apna sir pakda.
Andar..
Aarav wapas fight kar raha tha.
👉 "Tu control nahi lega!" Aarav chillaya.
"Main already le chuka hoon," Collapse ne calm tone mein kaha.
***
Real world mein..
Aarav ka body shake hone laga.
Zoya samajh gayi..
👉 "Internal conflict…"
Usne attack stop kar diya.
👉 "Lad usse," usne dheere se bola.
👉 "Tu jeet sakta hai."
Aarav ka saans heavy.
👉 "Main… try kar raha hoon…"
"Try nahi...kar."
Silence.
Phir..
ek sudden calm.
Aarav ne aankhein kholi.
Normal.
👉 "Ho gaya," usne dheere se kaha.
Zoya ne usse doubt se dekha.
👉 "Sure?"
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya..
"Haan."
Aur is baar...
uski aankhon mein koi flicker nahi tha.
Zoya thodi relax hui.
"Chal wapas chalte hain," usne kaha.
Dono base ki taraf chalne lage.
Sab normal lag raha tha.
Par…
jaise hi Aarav peeche mudkar ek last baar us jagah ko dekhta hai...
uski aankhon mein phir se woh darkness flash hoti hai.
Aur andar se awaaz...
👉 "Good."
👉 "Ab woh trust karegi."
Aarav ne bina react kiye seedha aage dekhna continue kiya.
Jaise kuch hua hi nahi.
***
Base... Same Time
Kabir aur Meera baat kar rahe the.
👉 "Tu notice kar rahi hai na?" Kabir ne dheere se poocha.
"Hmm…" Meera ne sir hilaya.
"Woh thoda change hai."
"Thoda?" Kabir bola.
"Bohot."
Silence.
"Par main trust karti hoon us par," Meera ne softly kaha.
Kabir ne usse dekha.
"Bas yeh trust galat na ho…"
Door khula.
Aarav aur Zoya wapas aaye.
"Sab theek?" Kabir ne poocha.
Zoya ne Aarav ki taraf dekha…
phir dheere se kaha...
"Haan… abhi ke liye."
Aarav ne halka sa smile kiya.
Sab normal lag raha tha.
Par andar...
game already start ho chuka tha.
Aur iss baar...
enemy bahar nahi tha.
***
Raat ho chuki thi.
Sab so rahe the.
Base silent.
Aarav akela baitha tha.
Aankhein band.
Meditation jaisa.
Phir...
usne aankhein kholi.
Pure dark.
Koi mix nahi.
Koi conflict nahi.
Sirf darkness.
Aur uski awaaz...
poori tarah change.
👉 "Step one complete."
Pause.
"Ab unka trust… mera weapon hai."
Usne dheere se khud se kaha...
👉 "Aur jab woh tootega…"
Halki si smile.
👉 "Tab sab kuch tootega."
Camera dheere dheere zoom out.
Base peaceful.
Par andar...
ek ticking bomb....