Sab kuch ek second ke liye ruk gaya tha.
Aarav ka attack seedha Meera ki taraf aa raha tha. Itna fast… itna precise… ki react karna almost impossible tha.
Par us ek second mein.. bahut kuch hua.
Zoya ne move kiya.
Kabir ne bhi.
Aur Meera… woh bas khadi rahi.
Shock mein.
Trust mein.
Ya shayad… dono mein.
Impact hua.
Lekin…
waise nahi jaise sabne socha tha.
Ek bright flash hua... aur energy side mein divert ho gayi.
Meera zameen par gir gayi, par direct hit nahi laga.
Kabir uske paas dauda or usne meera se pucha..
👉 "Tu theek hai?!"
Meera ne aankhein kholi. Uski saans fast thi, par woh conscious thi or usne kabir ko kaha..
👉 "Main… theek hoon…"
Zoya ne turant situation assess ki. "Yeh Aarav ne khud roka…"
Sabki nazar Aarav par gayi.
Woh wahi khada tha… haath abhi bhi aage ki taraf extended… body freeze… aankhon mein darkness aur normal ka mix.
Uska saans heavy tha.
Jaise woh apne aap se lad raha ho.
Andar...
ek violent clash chal raha tha.
👉 "Tu rok nahi sakta," Collapse ki awaaz aayi.
Aarav ne zor se jawab diya, "Main rok chuka hoon."
"Abhi nahi. Bas delay kiya hai."
"Main unhe hurt nahi karunga."
"Phir tu khud hurt hoga."
Aarav ne aankhein band ki... andar pressure build ho raha tha.
Real world mein uska body shake hone laga.
Energy spikes random direction mein shoot ho rahe the.
Zoya chillayi, "Sab peeche raho! Yeh unstable hai!"
Kabir ne Meera ko uthaya aur side le gaya. 👉 "Yeh phir se lose kar raha hai…"
Meera ne Aarav ko dekha. Uski aankhon mein darr nahi tha.. sirf pain tha.
"Aarav…" usne dheere se kaha.
Aarav ne aankhein kholi.
Ek second ke liye... pure clarity.
"Door raho…" usne mushkil se bola.
Par uske baad...
darkness phir se dominate karne lagi.
Collapse ne control push kiya.
👉 "Tu weak hai. Tu hesitate karta hai. Isi liye main better hoon."
Aarav ke haath phir se move hue.
Is baar slow… par dangerous.
Zoya ne turant plan banaya. "Kabir, distraction. Meera, uske paas mat jaana."
Kabir ne haan mein sir hilaya aur side se attack launch kiya.. sirf uska focus break karne ke liye.
Aarav ne easily dodge kiya.
👉 "Predictable," Collapse ki awaaz uske through nikli.
Kabir peeche hat gaya. "Yeh toh ab aur dangerous ho gaya…"
Zoya ne energy pulse release ki... environment ko distort karne ke liye.
Ek second ke liye Aarav ka balance shift hua.
Bas ek second.
Aur us second mein...
Meera aage badh gayi.
👉 "Ruk ja!"
Zoya chillayi, par der ho chuki thi.
Meera seedha Aarav ke saamne khadi thi.
"Kuch bhi ho… main peeche nahi hatungi," usne seedha uski aankhon mein dekhte hue kaha.
Aarav ka body freeze.
Andar...
Collapse irritated.
👉 "Yeh useless emotion…"
Aarav ne zor lagaya.
👉 "Yeh meri strength hai."
Real world mein...
Aarav ka haath jo attack ke liye utha tha… ruk gaya.
Bas inches door.
Meera ke face se.
Uski aankhon mein aansu aa gaye, par woh hilli nahi.
👉 "Tu wapas aa sakta hai," usne softly kaha.
Silence.
Phir...
Aarav ne dheere se haath neeche kar diya.
Energy calm hone lagi.
Kabir ne relief ki saans li, "Finally…"
Zoya abhi bhi fully alert thi.
"Abhi khatam nahi hua," usne dheere se kaha.
Aur woh sahi thi.
Kyuki next moment..
Aarav ka body jhatke se peeche gaya.
Jaise kisi ne usse push kiya ho.... andar se awaaj aai.
👉 "Enough!"
Collapse ki awaaz ab zyada clear thi.
👉 "Main wait nahi karunga."
Aarav ne apna sir pakad liya. Pain unbearable ho gaya.
👉 "Bahaar aa ja…" Collapse ne kaha.
"Main tujhe complete banaunga."
Aarav chillaya, "Nahi!!"
Energy violently explode hui.
Room ka aadha hissa crack ho gaya.
Walls mein deep fractures.
Equipment destroy.
Kabir ne Meera ko cover kiya, "Yeh phatne wala hai!"
Zoya ne decision liya.
"Usse isolate karna padega."
"Matlab?" Kabir ne poocha.
"Ya toh hum usse rokhen… ya woh sabko destroy kar dega."
Silence.
Heavy.
Meera ne seedha kaha, "Main usse hurt nahi hone dungi."
Zoya ne usse dekha, "Aur agar woh tujhe hurt kare?"
Meera ne bina hesitation jawab diya, "Phir bhi."
Zoya ne aankhein band ki… phir decision le liya.
"Fine. Par agar situation out of control hui… main hesitate nahi karungi."
Aarav beech mein khada tha.
Energy storm ke center mein.
Uski awaaz crack ho rahi thi...
👉 "Main… control mein hoon…"
"Jhoot," Collapse ne turant jawab diya.
Aur phir...
ek sudden silence.
Sab kuch ruk gaya.
Energy calm.
Aarav seedha khada tha.
Bilkul still.
Usne dheere se apna sir uthaya.
Aankhein open ki.
Is baar...
pure normal.
Kabir ne confused hoke kaha, "Yeh… settle ho gaya?"
Aarav ne halki si smile ki.
"Haan… ab sab theek hai."
Room mein tension thodi kam hui.
Meera dheere se uske paas aayi. "Sure?"
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
👉 "Trust me."
Meera ne halki si nod ki.
Par Zoya… ab bhi usse dekh rahi thi.
Intensely.
Jaise kuch match nahi kar raha ho.
Aur woh sahi thi.
Kyuki next second...
Aarav ne apna face thoda side turn kiya…
Aur uski aankhon mein...
ek second ke liye...
pure darkness flash hui.
Aur us flash ke saath...
ek halki si smile.
Jo kisi aur ki thi.
👉 "Ab shuru karte hain…"
Usne dheere se, almost whisper mein kaha.
Aur is baar..
kisi ne suna nahi.
Except...
Zoya.
Uski aankhein widen ho gayi.
👉 "Yeh… control nahi…"
Usne dheere se khud se kaha...
👉 "Yeh takeover hai…"
To be continued...