CHAPTER 6 — “Tumhari Dhadkan Kyun Badhti Hai?”
Locker ka lid khula hi tha…
andar rakha hua faded friendship band unn teeno ko ek second ke liye chup kar gaya.
Ishu us band ko dheere se haath me uthati hai.
Rope halka sa worn out, par ek corner me abhi bhi glitter chipka hua tha.
“Yeh… maine kab banaya tha?” Ishu ne barely whisper kiya.
Sohail ne uski aankhon me dekha.
“Kabhi ne kabhi… bohot purana rishta tha tera kisi se.
Jiska naam tumhare mind se erase kar diya gaya.”
Ishu ka heart pinch hua.
Erase kar diya gaya? Kaise? Kisne?
Dipti immediately overprotective tone me boli,
“Usse confuse mat karo, Sohail. Already bohot tension me hai.”
Sohail ne slow sa cold glance Dipti ki taraf diya.
“Main confuse nahi kar raha. Main truth batane ki koshish kar raha hoon…
jo shayad tum nahi chaahti ki yeh jaane.”
Dipti stiff ho gayi.
Ishu ne dono ko stop karte hue kaha,
“Bas! Mujhe dono se sach sunna hai… tumhara jhagda nahi.”
Aise bolne par dono ek second silent ho gaye.
Tabhi… lights ek baar phir flicker hui.
Tick… tick…
Light ki sound ne hi sabko uneasy kar diya.
Aur next second…
door ke paas ek halki si shadow dikh kar hawa ki tarah vanish ho gayi.
Ishu ka blood cold ho gaya.
“Phir se… woh yahan tha.”
Sohail ek step aage badha, Ishu ki taraf protectively.
“Hume abhi yahan se nikalna hoga.
Shadow jitna close ho raha hai… utna hi dangerous ho raha hai.”
Dipti ne Ishu ka haath pakda.
“Tujhe kuch nahi hone dungi.”
Sohail ne turant intervene kiya,
“Woh mere saath hogi.”
Room me tension ka second wave aa gaya.
Night Walk – Move to Safety (But Not Really)
School ke main gate ke lights dim ho chuke the.
Zyada students nahi the… bas few staff.
Hawa thandi thi, aur Ishu halka sa shiver kar rahi thi.
Sohail ne instantly notice kiya.
Without asking, usne apni hoodie ke sleeves fold kiye aur Ishu ke shoulder ke upar gently place kiya.
Softer than before.
“Ishu… mujhe pata hai tum bologi ki tum thik ho.
Par tum thik dikhti nahi ho.”
Ishu ka heart beat visible increase ho gaya.
“Main… bas zyada soch rahi hoon,” usne avoid karte hue kaha.
Sohail ne halki si smile di—
woh smile jo only ek second ke liye aati thi.
“Tum jab stress me hoti ho… tumhari eyelids heavy ho jati hain.
Aur tum apni right sleeve baar baar pull karti ho.
Tumhari aadatein main tumse zyada jaanta hoon.”
Ishu froze.
“Tum… mujhe observe karte ho?”
Dipti ne immediately jump kiya,
“Woh toh sabko observe karta hoga.
Tum special thodi ho.”
Sohail ne bina eyes Dipti ki taraf ghumaaye calmly bola,
“Nahi. Main sirf usko observe karta hoon.”
Dipti’s face fell.
Ishu ka mind blank + blushing + confused mode me chale gaya.
The Sitting Spot – The Most Unexpected Moment
School ke bahar ek small bench thi.
Dipti washroom ke liye chali gayi—
“Main 2 minutes me aayi.”
Ab bench par sirf Ishu aur Sohail.
Silence.
But woh awkward nahi tha.
Woh… warm tha.
Ishu ne finally poocha,
“Sohail… tum kyun itna care karte ho mere liye?
Hum toh… friends bhi properly nahi the.”
Sohail ne deep breath li.
Aisi jaise woh ek heavy truth decide kar raha ho.
“Because… tumhari aankhon me hamesha ek alag si baat hoti hai.”
Ishu confused but listening.
“Kisi aur ki aankhen insecure dikhti hain, scared dikhti hain…
par tumhari aankhon me dono hota hai PLUS ek hope.
Aur main kisi ko bhi tumhari woh light choor kar use hurt nahi karne dunga.”
Ishu ne slow sa inhale liya.
“Tum mujhe protect kyun kar rahe ho?
Shadow tumhare peeche kyun nahi padta?
Sirf mere peeche kyun?”
Sohail ne sidha jawab diya,
“Kyuki tum uske liye… important ho.
Usse tumse kuch chahiye.
Aur shayad… tumne kabhi usse kuch promise kiya tha.”
Ishu ne band ko tightly pakda.
“Lekin mujhe kuch yaad kyun nahi?”
Sohail ne Ishu ki aankhon me dheere se dekha—
woh gaze bilkul soft thi.
Deep.
Protective.
“Maybe tumne kisi ko bohot hurt kiya tha.
Ya kisi ne tumhe hurt kiya tha.
Ya tum dono ka rishta… incomplete reh gaya.”
Ishu ka heart pinch hua.
“Phir tum… tumhara kya role hai isme?” Ishu ne carefully poocha.
Sohail ki voice unusually soft ho gayi—
“Main?
Main woh insaan hoon…
jo tumhare past ka hissa nahi tha.
But main tumhare present ka strongest part ban gaya hoon.
Aur future ka bhi ho sakta hoon…
agar tum allow karo.”
Ishu ne literally breathing stop feel ki.
The Almost-Confession Vibe (Teen-Safe)
Hawa aur thandi ho gayi.
Ishu ne hoodie apne shoulders ke upar sahi tarah set ki.
Sohail ne halkasa laugh kiya.
“Tum itni cute lagti ho jab shy hoti ho…
par tumhe pata hi nahi hota.”
Ishu ne turant face away kar liya.
“Main shy nahi hoon!”
Sohail leaned a little closer (safe distance but intense).
“Really?
Phir tum meri taraf dekh kyun nahi pa rahi?”
Ishu ne slowly palkein uthaayi—
aur uski nazar Sohail se lock ho gayi.
Bas do seconds.
Par woh do seconds heavy enough the ki
Ishu ka heart literally thump thump thump karne laga.
Yahi crush moment tha.
Not too much — but magical.
Sohail ne whisper jaisa soft tone me kaha,
“Tumhari dhadkan… abhi kya keh rahi hai?”
Ishu ne bolne ki koshish ki.
“W-well… logic se socho—”
Sohail:
“Main logic nahi puch raha.
Tumhara dil kya bol raha hai?”
Ishu ne finally honesty se bola,
“Mujhe… darr lag raha hai.”
Sohail:
“Meri wajah se?”
Ishu ne ek second socha.
“Thoda.
Par sirf darr nahi… kuch aur bhi.”
“Kaunsa?” Sohail slowly leaned in.
Ishu ne almost whisper kiya—
“Woh… main describe nahi kar sakti.”
Sohail ne halki si, genuine smile di.
“Maine socha tha.”
Ishu stunned.
“Tumhe kaise pata?”
Sohail:
“Kyuki main bhi same feel karta hoon.”
Ishu ki breath stuck ho gayi.
Bas tabhi—
Dipti Returns – Jealousy Breaks the Moment
Dipti loud footsteps ke saath wapas aayi.
Woh un dono ko itne close baithte dekh kar blank ho gayi.
She froze.
Then she said, slightly cracked voice me—
“Chalo… mujhe ghar jaana hai.”
Ishu immediately stood up.
“Dipti, tu thik hai na?”
Dipti ne fake smile di.
“Haan, main thik hoon.”
Par uski aankhon me jealousy + hurt mix tha.
Woh clearly struggle kar rahi thi.
Sohail ne Ishu ko quietly kaha,
“Usse time do.
But careful raho…
Dipti kuch hide kar rahi hai.
Aur mera instinct bolta hai…
shadow se uska relation tum soch bhi nahi sakti jitna complicated hai.”
Dipti ne unki baat sun li thi.
Par pretend kiya ki nahi suna.
Ishu ne slowly bola,
“Main dono par bharosa karna chahti hoon.
Please misunderstand nahi badhao.”
Sohail ne deeper tone me kaha—
“Misunderstand tab hota hai jab feelings fake hoti hain.
Par yahan… sab kuch real hai.”
Dipti ne aankhen jhuka li.
The Final Twist – Someone Watching
Teeno walk karte hue school se bahar nikle.
Street lights dim thi.
Tabhi Ishu ne apni nazar right side ki bushes par padhi—
jaise koi waha move hua ho.
“W-wait… tumne dekha?”
Dipti aur Sohail dono ne glance kiya.
Bushes me ek halki si figure thi…
black hoodie, blank face.
Just standing.
Sohail turant aggressively aage badha.
“WHO’S THERE!?”
Shadow ne slow motion me head tilt kiya.
Straight Ishu ki direction me.
Aur bina sound ke,
bina run kiye,
bina step ke—
jaaise hawa me dissolve ho gaya.
Dipti freeze.
Ishu breathless.
Sohail furious.
Ishu ke bag ke zip se ek chhota paper slip bahar gir gaya—
unexpectedly.
Us par ek line likhi thi:
“You were mine first.”
Sohail ne slip read ki.
Uska expression dark ho gaya.
“Shadow… tumhe warning de raha hai.
Ye ab sirf mystery nahi—
ye obsession ban raha hai.”
Ishu ka throat dry ho gaya.
Dipti ka face deadly pale ho gaya.
As if… she knew this was coming.
Sohail ne slip ko crush kiya aur kaha—
“Ishu, ab tum mere saath rehogi.
Main tumhe akela nahi chodunga.
Not anymore.”
Ishu ne pehli baar…
uske saath safe feel kiya.
Par Dipti ke dil me kuch toot gaya.
Aur shadow… ek aur step close ho gaya.
And Chapter ends.