Subah hone wali thi…
Par Kashika ki zindagi me andhera aur gehra hota ja raha tha।
Bridge wala attack khatam ho chuka tha,
lekin uske baad city me jo chaos hua… usne sab kuch badal diya।
News channels nonstop ek hi naam chilla rahe the—
KASHIKA SHARMA
"The Digital Villainess"
Har screen par uski blurry photos chal rahi thi।
"Electronic systems destroyed…"
"Unknown power user attacks agents…"
"Government issues national threat warning…"
Log social media par uske against hate bhar rahe the।
"Catch her!"
"She's dangerous!"
"Not human!".
Kashika ek abandoned safehouse ke corner me baithi thi।
Uske haath kaanp rahe the।
TV ki light uske aansuon par pad rahi thi।
Usne dheere se whisper kiya—
"Main sach me monster ban gayi hoon…"
"Stop saying that''
Piyush ki awaaz room me goonji।
Wo uske paas aaya aur TV OFF kar diya।
Room me silence chha gaya।
"Tumne kisi ko intentionally hurt nahi kiya," usne softly kaha।
Kashika ne aankhon me aansu lekar poocha—
"Par agar kal maine control lose kar diya to?"
Piyush uske saamne baith gaya।
"To main tumhe sambhal lunga."
Simple answer।
Par us answer me itna trust tha… ki Kashika ka dil bhar aaya।
"Kab tak?" Kashika ne dheere se poocha।
Piyush confuse hua।
"Kab tak tum mere saath rahoge?" usne aankhen jhukakar kaha।
"Jab poori duniya mere against ho jayegi…"
"Jab log tumhe bhi traitor bolenge…"
"Jab meri wajah se tumhari life kharab ho jayegi…"
Uski awaaz toot gayi।
"Tab bhi?"
Piyush's Promise
Piyush ne bina hesitate kiye uska face apni taraf kiya।
"Listen to me carefully."
Uski aankhon me directly dekhte hue wo bola—
"Duniya badal sakti hai."
"Log badal sakte hain."
"Par main nahi badlunga."
Kashika ki saanse halki si ruk gayi।
Piyush ne uske forehead par softly touch kiya।
"Tum meri responsibility nahi ho…"
"Tum meri choice ho."
Aansu finally uski aankhon se gir gaye।
Tabhi safehouse ka door khula।
Aarav andar aaya।
Uska face serious tha।
"Humare paas problem hai," usne seedha kaha।
Piyush turant alert ho gaya।
"Kaisi problem?"
Aarav ne ek tablet table par pheka।
Screen par government notice flash hua—
SPECIAL HUNTING UNIT ACTIVATED
Target:
Kashika Sharma
Aur neeche ek naam।
Commander Raghav Sinha
Aarav dheere se bola—.
"Yeh aadmi dangerous hai."
"Kya special hai isme?" Piyush ne poocha।
Aarav ne jawab diya—
"Ex-intelligence. Cyber warfare expert.
Aur…"
Wo Kashika ki taraf dekhkar ruk gaya।
"…emotionally cold."
Screen par ek aadmi ki photo thi।
Sharp eyes. Military posture. No
expression।
"Kabhi target miss nahi karta," Aarav ne kaha।
Kashika ne screen ko dekha।
Usse ajeeb sa feeling aaya.
Jaise wo aadmi sirf usse capture nahi karega…
Wo usse tod dega।
Suddenly—
BEEP! BEEP!
Safehouse systems blink karne lage।
Aarav turant laptop ki taraf bhaga।
"No… no no no…"
"Kya hua?" Piyush ne poocha।
Aarav ka face pale ho gaya।
"They traced us."
"Move!" Piyush chillaaya।
Sab instantly active ho gaye।
Outside already vehicles ki awaaz aa rahi thi।
Kashika ka heartbeat fast ho gaya।
"Yeh log itni jaldi kaise—?"
Aarav ne gusse me kaha—
"Government ke paas ab tumhari energy signature hai."
Piyush ne wall ke peeche hidden tunnel open ki।
"Kab se tum secret tunnels use karne lage?"
Aarav ne sarcastically poocha।
Piyush ne short reply diya—
"Since my wife became most wanted."
Situation dangerous thi…
Par Kashika ke face par halka sa smile aa gaya।
Teeno tunnel ke andar bhaagne lage।
Upar se footsteps aur explosions ki awaaz aa rahi thi।
Dust gir rahi thi।
Tunnel dark tha… sirf emergency lights jal rahi thi।
Kashika bhaagte-bhaagte suddenly ruk gayi।
"Aahh…"
Uska sir phir dard se bhar gaya।
Blue glow uski aankhon me flicker hua।
"Kashika!" Piyush turant uske paas aaya।
"Look at me."
Par is baar kuch alag tha।
Kashika ke dimaag me random flashes nahi…
Ek clear vision aa raha tha।
Ek laboratory।
Ek child.
Aur ek woman ki awaaz—
"Project Astra incomplete hai…"
Kashika ne aankhein khol di।
"Astra…" usne whisper kiya।
Aarav freeze ho gaya।
"Kya kaha tumne?"
"Project Astra…"
Aarav ka face serious ho gaya।
"That's impossible…"
"Kya hai Project Astra?" Piyush ne poocha।
Aarav ne dheere se jawab diya—
"K-27X sirf beginning thi."
Silence.
"Astra ek upgraded human program tha…"
"Designed to create someone who could fully merge with digital systems."
Kashika ka dil ruk sa gaya।
"Matlab… mere jaisa?"
Aarav ne sir hilaaya।
"Worse."
Aarav dheere se bola—
"Problem yeh hai…"
"…Project Astra successful tha."
Room me silence jam gaya।
Kashika ka heartbeat loud hone laga।
"Matlab koi aur bhi hai?" usne dheere se poocha।
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya—
"Yes."
Tabhi tunnel ke doosre end par lights ON hui।
Armed soldiers.
Aur unke beech—
Commander Raghav Sinha.
"End of the line," uski cold awaaz tunnel me goonji।
Wo slowly aage badha।
Uski eyes directly Kashika par thi।
No anger.
No fear.
Bas calculation।
"Kashika Sharma," usne calmly kaha।
"Tum voluntarily surrender karogi…"
"…ya mujhe force use karna padega?"
Before anyone could react—
Piyush directly Kashika ke saamne aa gaya।
Protective. Fearless।
"Touch her…"
Uski awaaz dangerously calm thi।
"…and I'll make sure you regret it."
Commander ne usse observe kiya।
"Interesting," wo bola।
"Tum jaante ho na… she's unstable?"
Piyush ne seedha jawab diya—
"She's human."
Commander ne Kashika ki taraf dekha।
"Do you know what happens to unstable weapons?" usne poocha।
Kashika silent rahi।
Commander khud hi jawab deta hai—
"They destroy everything around them."
Kashika ke face ka color fade ho gaya।
Uske words seedha uske insecurities par hit kar rahe the।
"Enough."
Piyush ki awaaz tunnel me goonji।
Wo Kashika ka haath pakadta hai।
Aur Commander ki aankhon me dekhkar kehta hai—
"Tum logon ne use kabhi insaan samjha hi nahi."
"Isliye tum usse samajh nahi paoge."
Kashika ki aankhon me aansu aa gaye।
Commander ne cold expression ke saath order diya—
"Capture them."
Instantly soldiers attack kar dete hain।
Gunfire.
Explosions.
Chaos.
Ek soldier ki bullet almost Piyush ko hit karti hai।
"KYA!" Kashika scream karti hai।
Blue energy suddenly explode karti hai।
Tunnel ki saari lights blast ho jaati hain।
Metal walls shake.
Systems fail.
Soldiers panic me peeche hatne lagte hain।
Commander first time shocked lagta hai।
Is baar energy uncontrolled nahi thi।
It was focused.
Precise.
Kashika slowly apna haath raise karti hai…
Aur soldiers ke weapons ek-ek karke deactivate ho jaate hain।
Complete silence.
Aarav whisper karta hai—
"She's learning…"
"Jab duniya mujhe rokne ke liye apni strongest force bhej rahi thi… tab mujhe ehsaas hua—shayad main sirf villainess nahi… kuch aur bhi ban rahi hoon."
Mujhe samajh nhi aa rha tha jindagi kha aa gyi thi,
Mai to ek doctor, ek ma, ek patni thi, par kya ban gyi....