When Zaid told his friends about the incident that happened on the playground, they couldn't believe what he was saying. What Zaid was describing seemed far from reality. They had only seen such things in movies—thinking of them happening in real life was difficult. But after witnessing the strange events themselves, they had no choice but to believe Zaid.
However, they still couldn't understand why all this was happening with Dev.
After listening to Zaid's entire account, Aman began to think deeply, and then he said with a serious expression, "That means whatever happened might be linked to that man. Or maybe he's somehow connected to all of this."
Then, looking toward Zaid, he said, "If we find out more about that man, we might be able to uncover the reason behind all of this."
Aman was right, but he didn't expect his words to raise a new question. After hearing him, the other four stared at him with strange expressions.
When Aman saw their faces, he was confused. Then Nidhi said, "Umm… since when are you part of our team? Until now, you didn't seem this interested in us."
Abrar also questioned him, "Be honest—what do you want from us? No one just shows up to help someone without being asked."
Aman was now surrounded by questions, but maybe he knew exactly what he was doing. In response, he said, "I like learning about strange and mysterious things, and I'm not part of any group. I've started feeling a bit lonely too, so I thought maybe you guys would let me be with you."
His answer sounded a bit childish, but he didn't seem like he was lying. So, they happily accepted him into their team.
Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch break. Everyone quickly finished their food and rushed back to class. Their next class was with one of their other favorite teachers—one they never wanted to miss. A few minutes after they reached class, their teacher arrived. His name was Rahman, and one special thing about him was that he and Prem Sir had applied for jobs at the school at the same time and were also very good friends. After class, the two were often seen together.
Rahman Sir taught chemistry and had the same friendly bond with students as Prem Sir, which made him quite popular among them.
Anyway, Rahman Sir finished his lecture, and after a few more classes, the school day ended. The five friends met again and decided where to meet in the evening, then went their separate ways home.
As evening came, all five reached the agreed meeting spot—a café in the city market. They sat down for a while, ordered tea and coffee, and began discussing the reason they had gathered.
Aman started, "Alright, tell me—what did that man look like?"
Zaid looked a little troubled by the question. He had only caught a glimpse of the man, and remembering his face or any distinct feature was nearly impossible—especially since the man had covered his face.
When Aman and the others didn't get a proper answer, they realized Zaid couldn't remember. So Aman asked again, "You must at least remember what he was wearing, right?"
Zaid nodded. "He was wearing very ordinary clothes—nothing special that would make him stand out."
One by one, everyone began asking questions, trying to get any clue they could. Dev started getting bored and turned his gaze outside. But then he saw someone that caught his attention. He grabbed Zaid's shoulder to get his attention and, still looking outside, said, "Look outside—see who's standing there."
When Zaid and the others turned their eyes to the window, they saw none other than Prem Sir.
Abrar smiled and said, "Hey, what's Prem Sir doing here? I heard he avoids crowded places."
Dev looked at everyone and said, "Maybe he came for some work. Let's talk first, then we'll go meet him."
Just as they were about to get back to their conversation, Aman looked outside again and said, "Guys, Prem Sir isn't alone. He's brought along his dear friend too."
Everyone turned to look again and saw that Rahman Sir was standing there with Prem Sir.
Zaid also smiled and said, "What a day—both of our favorite teachers hanging out together in the market."
As soon as he finished saying that, both teachers quickly left the spot. At that time, the five friends thought the teachers probably had some urgent work, so they didn't pay much attention.
Then Nidhi brought the conversation back to the important matter and said, "Guys, this market is the closest place to our school. That man must've passed through here if he came from near the school."
Everyone agreed. The market was always crowded, so someone who wanted to stay hidden would prefer such a place. No one would suspect him, and no one really remembers who came and went in such a crowd.
Then Aman added, "So you're saying we should search the entire market for him?"
Nidhi looked at Aman and said with a playful smile, "Do you have a better idea?"
No one had an answer to that, and everyone agreed with Nidhi's suggestion.
The group then split up to search the market—Dev and Zaid went together, and Abrar, Nidhi, and Aman formed the second team.
Now, they were all on a mission to solve a big mystery.
TO BE CONTINUED…..