Banaras

The night had deepened. The weather, too, had turned quite bad. Darkness loomed all around, and the stormy rain had created chaos everywhere. The thunder and lightning had blanketed the town in shadows, except for a faint glow coming from a small orphanage in Banaras. This light came from a candle, held by a young girl who was sitting surrounded by children, telling them a story.

Just then, an elderly man living in the orphanage called out to the girl, saying,

“Electricity’s not coming back tonight, Sona beta. How long do you plan to sit here telling stories to everyone?”

Hearing this, the girl—named Sona—looked at him and smiled, replying,

“Baba, electricity isn’t a big deal. It’ll return eventually. But we must learn to find light even in the darkness.”

Hearing her, another elderly person sitting nearby chimed in, supporting her,

“She’s absolutely right, our Sona. The more you run from the darkness, the more it chases you. It’s better to face it and bring light into your life.”

Sona smiled upon hearing this.

Yes, let’s now meet the female lead of our story—Sona. She was left outside this orphanage as a newborn. Since then, this orphanage has been her home, and its owner, Deendayal ji, is the only father figure she’s ever known. This orphanage was not only home to orphans but also to anyone in need of shelter. And though Sona is only 19 years old, she has taken on the full responsibility of this place.

She spends her days caring for everyone, playing with the children, managing her studies, and then working as a receptionist at a hospital in Banaras after her classes.

Let’s move ahead.

After spending some time storytelling with the children and chatting with the elders, Sona tucked everyone into bed and headed to her own room. But the thunder outside still scared her. That’s why she had kept herself busy with everyone for so long. But now, what could she do?

To distract herself, she began reading a book.

Just then, someone knocked on her door. When she opened it, she saw Namit, Deendayal ji’s son, standing there with a glass of milk in his hand.

Smiling, Sona said,

“Oh Namit bhaiya, you’re here? You’ll never change, will you? What was the need to bring milk so late at night in the dark?”

But Namit was staring at her, eyeing her from head to toe, as she wasn’t wearing her dupatta at that moment. Unaware of his inappropriate gaze, Sona continued talking. However, Namit didn’t like being called "bhaiya" (brother) at all. His jaw clenched in anger, but he didn’t show it in front of her.

Controlling himself, he handed her the glass and said,

“Yes, I know it’s quite late. But not that late. Don’t worry about me. Just drink this milk and go to sleep.”

Saying this, he handed her the glass and started to leave. Sona smiled and accepted the milk.

But then Namit suddenly stopped, a thought crossing his mind. He smirked and turned back.

Seeing him return, Sona looked at him curiously and asked,

“What happened, bhaiya? Did you forget something?”

Namit took a chocolate out of his pocket and handed it to her, saying,

“Sona, this is for you. You love chocolates, right? Especially this one.”

Sona, who had a weakness for chocolate, lit up with joy. She quickly took it from him and exclaimed,

“Wow! Chocolate! Thank you, Namit bhaiya! You’re the best brother ever!”

Watching her light up like that, Namit stared at her for a moment, a mysterious look crossing his face, and then he left.

After he was gone, Sona closed the door and, making a face, forced herself to drink the milk—she didn’t really like it. But as soon as she drank it, she felt nauseous. Clutching her mouth, she rushed to the washroom, leaving the chocolate on the table.

Suddenly, there was a stir at the window of her room. A shadowy figure slipped inside. As soon as the shadow entered, it looked around carefully with sharp grey eyes. Seeing the room empty, the figure pulled down its hoodie and adjusted its hair. A mask covered its face, but its glowing grey eyes shone brightly in the dark.

Looking around the room, the stranger walked to the table and drank water from the glass. While doing so, their eyes landed on the chocolate. A crooked smile appeared on their face, and they picked it up and started eating it.

They had only taken two bites when suddenly—

“That’s my chocolate, you thief!” came a voice, shrieking.

Startled, the figure froze mid-bite. Their grey eyes darkened.

To be continued...

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So guys, this is my s firsr story! Yes, I really hope you enjoy this one too. Stay tuned for the next part!

Shivi…..

💗

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Let me know if you'd like help editing or continuing the story!