One day, Kalpak was strolled down the bustling street, lost in his thoughts, when an unexpected encounter shattered his peaceful reverie. A stranger, cloaked in mystery with dark sunglasses and a black mask, approached him stealthily from behind. Before Kalpak could react, the cold touch of metal of a gun against his back sent a shockwave of fear coursing through him. Trembling and paralyzed with fear, he listened as the stranger's voice cut through the air.
"I don't want to hurt you. Just let me do what I need to do," the stranger's words echoed ominously.
Frozen in place, Kalpak could only nod weakly in compliance as the stranger slipped something into his back pocket. With a final instruction to remain silent, the mysterious figure vanished into the crowd, leaving Kalpak shaken and bewildered.
Barely able to process what had just transpired, Kalpak's legs moved of their own accord, carrying him swiftly homeward. Bursting through the front door, he sprinted to his room and slammed the door shut behind him.
His mother, alarmed by his sudden entrance and the palpable tension in the air, rushed to his side, concern etched across her face.
"Kalpak, what happened? Are you okay?" she implored, her voice laced with worry.
But Kalpak remained silent, his mind racing with the surreal events of moments ago. His hand instinctively reached into his back pocket, retrieving a small, black pouch—the very object the stranger had left behind. With trembling fingers, he cautiously opened it, half-expecting the unknown to leap out at him.
Instead, he was greeted by a brilliant, radiant orange light that momentarily blinded him. As his eyes adjusted, Kalpak beheld a smooth, glossy orange marble nestled within the pouch. Its glow seemed to pulse faintly, casting an otherworldly aura in the dimness of his room.
"What is this?" Kalpak whispered aloud, his voice tinged with a mixture of fear and curiosity. He turned the marble over in his hands, examining its flawless surface, searching for any clue to unravel the mystery that had suddenly entwined his life.
Questions flooded his mind like a torrential downpour. Who was the stranger? Why did he give this to me? What did this marble signify, and what purpose did it serve?
As the hours slipped by, Kalpak remained seated on the edge of his bed, his thoughts consumed by uncertainty and apprehension. The world outside continued its usual rhythm, oblivious to the turmoil brewing within his room. Yet, for Kalpak, everything had irrevocably changed with the arrival of that enigmatic gift from a stranger in the shadows.
Kalpak spent the entire night in a state of restless contemplation, his mind consumed by the mysterious orange marble. "What does it want from me?" he wondered repeatedly, his thoughts swirling with unanswered questions. "Should I keep it? Should I get rid of it?"
In the morning, he decided to put the marble out of his mind and focus on his daily routine. He carefully placed the marble in his drawer, hoping to forget about it as he prepared for college. Yet, despite his efforts to distract himself, the marble and the enigmatic stranger who seemed to send it plagued his thoughts throughout the day.
Two days passed without incident, but the tension within Kalpak only grew. Returning home from college, he entered his room and began to freshen up, preparing to settle down for some much-needed study. As he opened his bag, a blinding orange light greeted him. There, nestled amidst his books and notes, was the orange marble once again.
Trembling uncontrollably, Kalpak's hands shook as he reached for the marble. Panic gripped his chest, and his heart raced faster with each passing moment. The room seemed to spin around him as fear and confusion overwhelmed his senses. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he struggled to catch his breath.
Unable to withstand the mounting tension, Kalpak collapsed onto the floor, his vision fading into darkness as unconsciousness claimed him.
When he finally regained consciousness, he found himself lying on his bed, weak and disoriented. His mother stood by his side, her expression filled with concern and relief.
"Kalpak, you're awake," she murmured softly, gently urging him to remain lying down.
Struggling to gather his thoughts, Kalpak managed to ask, "Where is the marble?"
His mother looked at him, perplexed. "What marble?" she inquired, her brow furrowing in confusion.
Kalpak's heart sank. "The orange marble... It was here," he stammered, his voice trembling with anxiety.
His mother shook her head gently. "I haven't seen any marble, Kalpak. You've been unconscious for almost 15 hours. You must have been dreaming," she reassured him, her voice calm and soothing.
Kalpak's mind raced with conflicting emotions—fear, disbelief, and a gnawing sense of uncertainty. Had it all been a dream? Or was there something more to the marbles and the strange occurrences?
Kalpak's heart raced as he scanned the room, his eyes darting from corner to corner in frantic search. He checked under the bed, rummaged through his bag, and meticulously searched every drawer. He even peeked into the washroom, hoping to find the elusive marble.
But despite his thorough efforts, the orange marble seemed to have vanished into thin air. Kalpak felt a surge of panic rising within him. Where could it have gone?
Suddenly, his mother noticed something unusual. "Why haven't you opened your fist? It's been a while," she observed gently.
Kalpak slowly opened his hand, and to his immense relief, there lay the orange marble, nestled in his palm. He let out a sigh of relief, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly.
"Thank God, I thought I lost it," he whispered, more to himself than to his mother.
His mother regarded him curiously. "What's so special about it? I could easily buy you a new one. Silly child..." she whispered affectionately.
Kalpak hesitated, unsure of how to explain the inexplicable. "How should I tell you... This is not a ordinary marble," he whispered, his voice barely above a murmur.
"This is not a ordinary marble."
It's been three days since he got that second marble.
Kalpak's mother came to his room with a cup of coffee and knocked gently on the door.
"Kalpak, honey, open the door. I've brought you some coffee. Drink it, you'll feel refreshed," she called out softly.
Kalpak sighed deeply. "Please, Mom, leave me alone for a while. I'll drink it later."
"Alright, come out and eat after a while," his mother replied affectionately before walking away.
"Yeah, yeah, go now," Kalpak muttered as he heard her footsteps recede down the hallway.
Kalpak slowly got up from his bed and sat on the edge. His gaze fell upon the marbles wrapped in black cloth, a constant reminder of the strange occurrences of the past few days. He was particularly anxious about the two marbles that had arrived from an unknown person and dreaded the thought of a third one appearing.
Suddenly, a marble slipped in from under the door with a soft clink. Kalpak froze in panic, his heart racing as he quickly picked up the marble from the floor. He held it in his trembling hands, recognizing it instantly as the third marble.
After half an hour of contemplation, he concluded that this could be a prank. Despite the fear gnawing at him, he reasoned that someone might be playing a cruel joke on him. Yet, deep down, he couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling that there was something more to these marbles.
Kalpak carefully placed the third marble with the others in the drawer, wrapping it securely in the black cloth. He needed time to think, to plan his next move, and to unravel the mystery that seemed to be unfolding around him.