Arjun ke paas zindagi me kuch bhi nahi tha.
Na paisa… na power… na koi respect.
Bas ek purana sa phone… aur ek sapna—kabhi kuch banne ka.
"Ek din main sabko dikhaunga…" usne dheere se khud se kaha.
Par usse bhi pata tha… ye sirf ek sapna hi hai.
Reality alag thi.
Din bhar wo delivery ka kaam karta tha—logon ke ghar khana pahunchata, unke orders deliver karta… aur badle me milti thi thodi si salary aur bahut saari beizzati.
Aaj bhi kuch alag nahi tha.
"Bhaiya, itna late? Kaam karna nahi aata kya?" ek customer chillaya.
"Sorry sir…" Arjun ne sir jhuka kar kaha.
"Sorry se kya hota hai? Time pe kaam karo!"
Door uske muh par band kar diya gaya.
Arjun kuch second tak wahi khada raha.
Phir dheere se mud kar wapas chal diya.
Uske chehre par koi reaction nahi tha… jaise wo sab kuch feel karna chhod chuka ho.
Raat ho chuki thi.
Wo apne chhote se kamre me wapas aaya.
Ek chhota sa kamra… jisme ek purana bed, ek kursi aur ek tube light thi jo kabhi bhi blink hone lagti thi.
"Bas… aaj ka din khatam…"
Usne apna bag ek kone me pheka aur bed par gir gaya.
Body poori thak chuki thi.
Par neend nahi aa rahi thi.
Usne apna phone uthaya.
Screen thodi cracked thi… aur phone slow bhi tha.
Par ye hi uska sab kuch tha.
"Bas ek game… fir so jaunga…"
Usne game open kiya.
Game load hone laga… par phone hang ho raha tha.
"Yaar… chal na…"
Wo irritate ho gaya.
"Bas ek win chahiye aaj…"
Jaise hi match start hua—
⚠️ Screen freeze.
Arjun ne phone ko hilaya.
"Arey kya ho gaya ab…?"
Suddenly screen black ho gayi.
Room me ek ajeeb si silence chha gayi.
"Battery gayi kya…?"
Par phone band nahi hua tha.
2 second ke baad—
👉 Screen pe ek line aayi:
"SYSTEM INSTALLING…"
Arjun ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
"System…? Yeh kya hai?"
Usne phone ko dhyaan se dekha.
"Virus hai kya…?"
Screen phir blink hui.
👉 "INSTALLATION: 10%"
Room ki light halka sa blink hone lagi.
Arjun ka dil tez dhadakne laga.
"Yeh normal nahi hai…"
👉 "INSTALLATION: 50%"
Hawa thodi thandi hone lagi.
Usne apne haath ko rub kiya.
"AC bhi nahi hai… phir itni thand kyun lag rahi hai…?"
👉 "INSTALLATION: 100%"
Screen ek second ke liye poori white ho gayi.
Phir—
👉 "WELCOME, PLAYER ARJUN"
Arjun freeze ho gaya.
"Player…?"
👉 "REAL LIFE GAME STARTED"
Uski aankhen phat gayi.
"Real life… game?"
Uska gala sukh gaya.
"Yeh mazaak hai kya…?"
Usne phone ko band karne ki koshish ki.
Par phone respond hi nahi kar raha tha.
👉 "MISSION 1 AVAILABLE"
👉 "SURVIVE 10 MINUTES"
👉 "REWARD: UNKNOWN"
👉 "FAILURE: PAIN"
"Pain…?"
Arjun ne dheere se repeat kiya.
"Matlab kya…?"
Uska dimaag samajhne ki koshish kar raha tha.
Par tabhi—
💥 DHADAM!
Uske kamre ka darwaza zor se band ho gaya.
Arjun uchhal gaya.
"Kaun hai?!"
Usne turant darwaze ki taraf dekha.
Darwaza khud se band ho gaya tha.
Usne daud kar handle pakda aur kholne ki koshish ki.
"Open ho ja… open ho ja!"
Par darwaza hil bhi nahi raha tha.
Jaise kisi ne bahar se lock kar diya ho.
"Yeh kya ho raha hai…?"
Uski saanse tez ho gayi.
Room ki light blink hone lagi.
On… off… on… off…
Hawa aur thandi ho gayi.
Arjun dheere-dheere peeche mudha.
Uske haath kaanp rahe the.
"Yeh sab sach nahi ho sakta…"
Tabhi—
Uske peeche se ek halki si awaaz aayi…
"…."
Arjun ka dil ruk gaya.
Usne dheere se mudne ki himmat ki.
Aur jaise hi wo pura mudha—
Uski aankhen shock se khul gayi.
Uske peeche…
👉 Ek kaala shadow khada tha.
Na uska chehra tha… na aankhen…
Bas ek andhera sa shape.
Arjun ke pair jam gaye.
"Yeh… insaan nahi hai…"
👉 "MISSION STARTED"
Phone ki screen chamki.
Shadow dheere-dheere uski taraf badhne laga.
Arjun ka dimaag blank ho gaya.
"Yeh… game nahi hai…"
Uski saanse ruk rahi thi.
"Yeh… reality hai…"
Shadow ab sirf kuch kadam door tha.
Arjun ne apni mutthi tight ki.
Darr uske chehre par clearly dikh raha tha…
Par uski aankhon me ek chhoti si zid bhi thi.
"Main… aise nahi marunga…"
Room me sirf ek hi awaaz gunj rahi thi—
👉 "SURVIVE… OR DIE."