A faint voice drifted through the silence.
Shadow Hunk.
Something about it tugged at his memory, soft yet persistent. This voice…it feels familiar, he thought, his brows knitting slightly.
He turned.
There she was.
A girl stood a few steps away, watching him with a quiet, knowing smile- as if she had been there longer than he had noticed.
For a few moments, he simply stared.
Then recognition flickered in his eyes. "Oh…Aarohi. It's you."
Aarohi tilted her head, a hint of disbelief in her expression. "Wow…so you finally recognized me." She let out a small sigh. "But seriously, how did you not recognize my voice? We've known each other since childhood."
Shadow Hunk looked away, a trace of guilt crossing his face. "Sorry…yaar."
Aarohi studied him for a second, her expression softening. "Aren't you tired?" she asked gently.
A faint teasing smile touched his lips. "Are you worried about me?"
She let out a light laugh-too quick. "Why would I worry about you?"
Shadow Hunk's gaze shifted around them, alert, cautious. "I'm fine," he said quietly. "But you should go now…before someone sees us." He paused, his voice dropping slightly. "They might start thinking you already know me."
" Of course I know you," she said, her voice teasing.
"Aarohi…" he said giving her a worried look.
"O…okay," she said still smiling teasingly. "I'll leave now. Happy?"
Shadow Hunk watched her until she disappeared from sight.
And then-
As if he had never been there at all-
He dissolved into the shadows.
(At Ashi's Home)
The moment Ashi stepped back into the house, her father's voice echoed through the room.
"How dare they try to kidnap my daughter!" he shouted, his face burning with anger, his teeth clenched tight.
Ashi quickly moved closer, trying to calm him. "Dad, please…don't shout like this. Your blood pressure will go high."
But he was too furious to listen.
Before he could say anything more, the door opened.
He turned instinctively- and his eyes fell on Dikshita, who had been standing there quietly for a few moments.
Dikshita folded her hands politely and gave a gentle smile. "Namaste, uncle."
The anger on his face slowly softened. Taking a deep breath, he tried to compose himself. "Come, come… sit there, beta," he said, gesturing toward the sofa.
Without another word, he walked away, leaving the room.
A brief silence followed.
Dikshita sat down beside Ashi and leaned slightly closer. "Why was he shouting so much, Ashi?" she asked in a low voice.
Ashi sighed, her expression turning serious. "Because of the kidnapping incident… that's why he was so angry."
The room fell quiet again, but the tension still lingered in the air.
Dikshita frowned slightly. "Why did you call me to your house? We could've just talked at a café."
Ashi sighed, leaning back. "I wasn't in the mood for that."
Trying to distract herself, she picked up the remote and switched on the TV.
The screen flickered to life.
A familiar figure appeared.
Shadow Hunk.
The news reporter's voice echoed in the room, announcing how he had once again saved the city of Vyantara from a new threat.
Dikshita's eyes widened slightly. "He saved our city again…" she murmured, glancing at Ashi.
But Ashi wasn't listening.
She was lost in her thoughts, her gaze fixed somewhere far away.
"Ashi…Ashi!" Dikshita called, waving her hand in front of her. "Where are you lost?"
Ashi blinked and looked at her. "Nothing…I was thinking about that incident…what happened with us."
Dikshita smirked. "No, you weren't," she said teasingly. "You were thinking about that mysterious hero of yours. Don't lie." She started laughing
Asi frowned slightly. "Why would I think about him?"
Dikshita leaned closer, her smile turning playful. "That…you already know. I won't say it."
Ashi shook her head, trying to hide her expression. "Okay, fine, leave it. Do you want something to eat or drink?"
Dikshita raised an eyebrow. "Don't change the topic."
Ashi couldn't help but smile a little.
Their light-hearted argument continued, filing the room with a softer, warmer energy.
(At the high school)
Students crowded the corridors, their voices blending into a constant buzz of gossip and chatter. Some hurried into classrooms, while other lingered in groups, whispering excitedly.
The atmosphere was alive.
Just then, Aarohi stepped into her classroom XI-C, her pace slowing for a moment.
Near the window, someone stood, half-turned towards the light.
The sunlight caught the edge of his profile, soft and steady. A grey bracelet rested on his wrist as he absentmindedly adjusted his sleeve. Everything about him simple…yet oddly hard to ignore.
Aarohi walked closer. "Hey, Ayaan. How are you?"
He looked up, as if pulled out of a thought, and gave a small, easy smile. "I'm good. you?"
His eyes dropped briefly to see what she is holding. "What's that?"
Aarohi lifted the bundle of letters, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Take a guess."
He raised an eyebrow, already knowing.
"As usual," she continued, "They couldn't say it to your face."
Ayaan exhaled a quiet laugh, more to himself than to her. "That sounds unnecessarily complicated."
"No," Aarohi shrugged lightly, placing the letters on the letters on his desk, "just realistic."
He looked at the letters for a second, then back at her. "And you agreed to be the messenger?"
"They insisted," she said. "I didn't have the heart to refuse."
Ayaan shook his head slightly, but there was a faint smile there.
"Still," he said, "thanks."
Aarohi paused for just a second longer than she intended.
But as she walked away, his gaze lingered- quiet, observant.
Not curious enough to question.
Not distant enough to ignore.
(At Aarohi's Home)
By the time Aarohi reached home, the noise of school had already started fading from her mind.
She placed her bag on the chair and walked inside. The house felt calm, almost too quiet.
Instead of going straight to her room, she turned toward the small lab her father used.
The door was slightly open.
She pushed it gently and stepped in.
Everything was neatly arranged, just like always. Bottles, test tubes, notebooks.
Aarohi walked to the table and picked up a notebook. She flipped a few pages, reading something carefully.
Then she frowned a little.
"Hmm…this isn't right," she murmured.
She put the notebook down and picked up a test tube, checking it closely. After that, she quickly adjusting a few things on the table, like she already knew what she was doing.
Her movements weren't random.
She had done this before.
After a few minutes, she stepped back and looked at it again.
This time, she smiled a little. "Better."
Just then, her father's voice came from behind. "You're in here again?"
Aarohi turned. "Yeah…just checking something."
He walked in and looked at the setup. For a moment, he didn't say anything.
Then he nodded slightly. "You fixed it?"
Aarohi shrugged. "It wasn't a big mistake."
He looked at her for a second longer than usual. "Still…not bad."
Aarohi smiled faintly and looked back at the table.
(The Next Day At School)
The classroom was louder than usual.
Aarohi had just taken her seat when a voice came rushing in before the person did-
"Move, Move, emergency!"
The door banged open.
Reyansh.
His hair was a complete mess, like he had run all the way here-which, knowing him, he probably had. He slipped slightly near the door but somehow manage to balance himself like nothing happened.
"Relax," he said, brushing his sleeve as if that fixed everything. "All under control."
Aarohi didn't even look surprised. "What did you do this time?"
"Excuse me," he said, dropping into the seat behind them, slightly out of breath. "I helped someone."
Ayaan glanced at him. "And that turned into trouble…how?"
Reyansh leaned back, thinking. "Okay, so technically…I didn't create the trouble."
Aarohi raised an eyebrow. "Reyansh."
"Fine," he sighed. "There was this junior getting bullied, so I stepped in. Then a teacher came…and somehow, I became the problem."
Ayaan shook his head slightly, but there was a hint of a smile. "Somehow."
Reyansh pointed at him. "Exactly! See, you understand me."
"I didn't say that," Ayaan replied calmly.
Aarohi couldn't help but smile a little.
Reyansh noticed the letters on Ayaan's desk and immediately leaned forward. "Oh ho…fan mail again?"
Ayaan didn't react. "Don't start."
"I'm not starting anything," Reyansh grinned. "I'm just saying -if you ever get tired, I'm available. I can handle the responsibility."
Aarohi rolled her eyes. "No one's writing to you."
"That's because they don't know me properly yet," he said confidently.
Ayaan looked at him for a second. "Or maybe they do."
Reyansh paused…then nodded. "That was unnecessary."
For a brief moment, the three of them sat there-talking, joking, like it was just another normal day.
But even in all that noise, Reyansh's eyes moved around the room, noticing things other didn't.
Who was whispering.
Who looked tense.
What felt…off.
He didn't say anything about it.
He just leaned back in his chair like always, acting like he hadn't noticed a thing.
The last bell rang, and the classroom slowly emptied.
Aarohi packed her bag, still half-listening as Reyansh argued with someone about something completely pointless.
"…I'm telling you, it wasn't my fault."
"It's always your fault," Aarohi said without looking at him.
Ayaan closed his notebook. "What did you do this time?"
Reyansh smirked. "Helped someone again. Big mistake."
Ayaan just shook his head faintly, already used to it. "Obviously."
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Then-
"Sir is calling Reyansh." Someone said from the door.
Reyansh groaned. "See? This is what I get for being a good person."
He grabbed his bag and walked out, still muttering under his breath.
Aarohi sighed. "One day he'll actually get suspended."
Ayaan replied calmly, "He won't."
"Why so sure?"
Ayaan shrugged. "He always lands on his feet."
The corridor was quieter now.
Reyansh wasn't heading toward the staff room.
He took a turn.
Then another.
Now the noise of the students was gone.
Only silence.
He slowed down.
Something felt…off.
He looked up at the terrace.
A faint movement. Too quick to be sure.
Reyansh didn't smile this time.
Didn't even joke.
He stepped towards the stair case.
Cut-
Outside the school gate.
Aarohi walked beside Ayaan.
"You think he actually went to the teacher?" she asked.
Ayaan adjusted his bag slightly. "No."
Aarohi let out a small laugh. "Same."
"Should we wait?" she asked.
Ayaan shook his head. "He'll show up."
His voice steady.
Like nothing else mattered.
The terrace door creaked open. Reyansh stepped out slowly.
Wind rushed past him.
It looked empty.
He walked forward, eyes scanning carefully.
Then-
He stopped.
Something was there.
Not in front of him.
Behind.
A shift in the air.
A presence.
Reyansh didn't turn immediately.
A slow smile appeared.
"…So I wasn't wrong," he said quietly.
Silence.
No answer.
Only the wind.
He turned-