Baarish ab halki ho chuki thi, par school ka environment unusually quiet lag raha tha.
Ishu shayad pehli baar itna alert feel kar rahi thi.
Jaise koi usse dekh raha ho.
Jaise koi uska raaz jaanta ho…
Woh raaz jo shayad usse bhi nahi pata.
Classroom ka entrance… aur Sohail.
Jab Ishu classroom 12 ke door tak pohanchi, toh Sohail wahi standing tha —
leaning against the doorframe, hands folded, looking… different.
Aaj uski aankhon me wo usual cool-boy attitude nahi tha.
Aaj… kuch aur tha.
A deep, unreadable look.
Woh directly Ishu ko dekh raha tha.
Jis tarah… kisi ne kabhi nahi dekha.
Ishu ka dil literally skip hua.
"S-sorry… main late hu kya?" Ishu ne awkwardly poocha.
Sohail ne sir hilaaya.
"Nahi. Main bas dekh raha tha… tum aaj kitni distracted lag rahi ho."
Ishu froze.
"Tumhe kaise—?"
Sohail: "It shows."
Woh thoda paas se guzar kar class me entered ho gaya.
Ishu wahi khadi reh gayi.
Aaj sab kuch weird ho raha tha.
Slip 2.0 — more dangerous, more personal.
Class start hote hi teacher board par kuch likh rahi thi. Sab students notes bana rahe the.
Ishu apni copy open hi kar rahi thi ki…
tap
Ek folded paper uske desk par phir se gira.
Dil uska literally throat me aa gaya.
Is baar usne slip dhyaan se uthayi.
Aur andar likha tha—
"He already knows everything about you."
Ishu ki saansen ruk gayi.
He??
Kaun he??
Sohail?
Ya koi aur…?
Usne immediately peeche dekha.
Par is baar… Dipti usko hi dekh rahi thi.
Not casually.
Bohot focused.
Bohot intense.
Jaise woh wait kar rahi ho — ki Ishu kya react karegi.
Ishu jhat se aage mud gayi.
Uska heartbeat itna fast tha ki woh khud sun sakti thi.
BREAK TIME — Drama begins
Break bell bajte hi class ekdum noisy ho gayi.
Dipti instantly Ishu ke paas aa gayi.
"Tell me… tujhe slip me kya likha milta hai?"
Ishu shock.
"Dipti… tumhe kaise pata ki slip—"
Dipti ne chup karwa diya.
"Ishu, tumhe lagta hai main notice nahi karti? Pichle do din se tumhara behaviour badla hua hai."
Ishu ek second ke liye uski aankhon me dekhti rahi.
Dipti sach bol rahi thi ya… acting?
Dipti ne aur paas hoke kaha:
"Tum samajh nahi rahi ho. Tum kis cheez me fas rahi ho…"
Before she could continue—
Sohail beech me aa gaya.
"Tum dono baad me baat kar lena," usne calmly kaha,
"Main Ishu se ek minute baat karna chahta hoon."
Dipti ka face ek second ke liye change hua.
Ek strange expression.
Jealousy?
Annoyance?
Ya… fear?
She stepped back.
Sohail + Ishu = the real tension
Sohail ne Ishu ko corridor ke ek quieter corner me le gaya.
"Tumhe slip kisne di?"
"Pata nahi…" Ishu barely whispered.
Sohail ne ek deep breath liya.
"Kal raat classroom 12 me jo slip mili thi… usme likha kya tha?"
Ishu stunned.
Woh kaise jaanta hai?!
"Sohail… yeh sab tumhe kaise pata?"
Sohail thoda close aaya.
Itna close ki Ishu ko uski warm breath feel hui.
"Kyunki Ishu…"
Woh ruk gaya.
"…tumhe darne ki zaroorat tab padegi,
jab tumhe pata chalega ki yeh sab kisne start kiya hai."
Ishu ka dimaag literally blank ho gaya.
"Kya matlab?"
Sohail ne dheere se kaha—
"Meet me today. Old staircase.
Agar main sahi hoon…
toh tumhari life poori change ho sakti hai."
Before Ishu respond kar pati,
Sohail usse bilkul nazdeek se dekh kar bola—
"And Ishu…
Don't trust Dipti too much."
Ishu ka body cold ho gaya.
"Dipti? Kyun—?"
But Sohail already jaa chuka tha.
Class bell baj gayi.
Sab log return ho rahe the.
Sirf Ishu freeze khadi thi.
Ek slip se shuru hua game
ab kisi aur hi level par jaa raha tha.
Aur sabse creepy baat?
Dipti door se Ishu ko smile kar rahi thi.
Woh smile…
normal nahi thi.
Bilkul bhi nahi.
Episode 2 end....!!