It started with a message.
Not unusual—just another late-night ping while Aarav scrolled endlessly through his phone in his dimly lit room. The clock read 2:13 AM. Outside, Delhi was silent except for the occasional bark of a stray dog.
“Are you awake?”
The sender had no name. Just a number.
Aarav frowned.
“Yeah. Who’s this?” he typed back.
Three dots appeared instantly.
Then disappeared.
Then appeared again.
Finally:
“You shouldn’t be alone.”
Aarav smirked. Probably a prank. Maybe one of his friends trying to scare him.
“Nice try. Who is this?” he replied.
No response.
He waited. Nothing.
Shrugging it off, he locked his phone and leaned back. The room felt oddly colder now. He rubbed his arms and turned his attention to his laptop.
Then—another notification.
Image received.
Aarav clicked it.
His stomach dropped.
It was a photo of his room.
Not an old one. Not from social media.
It was taken just seconds ago—from behind him.
His chair creaked as he slowly turned around.
Nothing.
Just his half-open wardrobe, the shadow stretching unnaturally long across the floor.
His heart began to pound.
He typed quickly:
“WHO ARE YOU?”
The reply came instantly this time.
“Look again.”
Aarav stood up. Every instinct screamed at him to run, but curiosity—or something darker—held him in place.
He walked toward the wardrobe.
The door moved slightly.
Not by wind.
From inside.
His breath hitched.
He reached out… fingers trembling… and pulled it open.
Empty.
Clothes. Shoes. Nothing else.
He exhaled sharply, half laughing at himself.
“This is stupid,” he muttered.
Then his phone buzzed again.
Another image.
He looked.
This time, it was a photo of him—standing in front of the wardrobe… staring inside.
But the angle was wrong.
This time, it was taken from inside the wardrobe.
Aarav stumbled back, dropping his phone.
“No… no… no…”
The room lights flickered.
Once. Twice.
Then went out completely.
Darkness swallowed everything.
His phone screen lit up again on the floor.
“Don’t turn around.”
Aarav froze.
His breathing grew loud in his ears.
Something… was behind him.
He could feel it.
A presence. Cold. Watching.
His mind screamed: Run.
But his body refused.
Slowly… uncontrollably… his head began to turn.
His phone buzzed violently now, screen flashing.
“I told you not to.”
And then—
A whisper.
Right next to his ear.
“Now I see you too.”
The next morning, Aarav’s parents knocked on his door.
No answer.
They pushed it open.
The room was empty.
His phone lay on the floor.
Still unlocked.
Still glowing.
One final message on the screen:
“Last seen: 2:17 AM”
