Chapter 9 – “Half-Truths, Half-Feelings”
Subah ka weather ajeeb sa tha—na dhoop, na thandi hawa… bilkul school ke mood jaise. Aaj corridors me unusual silence tha, jaise sab kisi big news ka wait kar rahe ho. Ishika ne bag adjust kiya aur entry gate ki taraf badhi. Uske mann me raat ki Dipti wali baat echo ho rahi thi—
“Hero ka naam Sohail likh na… readers ko maza aayega.”
Ishika blush kar gayi thi, tab bhi, aur ab bhi.
Par jaise hi usne classroom ka darwaza khola, hawa hi badal gayi.
Claasroom me sab students gathered the, papers spread the desk pe. Kayi log fुसfुस kar rahe the. Kuch aise dekh rahe the jaise kuch “big reveal” hone wala ho.
Ishika confused:
“Yeh sab log mujhe aise kyun dekh rahe hain?”
Usko dekhte hi Dipti bhaagtay hue aayi.
“Tu aa gayi? Chal turant idhar aa!”
“Par hua kya?” Ishika ne pucha.
Dipti hansi rok kar boli, “Madam ne literature class me ek anonymous story discuss karni hai… aur guess what—tumhari wali fanfic select ho gayi!”
Ishika ka dil thoda dob gaya, thoda uchhal gaya.
Anonymous story? Fanfic?
“Kya matlab? Maine to sirf draft banaya tha…”
Dipti ne shoulder shake kiya, “Haan, but jo story tune meri email se submit ki thi contest me… woh hi!”
Ishika shock: “Dipti, tu pagli hai kya?!”
Dipti: “Relax! Naam to mere email ka tha, story tere naam se to nahi gaya. Bas class me read hoga.”
Woh sharmati hui chup ho gai. "Aur… hero ka naam tumne… wohi rakha tha…”
Sohail. Sohail Malhotra.
Ishika ne ek deep breath li.
Jab tak woh dono whisper kar rahi thi, tabhi class door ke paas ek shadow ruk gayi. Dheere dheere koi andar aaya. Jeans, white shirt, bag lazily latka hua, headphones neck pe…
Sohail.
Uska usual calm expression, par aankhon me woh teasing spark hamesha ki tarah present.
"Ishika, morning," usne casual tone me bola.
Bas ek simple good morning.
Par Ishika ke liye jaise heart monitor beep karne laga.
Wo sirf ek second ke liye uski taraf dekhta hai—par lagta hai jaise poora time slow ho gaya ho. Sohail ka aankhon me dekhna koi normal look nahi hota tha. Jaise woh directly emotions scan kar leta ho.
Ishika ne awkward smile di. “Morning…”
Dipti ne side me halki si pinch diya: “Itni halki voice? Thoda normal behave kar!”
Woh bhi funny timing thi—tabhi teacher class me enter hui.
📌 Class Announcement Begins
“Good morning, everyone,” Literature madam ne kaha.
“Aaj hum ek anonymous student writer ki short story discuss karenge. Theme: School Life with Mystery.”
Ishika ne table ke neeche silently pair hila diya—nervous energy.
Dipti ne notebook ke beech me likh diya: “Don’t panic. Stay normal.”
Teacher ne story ka first paragraph padha…
Aur jaise hi Sohail ka naam story me aaya—poori class “ooooh” karne lagi.
Ishika ka face red.
Dipti ka face excited.
Sohail ka reaction?
Ek eyebrow raise.
Ek chhoti si smirk.
Aur ek side glance Ishika ki taraf.
Woh glance seedha chest me lag gaya.
“Interesting name choice,” usne slow bol kar kaha—bas itna hi, par Ishika ki saanse ruk gayi.
Classroom me gossip phail chuka tha.
But teacher ab next twist pad rahi thi.
Story ke mystery part me ek note wala scene tha—
“Someone left a note in her locker saying: You’re being watched.”
Teacher ne pause li.
“Whoever wrote this, impressive tension build-up.”
Class me mixed reactions:
“Spooky!”
“Cute bhi hai.”
“Author ka crush lagta hai hero pe!”
Sohail ne chalk se desk tap kiya.
“Someone has imagination,” usne soft tone me bola—par voice clear thi.
Ishika ka heartbeat irregular ho raha tha.
Lekin big shock tab aaya…
📌 The Real-Life Twist Begins
Jab teacher ne story ka second half padha, usme ek scene tha jahan heroine ke desk me koi chhupa hua chittha milta hai.
“Maybe the hero left it to tease her,” teacher ne guess kiya.
Class me phir se giggles.
But tabhi—
REAL life me, literally ussi moment,
Dipti ne Ishika ke desk ke neeche kuch point kiya.
“Uh… Ishika… yeh dekh?”
Ishika ne jhuk kar dekha—
Ek folded chittha sach me rakha hua tha.
Exactly like the story.
Usne chittha slowly uthaya.
Uska haath halka sa kaamp raha tha.
Dipti ne whisper kiya, “Tu hi rakh ke bhool to nahi gayi?”
Ishika ne glare diya, “MAIN kyun rakhungi?!”
Teacher padhti rahi—but Ishika ne chittha quietly open kiya.
Inside:
“Chapter 2 ke liye real inspiration chahiye toh terrace aana.
—Someone who knows.”
Ishika freeze.
Dipti: “Yeh kisne likha hoga?!”
Sohail peeche se observe kar raha tha, clearly noticing kuch hua hai.
Par uska expression unreadable tha.
📌 The Terrace Meeting
Break hote hi Ishika terrace ki taraf chali gayi.
Hawa thodi tez thi, terrace almost empty.
Sirf ek figure railings ke paas khada tha.
White shirt.
Headphones neck par.
Sohail.
Woh seedha uski taraf nahi dekh raha tha—bas sky ko observe kar raha tha jaise koi waiting mode me ho.
Ishika slowly uske paas jaati hai.
“Tum… terrace kyun bula rahe the?”
Voice low, nervous.
Sohail turned slightly.
“Main?”
Usne eyebrow raise kiya. “I didn’t call you.”
Ishika stun. “Phir yeh chittha?”
Woh aage aaya, chittha haath me lekar dekha.
“Handwriting meri nahi lagti.”
Phir woh close step le kar bola,
“But interesting coincidence hai. Tumhari story me bhi yahi tha na? A locker note and a terrace clue.”
Ishika ne swallow kiya. “Tum… meri story padhi thi?”
Sohail ne side smirk diya.
“I don’t read everything… par agar mere naam wala character ho, thoda curiosity hoti hai.”
Yeh sunte hi Ishika ka dil chhoti si fireworks show ban gaya.
Phir Sohail ne lean karke whisper jaisa sentence bola—
“Waise, tumhare story ka hero thoda mysterious hai…
jaise kisi pe crush ho but nahi batata.”
Ishika ne turant nazar chura li.
Hawa aur tez chalne lagi.
Ek second ke liye dono silence me the.
Phir Sohail suddenly poocha:
“Is the story about someone real?”
Ishika ne sharmate hue bola—
“W-who knows… fiction hoti hai, imagination hoti hai…”
Sohail ne halki si laugh di.
“Hmm… imagination strong hai tumhari. Aur handwriting cute.”
Ishika: “Handwriting??”
Sohail: “Tum note fold karne ka tareeka hamesha same rakhti ho.”
Ishika shock. “Matlab tum—”
“Relax,” usne muskurate hue kaha.
“I didn’t write this note. But whoever wrote it… he knows your pattern.”
Ishika aur confuse ho gayi.
Agar Sohail nahi tha… to kaun?
Aur koi aisa bhi jo uski chhoti habits jaanta ho?
Terrace me footsteps aaye.
Koi aur aaya tha.
Dipti—
par uska face typical funny nahi tha.
Bilkul serious.
“Ishika… tujhe class teacher bula rahi h—”
Dipti ruk gayi jab usne Sohail ko itna close standing dekha.
Phir uski nazar chittha pe gayi.
Uske expression me ek micro-second ka shift hua—
jaise woh chittha pehle bhi dekh chuki ho.
Ishika ne notice kiya.
SUSPICION?
Or guilt?
Dipti jaldi se bola, “Chal, teacher wait kar rahi hai,” aur Ishika ka wrist pakad liya.
Sohail peeche se quietly observe karta raha.
“Story interesting ho rahi hai,” usne softly bola.
Ishika ke steps ruk gaye—
Usne peeche mud kar dekha.
Sohail ki aankhon me wo same thing thi—
A calm curiosity.
A slight warmth.
Aur kuch jo Ishika explain nahi kar paayi.
📌 End Scene – A New Mystery Begins
Classroom me wapas aate hi Ishika ka mind storm mode me tha.
Chittha kisne diya?
Sohail ne kyun bola ki handwriting match hoti hai?
Dipti ne chittha dekhte hi ajeeb reaction kyun diya?
Kyun sab cheezein exact uski story jaise ho rahi thi?
Usne apni diary nikali aur likh diya:
“Chapter 9 ends with more questions than answers.”
“Someone is watching… and someone is feeling something.”
And for the first time,
she wasn’t scared of the mystery—
she was excited.
Chapter 9 Completed...!!!