CHAPTER 8 — “Sach Ka Pehla Darwaza”
Doorbell ki awaaz abhi bhi Ishu ke ears me echo ho rahi thi…
Hawa patli lag rahi thi.
Room ka temperature thanda pad gaya tha.
Dipti door ke bahar khadi thi—
face pale, eyes red, haath me torn friendship band ka half piece.
Ishu apni jagah jam si gayi.
Sohail ne halkasa uske aage stand le liya,
jaise automatically protect mode on ho gaya ho.
“Ishu, agar tum nahi chaaho toh main door nahi kholne dunga,”
Sohail ne calmly kaha.
Ishu ne deep breath li.
“Nahi… mujhe pata karna hai.
Dipti kuch jaanti hai.
Aur main ab darr kar nahi bhag sakti.”
Sohail ne slowly nod kiya.
“Alright. I’m right here.”
Ishu ne handle ghumaaya—
door open.
Dipti ne bina smile ke, bina kuch fake act ke,
seedhe Ishu ki aankhon me dekha.
“Ishu… humme baat karni hogi.
Isse pehle ke bahut der ho jaye.”
Sohail ne ek step aage liya.
“Der? Kis baat ki? Aur shadow tumhe warning kyun bhej raha tha—”
Dipti ne sharply interrupt kiya.
“Yeh tumhara matter nahi hai, Sohail.”
Sohail ke jaw muscles tighten ho gaye.
“Everything that concerns Ishu is my matter.”
Ishu ne quickly situation handle ki.
“Guys, please… inside aa jao.”
Dipti andar aayi.
Uski aankhen room check kar rahi thi—
jaise woh confirm kar rahi ho ki shadow andar nahi hai.
Sohail door close karte hi Dipti ke saamne aa gaya.
“Start talking.
Kya jaanti ho tum?”
Dipti ne torn band ko table par rakha.
Usne dheere se bola—
“Yeh tumhara and uss person ka band ka second half hai…
jo tumhare bachepan me tumhari zindagi me sabse zyada important tha.”
Ishu ka breath hitch ho gaya.
“Mera… band?
But main kisi ko yaad kyun nahi kar pa rahi?”
Dipti ne slowly jawab diya—
“Kyuki tumhari memory intentionally blocked ho chuki hai.”
Sohail narrowed his eyes.
“Kisne block ki? And why?”
Dipti ki aankhon me guilt bhar gaya.
“Main sab bataungi…
par please, Ishu, tum promise karo ki tum gussa nahi hogi.”
Ishu ne confused voice me kaha—
“Par main promise kyun karun?
Tumne aise kya chhupaya mujhse?”
Dipti ne ek heavy sa breath li.
“Woh…
tumhare bachepan se jooda hua hai.”
⭐ Flashback Begins — Dipti’s Version
Dipti ne apna bag side me rakha aur sofa par baith gayi.
Uski fingers continuously tremble kar rahi thi.
“Jab hum class 2 me the…
tumhari life me ek ladka tha.
Tum dono inseparable the.”
Ishu ka heart skip hua.
“K-kaun…?”
Dipti:
“Tum dono best friends nahi…
almost family jaise the.”
Sohail ne Ishu ki taraf dekha—
yeh information clearly usse bhi shock kar rahi thi.
Dipti continue:
“Uska naam…
woh tumhari diary me likha hua tha.
But after that incident… tumhari diary gayab ho gayi.
Aur tumne uska naam…
sab bhool diya.”
Ishu ne slowly poocha,
“Kis incident?”
Dipti ka throat dry ho gaya.
“Hume uska ghar shift hone ke ek din pehle pata chala
ki tum dono ne ek band banaya tha—
Ishu & someone forever.”
Sohail ne interrupt kiya,
“Someone ka naam erase kyun hai?”
Dipti ne shaky voice me bola—
“Kyuki jis din woh ladka gaya,
tum dono ke beech kuch aisa hua
jisne tumhe hila diya.
Emotionally.”
Ishu ka mind blank ho gaya.
“Maine… us din kya dekha?
Kya hua tha?”
Dipti ne aankhen band kar li.
“I don’t know exactly.
Tum dono school ke backyard me gayab the,
aur jab tum wapas aayi…
tum puri tarah shock me thi.”
Ishu ko thoda hallucination jaisa lagne laga—
jaise woh ek chhota version apna dekh rahi ho,
rula hua, broken.
Dipti:
“Tum kuch keh nahi paayi.
Sirf yeh repeat karti rahi…
‘Promise… mat todna…’
fir tum faint ho gayi.”
Sohail stunned.
“How does no one remember this?
Parents? Teachers?”
Dipti ne heavy tone me bola—
“Woh ladka next day shift ho gaya.
Uske parents ne transfer letter diya aur chale gaye.
Aur tumhari family ne socha yeh normal stress hai.
But tumne us din ke baad uska naam, uski face,
sab bhool diya.”
Ishu whisper:
“Phir shadow…?”
Dipti ne finally sach bola:
“I think Shadow…
voh ladka ho sakta hai.
Woh jo tumhare childhood me tha…
aur jisne tumhe chod diya tha.”
Ishu ka poora body freeze.
Sohail ne immediately Ishu ka hand hold kiya.
(Itna hi — safe but caring gesture.)
“I’m right here.
Tumhara past tumhe hurt nahi karega.”
Par Dipti statement par firm thi.
“Ishu, woh ladka tumse kuch expect karta tha.
Maybe a promise?
Aur tumne… ya tumhare parents ne…
us connection ko cut kar diya.”
Ishu ke ears me ek faint memory echo hui—
same bachpan ki voice:
“Tumne promise kiya tha…
forever.”
Uske haath thande pad gaye.
⭐ Sohail’s Shock – But a Bigger Problem Appears
Sohail ne Dipti ko intense gaze se dekha.
“Tum yeh sab kaise jaanti ho?
Tum class 2 me Ishu ke saath nahi thi.”
Dipti stiff ho gayi.
“I… I asked someone.”
“Kaun?”
Dipti ka face white ho gaya.
“Someone who recognized Ishu yesterday.
Someone who said…
‘I remember her.’ ”
Ishu ne panic me poocha,
“Kaun?”
Dipti ne hesitant voice me bola—
“Woh new 11th class ka transfer student.”
Ishu confused.
“Kya? Kaun?”
Dipti ne finally kaha—
“Soha—”
Sohail ne ek second me interrupt kiya,
“Don’t say it.
Unless you’re sure.”
Dipti ne clearly naam bol diya—
“Rehan.”
Room me ek unnatural silence ho gaya.
Ishu ke dil ki dhadkan irregular ho gayi.
“Woh… mujhe kyun pehchaane laga?”
Dipti:
“Kyuki usne tum dono ko childhood me dekha tha.
Tum, woh unknown ladka,
aur woh incident.”
⭐ The REAL Shock — Shadow Contacts Again
Suddenly
Sohail ke phone par ek message light blink hua.
Unknown number.
Message:
“Don’t trust her.
She wasn’t there.
But I was.”
Sohail ka face full tension me aa gaya.
Dipti freak out.
“Shadow?! Usse kaise pata ki main kya bol rahi hoon?!”
Ishu ka voice trembling.
“Kya woh… yahan dekh raha hai?”
Sohail immediately curtains check karne gaya.
Window ka black handprint ab blur ho chuka tha—
jaise koi usse rub karke mita gaya ho.
Par rub marks fresh the.
Sohail ne teeth clench karte hue kaha—
“He’s close.
Bahut close.”
Dipti ke haath se torn band gir gaya.
“Ishu please, believe me…
main jhooth nahi bol rahi.”
Sohail ne phone screen Ishu ko dikhaya.
Message 2:
“Ishu.
Woh ladki tumhare past ka hissa nahi hai.
Par main hoon.”
Ishu ke legs weak pad gaye.
Sohail ne turant support kiya.
⭐ Dipti’s Breakdown — Jealousy or Guilt?
Dipti ke tears finally break ho gaye.
“You trust him?!
A random shadow?!
Ishu, main tumhari best friend hoon!”
Sohail harshly bola,
“Best friend jhooth nahi bolti.”
Dipti ne frustrated cry ki.
“I wasn’t lying!
I was scared!
Agar main tumhe pure sach bata do…
shayad tum mujhe maaf na karo!”
Ishu ke dil me dard hua.
“Dipti… tumne kya chhupaya mujhse?”
Dipti ne face cover kiya.
“I… I can’t.”
Sohail stepped forward.
“You have to.
Agar Shadow tumhare statements ko challenge kar raha hai,
matlab tum dono me se koi sach nahi bol raha…”
Dipti ne trembling voice me bola—
“Ishu…
shadow tumhara past hai.
But…
mujhe lagta hai…
main… us past ka reason hoon.”
Ishu shocked.
“Reason?
Tum?
Par tum toh childhood me mere saath nahi thi!”
Dipti ne finally truth reveal kiya—
“Woh ladka…
jisse tumne band banaya tha…
main usse jaanti hoon.
Aur main nahi chahti thi
ki tum usse phir kabhi milo.”
Room silent.
Sohail:
“WHY?”
Dipti ne halkasa bitter smile diya.
“Kyuki… jab main Ishu se mili…
maine realize kiya…
kisi ne usse already deeply hurt kiya tha.
And I didn’t want him in her life again.”
Ishu ka throat dry ho gaya.
“Dipti… mera past…
kya itna dark tha?”
Dipti ne slowly kaha—
“Dark nahi…
bas emotional.
Tum dono ke beech kuch aisa hua…
jo tumhe tod gaya.”
Tears finally rolled down Ishu’s cheeks.
⭐ Last 60 Seconds — The Door Finally Opens…
Suddenly,
ek heavy knock door par hua.
DHAK—DHAK—DHAK
Sohail defensive ho gaya.
Dipti freeze.
Ishu ka heart hammering.
Knock fir aaya.
This time slower…
par zyada intense.
Sohail ne peephole check kiya—
aur shock me peeche hat gaya.
Ishu ne panic me poocha—
“Kaun hai?!”
Sohail ka voice low aur shaken tha.
“Not Shadow.
Not a stranger.
Someone else…”
Ishu run karke peephole par gayi.
Aur jise usne dekha,
waha khada tha—
Rehan.
Woh new transfer student.
Aur uski aankhon me woh same sadness thi
jo Ishu childhood flash me feel karti thi.
Usne directly camera me dekha
aur whisper kiya—
“Ishu…
tumhe mujhe pehchanna hi hoga.
Main tumhara ‘forever’ hoon.”
Chapter 8 ends.