Chapter 1 – In That Corner of the City
The evening had set in. The blue sky had turned dark grey, and there was a strange coolness in the air—neither cold, nor hot, just a little uneasy. In the oldest part of Delhi, where time seemed to have stopped, there was a corner where people were reluctant to go even during the day—"Mehtab Villa".
ACP Raghav Rana's jeep stops in that deserted lane. As soon as the door opens, a cloud of dust rises, and a dry leaf strikes his foot as if giving a message.
"This is that place, ACP sahab," Constable Arif says softly, as if the mansion is listening to his voice.
Raghav's eyes rest on the dilapidated grille of the mansion. There was a style in its structure, a story, a secret. Vines were climbing the walls—old, dry, but alive. And a light but strange silence coming from inside the mansion – as if time had stopped there.
"Were the bodies found here?" Raghav asked.
"Yes, sir. But... there was something strange."
"What?"
"The body was near the broken window. But her face was clearly visible in the mirror – whereas in reality the face was completely burnt."
Raghav was not surprised. He had seen a lot – but there was something that made this case different.
Inside the mansion...
Both of them enter the door of the mansion. A pile of old papers is scattered on the floor – as if no one has touched it for decades. There is a corner where some torn letters, burnt books and a broken mirror are lying.
Raghav bends down – and picks up a piece of half-burnt diary.
Only this was written on it:
"I am living a lie… but the truth is alive."
Constable Arif trembles. “What do you mean, ACP sahab?”
Raghav doesn’t say anything. He knows – this is not an ordinary case.
At that very moment, the sound of breaking glass comes from the floor above. Both are startled. Raghav immediately takes out his torch and points upwards – “Let’s go.”
On the upper floor
The wooden stairs creak with every step, as if forbidding – “Go back.”
A door is half open. A slight rustling sound comes from there. Raghav pushes. It is dark inside the room, and something is written in relief on the wall:
“If you want to know the truth… then first you have to lose yourself.”
Raghav is startled for a moment.
“Arif?” He turns and says.
But… Arif is missing.
“Arif!”
There is no answer.
“Arif?!”
His voice echoes and hits the walls. The fear has now dissolved in the air.
And then...
Someone from behind placed a hand on Raghav's shoulder.
Cliffhanger
Raghav turned around suddenly - but the person standing in front of him was not a human being... and that face... he had seen that face somewhere long ago.
In the next chapter:
Where did Arif go?
Who is the writer of that diary?
What is hidden behind the walls of the mansion?
