episode 4 : The shadow....

The days passed, but Ishaan couldn't shake the strange feeling that someone was watching him.

He tried to convince himself it was just stress.

"You're thinking too much," Aarav said as they left the college library. "Come on, let's get some tea."

"Yeah... maybe you're right."

The two friends walked toward a small tea stall outside the campus.

As they laughed over a silly joke, a black SUV was parked across the street.

Inside, two men watched them silently.

"So this is Ishaan Sharma," one of them said.

"And the other one?"

"His best friend. Aarav Mehta."

"Should we report it?"

The older man nodded.

"Every detail."

A few minutes later, a phone vibrated.

"The witness has a close friend. Should we investigate him too?"

A calm voice answered.

"No."

The men exchanged glances.

"Watch Ishaan only."

The call ended.

Back at the tea stall, Ishaan suddenly felt a chill.

He turned around.

The black SUV was gone.

"What's wrong?" Aarav asked.

"I thought someone was watching us."

Aarav laughed.

"You've been watching too many crime movies."

Ishaan smiled, but the uneasy feeling remained.

Far away, hidden beneath the city...

A file lay open on a desk.

A photograph of Ishaan was clipped to the front.

A hand closed the file.

"Don't lose sight of him."

"Yes, Boss."

Outside, thunder rolled across the Mumbai sky.

Neither Ishaan nor Aarav knew...

The countdown to their ordinary lives ending had already begun.

The next morning felt unusually peaceful.

Ishaan and Aarav walked toward the pharmacy laboratory, laughing about an upcoming practical exam.

"I swear, if I fail this experiment, I'm blaming you," Aarav joked.

"Me? You're the one who never studies," Ishaan laughed.

Their professor entered the lab.

"Today, you'll be working in pairs."

The practical went smoothly until the professor announced an assignment.

"Each pair will visit City General Hospital next week for clinical training."

The class buzzed with excitement.

After college, Aarav left early to visit a cousin.

Ishaan decided to walk home alone.

As he crossed a busy intersection, he noticed an elderly man collapse onto the road.

People gathered...

But no one stepped forward.

Without thinking, Ishaan rushed to help.

He checked the man's pulse and called for an ambulance.

"It's okay, sir. Help is coming."

Someone in the crowd recorded the scene on a phone.

Within minutes, the ambulance arrived.

The elderly man was taken away safely.

Ishaan quietly continued home, unaware that his act of kindness had been captured on camera.

Elsewhere...

A member of the underground organization watched the video.

He frowned.

"Boss..."

"The witness from the alley is all over the local news."

A calm voice replied,

"So... he likes helping strangers."

The room fell silent.

"Keep watching him."

The phone call ended.

Outside, rain began to fall.

Ishaan looked up at the dark clouds, unaware that every step he took was bringing him closer to the hidden world that had already marked him.

To be continued....

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