Some games never really end…
They just reset.
And this time—
the rules are different.
"Game us raat khatam ho gaya tha."
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Kam se kam—
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sabko aisa hi laga.
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City dheere dheere normal hone lagi.
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News channels chup ho gaye.
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Log bhool gaye.
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System crash ho gaya.
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Power shift ho gayi.
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Sab kuch—
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wapas normal.
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Ya shayad…
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sirf dikhne me.
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Kyuki har cheez khatam nahi hoti—
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jab wo khatam lagti hai.
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Kuch cheezein bas…
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chup ho jaati hain.
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Aur wait karti hain.
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Night.
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Sheher unusually quiet tha.
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Zyada hi.
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Aarav terrace par khada tha.
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Wahi jagah.
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Jahan sab khatam hua tha.
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Ya jahan se sab shuru hua tha.
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Hawa tez chal rahi thi.
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Thandi.
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Lekin Aarav—
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bilkul still.
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Uski aankhen neeche sheher par tikki hui thi.
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Lights.
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Traffic.
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Log.
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Sab kuch normal.
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Lekin usse pata tha—
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kuch galat hai.
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Bahut subtle.
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Almost invisible.
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Par present.
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Jaise koi—
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usse dekh raha ho.
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Aarav ne dheere se saans li.
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"...Abhi bhi khatam nahi hua."
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Usne dheere se bola.
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Jaise wo kisi aur se nahi—
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khud se baat kar raha ho.
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Uski pocket me phone vibrate hua.
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Ek message.
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Unknown number.
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Aarav ne phone nikala.
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Screen on ki.
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Message sirf ek line ka tha.
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"System kabhi destroy nahi hota… sirf transfer hota hai."
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Silence.
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Aarav ki aankhen thodi narrow hui.
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"Interesting…"
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Usne dheere se kaha.
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Message ke niche—
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ek aur line appear hui.
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"Turn around."
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Aarav ne react nahi kiya.
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Na panic.
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Na shock.
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Bas dheere se—
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usne peeche dekha.
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Koi nahi tha.
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Empty terrace.
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Hawa.
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Silence.
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Lekin—
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presence feel ho rahi thi.
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Clear.
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Strong.
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Jaise koi wahin ho—
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bas dikhe nahi.
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"...Show yourself."
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Aarav ki awaaz calm thi.
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Dangerous calm.
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Silence.
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Phir—
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ek halki si movement.
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Shadow shift hua.
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Aur dheere dheere—
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wo saamne aayi.
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Meher.
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Aarav ki aankhen ek second ke liye ruk gayi.
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Bas ek second.
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Phir normal.
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"...Tum?"
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Usne seedha poocha.
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Meher chup rahi.
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Uska expression—
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same nahi tha.
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Woh Meher nahi thi—
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jo hospital me khadi thi.
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Yeh kuch aur thi.
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Zyada calm.
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Zyada controlled.
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Zyada… aware.
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"Tumhe lagta hai game khatam ho gaya?"
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Usne dheere se poocha.
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Aarav ne usse dekha.
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Seedha.
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"Ho gaya hai."
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Pause.
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"Ya hona chahiye tha."
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Meher halka sa muskurayi.
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Woh wali smile nahi—
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jo pehle hoti thi.
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Yeh different thi.
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Cold.
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"Exactly."
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Usne dheere se kaha.
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"'Hona chahiye tha'."
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Silence.
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Hawa tez ho gayi.
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Aarav ne ek step aage badhaya.
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"Tum kya chhupa rahi ho?"
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Direct.
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No hesitation.
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Meher ne uski aankhon me dekha.
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Aur is baar—
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usne nazar nahi hatayi.
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"Kuch nahi…"
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Pause.
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"Bas wo sach jo tumne ignore kiya."
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Aarav ka expression thoda sharp hua.
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"Seedha bolo."
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Meher ek step aur aage aayi.
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Ab dono ke beech distance—
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bahut kam tha.
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"Tumne system tod diya…"
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Usne dheere se kaha.
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"Lekin…"
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Ek pause.
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"Tumne usse free bhi kar diya."
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Silence.
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Heavy.
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Dangerous.
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Aarav ne kuch seconds tak kuch nahi bola.
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Phir—
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"...Explain."
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Meher ne seedha jawab diya.
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"Tumhe lagta hai jo aadmi tha… wahi system tha?"
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Pause.
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"Wo sirf ek layer tha."
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Aarav ki aankhen thodi narrow hui.
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"Toh asli kya hai?"
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Meher ka expression serious ho gaya.
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"Network."
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Ek word.
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Lekin enough.
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"Decentralized."
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"Self-learning."
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"Adaptive."
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Aarav ne dheere se saans li.
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"...Aur ab?"
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Meher uske aur kareeb aayi.
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Itna kareeb—
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ki ab unki awaaz bhi halki ho gayi.
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"Ab…"
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Usne dheere se kaha—
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"Uska koi owner nahi hai."
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Silence.
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"...Aur?"
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Aarav ne poocha.
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Meher ne uski aankhon me dekha.
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Seedha.
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Intense.
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"Ab wo choose karega."
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Aarav ruk gaya.
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"Choose?"
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Meher ne halki si smile di.
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"Next controller."
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Silence.
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Aur iss baar—
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ye silence normal nahi tha.
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Dangerous tha.
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Alive tha.
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Jaise—
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koi sun raha ho.
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Dono ko.
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Aarav ne dheere se bola—
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"...Aur tum?"
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Meher ne bina hesitate kiye jawab diya—
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"Main uska part hoon."
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Silence.
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Shock nahi.
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Reaction nahi.
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Bas ek realization.
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Slow.
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Deep.
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"...Kab se?"
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Aarav ne poocha.
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Meher ki awaaz halki ho gayi.
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"Jab tumne system destroy kiya…"
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Pause.
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"Usne mujhe choose kiya."
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Hawa ruk gayi.
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Jaise time bhi ruk gaya ho.
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Aarav usse dekhta raha.
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Phir—
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halki si smile.
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Dangerous.
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"So…"
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Ek step aur aage.
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"Game khatam nahi hua."
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Meher ne dheere se sir hilaya.
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"Nahi."
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Aarav ki aankhen dark ho gayi.
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"Bas level change hua hai."
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Silence.
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Aur iss baar—
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dono muskura rahe the.
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Lekin alag reasons se.
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Neeche sheher chal raha tha.
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Log apni zindagi jee rahe the.
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Unhe pata bhi nahi—
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ki game restart ho chuka hai.
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Aur iss baar—
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stakes zyada bade hain.
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Aur players…
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zyada dangerous.
Silence hawa me jam gaya.
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Na koi movement.
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Na koi awaaz.
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Sirf ek cheez—
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presence.
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Aarav ne Meher ko dekha.
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Dhyan se.
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Jaise pehli baar dekh raha ho.
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"...Toh tum uska part ho."
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Uski awaaz calm thi.
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Lekin andar—
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storm chal raha tha.
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Meher ne seedha jawab diya.
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"Part nahi…"
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Pause.
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"Connection."
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Aarav ki aankhen halki si narrow hui.
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"Difference?"
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Meher ne dheere se kaha—
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"Part control hota hai…"
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"Connection choose karta hai."
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Silence.
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Wo line seedha hit kari.
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Deep.
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Aarav ne dheere se saans li.
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"...Toh usne tumhe choose kiya."
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Meher ne sir hilaya.
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"Haan."
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Pause.
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"Lekin main akeli nahi hoon."
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Aarav ruk gaya.
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"...Matlab?"
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Meher ne seedha uski taraf dekha.
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"Tum bhi."
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Silence.
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Heavy.
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Dangerous.
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Jaise hawa bhi sun rahi ho.
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Aarav ne halki si hansi nikali.
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"Main?"
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Ek step aage.
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"Tumhe lagta hai main control me aa jaunga?"
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Meher ne turant jawab nahi diya.
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Woh bas usse dekhti rahi.
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Phir—
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"Control?"
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Halka sa smirk.
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"Tum ab bhi samajh nahi rahe."
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Pause.
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"Yeh system control nahi karta…"
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"Yeh adapt karta hai."
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Aarav chup ho gaya.
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Kuch seconds.
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Phir—
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"...Aur agar main adapt na karu?"
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Meher ki awaaz dheere se neeche gir gayi.
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"Phir system tumhare hisaab se adapt karega."
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Silence.
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Aur iss baar—
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yeh line dangerous thi.
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Kyuki iska matlab simple tha:
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Ya toh tu system banega…
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Ya system tujhe banayega.
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Aarav ne neeche sheher ki taraf dekha.
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Lights.
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Log.
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Normal life.
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Aur phir—
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wapas Meher ki taraf.
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"Toh ab kya?"
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Direct.
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Straight.
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Meher ek step aur kareeb aayi.
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Ab dono ke beech distance almost khatam.
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"Ab…"
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Usne dheere se kaha—
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"Game restart hota hai."
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Aarav ne halki si smile di.
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Wahi wali.
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Jo danger ka sign hoti hai.
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"Good."
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Pause.
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"Mujhe boring endings pasand nahi."
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Hawa phir se chalne lagi.
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Is baar tez.
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Jaise sheher ne signal de diya ho.
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Neeche ek screen flicker hui.
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Phir dusri.
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Phir teesri.
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Random.
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Unconnected.
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Lekin—
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pattern tha.
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Aarav ne notice kiya.
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"System…"
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Usne dheere se bola.
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"...phir se active ho raha hai."
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Meher ne seedha jawab diya.
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"Nahi."
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Pause.
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"Yeh kabhi band hua hi nahi tha."
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Silence.
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Aur iss baar—
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koi doubt nahi tha.
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Game sach me khatam nahi hua tha.
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Bas—
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level change hua tha.
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Aarav ne aakhri baar sheher ko dekha.
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Phir—
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uski aankhon me ek naya focus aaya.
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Cold.
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Clear.
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Ready.
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"Toh chalo…"
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Usne dheere se kaha—
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"Is baar… rules hum set karenge."
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Meher muskuraayi.
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"Ya phir…"
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Halka sa pause.
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"Rules hume set karenge."
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Dono ne ek dusre ko dekha.
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Aur iss baar—
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koi confusion nahi tha.
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Koi doubt nahi tha.
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Sirf ek cheez thi—
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game.
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Aur wo—
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abhi shuru hua tha.
To be continued…
Game khatam nahi hua tha… bas level change hua hai.
Aur is baar—
game kisi aur ka nahi…
hamara hai. 😈🔥