Varanasi ki subah thodi ajeeb hoti hai.
Ganga ke kinare se uthi hui halki si dhund… mandiron ki ghanti ki awaaz… aur logon ki bhaag-daud. Lekin Aarav Mishra ke liye subah ka matlab bas ek hi tha — System Booting…
Jaise hi uski aankh khulti, uski nazar ke kone me halka sa transparent text flash karta:
Life Interface – OnlineEmotion Scan – ActiveSocial Risk Level – Low
Aarav ne aankhen band karke phir se kholi. Text gayab nahi hua.
"Great," usne dheere se kaha, "aaj bhi duniya game hi rahegi."
Woh koi superhero nahi tha. Na hi uske paas koi magical power thi. Bas ek problem thi — use logon ke emotions numbers me dikhte the.
Mummy kitchen me thi.
Unke sir ke upar halki si blue bar dikh rahi thi:
Stress Level – 62%Happiness – 41%Concern (Aarav ke future ke liye) – 89%
Aarav ne haath se hawa ko halka sa kaata, jaise screen ko swipe kar raha ho. Numbers thode transparent ho gaye.
"Bas karo yaar…" woh mumbling karta hua bathroom ki taraf chala gaya.
🎬 Morning Monologue
Mirror ke saamne khada Aarav apne reflection ko dekh raha tha.
Uske khud ke sir ke upar bhi stats the.
Confidence – 34%Social Energy – 12%Love Interest – 0%
"Love Interest zero hi rehna chahiye," usne toothbrush uthate hue kaha. "Safe zone best zone."
School uske liye ek battlefield jaisa tha. Na ki fights ke liye, balki emotions ke overload ke liye.
Har corridor me alag-alag colors flash karte rehte:
Red – Anger
Pink – Crush
Blue – Sadness
Yellow – Fake Smile
Kabhi kabhi use lagta tha woh insaan kam aur scanner zyada hai.
🏫 School Arrival
Sunrise Public School ke gate par usual bheed thi.
Aarav ne bag shoulder par adjust kiya aur andar chala gaya.
Jaise hi woh campus me enter hua, uske vision me multiple pop-ups aaye:
Rohit – Ego 78%Simran – Crush 63% (on Rohit)Maths Teacher – Patience 22%
"Lagta hai aaj kisi ki class lagegi," Aarav ne socha.
Woh seedha apni class 11-B ki taraf badha.
Uska best friend Kabir bench par baitha hua phone dekh raha tha.
Kabir ke upar stats:
Drama Potential – 95%Loyalty – 88%IQ – fluctuating
"Abe professor," Kabir ne dekhte hi kaha, "aaj itna serious kyun lag raha hai?"
Aarav bench par baith gaya.
"System update chal raha hai shayad."
Kabir hansa. "Tu aur tera system. Ek din pakka mental hospital me admit ho jayega."
Aarav bas halka sa muskura diya.
Kaash Kabir dekh pata jo woh dekhta hai.
🚨 The Moment
Bell baji.
Class teacher aayi.
"Students, aaj hamari class me ek new admission hua hai."
Aarav ka attention normally zero hota tha aise moments me.
New student ka matlab new emotion stats overload.
Teacher ne door ki taraf dekha.
"Come in."
Aur tab…
Time thoda slow ho gaya.
Door khula.
Halki si hawa andar aayi.
Ek ladki ne entry li.
Long brown hair. Light sa smile. Thoda nervous expression.
Class ke aadhe ladkon ke upar pink bars instantly 40% se 70% ho gaye.
Kabir ke upar:
Crush – 81% (Instant)
Aarav ne usual tareeke se uske upar nazar daali…
Aur phir…
Screen blink hui.
Ek second ke liye sab kuch static jaisa ho gaya.
Phir us ladki ke naam ke upar text aaya:
Naina Kapoor⚠ ERROREmotion Data CorruptedUnable to Display Stats
Aarav ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
"Kya…?"
Usne aankhen jhapkayi.
Error text wahi tha.
Baaki sab log normal.
Sirf uske upar glitch lines.
Jaise koi broken code ho.
🎭 First Eye Contact
Naina ne class ko dekha.
Phir uski nazar seedha Aarav par aake ruk gayi.
Aur us moment me —
Aarav ke vision me poori screen flicker hui.
Red, blue, yellow sab colors mix ho gaye.
Uske khud ke stats flash hue:
Heart Rate – 122Stability – DroppingUnknown Emotion – Detected
"Unknown emotion?" Aarav ne andar hi andar repeat kiya.
Ye system me option hi nahi tha.
Naina ne halka sa smile diya.
Simple sa smile.
Lekin Aarav ke aas-paas ki hawa me thin white glitch lines appear hui.
Jaise reality me crack pad raha ho.
🪑 Seating Disaster
Teacher ne kaha, "Naina, tum wahan last bench me baith jao."
Wahan matlab…
Aarav ke bagal wali seat.
Kabir ne slow motion me Aarav ki taraf dekha.
"Bhai… bhagwan tujhe pasand karta hai."
Aarav ka Stability meter 40% par aa gaya.
Naina aake uske bagal me baithi.
"Hi," usne dheere se kaha.
Aarav ne seedha board ki taraf dekha.
"Hmm."
"Tum yahan hamesha itne chup rehte ho ya main special hoon?" Naina ne playful tone me pucha.
Kabir ne peeche se whisper kiya, "Bhai ye to introvert ko challenge de rahi hai."
Aarav ne finally uski taraf dekha.
Error message abhi bhi dikh raha tha.
"Tum… thik ho?" uske muh se bina soche nikal gaya.
Naina ne eyebrow uthaya. "Kya matlab?"
"Matlab… tum normal ho na?"
"Shayad nahi," woh hansi. "Mummy bhi yehi kehti hain."
Uski hansi ke sath Aarav ke vision me halka sa pixel burst hua.
Jaise koi corrupted file load ho rahi ho.
📚 Library Incident
Lunch break me Aarav usually library me chala jata tha.
Safe zone.
Low emotion density area.
Lekin aaj…
Door khola to dekha Naina already wahan thi.
"Tum stalker ho kya?" usne turant bola.
Aarav freeze.
"Main roz aata hoon yahan."
"Achha? To aaj se main bhi aaungi."
Woh ek book lene uthi.
Same shelf.
Same time.
Dono ke haath takraye.
Books gir gayi.
Classic slow motion.
Pages hawa me.
Light window se aa rahi.
Aur Aarav ke vision me ek bada sa pop-up:
Critical Error – Emotional Overload
"Seriously?" Aarav ne dheere se kaha.
"Tum hamesha aise robot jaisa behave karte ho?" Naina ne niche jhukte hue pucha.
"Main robot nahi hoon."
"Proof?"
Aarav ne ek second socha.
Phir bola, "Mujhe logon ke emotions numbers me dikhte hain."
Silence.
Naina ne seedha uski aankhon me dekha.
"Achha? To mere kya dikh rahe hain?"
Aarav chup.
"Kuch nahi."
"Matlab?"
"Matlab system tumhe read nahi kar pa raha."
Naina ne halki si smile di.
"Good."
"Good?"
"Haan. Mujhe pasand nahi koi mujhe read kare."
Us moment me Aarav ko laga jaise error text thoda aur bright ho gaya.
🌧 After School
School khatam hua.
Aasman me badal aa gaye.
Aarav gate ki taraf ja raha tha tab usne dekha Naina ek tree ke paas khadi hai.
Uske upar error message blink kar raha tha.
Lekin aaj ek naya line add hua:
Emotional Instability – Rising
Usne dekha Naina ka phone screen off hua.
Uski aankhon me halki si nami.
Aarav ke around glitch lines thodi intense ho gayi.
Barish shuru ho gayi.
Log bhaagne lage.
Naina wahi khadi rahi.
Aarav ke stats flash hue:
Decision Point Detected
"Bas… ignore karo," usne khud se kaha.
Safe zone.
No risk.
Zero love interest.
Wahi rule.
Lekin uske pair automatically uski taraf badh gaye.
"Tum ghar nahi ja rahi?"
Naina ne halki si hansi di. "Barish pasand hai."
Uske gaal par ek boond ya aansu… pata nahi.
Aarav ke vision me poora sky crack jaisa dikhne laga.
White glitch lines.
Jaise reality unstable ho rahi ho.
"Tum thik nahi ho," Aarav ne dheere se kaha.
"Tum mujhe jaante hi kitna ho?" Naina ne pucha.
Aarav chup.
System ne phir flash kiya:
Unknown Emotion – Expanding
🌌 Cliffhanger Moment
Barish tez ho gayi.
Naina ne aasman ki taraf dekha.
"Aarav…"
Woh ruk gaya.
"Tum kabhi kisi ko bina measure kiye feel kar sakte ho?"
Question simple tha.
Lekin Aarav ke liye impossible.
Uske stats blink kar rahe the.
Numbers fluctuate.
Confidence drop.
Heart rate up.
"Main try nahi karta," usne sach bola.
Naina ne uski taraf dekha.
"Try karo."
Usne ek step aur paas aake kaha —
"Har cheez calculate nahi hoti."
Us moment me —
Aarav ke vision me bada sa flash hua.
System crash sound jaisa echo.
Screen black.
Phir ek line white text me:
New Variable AddedName: Naina KapoorCategory: GlitchThreat Level: UnknownAttraction Level: Loading…
Aarav ne aankhen band kar li.
Barish chal rahi thi.
Uska perfectly stable world pehli baar unstable lag raha tha.
Aur kahani abhi shuru hui thi.