The Truth of Shadows
1324 Words
So far, you’ve read…
Ajay’s true identity had been revealed—he was Arjun Singhania.
Aryan Singhania’s entry had completely changed the atmosphere at the office…
But the real mystery was still revolving around Ruhi.
---
From the outside, the office looked perfectly normal.
People were at their desks…
The clatter of keyboards, ringing phones, rustling files—everything was just like any other day.
But if someone looked closely…
They would notice—
Today was different.
Today, there was a strange tension in the air.
Like the eerie calm before a storm.
---
And the biggest reason for this unease—
Ruhi.
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She was seated at her desk.
Laptop open… data running across the screen…
But her eyes—
They were lost somewhere else.
---
Inside her, it was as if two worlds were colliding.
One—the world everyone saw.
Calm, focused, strong Ruhi.
And the other—
Broken, tangled in questions…
Running away from herself.
---
“Why… is it always me…?”
She whispered, closing her eyes.
---
Rahul’s face appeared—
His smile… his betrayal…
---
Then that night…
Faint, fragmented memories…
A stranger’s presence…
---
And then—
Aryan.
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The moment his name crossed her mind—
Ruhi’s heart suddenly raced.
---
She snapped her eyes open.
“No… I shouldn’t think about any of this…”
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Just then—
Tick!
Her laptop screen blinked abruptly.
---
A popup appeared.
From an unknown source.
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“We found you.”
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Ruhi’s eyes narrowed.
Her expression changed in a split second.
---
She went instantly alert.
Without wasting a moment, she locked the system.
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“They… have reached this far?”
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Then—
Her phone rang.
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This time, she answered without hesitation.
“Speak.”
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On the other end, a slow, cold laugh echoed—
“So much hiding… Ruhi?”
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Her fingers clenched on the table.
“Get to the point.”
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“You’re back…”
The voice deepened—
“That means… you want to know the truth too.”
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Ruhi went silent.
Her mind raced with countless thoughts.
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“Or perhaps…”
The voice now sounded more dangerous—
“You’re about to make the same mistake again?”
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A spark of anger lit up in Ruhi’s eyes.
---
“The reckoning of my mistakes…”
She said softly—
“I will handle it myself.”
---
A few seconds of silence followed.
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Then—
“Let’s see…”
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The call ended.
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Ruhi placed the phone down slowly.
There was no fear on her face now.
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Only anger.
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Just then—
Sudden commotion erupted at the office’s main gate.
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The security guards stood rigid.
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Outside—
Several luxury cars pulled up and stopped.
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People peeked through the windows.
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“Who’s here…?”
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The door opened.
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A man entered—
Slow steps…
But every step carried authority.
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Dressed in black… sharp jawline…
Eyes—seeming to read whoever stood before him.
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Behind him—trained bodyguards.
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The entire office stood frozen.
---
A strange pressure filled the room.
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Someone whispered—
“This… is a very powerful man…”
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But before anyone could process further—
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The man walked straight in…
And his gaze—
Stopped directly on Ruhi.
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Ruhi froze.
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A few seconds of… silence.
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Then—
Her lips trembled—
“Bhaiyu…”
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The entire office went into shock.
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The man—Advik—walked slowly toward her.
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With each step, the tension intensified.
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Ruhi rose from her seat…
Her feet moving toward him as if by their own will.
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She stopped in front of him.
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They looked at each other.
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Years of distance… condensed into a single moment.
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Advik gave a faint smile—
“You’ve grown so much… it took me a moment to recognize you?”
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His voice held softness…
But in his eyes—
A deep pain.
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Tears welled up in Ruhi’s eyes.
“You… after all these years…”
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“You thought… I wouldn’t come?”
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That was all she needed to hear.
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Ruhi couldn’t stop herself.
She hugged him tightly.
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Her grip was firm—
As if she would never let him go again.
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Advik gently placed his hand on her head.
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“Now no one will touch you.”
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There was no softness in his voice—
It was a warning.
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The entire office witnessed this unfold.
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Ajay whispered—
“Who… is this?”
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Aryan, who had been silent till now…
Spoke slowly—
“The one you want to know…
He is far beyond you.”
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Ajay looked at him—
“Meaning?”
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Aryan’s gaze remained on Ruhi—
“Meaning… this story is no longer simple.”
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Meanwhile—
Ruhi pulled herself back.
She looked straight into Advik’s eyes—
“Why have you come here?”
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Her question was direct.
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Advik’s smile vanished.
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“Because…”
He said softly—
“The game is about to begin.”
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Ruhi’s eyebrows furrowed—
“What game?”
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Advik leaned slightly…
And in a low, measured tone said—
“A game in which either we win…”
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A pause—
“Or everything ends.”
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Ruhi’s heart raced.
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“And I…?” she asked.
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Advik looked into her eyes—
“You are the biggest reason for this game.”
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Silence.
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Then—
Aryan, standing behind, stepped forward.
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His stride steady.
Each step confident… controlled.
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He stopped beside both of them.
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“So… finally, you two have met.”
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Advik looked at him—
“You already knew?”
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Aryan smiled faintly—
“I’m not completely unaware.”
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Their eyes met—
And tension thickened the atmosphere.
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This was not just a meeting between two people…
This was the collision of two powerful forces.
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Ruhi looked at them—
“You… know each other?”
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No answer.
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Only silence.
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Then—
Aryan spoke softly—
“Some relationships… grow stronger by hiding, not by explaining.”
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Ruhi was confused.
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But a strange feeling rose inside her—
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As if these two…
Were already connected.
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And then—
Her mind flashed back to that night.
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A shadow… a touch… the whisper of a breath…
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She opened her eyes abruptly.
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Her gaze went straight to Aryan.
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And Aryan…
Was looking right at her.
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His eyes carried the same intensity—
As that night.
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Ruhi’s heart skipped a beat.
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“This… is the same…”
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But—
She couldn’t speak a word.
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Aryan smiled faintly—
“Now, we meet… properly.”
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His voice was soft…
Yet there was a strange pull—
That went straight to her heart.
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Meanwhile—
Advik noticed it all.
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His eyes narrowed slightly.
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“Interesting…”
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Just then—
His phone rang.
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He answered—
And heard just one line.
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His expression changed in an instant.
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“What…?”
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Ruhi turned to him immediately—
“What happened?”
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Advik looked at her—
And whispered softly—
“The one you’ve been running from…”
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A long pause—
“Has finally come looking for you.”
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Ruhi’s face drained of color.
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Her heart seemed to stop for a moment.
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And behind them—
Aryan’s lips curved into a faint smile.
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Excitement glimmered in his eyes.
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“Game…”
He said very softly—
“Finally started.”
To be continued…
- Writer
