Woh pal… ruk gaya tha.
Aarav ka haath aage tha, uske around energy gather ho chuki thi. Woh koi normal attack nahi tha. Agar woh hit karta… toh Meera bachti ya nahi... iski koi guarantee nahi thi.
Meera khadi thi.
Vo bilkul bhi hil nahi rahi thi.
Or na hi vo bhaag nahi rahi thi.
Uski aankhon mein darr tha… par usse zyada trust.
👉 "Aarav…" usne dheere se kaha.
Time jaise slow ho gaya tha.
Kabir aur Zoya door se daudte hue aa rahe the, par unke aur Meera ke beech ka distance abhi bhi zyada tha. Unki awaaz us tak pahunch rahi thi, par waqt unke favor mein nahi tha.
Aur Aarav ke andar...
toofan chal raha tha.
👉 "Finish it," Collapse ki awaaz calm thi, almost cold.
👉 "Yeh weakness hai."
Aarav struggle kar raha tha. Har second uski energy slip ho rahi thi. Uska control toot raha tha.
👉 "Main… yeh nahi karunga…"
👉 "Tu already kar raha hai."
👉 "NAHI!"
Real world mein uska haath kaanp gaya.
Energy unstable hone lagi.
Meera ne ek step aage badhaya.
Or kaha....
👉 "Aarav… mujhe dekh."
Uski awaaz shaky thi, par usme ek ajeeb sa confidence tha. Jaise woh us insaan se baat kar rahi ho jo abhi bhi andar kahin zinda hai.
👉 "Agar tu sun raha hai… toh bas ruk ja."
Silence.
Ek second.
Do second.
Phir...
Aarav ki aankhon mein flicker.
Original Aarav ne kaha...
👉 "Meera… peeche..."
Par uski baat complete hone se pehle hi...
energy release ho gayi.
Blast.
Bright flash.
Shockwave.
Kabir aur Zoya dono ruk gaye ek second ke liye, impact itna strong tha.
Jab dust settle hua…
sabki nazar seedha us jagah par gayi.
Meera…
zameen par thi.
Bilkul still.
Kabir ka dil ruk gaya tha.
Vo zor se chillaya...
👉 "MEERA!!"
Woh full speed se uski taraf bhaaga.
Zoya bhi turant uske paas pohonchi.
Meera ki aankhein band thi.
Saans… slow thi.
Par thi.
👉 "Zinda hai," Zoya ne turant check karke kaha.
Kabir ne relief ki saans li, par uski aankhon mein gussa aa chuka tha.
Usne seedha Aarav ki taraf dekha or kaha..
👉 "Yeh tune kya kiya…?"
Aarav wahi khada tha.
Bilkul still.
Uska haath ab neeche tha.
Uski aankhon mein... koi emotion nahi.
Phir...
ek halki si smile.
Aur bas woh moment…
Kabir samajh gaya.
👉 "Tu… Aarav nahi hai."
Aarav ne dheere se uski taraf dekha.
👉 "Finally," usne calm tone mein kaha, "kisi ne accept kiya."
Kabir ka gussa explode ho gaya.
Woh seedha uski taraf dauda.
👉 "MAIN TERA KAAM KHATAM KAR DUNGA!"
Aarav ne bina effort ke uska attack block kiya.
Ek simple movement.
Kabir freeze.
👉 "Predictable," Aarav.... ya Collapse.... ne kaha.
Phir usne ek light push diya.
Kabir peeche slide ho gaya, ground par marks ban gaye.
Zoya ne intervene kiya.
👉 "Enough."
Uski awaaz calm thi… par dangerous.
👉 "Game khatam."
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
👉 "Abhi toh start hua hai."
Zoya ne apni energy activate ki.
Environment distort hone laga.
Air heavy.
👉 "Tu usse chhod de… warna main tujhe forcefully alag kar dungi."
Aarav halka sa hasa.
👉 "Try kar."
Aur phir..
fight start hui.
Fast.
Precise.
Zoya aur Aarav ke beech ka clash Kabir aur Meera ke level se alag tha.
Yeh pure control aur calculation ka war tha.
Zoya har move calculate kar rahi thi.
Aarav har move predict.
Kabir side se uth kar wapas join karta hai.
👉 "Main bhi hoon yahan!"
Dono milkar usse push karne lage.
Ek moment ke liye...
Aarav back foot par gaya.
Aur us moment mein...
andar se awaaz aai
👉 "Control loose ho raha hai."
Aarav.... original Aarav....ne chance liya.
👉 "Abhi…"
Usne andar se push kiya.
***
Real world mein...
Aarav ka body freeze ho gya.
Aankhon mein flicker.
👉 "Zoya…" usne mushkil se bola, "abhi…"
Zoya samajh gayi.
👉 "Hold him!"
Kabir turant aage badha aur usse grip kar liya.
👉 "Pakad liya!"
Aarav struggle kar raha tha.
👉 "Andar se."
Collapse furious.
👉 "Yeh khatam nahi hua!"
Zoya ne apni full power concentrate ki.
👉 "Isse abhi isolate karna padega…"
Energy build hone lagi.
Sab kuch ek final push ki taraf ja raha tha.
Aur phir...
suddenly...
Aarav ne apni aankhein kholi.
Full darkness.
👉 "Too late."
Ek massive energy burst.
Kabir aur Zoya dono peeche throw ho gaye.
Aarav free ho gaya.
Woh seedha khada hua.
Calm.
Stable.
👉 "Ab main seriously khelunga."
Usne dheere se kaha.
Kabir uthte hue bola, "Ab bas…"
Zoya bhi khadi ho gayi.
👉 "Is baar hum rukenge nahi."
Tension peak par thi.
Par tabhi...
peeche se ek halki si awaaz aai.
👉 "Stop…"
Sabne mudkar dekha.
Meera…
woh hil rahi thi.
Dheere se uth rahi thi.
Weak… par conscious.
👉 "Aarav…"
Usne uska naam liya.
Aur bas us ek naam ke saath..
Aarav freeze ho gaya.
Andar...
phir se clash.
Par is baar...
stronger.
Zyada violent.
Zyada dangerous.
Collapse chillaya, "Ignore her!"
Par Aarav ne mana kiya.
👉 "Main nahi karunga…"
Real world mein...
uska body shake hone laga.
Energy unstable hone lagi.
Environment main crack hone lage.
Sab kuch breakdown ke edge par.
Aur phir..
Aarav ne seedha Meera ki taraf dekha.
Uski aankhon mein tears aa gaye.
👉 "Main… control nahi kar pa raha…"
Silence.
Meera ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Toh chhod de."
Aarav freeze.
👉 "Matlab?"
👉 "Matlab… ladna band kar."
👉 "Accept kar… aur control le."
Silence.
Andar...
Collapse bhi ruk gaya.
👉 "Interesting…"
Aarav ne aankhein band ki.
Deep breath.
Phir...
usne resist karna band kar diya.
Ek second ke liye...
sab quiet.
Phir...
ek sudden calm.
Energy settle.
Aarav ne aankhein kholi.
Normal.
Bilkul normal.
Kabir confused, "Yeh…?"
Zoya bhi unsure thi.
👉 "Too easy…"
Aarav ne halki si smile ki or kaha..
👉 "Main theek hoon."
Meera ne uski taraf dekha.
Aur dheere se sir hilaya.
👉 "Okay…"
Par uske face par doubt tha.
Aur woh sahi thi.
Kyuki usi moment..
Aarav ke andar..
Collapse ne dheere se kaha...
👉 "Perfect."
👉 "Ab tu khud hi gate khol chuka hai."
Aur bahar...
sabko lag raha tha..
sab theek ho gaya.
Par andar hi ander collapse kuch or plan kar rha tha...
To be continued...