That afternoon, after a light lunch, Arvika and Tanishka stepped out again.
They wanted to shop for warm clothes—sweaters and shawls for home.
Though Kolakham's market was small, it was crowded and lively.
The two friends entered a local garment store and started browsing separately.
Suddenly, Tanishka wandered off to a corner of the store.
She stood still—murmuring something under her breath, her lips moving, eyes half-closed, her face twisted in a strange expression.
It was as if she was chanting… in a language that didn't belong to either of them.
Arvika called from behind with a chuckle,
"Hey! What are you muttering? I can't understand a word. Say it loud!"
Startled, Tanishka snapped out of it.
Her eyes looked… off. Something wasn't right.
But she simply said,
"It's nothing."
Without suspecting much, Arvika bought a few sweaters for her parents, and the two of them returned to the hotel.
---
But from that moment on, Tanishka's behavior began to change—
subtly at first… then disturbingly.
She would randomly laugh.
Then whisper gibberish.
Or stand silently in the corner of the room—unblinking.
Arvika couldn't handle it anymore.
Frightened and helpless, she ran straight down to the hotel lobby for help.
By some stroke of fate, Aarush was there.
Seeing Arvika so shaken, he rushed to her.
"What happened? Why are you trembling?"
Arvika, her voice trembling, told him everything.
Aarush immediately called in a local doctor.
The doctor arrived within minutes and gave Tanishka a mild sedative to help her sleep.
That night, Arvika didn't eat.
She didn't sleep either.
She sat by her best friend's side, wide awake… holding on.
---
Next Morning
Tanishka woke up.
She smiled. She laughed. She chatted.
As if nothing had ever happened.
Arvika let out a long breath of relief.
"Maybe she was just unwell yesterday… It's fine now."
By midday, the two girls stepped out again.
The air was lighter. Things felt normal again.
Until dusk.
As the sun dipped and shadows returned… so did the change.
Tanishka's eyes turned crimson.
Her face hardened.
She bit her lower lip like she was holding something back—something terrifying.
Arvika, now clearly irritated, snapped at her,
"Are you okay or not? What's with all this weird behavior?"
And before she could hold herself back, Arvika gave Tanishka a light push in frustration.
But what came next—
was hell unchained.
Tanishka screamed.
"How dare you touch me? Do you even know who I am?"
Arvika backed away, tears welling in her eyes—not from guilt, but from fear.
Tanishka's face was contorted, inhuman.
And her voice… it was no longer hers.
It was deeper. Masculine. Monstrous.
"I will take your friend.
And you…
can do nothing to stop it."
Arvika gritted her teeth and shouted back,
"Leave my best friend alone! I'm warning you…"
She fled the room and ran to the balcony, hands trembling.
With shaky fingers, she dialed her mother's number.
"Maa… tell me something… is there any way? Any chant or prayer that can drive away evil spirits?"
Her mother was just about to ask what was wrong…
But Arvika cut the call.
---
She returned to the room slowly, her body heavy with fear.
And then, standing before her possessed best friend—
she began to recite the Hanuman Chalisa aloud.
Nothing happened at first. Just silence.
But then…
Tanishka's body began to shake.
Her eyes rolled back.
Her skin paled… her face turned deathly white.
She couldn't even scream—her voice seemed trapped inside her.
Finally, her body collapsed to the ground—unconscious.
---
That entire night, Arvika played the Hanuman Chalisa on repeat in their room.
She didn't know if it would help.
But deep inside, a war had begun—her against an unseen evil.
---
Next Morning
Once again, Tanishka woke up as if everything was normal.
Smiling. Talking.
No trace of the night before.
But Arvika had already made up her mind.
"We're going home. Today. I'm not staying another minute here."
She thought maybe going home would help heal her friend.
But Tanishka's face turned cold.
"I'm not leaving. I'll be staying here…
for three more days."
Arvika had no answer.
She just stood there—heart pounding, unsure of what she had truly brought back from the hills with her friend.
---
(To be continued…)