Part 6 – Shadows of the Past

Maya felt the weight of Dr. Varman's words settle over her like a thick fog. He had seen something in his final vision—something terrifying enough to abandon his research entirely. But before she could press him further, a soft creak from the shop's back door made her spin around.

Arjun stepped out from the shadows, his sharp eyes locked onto his father. "You're hiding something, Dad."

Dr. Varman stiffened, his face unreadable. Maya, however, felt her pulse quicken—not just from the tension in the room but from the way Arjun's gaze flickered toward her, like he was piecing something together.

"You were listening?" she asked.

Arjun crossed his arms. "I had to. My father never talks about his past. And now you show up, asking the same questions I've wanted answers to my whole life." His voice was firm, but there was something else in it—something softer when he looked at Maya.

Dr. Varman exhaled, rubbing his temples. "You wouldn't understand, Arjun."

"Then make me understand," Arjun shot back. "Is it about the drawing?"

Maya blinked. The drawing. The one Dr. Varman had sketched absentmindedly while talking. The one that sent a chill down her spine the moment she saw it.

She pulled the paper closer. It was crude but unmistakable—a girl standing alone, a shadow looming behind her, stretching far beyond the frame. Her own breath hitched.

It was her.

Arjun stepped closer, his fingers brushing against hers as he reached for the page. Maya felt the warmth of his touch, an odd contrast to the cold dread curling in her stomach. Their eyes met. For a moment, the world outside faded.

"Why did you draw this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Dr. Varman hesitated. "Because I saw it. A long time ago."

Maya swallowed hard. "And what happened to the girl in your vision?"

The doctor looked at her, something dark clouding his gaze. "I don't know," he admitted. "I never saw what came next."

A silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken fears. Then Arjun did something unexpected—he reached out and took Maya's hand, gripping it firmly.

"Then we find out together," he said.

And for the first time in a long while, Maya felt like she wasn't alone in this nightmare..