The Shadow Between Us: The Shadow Appears - Chapter 2 | DatingTales
Chapter 2: The Shadow Appears
Max ka mann ab bhi us kitaab mein atka tha. Us pal ke baad, usne apne aas-paas ghabrahat mehsoos ki. Teeno doston ne dukaan se nikalne ka faisla kiya, lekin kuch alag tha — hawa aur zyada thandi ho gayi thi, aur unhe aisa laga jaise koi unka peecha kar raha ho.
“Yeh kitaab chhod do, Max,” Riya ne apne honton ko kaapte hue kaha, uske chehre pe pehli baar darr ki chhaya thi. Aryan ne hamesha apne aap ko fearless dikhaya tha, lekin us pal uski aankhon mein bhi thodi ghabrahat thi.
Max ne kitaab ko zor se pakad liya. “Mujhe lagta hai hume yeh raaz samajhna hoga,” usne dheere se kaha. Uski curiosity ab ghabrahat mein badalne lagi thi, lekin usse kuch aur zaruri lag raha tha — yeh raaz jaana.
Jab teeno doston ne us gali se nikal kar raaste ki taraf kadam rakha, hawa aur zyada tez ho gayi. Sadak ka chhota hissa andheron mein dooba hua tha, aur agle mod pe unhe ek ajnabi si cheez mehsoos hui. Ek shadow, jo pehle kabhi wahan nahi thi, unke saamne tha.
“Kya tumhe bhi woh dikh raha hai?” Aryan ne dare hue lekin kuch zyada gusse mein kaha. Uske chehre pe ab ek alag kashmakash thi — ek aisa shaksh jo hamesha daring raha tha, ab ek ajeeb shadow ko dekh kar thoda ghabra gaya tha.
Max ne us shadow ko dekha. Yeh wahi shadow thi jo usne kitaab mein padhi thi, lekin ab woh zinda lag rahi thi. Andhere mein kuch chamak raha tha, aur woh shadow unke aur paas aa rahi thi. Uska koi chehra nahi tha, bas andhere ka ek tukda jo dheere dheere unka peecha kar raha tha.
“Yeh kya ho raha hai?” Riya ne ghabraye hue poocha, lekin kisi ke paas jawab nahi tha.
Teeno ne tezi se wahan se bhaagne ki koshish ki, lekin shadow unka peecha kar rahi thi. Har pal, woh aur nazdeek aati ja rahi thi. Max ka dil tez dhadak raha tha, lekin usne apne doston ko sambhalne ki koshish ki. Yeh shadow jo bhi thi, woh inse chhuti nahi thi.
Suddenly, Max ne apne aas-paas dekha aur ek ajeeb cheez mehsoos ki. Yeh shadow sirf unka peecha nahi kar rahi thi, yeh unse kuch chhupana chahti thi. Max ka dimaag ghoom raha tha, usse samajh nahi aa raha tha ki woh kya kare. Lekin ek baat uske mann mein saf thi — yeh kitaab sirf ek kahani nahi thi, yeh unki duniya ka hissa ban chuki thi.
Aryan ne finally bolna shuru kiya, “Hume yeh jagah abhi chhod deni chahiye. Kuch galat hone wala hai.” Lekin jaise hi unhone wahan se bhaagne ka socha, ek aur ajnabi awaz unke kaanon mein ghoonji. “Ruko.”
Teeno ruk gaye. Woh awaz kisi aur ki thi, lekin woh jaani pehchaani bhi thi. Woh ek budhi aurat thi, jo gaon ke ek kone mein akeli rehti thi. Uska naam tha Savitri, aur gaon ke kuch log kehte the ki woh purani kitaabon ke raaz janti thi.
Savitri ne unhe dekha aur kaha, “Tum log samajh nahi rahe ho, yeh raaz tumhare liye nahi hai. Tumne jo shuru kiya hai, uska ant ab tumhare haath mein nahi hai.”
Max ne apni aankhon mein us budhi aurat ki taraf dekha. Savitri ke chehre pe ek ajeeb sukoon tha, lekin uske shabdon mein ek chhupi hui daraavni baat thi. “Tum logon ko ab apni jaan bachaane ka waqt aagaya hai,” usne dheere se kaha.
Us pal ke baad, Max ne apne doston ki taraf dekha. Unka yeh safar ab sirf ek adventure nahi tha. Yeh kuch aur tha — ek aisi ladaai, jo ab sirf unke dam par nahi thi. Usne andar hi andar yeh samajh liya ki ab jo kuch bhi hoga, usse ladna padega.
Shadow ab bhi wahan tha, lekin uski tahqiqat ab shuru ho gayi thi.
To be continued...
Next chapter: Chapter 3 - The Forgotten Truth
Max aur uske doston ke saamne ab ek aur badi sachai khulne wali hai. Kya woh iss raaz ko samajh paayenge, ya shadow unhe apne jhanse mein le legi?