BETWEEN BOOKS AND BILLIONAIRES

Chapter 4: The Forgotten Portrait

As Priya and Aman step into the hidden room, the air is thick with dust and mystery. They survey the shelves filled with old books, faded maps, and trinkets from years past. Aman picks up a worn, leather-bound journal, flipping through its pages, while Priya’s attention is drawn to a framed black-and-white photo on the wall.

She steps closer, squinting in the dim light. Her breath catches as she realizes something shocking—the girl in the photograph looks exactly like her. Same features, same intense expression, almost as if she were staring at her own reflection through a window to the past.

“What is it?” Aman asks, noticing her frozen expression.

She points at the photograph, her voice barely a whisper. “That girl… she looks just like me.”

Aman steps beside her, studying the picture with curiosity. "Whoa," he murmurs, genuinely surprised. "Are you sure that’s not, like, a distant relative or something?"

Priya shakes her head slowly. "I don’t know. I’ve never seen this picture before."

As they both stare at the photo, Aman notices a peculiar detail—the girl in the photo is wearing a delicate pendant, a small charm with an intricate symbol carved into it. Just then, Priya feels something in her pocket. She pulls it out and realizes it’s the very same pendant, the one she found on the library floor just moments ago.

Her hand trembles slightly as she holds it up for Aman to see. "This… this was on the floor when we were leaving," she says, her voice shaky. "It’s the same one she’s wearing."

Aman’s playful demeanor vanishes as he stares at the pendant. His fingers reach out, brushing against hers as he examines the charm. For a brief moment, they’re both completely absorbed, their hands touching, their breaths coming a little quicker as the reality of this strange discovery sinks in.

"Okay," Aman says finally, looking at her with genuine concern. "This is getting a little… creepy."

Priya nods, still staring at the pendant. "I don’t know what it means, but it feels… important, somehow." She looks up at him, her eyes vulnerable. "I’m not sure what to make of this."

Aman places a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, we’ll figure it out. Maybe we can dig around, see if there’s any info about this place and who she was."

Priya’s surprised by the warmth of his touch, and for a moment, she forgets everything except the intensity in his eyes. "Thanks," she whispers. "I… I appreciate it."

They share a quiet moment in the dimly lit room, the mystery of the past drawing them closer. As they stand there, Priya feels an inexplicable connection to both the girl in the photograph and to Aman, who’s there beside her, uncharacteristically serious and supportive.

But then suddenly they hear footsteps approaching. Fear rises in both of them as they realize they aren’t alone in the library after all.

Fear grips Aman and Priya as they hear footsteps descending the staircase. They quickly hide behind a large bookshelf, pressing themselves against the wall to avoid being seen. The footsteps come closer, and they hold their breath, listening intently.

"Hello? Is anyone down there?" a voice calls out. It's a man's voice, deep and unfamiliar.

Aman and Priya exchange a worried glance. They don't recognize the voice, and they're not sure what to do. If they stay hidden, the man might eventually go away. But if they try to escape, they might make a noise and alert him to their presence.

The footsteps move around the room above them, getting closer to the hidden staircase. Aman and Priya can hear the man breathing, and they can feel the tension in the air.

Suddenly, the footsteps stop right above the staircase. The man is standing still, listening. Aman and Priya hold their breath, not daring to move.

After a few tense seconds, the footsteps start to move away again. The man is leaving! Aman and Priya let out a sigh of relief as they listen to his footsteps receding into the distance.

They wait a few minutes to make sure that the man is gone, then they quickly emerge from their hiding place. They're both shaken by what just happened, and they're not sure what to do next.

"What was that all about?" Priya whispers.

"I don't know," Aman says, "but I don't like it. I think we should get out of here."

Priya nods in agreement. They quickly gather their things and head back upstairs. When they reach the main floor of the library, they find that the lights are back on and the door is unlocked.

They hurry out of the library and into the night air, both of them feeling a sense of relief and unease. They don't know who the man was or what he was looking for, but they're both glad that they managed to escape without being discovered.

As they walk home, Aman and Priya talk about what happened. They agree that they need to be more careful, and they decide to keep their investigation into the library a secret.

But even though they're both scared, they're also excited. They've stumbled upon a mystery, and they're both determined to solve it.

To be continued....