"Sacrifice…"
Ye shabd Anmol ke dimaag me baar baar goonj raha tha।
Hospital ke operation room ke bahar khada Anmol…
sirf ek darwaze ko ghur raha tha।
Red light abhi bhi ON thi।
Uski saanse heavy thi…
haath kaanp rahe the…
"System… tu mujhse kya chahata hai…?"
Usne dheere se kaha।
TING!!!
Screen dubara activate hui।
"Condition Revealed"
Anmol ka dil zor se dhadka।
Screen par dheere dheere words likhne lage—
"To Save Target…"
"You must give up your most valuable asset"
Anmol freeze ho gaya।
"Most valuable…?"
Usne apni mutthi band kar li।
"Power…?"
"NO"
System ne turant answer diya।
Anmol ke chehre par confusion aur badh gaya।
"Toh kya…?"
2 second ka silence—
Lekin woh 2 second uske liye jaise ruk gaya waqt tha।
Phir—
"Your Memories"
Anmol ki aankhen shock se fail gayi।
"WHAT…?"
Uska dimaag ek second ke liye blank ho gaya।
"Memories…?"
Usne turant apne past ke baare me socha—
Maa…
Bachpan…
Har struggle…
"Tu pagal hai kya…?"
Anmol cheekh pada।
"Main apni yaadein kaise de du!?"
System calm tha—
"Without sacrifice… target will die."
Anmol chup ho gaya।
Uski aankhon me aansu aa gaye—
Lekin iss baar…
woh ro nahi raha tha—
Woh toot raha tha।
"Ye unfair hai…"
Usne dheere se kaha।
"Main sab kuch kar raha hoon… fight kar raha hoon… survive kar raha hoon…"
"Phir bhi tu mujhse ye maang raha hai…?"
Silence।
Koi answer nahi।
Sirf ek reality—
Decision lena padega।
Operation room ke andar machines ki halki awaaz aa rahi thi।
Anmol ne darwaze ki taraf dekha।
"Maa…"
Uske pair dheere dheere hilne lage।
Woh wall ke against baith gaya।
Sir jhuka liya।
"Yaadein…"
Agar usne memories de di—
Woh maa ko yaad bhi nahi rakhega…
Woh apni life… apni identity…
Sab kuch kho dega…
"Phir main bachunga hi kyu…?"
Uski saanse toot rahi thi।
Usne apne haath dekhe—
Ye wahi haath the jo strong banne ke liye lad rahe the…
Lekin ab—
Ye haath apni hi zindagi todne wale the।
System ne final countdown start kiya—
"5 minute…"
"Bas itna time…"
Anmol khada hua।
Usne apni aankhen band ki।
Ek ek karke images aane lagi—
Maa ka muskurana
Bachpan ka ghar
Wo din jab usne promise kiya tha strong banne ka
Uska dil zor se dhadak raha tha।
"Agar maine ye sab kho diya…"
"Main… main kaun rahunga…?"
Usne apni aankhen kholi।
Uski nazar operation room ke darwaze par ruki।
Aur us moment—
Usne decision le liya।
"System…"
Uski awaaz ab stable thi।
"Main ready hoon…"
TING!!!
Screen flash—
"Warning: Memory wipe irreversible"
"Accept / Decline"
Anmol ne ek second ke liye rukkar—
Apni maa ke darwaze ko last time dekha।
Halki si muskaan uske chehre par aayi।
"Sorry… Maa…"
CLICK
Screen white ho gayi।
Ek तेज दर्द uske dimaag me shoot hua।
"AAAAHHHH…!!!"
Anmol zameen par gir gaya।
Uski aankhon ke saamne sab flash hone laga—
Ek ek karke—
sab memories delete hone लगी…
"Maa…"
Usne last baar bolne ki koshish ki—
Lekin—
usse yaad hi nahi aa रहा था कि "Maa" कौन है…
Uski aankhen dheere dheere blank hone लगीं।
System final message—
"Sacrifice Accepted"
"Target Stabilized"
Operation room ki red light OFF ho gayi।
Doctor bahar aaye—
"Patient ab safe hai…"
Lekin—
Anmol.
Zameen par pada tha—
Uski aankhen khuli thi…
Lekin unme—
koi pehchaan nahi thi।
"Tum… kaun ho…?"
Usne dheere se khud se poocha।
Jisne sab kuch bachane ke liye apni duniya de