Old staircase me hawa zyada thandi ho chuki thi.
Light baar-baar flicker ho rahi thi,
jaise bulb bhi kisi secret ko bolne se dar raha ho.
Ishu Sohail ke bilkul piche khadi thi.
Uska shoulder lightly Sohail ki back ko touch kar raha tha —
unintentional, but us moment me woh hi uska safe zone tha.
Shadow abhi bhi corner me static khadi thi.
Not moving.
Not breathing.
Just… watching.
Ishu ne dheere se whisper kiya,
“Sohail… ye koi aadmi hai? Ya… koi student?”
Sohail ne bina palke jhapkaye kaha,
“Student nahi.
Aur agar main sahi hoon…
toh tum is shadow ko pehle se jaanti ho.”
Ishu ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
“Main? Kaise…?”
Shadow ek inch aage badha.
Ishu ka heartbeat racing.
Scrrr—
railing par nails drag karne jaisi awaaz.
Ishu apne aap Sohail ke bahut paas aa gayi.
Sohail ne uska wrist hold kar liya—
gentle, warm, stabilizing.
“Daro mat,” Sohail ne low voice me kaha.
“Main hoon yahan.”
Ishu ne ek deep breath li.
Usko nahi pata tha kyun,
but Sohail ki voice ne uska 70% darr wash kar diya.
<< Jab Sohail ek second ke liye flashlight on karne laga,
Shadow ek blink me gayab ho gayi.
“W-wait— kahaan gaya?!”
Ishu panic me boli.
Sohail ne flashlight beam ko walls par ghumaya.
Kuch nahi tha.
Bas ek chhoti si folded chit…
stairs ke upar rakhkar chhod di gayi thi.
Jaise shadow specifically Ishu ke liye aayi thi.
Sohail ne chit uthayi aur Ishu ko di.
Ishu ke haath shiver kr rahe the.
Chit me sirf ek line thi—
par usne Ishu ko andar se hila diya.
“YOU LEFT ME BEHIND.”
Ishu ka gala dry.
“Left? Kisko? Main toh—”
Sohail ne uska sentence cut kiya.
“Iska meaning mujhe samajh aa raha hai.”
Ishu shook.
“Kya? Tumhe kaise pata?!”
Sohail ne first time ek aisa expression dikhaya,
jo Ishu ne kabhi nahi dekha tha.
Soft.
Concerned.
Thoda hurt, thoda protective.
“Ishu… jo tum soch rahi ho na…
ye slip uski hai jisse tum…
pehle kabhi ignore kar chuki ho.”
Ishu ekdum confused.
“Pehle? Kaun?”
Sohail slowly bola—
“Tumhari zindagi me koi ek aisa tha…
jise tumne notice hi nahi kiya.
But he noticed you.
Every single day.”
Ishu ka saans phir fast ho gaya.
“K-kaun? Please mujhe clearly batao!”
Sohail kuch bolne hi wala tha ki—
Footsteps. Fast ones.
Niche se koi seedhiyan chad kar unki taraf aa raha tha.
Sohail instantly Ishu ke saamne aa gaya,
jaise human shield.
“Ishu, mere bagal me hi raho,”
usne firm tone me kaha.
Footsteps aur loud hote gaye.
Ishu ne railing tightly pakad li.
Light again flickered.
Aur niche se jo figure chadha…
usne Ishu ko almost shock de diya.
Dipti.
Huffing.
Out of breath.
Pale.
Jaise woh bhaag kar aayi ho.
“I—Ishu!”
Dipti ne almost chilla kar bola.
“Tum dono yahan kya kar rahe ho?!”
Sohail ke face par irritation + suspicion ka combo aa gaya.
“Tum yahan kaise aa gayi?”
Dipti ne Ishu ka haath tight pakad liya.
“Is jagah se door chalo!
Yahan koi tha! Maine niche dekha—”
Sohail cold tone me bola,
“Humne bhi dekha.
Aur jo tumne dekha… woh tum soch nahi sakti.”
Dipti ka expression phir se weird ho gaya,
jaise she knew something…
but didn’t want to accept it.
Ishu do logon ke beech me stuck thi.
Left → Sohail, jo har cheez janta hua lag raha tha.
Right → Dipti, jiske reactions bilkul unpredictable the.
Ishu almost cry krne jaise whisper me boli—
“Someone tell me the truth…
shadow kaun tha?
Slips ka matlab kya hai?
Maine kise ‘behind’ chhoda??”
Dipti aur Sohail…
dono chup.
But ek baat clear thi—
Dono ke wajah se Ishu aur confuse ho rahi thi.
Sohail ne finally deep breath liya:
“I promise…
Aaj raat ko aakhir ka answer milega.
Lekin usse pehle…
Ishu, tumhe ek cheez jaan leni hogi—”
Ishu ne carefully uski eyes me dekha.
“Kaunsi?”
Sohail dheere se bola—
“Jo tum soch rahi ho…
shayad tumhare dil ke andar uska jawab already hai.”
Ek second ki silence.
Ishu ka heart literally drrr-drrr full speed.
Dipti us moment me bilkul freeze….
jaise woh kaafi kuch sun chuki ho jo usse nahi sunna tha.
Staircase ki hawa suddenly warm ho gayi.
Jaise kisi ne unki story ka next door open kar diya ho.
And the chapter ends...!!!