A deep silence filled the university library. Some students were quietly reading on benches, others were taking notes. A few were searching for books and among them was Rishi Thakur. He loved books so much that he practically lived with them eating, sleeping, and breathing literature.
He had searched through several racks but still hadn't found a special book to read that day.
"This is ridiculous. In such a huge library, I can't find a single book," he muttered in frustration.
Suddenly, someone placed a book on one of the racks.
"Read this. You might get lost otherwise," the person said.
Before Rishi could get a good look at him, the man had already walked away.
"Thanks, man!!" Rishi called out loudly. The person raised a hand from afar but didn't turn around.
It was nighttime, and the bar was crowded. Even in the darkness outside, the view inside was intoxicating. Everyone swayed in their own state of intoxication—naturally so, since that's what people came here for. Some, weary from life's hustle, some trying to forget their sorrow, and many were simply there for fun—or just because.
Among them sat a man on a chair by the bar counter. He wore a maroon shirt and held a crimson-colored drink in his hand, which he hadn't emptied even after half an hour. Each sip he took lingered in his mouth, dripping slowly down his throat.
While everyone else drowned in intoxication, he remained completely silent. As if his mind were filled with deep thoughts. His gaze scanned every person around him, as if he were trying to understand each one. For him, this place was the perfect observatory to study human behavior.
"Rishi, do you really think he'll be here?"
"Well, the lead pointed to this place. But how will we recognize him? I haven't even seen his face," Rishi said.
"Man, what kind of ghost is this guy? I've never seen a person like him—exists in the world but never visible," Ved said irritably.
"Just keep your eyes open. He's definitely one of them. A guy that mysterious will stand out. I know humans well enough," Rishi replied.
"You're going to get us beaten up today."
"Hehehehe…" Rishi flashed his teeth.
"I'll find out everything about this guy, Ved. Who is this man who's caused a sensation in the world of books?" Rishi said. Ved nodded and started scanning all four directions of the bar.
Meanwhile, the man seated at the bar counter had his eyes fixed on the two of them. He shifted his gaze slightly, then rose from his seat and started heading outside. From a distance, Rishi caught a glimpse of him—only his back was visible. Instinctively, Rishi hurried after him. The man quickened his pace, prompting Rishi to do the same.
The stranger had already settled into his car. Rishi jumped onto his bike and began tailing him, convinced the man hadn't noticed. But that was just Rishi's assumption. In truth, the man spotted him clearly in his rearview mirror—and pressed down on the accelerator.
"Rishi, where the hell are you? I've been looking for you in here and you're off chasing someone on your bike?"
"Bro, I think I've found the ghost man. I'm following him," Rishi replied.
"You're insane! Why'd you go alone? What if he's some kind of thug?"
"Don't worry. You head home. I'm exposing him today—whatever it takes."
Ved was still mid-conversation when his eyes fell on a familiar figure inside the bar—a prominent personality.
"I just got a breaking piece of news. I'll call you back," Ved said abruptly and hung up.
He pulled out his camera and began clicking photos. There was no way he'd let this opportunity slip away.
Unaware, though, that while he captured his target, several of the person's men now stood silently behind him.
Rishi was speeding down that empty road on his bike, chasing the car ahead of him. What he didn't realize was that he'd followed it all the way into a forested area. The car was flying—well over 100 km/h. Rishi accelerated too, trying to keep up.
Suddenly, the car drifted hard. Before Rishi could react, a rock appeared right in front of him. He tried to steer away, but he lost control. His eyes widened, and in the next moment, everything spun. He had no idea how many times he flipped.
After a few moments of eerie silence, he tried to open his eyes slowly. One hand grabbed his aching head, the other lay flat against the road. Blood was dripping from his forehead, and his body was scraped and bleeding in multiple spots.
He saw the car stopped ahead, its headlights shining directly in his eyes. A shadow stepped out. Rishi had no strength to move, nor the clarity to know how long he'd survive. Blood was pooling around him. Through fading eyes, he saw that figure getting closer.
The person wore a mask—and to Rishi, their face was just a blur.
But there was a strange smile in those eyes. The shadow walked over, picked up Rishi's fallen phone and camera, and then grabbed Rishi by the hair, lifting his face. The phone unlocked. The figure started going through its contents.
Rishi couldn't do anything. The blood kept flowing.
"Mom!" Rishi suddenly sat up with a loud cry. His eyes darted around—he was in a hospital. A bandage wrapped around his forehead. His arms and legs were bruised and injured in several places.
"Rishi! You okay? Man, you nearly gave me a heart attack," Vedant said as he rushed to his side.
"What happened to me?" Rishi asked, confused.
"That's what I was going to ask! Where the hell did you go? I told you not to go alone—so why did you? Now look what happened," Ved scolded him.
Instead of replying, Rishi looked around. On the table was his broken phone—it was damaged, but still working.
"My camera?" he asked.
"Seriously? You're worried about your camera? You're alive—that's all that matters!"
"Ved, where's my camera?" Rishi shouted this time. Vedant stared at him for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.
"Was it something serious?"
"I managed to click some photos before leaving—of him and his car. Those could've led us to something."
Vedant grew quiet and sat down next to Rishi.
"Your camera wasn't found."
"What? Not found?"
"Yeah. I got here this morning. I didn't even know you'd had an accident. A nurse called me at 4 a.m."
"So who brought me here?"
"A guy—he even donated blood for you." Just then, a nurse came over with an injection.
"Who was he?" Rishi asked.
"No idea. But whoever he was… he was really handsome," the nurse said, smiling.
"Did you see his face?"
"No."
"Then how do you know he was handsome?"
"His body language. His eyes, his hair, his eyelashes, his shoulders…"
"Okay, okay—we're not trying to make a sketch, we just need his face."
"That's the problem," the nurse said.
"Why?"
"When he gave you blood, maybe someone saw him?"
"He brought the blood with him. And he was wearing a mask, so I couldn't see his face. I don't know how he collected the blood or managed to take care of you. You were bleeding a lot. If he hadn't stepped in, you wouldn't be asking questions now," the nurse said, inserting the cannula and giving him an injection.
Rishi winced in pain. Suddenly, the shock snapped him out of it.
He found himself sitting on a chair. A book lay open in front of him. He was reading.
He looked at himself—he was perfectly fine. A desk lamp glowed softly nearby. He turned the book's cover and read the title: "The Mysterious Man" by Unknown.
"How did I get so lost in this book that I imagined myself as Rishi, the character? Just because his name is Rishi too?" he whispered to himself.
Yet all those events were spinning through his mind as if they'd truly happened to him.