Riya was a simple and beautiful woman. It was her day off, and she was in the kitchen, happily preparing Arjun’s favorite meal. Arjun, her husband, was working from home — seated on the living room sofa with his laptop in front of him, focused on his screen.
Suddenly — Ding dong.
The doorbell rang.
Riya, in the middle of stirring something on the stove, called out, “Can you get that, Arjun? I’m in the kitchen.”
Arjun got up and walked to the door. A delivery boy stood there, holding a box.
“Delivery for Riya Sharma,” he said.
Arjun took the box, puzzled. “Riya, did you order something?”
Without looking away from her cooking, she replied, “No. Maybe you did?”
Arjun frowned. “Nope… but it has your name on it.”
Riya wiped her hands and brought the food to the table, then walked over to the sofa. “Let me see. What is it?”
Arjun held the box out. “Here. Take a look.”
“Later,” Riya said. “Let’s eat first. I made this with so much love.”
“I just want to see what’s inside.”
“Then open it yourself.”
“I can’t. It’s addressed to you. I shouldn’t open it without asking.”
“Fine, I’ll do it,” she said with a playful roll of her eyes.
Riya opened the box. Inside was a small, simple pendant. Plain silver, nothing flashy — just odd and unfamiliar.
Arjun looked at it and said, “Huh. That’s… really plain.”
“You’ve seen it now. Let’s eat before everything gets cold.”
They sat at the table, smiling. But the moment they lifted the lids off the dishes — their expressions changed.
The food was rotten. Worms crawled through it. A foul smell filled the air.
Riya screamed in disgust and fear. “What happened to the food?!”
---
Evening fell.
The strange incident had left a shadow in the house. But life moved on. Both were busy with their work.
“Arjun,” Riya called out, “don’t forget we have to attend your friend’s wedding tonight.”
“Yeah, I remember,” Arjun said from his desk, sounding disinterested. “But I don’t really feel like going.”
“Arjun, we have to. He’s done so much for us — we can’t just skip it.”
“Okay, fine.”
“Go get your clothes — the ones you sent for pressing.”
“I’ll go later.”
“No. Go now. You always say that and then panic at the last minute.”
“Alright, alright. I’m going.”
---
Next Scene:
Arjun returned with the clothes. The house was quiet. “Riya?” he called. No response.
He walked toward their bedroom when suddenly, he heard a man’s voice from behind the door:
“I love you… this time, you must come with me.”
Arjun froze. A man’s voice? In Riya’s room?
He knocked hard. “Riya! Who’s in there?! Open the door!”
The door was locked from the inside.
Arjun’s anger exploded. He banged on the door. “Riya!! Open up!!”
Moments later, the door creaked open. Riya stood there, wet, wrapped in a towel.
Arjun’s eyes were sharp. “Who was in there?”
Riya blinked. “What? No one. I was just taking a shower.”
“I heard a man’s voice. And the door was locked.”
“No… the door was open. As soon as I heard you, I came out.”
Arjun stared at her, furious but confused. Without a word, he walked away.
---
Later, Riya sat alone, lost in thought.
“First the food rotted… then that strange letter inside the box… and now Arjun’s behavior. Something is terribly wrong. But what?”
---
Night fell completely.
They were both dressed and ready for the wedding.
Riya called out from the hallway, “Arjun! Hurry up!”
He was in the upstairs storage room, looking for something.
“Arjun, come on!” she called again.
Frustrated, Arjun rushed down the stairs — but suddenly, his foot slipped.
He was about to fall — when something caught him.
A shadow.
It held him — lifted him — and softly whispered in his ear:
“It’s not time yet…”
---
Arjun and Riya screamed in shock.
“What was that?!”
They rushed toward the main door, trying to leave. But slam! — the doors locked on their own.
Even the windows shut tight, as if controlled by some invisible force.
Riya (shivering): “Arjun, what’s happening?!”
Arjun (breathing fast): “I don’t know. But we need to get out — now!”
Suddenly, a dark shadow began swirling around them — circling faster and faster.
With every circle, a voice echoed:
“I love you so much…”
“I love you so much…”
Over and over — louder each time.
The lights flickered. The wind howled through the house.
Riya backed against the wall, trembling. Arjun held her protectively.
The shadow moved — sometimes on the ceiling, sometimes across the walls, and then hovered dangerously close to their faces.
---
Midnight struck.
DONG… DONG…
The heavy, echoing chime of the clock filled the room.
Arjun, shielding Riya behind him, looked up — the shadow now stood right in front of him.
It whispered in a deep, chilling voice:
“Now… the time has come…”
Riya’s eyes widened in horror.
Something shimmered in Arjun’s shirt pocket — the same pendant Riya had thrown away.
How… how was it back?
They both stared at it — confused, terrified.
The shadow leaned in closer and whispered:
“I love you… only you… You’re mine… Come with me…”
And in the blink of an eye —
the shadow slashed Arjun’s throat.
Blood gushed out. It painted the floor red.
Riya let out a piercing scream.
And just like that —
the shadow disappeared into the air… like a cold, lifeless breeze.Title: The Love of a Shadow (Parchhai Ka Pyar)
(English Version – Final, 1200 words)
Riya was a simple and beautiful woman. It was her day off, and she was in the kitchen, happily preparing Arjun’s favorite meal. Arjun, her husband, was working from home — seated on the living room sofa with his laptop in front of him, focused on his screen.
Suddenly — Ding dong.
The doorbell rang.
Riya, in the middle of stirring something on the stove, called out, “Can you get that, Arjun? I’m in the kitchen.”
Arjun got up and walked to the door. A delivery boy stood there, holding a box.
“Delivery for Riya Sharma,” he said.
Arjun took the box, puzzled. “Riya, did you order something?”
Without looking away from her cooking, she replied, “No. Maybe you did?”
Arjun frowned. “Nope… but it has your name on it.”
Riya wiped her hands and brought the food to the table, then walked over to the sofa. “Let me see. What is it?”
Arjun held the box out. “Here. Take a look.”
“Later,” Riya said. “Let’s eat first. I made this with so much love.”
“I just want to see what’s inside.”
“Then open it yourself.”
“I can’t. It’s addressed to you. I shouldn’t open it without asking.”
“Fine, I’ll do it,” she said with a playful roll of her eyes.
Riya opened the box. Inside was a small, simple pendant. Plain silver, nothing flashy — just odd and unfamiliar.
Arjun looked at it and said, “Huh. That’s… really plain.”
“You’ve seen it now. Let’s eat before everything gets cold.”
They sat at the table, smiling. But the moment they lifted the lids off the dishes — their expressions changed.
The food was rotten. Worms crawled through it. A foul smell filled the air.
Riya screamed in disgust and fear. “What happened to the food?!”
---
Evening fell.
The strange incident had left a shadow in the house. But life moved on. Both were busy with their work.
“Arjun,” Riya called out, “don’t forget we have to attend your friend’s wedding tonight.”
“Yeah, I remember,” Arjun said from his desk, sounding disinterested. “But I don’t really feel like going.”
“Arjun, we have to. He’s done so much for us — we can’t just skip it.”
“Okay, fine.”
“Go get your clothes — the ones you sent for pressing.”
“I’ll go later.”
“No. Go now. You always say that and then panic at the last minute.”
“Alright, alright. I’m going.”
---
Next Scene:
Arjun returned with the clothes. The house was quiet. “Riya?” he called. No response.
He walked toward their bedroom when suddenly, he heard a man’s voice from behind the door:
“I love you… this time, you must come with me.”
Arjun froze. A man’s voice? In Riya’s room?
He knocked hard. “Riya! Who’s in there?! Open the door!”
The door was locked from the inside.
Arjun’s anger exploded. He banged on the door. “Riya!! Open up!!”
Moments later, the door creaked open. Riya stood there, wet, wrapped in a towel.
Arjun’s eyes were sharp. “Who was in there?”
Riya blinked. “What? No one. I was just taking a shower.”
“I heard a man’s voice. And the door was locked.”
“No… the door was open. As soon as I heard you, I came out.”
Arjun stared at her, furious but confused. Without a word, he walked away.
---
Later, Riya sat alone, lost in thought.
“First the food rotted… then that strange letter inside the box… and now Arjun’s behavior. Something is terribly wrong. But what?”
---
Night fell completely.
They were both dressed and ready for the wedding.
Riya called out from the hallway, “Arjun! Hurry up!”
He was in the upstairs storage room, looking for something.
“Arjun, come on!” she called again.
Frustrated, Arjun rushed down the stairs — but suddenly, his foot slipped.
He was about to fall — when something caught him.
A shadow.
It held him — lifted him — and softly whispered in his ear:
“It’s not time yet…”
---
Arjun and Riya screamed in shock.
“What was that?!”
They rushed toward the main door, trying to leave. But slam! — the doors locked on their own.
Even the windows shut tight, as if controlled by some invisible force.
Riya (shivering): “Arjun, what’s happening?!”
Arjun (breathing fast): “I don’t know. But we need to get out — now!”
Suddenly, a dark shadow began swirling around them — circling faster and faster.
With every circle, a voice echoed:
“I love you so much…”
“I love you so much…”
Over and over — louder each time.
The lights flickered. The wind howled through the house.
Riya backed against the wall, trembling. Arjun held her protectively.
The shadow moved — sometimes on the ceiling, sometimes across the walls, and then hovered dangerously close to their faces.
---
Midnight struck.
DONG… DONG…
The heavy, echoing chime of the clock filled the room.
Arjun, shielding Riya behind him, looked up — the shadow now stood right in front of him.
It whispered in a deep, chilling voice:
“Now… the time has come…”
Riya’s eyes widened in horror.
Something shimmered in Arjun’s shirt pocket — the same pendant Riya had thrown away.
How… how was it back?
They both stared at it — confused, terrified.
The shadow leaned in closer and whispered:
“I love you… only you… You’re mine… Come with me…”
And in the blink of an eye —
the shadow slashed Arjun’s throat.
Blood gushed out. It painted the floor red.
Riya let out a piercing scream.
And just like that —
the shadow disappeared into the air… like a cold, lifeless breeze.
