!.....
The night after Tripti told Avinash about the strange things she knew, neither of them slept well.
Tripti sat near her window, staring at the empty road outside. The same feeling was still inside her — like someone was watching her, like something unseen was moving closer every second. Her hands were cold, and her heart beat fast for no reason.
Avinash, on the other hand, kept thinking about her words.
"I know things before they happen."
He wanted to believe her. But at the same time, it scared him.
The next morning, Avinash rushed to meet Tripti. He found her sitting quietly under the old banyan tree near their school — the same place where everything had started.
"Tripti," he said softly.
She looked up. Her eyes had dark circles, like she hadn't slept at all.
"I saw something again," she whispered.
Avinash sat beside her immediately. "What did you see?"
Tripti took a deep breath.
"I saw Kabir."
Avinash frowned. "Kabir? Our Kabir?"
She nodded slowly.
"He was… standing in a dark place. I couldn't see clearly, but… there was something wrong. He wasn't alone."
Avinash felt a chill run down his spine.
Kabir was their closest friend. The three of them had been together since childhood. He was always cheerful, always laughing. But recently… he had changed.
He had become quiet.
Distant.
Strange.
"What do you mean he wasn't alone?" Avinash asked carefully.
Tripti hesitated.
"There was a shadow behind him," she said. "Not like a normal shadow… it was moving. Alive."
Avinash stayed silent.
Before he could say anything, a voice came from behind them.
"Talking about me?"
They both turned around.
Kabir stood there, smiling.
But something about that smile felt… off.
"Kabir!" Avinash stood up. "We were just—"
"Just what?" Kabir interrupted, still smiling.
Tripti didn't speak. She just stared at him.
For a moment, everything felt quiet.
Too quiet.
Kabir walked closer and sat beside them.
"You both look scared," he said. "Did something happen?"
Avinash forced a small laugh. "No, nothing like that."
Kabir looked at Tripti.
"But Tripti knows things, right?"
Tripti froze.
Avinash's heart skipped a beat.
"How do you know that?" he asked quickly.
Kabir's smile slowly faded.
"I know more than you think," he said softly.
A heavy silence filled the air.
Tripti stood up suddenly.
"We should go," she said.
Avinash nodded, confused and nervous.
Kabir didn't stop them.
He just watched them leave.
That evening, Tripti and Avinash met again — this time at Avinash's house.
"Something is wrong with Kabir," Avinash said.
Tripti nodded. "He knows about me."
"But how?"
"I don't know," she replied. "But I saw something else too."
Avinash looked at her.
"What?"
Tripti closed her eyes.
"I saw us," she said slowly. "You, me… and Kabir."
"And?"
"There was blood."
Avinash's face turned pale.
"Whose blood?"
Tripti opened her eyes.
"I couldn't see clearly," she whispered. "But one of us… won't survive."
The room went silent.
Avinash tried to stay calm, but fear was growing inside him.
"No," he said. "This can't be true."
"But it is," Tripti replied. "Everything I've seen so far… has happened."
Avinash ran his hand through his hair.
"We need to find out what's going on with Kabir," he said firmly.
Tripti nodded.
"Yes. Before it's too late."
The next day, they decided to follow Kabir.
It felt strange — following their own friend like a stranger.
Kabir left school early that day. Instead of going home, he walked towards the old abandoned building near the edge of town.
"Why is he going there?" Avinash whispered.
Tripti's face turned serious.
"That place… I've seen it before."
Avinash looked at her. "In your visions?"
She nodded.
They followed Kabir quietly.
The building looked broken and empty. Windows were shattered, and the walls were covered in dark stains.
Kabir walked inside without hesitation.
Tripti and Avinash stopped at the entrance.
"I don't like this," Avinash said.
"We have to go in," Tripti replied.
They stepped inside slowly.
The air felt heavy.
Cold.
Strange.
They could hear faint whispers, but there was no one around.
"Did you hear that?" Avinash asked.
Tripti nodded.
"It's the same sound I hear in my visions."
They followed the sound deeper into the building.
Then suddenly—
They saw Kabir.
He was standing in the middle of a dark room.
And he was not alone.
A tall shadow stood behind him.
It was not human.
It moved slowly, like smoke.
Avinash's breath stopped.
"What… is that?" he whispered.
Tripti grabbed his arm tightly.
"That's what I saw," she said.
Kabir spoke without turning around.
"You shouldn't have come here."
His voice sounded different.
Colder.
Darker.
"Kabir… what is happening?" Avinash asked.
Kabir slowly turned.
His eyes were no longer normal.
They were completely black.
"I tried to stay away from you both," he said. "But now… it's too late."
The shadow behind him moved closer.
Tripti felt a sharp pain in her head.
Images flashed in her mind.
Kabir.
The shadow.
Blood.
Screaming.
She fell to her knees.
"Tripti!" Avinash shouted.
Kabir stepped forward.
"You were never supposed to see this," he said.
"What is that thing?" Avinash demanded.
Kabir smiled sadly.
"It's not a thing," he said.
"It's part of me."
Avinash shook his head.
"That's impossible."
Kabir looked at him.
"Everything is possible now."
The shadow suddenly moved toward Tripti.
Avinash quickly stood in front of her.
"Stay back!" he shouted.
But the shadow didn't stop.
It reached out… and touched Avinash's arm.
Avinash screamed.
A burning pain spread through his body.
Tripti forced herself to stand.
"Stop!" she shouted.
The room suddenly shook.
The shadow paused.
Kabir looked surprised.
Tripti's eyes were glowing faintly.
"I know what you are," she said.
The shadow slowly pulled back.
Kabir stared at her.
"What are you?" he asked.
Tripti took a deep breath.
"I don't know," she said. "But I know one thing…"
She stepped forward.
"You are not in control anymore."
Kabir's face changed.
For the first time, he looked scared.
The shadow behind him started moving wildly.
"No…" Kabir whispered.
Tripti closed her eyes.
More visions came.
Faster.
Stronger.
Then suddenly—
She saw the truth.
She opened her eyes.
"It's using you," she said.
Kabir froze.
"It feeds on fear… and pain."
The shadow let out a low sound.
Avinash, still in pain, tried to stand.
"So we just… stop being afraid?" he said weakly.
Tripti shook her head.
"No," she said. "We have to break its connection."
Kabir looked confused.
"How?"
Tripti looked at him.
"You have to fight it."
Kabir stepped back.
"I can't," he said. "It's too strong."
"You have to," Tripti said firmly.
The shadow started growing larger.
The room became darker.
Avinash shouted, "Kabir! Please!"
Kabir closed his eyes.
For a moment, everything went silent.
Then—
He screamed.
The shadow twisted around him.
Fighting him.
Controlling him.
Tripti stepped closer.
"Don't give up!" she shouted.
Kabir fell to the ground.
The shadow tried to pull him back.
But he resisted.
Slowly… slowly…
The shadow started fading.
The room became lighter.
Avinash watched in shock.
Tripti didn't move.
Finally—
With one last scream—
Kabir broke free.
The shadow disappeared.
Everything went quiet.
Kabir lay on the floor, breathing heavily.
Avinash rushed to him.
"Kabir! Are you okay?"
Kabir nodded weakly.
"I… think so."
Tripti stood still.
Something still felt wrong.
"This isn't over," she said.
Avinash looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
Tripti's face turned pale.
"I saw something else."
Kabir slowly sat up.
"What?"
Tripti looked at both of them.
"That shadow… was just the beginning."
A cold wind passed through the broken building.
And somewhere in the distance…
A whisper echoed.
Watching.
Waiting.