Poore room main white light thi.
Sirf white light.
Na sky.
Na earth.
Na koi sound.
Or na hi koi time.
Aarav ko aisa laga jaise woh kisi endless ocean mein tair raha ho.
Usne aankhein kholne ki koshish ki.
👉 "Aur... main kahan hoon?"
Koi jawab nahi.
Bas door se ek bachche ki hansi aai.
Wahi hansi jo usne last moment pe suni thi.
Slowly woh us awaaz ki taraf chalne laga.
Har step ke saath white light kam hone lagi thi.
Aur saamne...
ek chhota sa park dikhai diya.
Normal park.
Jiamain jhule the.
Slides thi.
Or green grass tha.
Aur ek chhota sa 7 saal ka ladka jhule par baitha hua tha.
Aarav ruk gaya.
Uska saans ruk gaya.
👉 "...Main?"
Haan.
Woh chhota ladka...
Aarav hi tha.
Chhota Aarav hasi ke saath jhula jhul raha tha.
Jaise uski life mein kabhi koi problem hi na ho.
Koi powers nahi.
Koi monsters nahi.
Koi Gate nahi.
Bas ek normal bachpan.
Aarav dheere se uske paas gaya.
👉 "Tum..."
Chhote Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
Aur bina surprise hue smile kar diya.
👉 "Mujhe pata tha tum aaoge."
Aarav freeze ho gaya.
👉 "Tum... mujhe jaante ho?"
Chhote Aarav ne sir hilaya.
👉 "Hamesha se."
Usi waqt...
peeche se footsteps sunayi diye.
Aarav ne mudkar dekha.
Silver-eyed man.
Kael.
Watcher.
Subject 0.
Sab wahan khade the.
Lekin...
sab normal kapdon mein the.
Jaise woh kisi battle mein nahi...
ek family gathering mein aaye hon.
Kabir bhi tha.
Meera bhi.
Or Zoya bhi.
Sab muskura rahe the.
Aarav confused ho gaya.
👉 "Yeh sab kya ho raha hai?"
Silver-eyed man dheere se bola..
👉 "Yeh Reality Reset ka center hai."
👉 "Har universe ko restart karne se pehle..."
👉 "...yeh jagah exist karti hai."
Aarav ne chhote Aarav ko dekha.
👉 "Yeh asli hai?"
Silver-eyed man ne jawab diya..
👉 "Nahi."
👉 "Yeh tumhari pehli memory hai."
👉 "The last memory before everything changed."
Aarav ka dil zor se dhadakne laga.
👉 "Everything changed... matlab?"
Kael ne aankhein neeche kar li.
👉 "Tumhare eighth birthday ke din."
Suddenly...
park ka aasman dark hone laga.
Jhule ruk gaye.
Hawa thandi ho gayi.
Chhota Aarav khada ho gaya.
Uski smile dheere dheere gayab ho gayi.
Usne aasman ki taraf dekha.
👉 "...Woh aa gaya."
Aarav ne bhi upar dekha.
Aur uska khoon jam gaya.
Sky ke upar...
ek chhoti si black crack open hui.
Bilkul waise hi...
jaise pehli baar Heaven's End aaya tha.
Par is baar...
crack ke andar se koi monster nahi nikla.
Ek aadmi nikla.
Black coat.
White hair.
Aur uski aankhon mein...
deep blue light.
Usne neeche dekhkar smile ki.
👉 "Aakhir mil hi gaye."
Watcher ka face instantly serious ho gaya.
👉 "Nahi..."
Kael ek step peeche hata.
👉 "Yeh yahan kaise aa gaya?"
Subject 0 ne pehli baar fear ke saath kaha..
👉 "Impossible..."
Blue-eyed man dheere dheere hawa mein utarne laga.
Uske pair zameen ko touch bhi nahi kar rahe the.
Woh seedha chhote Aarav ke saamne ruk gaya.
Aur pyaar se uske sir par haath rakh diya.
Chhota Aarav muskura diya.
Jaise woh usse pehle se jaanta ho.
Aarav chillaya..
👉 "Usse haath mat lagana!"
Par...
koi awaaz bahar hi nahi nikli.
Jaise woh sirf dekh sakta tha.
Interfere nahi.
Blue-eyed man ne dheere se kaha..
👉 "So..."
👉 "The Creator finally returned."
Silver-eyed man ne gusse mein jawab diya...
👉 "Woh sirf ek bachcha hai!"
Blue-eyed man hasa.
👉 "Nahi."
👉 "Sirf bhool gaya hai."
Usne chhote Aarav ki taraf dekha.
Aur uski ungli se ek chhoti si blue light nikli.
Seedha...
chhote Aarav ke forehead mein chali gayi.
Achanak...
poora park shake karne laga.
Trees black hone lage.
Grass ash ban gayi.
Sky tootne lagi.
Aur chhota Aarav zor se chillaya.
👉 "Aaaaaahhh!!"
Aarav daudna chahta tha.
Usse bachana chahta tha.
Par woh hil bhi nahi paa raha tha.
Uski aankhon se aansu nikal aaye.
👉 "Nahi..."
Silver-eyed man ne Aarav ki taraf dekha.
👉 "Aaj tum woh sach dekh rahe ho..."
👉 "...jo humne tumse chhupa diya tha."
👉 "Us din..."
👉 "...tumhari memories kisi accident mein nahi gayi thi."
Silence.
👉 "Unhe..."
Blue-eyed man muskura diya.
👉 "...maine chura li thi."
Complete silence.
Aarav ka dil ek pal ke liye dhadakna bhool gaya.
Blue-eyed man ne seedha Aarav ki taraf dekha.
Jaise woh is memory ke andar bhi usse dekh sakta ho.
Aur usne dheere se kaha..
👉 "Welcome back..."
Pause.
👉 "...Aarav."
Uski smile aur gehri ho gayi.
👉 "Ab asli game shuru hoga."
Aur ussi second..
memory toot gayi.
Jaise sheesha hazaaron tukdon mein bikhar gaya ho.
Aarav neeche girne laga...
endless darkness ke andar.
Aur girte girte...
usne ek aur awaaz suni.
Is baar bilkul paas se.
👉 "Wake up..."
👉 "Before he remembers everything."
To be continued..