Subah ho gyi thi...
Base ke andar ek ajeeb si heaviness feel ho rahi thi.
Jaise sab kuch normal hone ki acting kar raha ho… par andar se sab jaante ho ki kuch galat hai.
Kabir ne coffee uthayi aur Aarav ki taraf dekhte hue bola, "Aaj ka plan kya hai?"
Aarav ne calmly jawab diya, "Routine training. Nothing special."
Simple. Straight.
Perfect.
Par Zoya ne turant notice kiya...uska tone.
Bilkul flat.
"Nothing special?" Kabir ne thoda sarcastic tone mein repeat kiya, "Kal jo hua woh special nahi tha?"
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
Ek second ke liye silence.
Phir halka sa smile.
👉 "Control lose ho gaya tha. Ab nahi hoga."
Confidence.
Par ajeeb.
Meera ne softly bola, "Bas careful rehna…"
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha aur sir hilaya, "Always."
Woh ek normal moment lag raha tha.
Par Zoya ke liye..
har cheez off thi.
Training start hui.
Is baar Aarav intentionally slow play kar raha tha.
Controlled movements.
Measured attacks.
Jaise woh prove karna chahta ho ki sab under control hai.
Kabir ne ek attack launch kiya... Aarav ne easily block kiya.
👉 "Better," Kabir bola.
Aarav ne bas halki si nod ki.
Par andar se awaaz aai...
👉 "Kitna act karega?"
Aarav ne ignore kiya.
👉 "Abhi nahi," usne andar hi jawab diya.
👉 "Par jaldi," Collapse ne softly kaha.
Zoya side se observe kar rahi thi.
Har move.
Har pause.
Aur phir...
usne notice kiya.
Aarav ka focus ek second ke liye Meera par gaya.
Aur us second mein...
uski aankhon mein woh flicker.
Darkness.
Bas ek second.
Par enough.
Zoya ka doubt ab fear ban chuka tha.
Training ke baad sab thoda relax karne lage.
Kabir ne mazaak mein bola, "Aaj toh kisi ko udaaya nahi tune, progress hai."
Aarav halka sa hasa, "Good sign hai."
Sab normal behave kar rahe the.
Par phir..
Aarav ne casually bola, "Meera, tu mere saath aayegi?"
Silence.
Kabir ne turant tease kiya, "Oho.."
Zoya ne usse rok diya.
👉 "Kyuuun?" Zoya ne seedha poocha.
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha, "Bas baat karni hai."
Simple.
Par us simplicity ke andar...
kuch chhupa tha.
Meera thodi hesitant thi.
Phir usne haan kar di.
👉 "Okay…"
Zoya ne unhe jaate hue dekha.
Uska instinct chillaya..
👉 "Wrong move."
Outside... Quiet Area
City ke outskirts par ek relatively calm jagah.
Broken structures… par silence.
Aarav ruk gaya.
Meera uske paas khadi thi.
👉 "Kya baat karni thi?" usne softly poocha.
Aarav kuch seconds tak chup raha.
Phir bola...
👉 "Tu mujh par trust karti hai?"
Meera ne bina hesitation jawab diya...
👉 "Obviously."
Aarav ne uski aankhon mein dekha.
👉 "Even after everything?"
👉 "Even after everything."
Silence.
Phir...
Aarav ne dheere se saans li.
Aur uski aankhon ka color change hone laga.
Meera freeze.
👉 "Yeh… phir se…"
Aarav... ya Collapse... ne dheere se smile ki.
👉 "Perfect."
Meera ek step peeche gayi.
👉 "Tu… Aarav nahi hai."
👉 "Main hoon," usne calm tone mein kaha, "bas upgraded version."
👉 "Usse chhod de!" Meera chillayi.
"Kyuuun?" Collapse ne genuinely curious tone mein poocha, "Woh weak hai. Main usse better hoon."
👉 "Woh weak nahi hai!"
👉 "Phir woh control kyun lose karta hai?"
Silence.
Meera ke paas answer nahi tha.
👉 "Dekha?" Collapse ne dheere se kaha.
👉 "Sach hurt karta hai."
Achanak...
Aarav ke face par flicker.
Original Aarav ne kaha...
👉 "Meera… bhaag…"
Bas ek second.
Phir wapas darkness.
👉 "Annoying interruptions," Collapse ne irritate hoke kaha.
Meera ne decide kar liya.
Woh bhaagi nahi.
👉 "Main nahi jaungi," usne seedha kaha.
👉 "Main tujhe wapas laungi."
Silence.
Phir...
Collapse hasa.
👉 "Try."
Sudden Attack
Aarav ne bina warning ke attack launch kiya.
Fast.
Sharp.
Meera ne barely dodge kiya.
Ground crack.
👉 "Fight back!" Collapse ne provoke kiya.
"Main tujhe hurt nahi karungi," Meera ne jawab diya.
👉 "Phir tu maregi."
Next attack.
Is baar stronger.
Meera stumble hui.
Par khadi rahi.
👉 "Aarav! Tu sun raha hai na?!"
Andar..
Aarav struggle kar raha tha.
👉 "Stop… please…"
👉 "Too late," Collapse ne kaha.
Meanwhile... Base
Zoya restless thi.
👉 "Yeh galat hai," usne finally bola.
Kabir ne poocha, "Kya?"
"Aarav aur Meera… alone nahi hone chahiye the."
Kabir ka face serious ho gaya.
👉 "Matlab?"
Zoya ne seedha jawab diya...
👉 "Matlab… agar main galat nahi hoon…"
👉 "toh Meera danger mein hai."
Silence.
Phir...
Kabir bina kuch bole bhaaga.
Zoya uske peeche.
***
Back.... Fight Escalates
Meera ab clearly struggle kar rahi thi.
Woh fight nahi kar rahi thi.
Sirf survive.
👉 "Tu samajh kyun nahi rahi?" Collapse bola.
👉 "Yeh end hai."
Meera ne saans li.
👉 "Jab tak woh andar hai… yeh end nahi hai."
Silence.
Phir...
Aarav ka body suddenly freeze.
Aankhon mein flicker.
👉 "MEERA...!" Aarav ki awaaz.
👉 "Abhi bhaag!"
Meera ek second ke liye hil gayi.
Par...
woh wahi rahi.
👉 "Main tujhe chhod ke nahi jaungi!"
Aur bas..
yeh galti thi.
Collapse full control le leta hai.
Is baar..
no flicker.
No hesitation.
Pure dark.
👉 "Then you'll stay… forever."
Usne haath uthaya.
Energy gather hone lagi.
Is baar...
yeh attack rokna mushkil tha.
Door se...
Kabir aur Zoya arrive karte hain.
👉 "MEERA!!" Kabir chillata hai.
Par...
late.
Energy release hone hi wali thi.
Time slow.
Meera saamne.
Aarav ka attack ready.
Kabir door pe tha.
Zoya calculation kar rahi thi.
Aur us moment..
Aarav ki aankhon mein...
ek last flicker.
Ek last fight.
Ek last chance.
Phir...
BLACK.....