CHAPTER 17 – “After School Secrets”
School ki final bell bajte hi pura campus ekdum noisy ho gaya. Bachche bags utha kar bhaag rahe the, teachers staff room band kar rahe the—
par Ishu ka dimaag ek hi baat me stuck tha:
Sohail ne bola tha— “After school, I need to show you something.”
Ye line uske mind me baar-baar echo ho rahi thi.
Dipti ne Ishu ko bag zyada tight pakde dekh kar poocha,
“Tu itni tense kyun hai? Relax yaar, maybe woh bas help karna chahta hoga.”
Ishu ne deep breath li.
“Pata nahi… bas weird sa lag raha.”
🎭 Sohail’s Strange Behaviour
Jab woh school gate ke side pahunchi, Sohail waha already khada tha.
Uske haath me ek black notebook thi—
jo pehli baar Ishu dekh rahi thi.
“Ishu… ready?”
Uska tone halka sa serious, halka sa soft tha.
Ishu ne sir hila diya.
Dipti ne teasing smile di,
“Main jaa rahi hoon… tum dono ka ‘secret meeting’ disturb nahi karungi.”
Ishu ne Dipti ko glare kiya, par Dipti hansi dabate bhaag gayi.
Sohail ne notebook apni hoodie me daal li aur bola,
“Chalo, back building ki taraf.”
Ishu confused ho gayi.
“Waha? Kyun?”
“Kyunki waha koi nahi hota… aur mujhe bina disturb hue baat karni hai.”
Ishu ka heartbeat thoda fast ho gaya—
Excitement?
Fear?
Ya dono?
🏫 The Back Building Mystery
School ki back building thodi purani thi. Paint peel hua hua, windows dusty, aur stairs pe thoda moss.
Jab dono waha pahuche to hawa thodi thandi thi,
aur ek eeriness feel ho rahi thi.
Ishu ne dheere se poocha,
“Sohail… tum mujhe yaha kyu laaye ho?”
Sohail ne uski aankhon me directly dekha.
“Because… tum sach jaanna deserve karti ho.”
Ishu ke pair thande pad gaye.
“Sach? Kaunsa sach?”
Sohail ne pocket se wo black notebook nikali.
“Ye diary ka duplicate hai.”
Ishu shock.
“Duplicate?! Matlab tumhare paas pehle se diary thi?!”
Sohail ne immediately head shake kiya.
“Nahi! Listen… ye duplicate maine banayi, jab hume pehli baar diary mili thi. Mujhe laga… agar real diary kho gayi to important clues mere paas ho.”
Ishu thoda calm hui,
“Okay… fair point. But tumhe kaise pata diary dangerous hai?”
Sohail ne halka sa smirk diya,
“Because… I’m not stupid.”
Phir serious ho gaya.
“Aur nahi chahta tha tum danger me padho.”
Ishu ka heart slightly melted.
Par phir usne ek aur page dekha… jisme same symbol tha.
Triangle inside circle. S.M.
Ishu ne halki panic voice me poocha,
“Ye tumne banaya ya diary me tha?”
Sohail:
“Diary me tha.”
Ishu ne shock se peeche kadam liya.
“Ye initials S.M. tumhare…?"
Sohail ne turant bola,
“NO! That’s not me. Main to khud try kar raha hoon pata lagane ka ke S.M. kaun hai.”
Ishu ne uski aankhon me dekh kar feel kiya—
He wasn’t lying.
But uske bolne se pehle…
👤 Someone Is Watching…
Suddenly unhe back side se kuch awaz aayi.
Kha—tak!
Ishu dar kar palat gayi.
“Kisne awaz ki?”
Sohail instantly alert mode me aa gaya.
“Backyard me koi hai.”
Ishu: “K-kya karein?”
Sohail ne uska haath pakad liya.
“Just stay behind me.”
Ishu shock—
par woh uske peeche hi chali.
Wo corner tak gaye,
par waha koi nahi.
Sirf ek torn page hawa me udta hua unke pair ke paas gira.
Ishu ne use uthaya.
Page par likha tha:
“You are not ready for the truth.”
Aur neeche initials:
S.M.
Par is baar…
initials ke paas ek fingerprint jaisa mark tha.
Ishu ne whisper kiya,
“S–Sohail… someone is literally following us.”
Sohail ne uska wrist thoda tight pakda.
“I know. And that’s why I brought you here.”
❤️ Love–Tension Moment (safe & soft)
Ishu ka breathing fast ho gaya tha.
Sohail ne dheere se poocha,
“Are you scared?”
Ishu ne honestly bola,
“Thoda… but zyada iss baat ka darr hai ki agar S.M. tum nahi ho… to kaun?”
Sohail ek second ke liye silence me usse dekhte raha.
“Tum meri itni parwah karti ho?”
usne slow tone me poocha.
Ishu ne aankh turant chura li.
“Main sabki karti hoon…”
Sohail thoda paas aaya.
“Jhoot. Tum sabki nahi karti.
Tum… merI zyada karti ho.”
Ishu freeze.
Uska heart literally skip.
Before she could respond…
❗ The Big Twist
Back gate se koi daud kar aaya.
It was ALINA.
Woh bilkul panic me thi.
“Sohail!! Ishu!! Tum dono yaha kya kar rahe ho?!”
Sohail annoyed,
“Alina? Tum sudden yaha?”
Alina breathless thi.
“I… I need to talk to Ishu.”
Ishu confused,
“Mujhse? Kyun?”
Alina ne ek folded paper diya.
“I found this inside my locker. I think… it wasn’t meant for me.”
Ishu ne paper khola.
Usme likha tha:
“Stay away from the boy.
You don’t know what he hides.”
Neeche initials —
S.M.
Alina ne tremble karte hue bola,
“I didn’t write this. I swear. Someone is using my locker.”
Ishu ka head spin ho raha tha.
Sohail ka face pale.
Dipti ne peechhe se aakar shout kiya,
“Ishu!! Staff room ke bahar ek aur clue mila hai!”
Everyone turned.
Dipti ke haath me ek old key thi—
rusty, small, and weird shape.
Aur us key par same triangle–circle symbol engraved tha.
⭐ END HOOK (Strong, Chapter 18 Ki Base)
Ishu teeno cheezein—note, key, symbol—hand me pakad kar frozen khadi rahi.
Alina whisper:
“I think S.M. is not a person… it’s a group.”
Sohail whisper:
“No. It’s one person.
Aur mujhe lagta hai… mujhe pata hai wo kaun hai.”
Ishu ne shock me poocha:
“WHO?”
Sohail slowly bola—
“Someone we all know.”
And chapter end...!!!