3 AM
My cousin recently moved here from India. On a recent road trip exploring America, we were shooting shit and exchanging ghost stories and laughing at the similarities and differences between American ghost stories and Indian ghost stories when I asked her if she had ever experienced anything supernatural. Her eyes widened as she averted her eyes to the window. Just when the silence was getting too much for me she softly responded "Yes. A few. One was troubling."
When I was a second year in college. I stayed at an all-girl hostel. I made many friends. We were all very happy to be in school away from our conservative parents. The hostel was so much fun but it was a very old building. Electricity was only just put in the rooms. Sometimes, candles were placed along the windows if a watchman was present but normally once you left the room you were faced with complete darkness. It's common to wake up someone if you needed to walk down to the restroom at the end of the hall. We all had a childish fear of being alone in the dark.
One night, I had to use the restroom.
It was about 3am.
I went to my friend's bed and tapped her on the arm. She immediately opened her eyes as soon as I touched her. I apologised for bothering and told her I need to pee. She smiled and hopped out of bed. All the way down the hallway she laughed and danced. I could not see her but her bangles clacked together loudly and the bells on her anklets jingled softly. It was very calming. I laughed and sashayed my hips down the hallway with her too tired to match elaborate arm movements. She said nothing to me though occasionally she would hum her favourite Bollywood songs. The same thing happened on our return, I fell asleep easily.
I awoke fairly late the next morning to the sound of men in our room. They surrounded her bed. I bolted from my bed prepared to protect my friend when I realised they were administrators of the college. I peered over closer. My friend's lifeless eyes were fixated on my bed the same smile on her face. Suicide.
Her time was 11:30pm almost 4 hours before I woke her.