Raat ab bhi unke saath bhaag rahi thi.
Kashika aur Aarav ek purane, aadhe-toote warehouse ke andar aa rukke. Saansen abhi tak tez thi, par darr usse bhi tez. Bahar ki sadak sunsaan thi, lekin un dono ko pata tha—yeh sirf khamoshi nahi, tufaan se pehle ka sannata hai.
"Yahan filhaal safe hain," Aarav ne dheere se kaha, gate ke paas khade hote hue.
Kashika ne kuch nahi kaha. Wo seedha deewar ke sahare baith gayi. Uska dimaag phatne ko tha.
"Main 'child key' hoon… log mujhe dhoond rahe hain… mere parents mar chuke hain…"
Usne aankhein band kar li.
"Yeh sab sach nahi ho sakta…"
Aarav uske paas aaya. "Sach wahi hota hai jise hum accept nahi karna chahte," usne shaant lekin thakhe hue tone me kaha.
"Bas!" Kashika ne aankhein kholkar kaha, "Ab aur philosophy nahi. Seedha bolo—main hoon kya?"
Aarav ne apni jacket ki pocket se ek chhota sa metallic device nikala. Wo kisi USB drive jaisa lag raha tha, par us par ajeeb se symbols bane the.
"Yeh… tumhare parents ka chhoda hua ek piece hai," Aarav ne kaha।
Kashika ne device ko dekha, jaise wo usse pehchaanne ki koshish kar rahi ho।
"Mere parents… scientist the?" usne dheere se poocha।
Aarav ne haan me sir hilaaya।
"Sirf scientist nahi… wo log ek secret project par kaam kar rahe the," usne kaha।
"Kaisa project?"
Aarav ne uski aankhon me dekhte hue kaha—
"Human memory encryption."
Kashika ek pal ke liye chup ho gayi।
"Tum kehna kya chahte ho?" usne poocha।
Aarav ne dheere se jawab diya—
"Tumhare dimaag me… ek code chhupa hua hai."
Hawa jaise ruk gayi।
"Mere… dimaag me?" Kashika ki awaaz dheemi pad gayi।
"Tumhare parents ne ek aisa data create kiya tha jo duniya badal sakta hai," Aarav ne kaha,
"Par us data ko safe rakhne ke liye… unhone use kisi system me nahi… balki ek insaan ke andar hide kiya."
Kashika ka dil zor se dhadakne laga।
"…aur wo insaan main hoon?"
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya—
"Exactly."
Kashika hi kyu...
"Par main hi kyun?" Kashika ne almost ro kar poocha।
Aarav ne halka sa pause liya।
"Kyuki tum unki beti thi… aur unhe kisi par trust nahi tha," usne kaha।
"Unhone tumhare brain me ek encrypted memory embed ki… jise sirf kuch conditions me hi unlock kiya ja sakta hai."
Kashika ka dimaag overload ho raha tha।
"Matlab mujhe kuch yaad bhi nahi… par mere andar sab kuch hai?"
"Ha," Aarav ne kaha, "aur isi liye tum 'key' ho."
Kashika ne uski taraf ghur kar dekha।
"Tumhe yeh sab kaise pata?"
Aarav ne device ko ghumaaya।
"Kyuki main bhi us project ka hissa tha…"
"…ya kam se kam… mera family tha."
Kashika ka doubt aur badh gaya।
"Matlab tum bhi involved ho?"
Aarav ne dheere se haan kaha।
"Mere father un logon me se ek the… jo tumhare parents ke saath kaam karte the," usne bataya।
"Par jab unhone dekha ki yeh project misuse ho sakta hai… unhone back out karne ki koshish ki…"
"Phir?" Kashika ne poocha।
Aarav ki awaaz thodi heavy ho gayi—
"Phir unhe khatam kar diya gaya."
Room me ek pal ke liye silence chha gaya।
Ab Kashika akeli nahi thi… Aarav bhi usi game ka victim tha।
"Isliye tum itne obsessed ho…" Kashika ne dheere se kaha।
Aarav ne aankhon se haan kaha।
"Main sirf sach nahi dhoond raha…"
"Main revenge bhi chahta hoon."
Sach Or darr....
Kashika ka dil confuse tha।
Ek taraf Aarav—jo sach bata raha tha, par apna fayda bhi dekh raha tha।
Dusri taraf "Papa"—jo usse bachana chahte the… ya sach chhupa rahe the।
"Main kis par trust karu?" usne dheere se poocha।
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya—
"Kisi par mat karo."
Aarav ne device ko activate kiya।
Us par ek blue light blink hone lagi।
"Yeh device tumhari memory ke signal detect kar sakta hai," usne kaha।
"Matlab?"
"Matlab agar tumhare andar wo code active hai… to yeh react karega."
Kashika darr gayi।
"Yeh safe hai na?"
Aarav ne seedha jawab nahi diya।
"Try karna padega."
Wo pal jab sach samne aane wala tha....
Aarav ne device ko Kashika ke kareeb laaya।
Jaise hi wo uske paas aaya…
Device suddenly glow karne laga।
Beep… Beep… Beep…
Kashika ka sir achanak dard
se bhar gaya।
"Aaah!" wo cheekh padi।
Flash images uske dimaag me aane lage—
Lab… machines… uski maa… khoon… ek aadmi ka chehra… aur ek code—
"K-27X… Initiate Sequence…"
"Kya ho raha hai?!" Kashika chillaayi।
Aarav shock me tha—
"Yeh activate ho raha hai… itni jaldi kaise?!"
Tabhi warehouse ka door zor se khula।
BANG!
Same black-clothed log andar ghus aaye।
Par is baar…
Unke beech ek aur aadmi tha।
Aur jaise hi Kashika ne uska chehra dekha…
Uski duniya ruk gayi।
"Papa…?"
Uska "Papa" seedha uski taraf dekh raha tha।
Aankhon me pyaar nahi… sirf cold determination।
"Game over, Kashika," usne shaant awaaz me kaha।
Aarav turant uske saamne aa gaya।
"Unhe haath mat lagana!" usne gusse me kaha।
Papa halka sa muskuraaya—
"Tumne already bahut help kar di, Aarav."
Kashika ka dil toot gaya।
"Matlab… tum dono…?"
"Agar Aarav bhi unke saath tha… to kya main kabhi kisi par bharosa kar paungi?"