It was 2 o'clock in the night.
The whole city was sleeping… but Suraj was awake.
He had always been afraid of the dark—but today the darkness was afraid of him.
Because today he had seen his own shadow disappearing.
At first he thought it was an illusion.
He stood under the streetlight—but there was no shadow on the ground.
His heart started beating faster.
"How can this… happen?"
Then a soft voice came from behind him—
"Your shadow is no longer yours…"
Suraj turned—but there was no one there.
From the next day some strange things started happening.
His reflection in the mirror moves slowly
His voice sometimes spoke differently from his own.
And the scariest thing...
He began to feel like someone was living inside him.
Third night—
Suraj was sleeping when he felt someone walking in his room.
She slowly opened her eyes…
And what he saw made his blood freeze.
In front of him… he himself stood.
But that "second Suraj" was completely black – like a shadow.
And his eyes… red.
"Who are you…?" Suraj asked tremblingly.
He smiled.
"I… am your shadow.
And now I am free."
"But… the shadow lives with the human…"
"No," the shadow said, "the shadow is imprisoned… and when it is free—it imprisons the real human."
Suraj started to back away—
"What do you mean… what are you going to do?"
Chhaya slowly moved towards him.
"Now I will take your place…
and you… will go in my place."
Suddenly, the entire room was plunged into darkness. Suraj screamed—but his voice didn't come out.
He looked at himself on the ground—he was now just a shadow.
And in front…
That "shadow suraj" had now become a real person.
He smiled… and said—
"Don't be afraid…
You too will be free someday…
When you steal someone else's shadow."
The next morning—
Suraj's mother looked at him and said—
"You look a little different today..."
Suraj (who was now Chhaya) smiled—
"That's it... I've changed a little."
But on the ground...
His shadow...was now moving 1 second behind his every move.