📘 Chapter 10 — “One Step Closer, Two Steps Deeper”
School bell bajte hi corridors me usual noise bhar gaya, par Ishika ke liye aaj sab kuch thoda zyada loud lag raha tha. Uske dimag me terrace ka scene chal raha tha, Sohail ki woh calm teasing smile… aur chittha ka mystery.
“Kisne diya tha woh note?”
“Aur Sohail aise smile kyun kar raha tha?”
Jaise hi teacher ne next period announce kiya, Dipti ne uska bag pakad kar hilaya.
“Madam ke saamne mat soch me doobi reh. Chal, library chalna hai. Project discuss karna hai.”
Ishika ne mann hi mann bola, Project? Ya interrogation?
Kyuki Dipti terrace wali incident se uncomfortable lag rahi thi.
Library ka silence hamesha soothing hota tha, par aaj Ishika ka mind calm nahi tha.
Dono corner table par baith gayi.
Dipti ne directly point par aa kar bola,
“Tu us chittha ko lekar zyada serious to nahi ho gayi?”
Ishika ne diary band ki. “Dipti, woh note mere story ke bilkul same tha. Tumhe lagta hai yeh coincidence hai?”
Dipti ne aankhon me seedha nahi dekha.
“Coincidence hota hai… school me pranksters bhi hote hain.”
Ishika ne narrow eyes se poocha, “Tumhe kaise pata? Tumhara reaction terrace pe weird tha.”
Dipti lightly laugh karne lagi,
“Arey yaar, main bas shock hui thi. Har cheez mujhi pe mat doubt kar!”
Ishika ne topic drop kar diya. Par doubt gaya nahi.
📌 Sohail’s Unexpected Appearance
Do minute baad bookshelf ke peeche se koi leaned aur bola,
“Tum dono detectives ho kya?”
Dono ne mur kar dekha—
Sohail.
Hamesha ki tarah chilled, headphones neck pe, ek hand pocket me.
Library me woh rarely aata tha, isliye uska aana hi unusual tha.
Dipti turant uthi, “Main photocopy lene ja rahi hoon,” aur gayi— unusually fast.
Ab Ishika aur Sohail alone.
Sohail ne Ishika ke saamne seat pull ki aur calmly baitha.
“Tum itni tense kyun lag rahi ho?”
Ishika ko laga ki woh casual baat karega, but his tone was serious-soft.
Concerned.
“Woh note kaafi weird tha,” Ishika boli. “Aur… terrace bhi.”
Sohail ne chin rest ki.
“You think someone is messing with you?”
Ishika ne slow nod kiya.
Sohail ne do second observe kiya—
Uski eyes unusually gentle thi.
“Don’t stress so much,” usne softly bola.
“I’m around. Agar koi kuch stupid karega… I’ll handle.”
Bas yeh sentence Ishika ka dil seedha drop-kick kar gaya…
Love-crush meter: ↑↑↑
Usne awkwardly nazar chura li, “Main… handle kar lungi.”
Sohail halki si smile ke sath bola,
“Tum handle karti ho, mujhe pata hai. Bas… tumhare face pe worry acchi nahi lagti.”
Yeh line itni unexpected thi ki Ishika ka pen slip ho gaya.
Aur Sohail ne bina soche pen utha liya—
Uske fingers lightly Ishika ke fingers ko touch kar gaye.
Ek micro-second.
Bas ek chhota sa accidental touch.
Lekin Ishika ka heart?
Dhak—dhak—dhak.
Sohail ne casually pen diya,
“Careful.”
Bas simple sa “careful.”
Par Ishika ke liye toh full slow-motion movie scene.
📌 Mystery Deepens — Real Evidence
Tabhi Sohail ne kuch notice kiya.
Library ke corner me ek shadow jaisi movement.
Jaise koi hide hoke sun raha ho.
He leaned forward and whispered,
“Don’t look right now… but someone is watching.”
Ishika almost panic ho gayi, “K-kya?”
“Relax,” Sohail ne calm tone me kaha.
“Just act normal. Page turn karo.”
Ishika ne pretend kiya ki woh book padh rahi hai.
Sohail ne very quietly kaha:
“Woh koi student nahi lag raha. Book racks ke peeche se observe kar raha tha. Aur jaise hi maine notice kiya, woh move kar gaya.”
Ishika ka throat dry ho gaya. “Mujhe lag raha tha… yeh sab sirf story jaisa ho raha hai. Par real me koi—”
Sohail ne sentence cut kiya.
“Bas careful raho. Tumhare bag, desk, locker… sab pe nazar rakho.”
Ishika ne deep breath li.
“Tum… kab se dekh rahe ho?”
Sohail ne ek second socha, phir bola—
“Kal se. Jab se terrace pe note mila tha.”
Ishika stunned.
“Tum mujhe… observe kar rahe the?”
Sohail ne halki smirk ke sath bola,
“Observe nahi… protect kar raha tha.”
Yeh sunte hi Ishika ke body me literal electric feeling chali gayi.
Par uske kehte hi, door se footsteps aaye.
Dipti wapas aa rahi thi.
📌 Dipti’s Suspicious Reaction
Dipti ne dono ko saath baitha dekha…
tabhi uska face ek second ke liye stiff ho gaya.
Sohail ne chittha table ke neeche slip kar diya.
Dipti ne forced smile kiya.
“Ab chalna hai class?”
Ishika ko weird laga—Dipti ka expression phir strange tha.
Sohail ne calmly kaha,
“Ishika, after school terrace mat jaana alone. Call me.”
Dipti ne instantly interrupt kiya:
“Call HIM? Kyun?”
Sohail ne bina gussa kiye bola,
“Safety. Simple.”
Dipti ne unnaturally fast bola,
“Ishika safe hai, koi problem nahi.”
Sohail uski taraf quietly dekhta raha—
a silent doubt in his eyes.
Ishika ne dono ke beech tension feel ki.
Phir Sohail uth kar chala gaya.
Dipti ne turant Ishika ka wrist pakda.
“Tum uske itne close kyun ho rahi ho? Usko sab bataya kya tumne?”
Ishika ne eyebrow raise ki. “Dipti, tu itni panicky kyun?”
Dipti speechless for a moment.
“Bus… main care karti hoon. Kuch bhi ho sakta hai.”
Par uski aankhon me kuch aur hi tha—
fear?
guilt?
ya jealousy?
Ishika decide nahi kar paayi.
📌 Final Twist (Love + Mystery Peak)
Last period ke baad sab students nikal gaye.
Ishika ne apna locker open kiya.
And inside—
A new note.
Is baar handwriting totally different thi.
“Draw the line between love and danger…
before someone else does.”
Neeche ek small symbol tha—
ek broken infinity sign.
Ishika ne shock me chittha fold kiya.
Peeche se footsteps aaye.
Woh Sohail nahi tha.
Woh Dipti nahi thi.
Koi third person…
jiska face clearly visible nahi.
Bas hoodie aur mask.
Woh seedha turn hokar chala gaya.
Ishika frozen.
Shivers down her spine.
Door ke corner par khada Sohail us scene ko spot kar leta hai.
Uski eyes instantly sharp ho gayi.
A usual calm boy suddenly protective mode me aa gaya.
“ISHIKA!”
Woh uske paas aaya.
“Kya hua? Kisne diya yeh?”
Ishika ne chittha uske haath me rakha.
Sohail ne note padha…
aur uska expression dark ho gaya.
“Yeh koi normal prank nahi,” usne low, serious tone me kaha.
“Kisi ko tumhari story ke har detail ka pata hai. Aur… tumhare emotions ka bhi.”
Ishika ka dil phir se fast ho gaya.
Sohail ne last line read ki—
“Draw the line between love and danger.”
Woh Ishika ki aankhon me directly dekhta hai.
Very close.
Very intense.
But safe.
“Ab main tumhare side se hata nahi hoon,” Sohail ne calmly bola.
“Not until this stops.”
Ishika ne slow nod kiya—
fear bhi,
but somewhere… warmth too.
Mystery deepen ho gayi thi.
Aur love-crush?
Woh quietly stronger ho raha tha.
Story ab dangerous aur sweet—dono banne wali thi.
Chapter 10 Completed...!!!