The part of the jungle where Shadow was born still left a deep emptiness in his heart.
His mother, a beautiful, strong leopardess, had passed away while giving birth to him.
Shadow had never felt his mother's touch, never heard the lullaby, never experienced the safety of the corner that every child deserves.
He had taken his first breath in loneliness.
Perhaps that's why, when Aarohi had picked him up in her arms for the first time, he had felt for the first time like he was 'someone's' , something that was his own.
Time passed.
Aarohi was now 14 years old quick, mischievous, and utterly curious.
Her parents were a little concerned about her obsession with the jungle, but they didn't know that every time she went into the forest, someone else was looking out for her.
Shadow, now a fully grown leopard, had become her shadow.
Every time Aarohi ventured out alone, Shadow watched her from a distance. If a snake crossed her path, Shadow would reach there first.
Once, a pack of wandering wild dogs had approached her, but before they could attack, a powerful roar from the leopard shook the whole area.
Aarohi never saw Shadow... but she often felt it, as if someone was watching over her.
Sometimes, she would speak into the air softly,
"I know you're there, aren't you?"
And Shadow, perched on a branch, would silently watch, his heart filled with an odd kind of pulse.
He had never learned the human language, but Aarohi's voice, her laughter, her sorrow, he understood all of it.
One night, when Aarohi was sitting alone near her home, she looked towards the trees and said,
"I don't know why, but I feel like someone is always watching me..."
She smiled and then added,
"If you really are out there, just stay my friend, never leave."
Shadow's breath grew heavy.
He had not left… and perhaps, he never would.
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