It was past midnight in the hostel common room. A dim tube light buzzed overhead. Three friends sat close together — Krishnan, Gajendar, and Aman. Their voices were low, as though the walls themselves were listening.
Aman (nervous):
"Yaar, I still don't get it. Aryan just… left? Packed his bag in the middle of the night and never came back? Who does that?"
Krishnan (hesitant):
"People say he had… an encounter. But honestly, I don't know if I should even tell you guys. It sounds… unreal."
Aman (half-whisper):
"Don't do this, Krishnan. Now I'm already getting chills. Just say it—what happened?"
Gajendar (leaning forward):
"Wait. If it's about the woman… I believe it. Don't look at me like that, Krishnan. You know I had something happen in my room weeks ago. That 'krrkk' sound, the woman near my desk. Since that day, I never—never—leave my door open. Day or night. Even for a second."
Aman's eyes widened. He pulled his hoodie tighter.
Aman:
"Don't start again, Gajju… I barely sleep as it is. Just tell us what happened to Aryan, Krishnan. Please."
Krishnan (after a pause):
"Fine. But don't blame me if you can't walk down the corridor alone tonight."
The room fell silent. Even the buzzing tube light seemed to fade as Krishnan spoke.
Krishnan (slowly):
"That night, Aryan left his room around 1:30. He said he had to use the loo. The corridor was empty, but he noticed something—the lights. They flickered once. He thought it was nothing. You know how these old fittings are."
Aman (muttering):
"Yeah… they flicker all the time."
Krishnan (ignoring him):
"But as he walked towards the bathroom, he saw one of the toilet doors creak open. No one was inside. Just the door swinging… slowly. He didn't think much—he was half asleep. So he went in, finished, and was about to leave."
Krishnan's voice dropped lower.
Krishnan:
"That's when it started. The lights began flickering faster. Not normal—like someone was playing with the switch. On. Off. On. Off. And in between those flashes… he saw her."
Aman swallowed hard. Gajendar's jaw tightened.
Krishnan:
"She was standing near the water filter. A woman. Still. Almost blending with the shadows. At first he thought it was some senior, maybe pranking him. But then… she turned her face."
Krishnan leaned closer to them, whispering the words as if afraid to say them too loudly.
Krishnan:
"Her eyes… they were blank. White. No pupils. Just empty. He said when the light flickered, her face looked pale, stretched… like she wasn't human anymore. She just stood there, staring. And then, when the light flashed again, she was a step closer."
Aman (shaking):
"Don't… don't say step closer like that, yaar…"
Krishnan:
"He ran. Didn't even breathe. Sprinting back to his room, he slammed the door, locked it, and didn't come out till morning. Next day… he packed his bags and left IIM Bodhgaya. He didn't give notice, didn't call anyone. Just left."
The three sat in silence. The tube light buzzed again, this time with a faint flicker. Aman's face went pale as his eyes darted to the ceiling.
Aman (whispering):
"Krishnan… was Aryan the only one? Or… are we next?"