Subah ka waqt tha, par base ke andar ek ajeeb si tension already feel ho rahi thi.
Kabir ne stretch karte hue halka sa mazaak karne ki koshish ki or kaha, "Aaj please koi building na giraana, theek hai?" Lekin uski awaaz mein bhi woh usual confidence nahi tha. Meera ne bas halki si smile di, par uski aankhon mein ab bhi kal ki baat chal rahi thi. Zoya toh seedha Aarav ko hi dekh rahi thi, jaise uski har chhoti movement observe kar rahi ho.
Aarav ne casually behave karne ki koshish ki or apne aap se kaha... "Relax, main control mein hoon," par yeh line usne unhe convince karne se zyada khud ko convince karne ke liye boli thi.
Training start hui. Pehle sab normal tha. Basic moves, coordination drills, energy control… sab routine jaisa. Aarav har cheez perfectly execute kar raha tha. Itna perfectly ki woh thoda unnatural lag raha tha.
Zoya ne dheere se Meera ko side mein kaha, "Too perfect. Yeh normal nahi hai."
Meera ne turant react nahi kiya, par uska focus ab sirf Aarav par tha.
Phir woh moment aaya.
Kabir ne ek fast attack launch kiya... practice ke liye, controlled. Aarav ne usse block kiya… par us block mein unnecessary force tha. Kabir ka balance hil gaya.
👉 "Arre slow!" Kabir hansne ki koshish karta hua bola.
Aarav ruk gaya. Ek second ke liye sab normal.
Phir..andar se awaaz aai.
👉 "Push it."
Aarav freeze.
"Bas thoda sa aur…"
Aarav ne aankhein bandh ki.
👉 "Nahi."
Par next second uska body move kar gaya.
Itna fast ki kisi ko react karne ka time hi nahi mila.
Aarav ne direct counter attack kiya...aur is baar woh controlled nahi tha.
Kabir seedha peeche throw ho gaya. Hard impact. Ground par ghis gaya.
👉 "BHAI...!" Meera chillayi.
Room ek second ke liye silent ho gaya.
Aarav khada tha… uske haath halka sa kaanp rahe the.
"Main… maine yeh nahi kiya…" usne dheere se bola.
Andar se ek halki si hansi.
"Of course kiya. Bas accept nahi kar raha."
Zoya turant Kabir ke paas gayi. "Tu theek hai?" Kabir ne uthne ki koshish ki, "Haan… par yeh practice nahi tha."
Zoya ne seedha Aarav ko dekha. Ab doubt confirm ho chuka tha.
👉 "Aarav… what's inside you?"
Silence.
Aarav ne kuch nahi bola.
Meera dheere se uske paas aayi. "Please sach bol… hum help karenge."
Aarav ki aankhon mein conflict clear tha. Ek side... trust. Dusri side... andar ka darr.
👉 "Main…" woh bolne hi wala tha...
Tabhi uske andar ek sharp pain shoot hua.
👉 "Aur kitna time lega?"
Aarav jhatke se peeche hata. Uska saans heavy ho gaya.
"Ab control main loonga."
Next moment..
Aarav ki aankhon ka color change.
Half dark.
Half normal.
Zoya ne turant react kiya, "Everyone back!"
Par late ho chuka tha.
Aarav ne seedha attack launch kiya..
iss baar kisi ek target ke saath nahi, balki random destructive pattern mein.
Walls crack hone lagi.
Equipment toot gaya.
Energy uncontrolled spikes mein release hone lagi.
Kabir ne struggle karte hue khade hoke bola, "Yeh woh nahi hai…"
Meera ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye. "Aarav… please ruk ja…"
Par jo saamne tha...
Woh Aarav nahi tha.
Ya phir..
poora Aarav nahi tha.
Zoya ne quickly plan banaya. "Usse directly fight nahi karenge. Usse slow karna hoga."
Kabir ne haan mein sir hilaya, "Distraction main karunga."
👉 "Pagal hai kya?!" Meera ne kaha.
Kabir ne halka sa smile kiya, "Koi toh karega."
Woh aage badha.
"Aye! Idhar dekh!"
Aarav....ya jo bhi tha.
uski taraf muda.
Ek second ke liye...uski aankhon mein flicker.
👉 "Kabir…"
Par phir darkness wapas.
Attack.
Kabir barely dodge karta hai.
Zoya side se energy disrupt karti hai.
Meera seedha Aarav ke paas jaati hai.
"Please… mujhe dekh…"
Aarav freeze.
Uski aankhon mein conflict.
Andar...
Aarav aur Collapse face-to-face.
👉 "Unhe chhod de," Aarav ne kaha.
Collapse hasa. "Tu already control lose kar raha hai."
👉 "Yeh main hoon!" Aarav chillaya.
👉 "Phir prove kar."
Real world mein..
Aarav ka body shake hone laga.
Energy unstable.
Sab ruk gaya ek second ke liye.
Meera uske saamne khadi thi.
👉 "Tu wapas aa sakta hai," usne softly kaha.
👉 "Main yahin hoon."
Silence.
Aarav ne dheere se apna haath uthaya.
Uska control wapas aa raha tha.
Kabir ne saans li, "Ho gaya kya…?"
Zoya abhi bhi alert thi.
Aarav ne aankhein band ki… phir kholi.
Normal.
"Main…" usne bolna start kiya.
Phir..
ek halki si smile.
👉 "Sorry…"
Sab relax hone hi wale the..
Tabhi...
Aarav ne achanak apna haath uthaya.
Aur bina warning..
👉 ek sharp attack seedha Meera ki taraf.
Time slow ho gaya.
Meera shock.
Kabir freeze.
Zoya react karne ki koshish krne lagi...
Par..
late.
Impact hone hi wala tha...
Aur ussi second..
Aarav ki aankhon mein full darkness aa gayi.
Aur uski awaaz...
thodi heavy, thodi alag...
👉 "Ab meri baari."
To be continued....