I was laying in the darkness waiting for Kavya and Omkara to be asleep. As soon as I was sure they are asleep, I sat up and took my laptop. I opened Facebook and searched for Ishana, I didn't knew her full name. After searching a lot, I found her as there was her profile picture. She had named herself as Ishana Maheshwari. I clicked on it and scrolled down her wall. I saw her photo with a man which I easily guessed that it is her father, the person who posted this picture was named as Ashwin Bhatia, it had a caption, 'Miss you bubbly.' Why miss you? I was in deep thoughts and sighed heavily.
I scrolled down more and saw a post of Janvi Bhatia, she might be her mother, it had Ishana's childhood pic with her which also had a caption, 'Miss you my little girl.' Why the hell is everyone just saying miss you? The most strange thing was there wasn't a single comment of hers on the posts. Maybe she was inactive. I scrolled down more and there was a picture posted by Tamanna Bhatia in which she was there with a girl and it also had a caption, 'sisters forever.'
I scrolled a little more and saw Shantanu Maheshwari's post. It said, 'You are my first friend in heaven, rest in peace.' I gasped reading the post. No.. No.. No.. What does this mean? I should message all of them to know the matter. Firstly I messaged Shantanu, I wrote, 'hey, its something regarding Ishana, m her friend, call me ASAP.' And I wrote my number. I closed my laptop. The posts weren't of today, they were of two three days before. I sighed.
Wait, is Ishana really dead? Then how she came to us? Did she fake her own death? If yes, why no blood came out when the glass pierced her skin? I laid myself to sleep in distress. I was getting strange dreams. Sometimes I would be laying on the floor paralyzed as she took him away. Sometimes, I might be running after them as he ran away with Ishana and Kavya but then many cars come on my way and they would trespass them leaving me behind. It was strange.
Sometimes I would be thrown in the sea and would struggle to swim but then I would drown sinking in the depth of the sea hitting the surface letting my eyes drool as my hair rose up blocking my vision. I woke up from the series of dreams I was having. I drank water to calm myself and convinced myself to sleep again. But just when I laid to sleep, I sunk into sleep paralysis. The more I struggled, the more I sunk into it, I was pushed into the mattress. I focused on my breathing. I was in panic.
I tried to shout but just my lips moved and no voice came out. I couldn't move. I had a weight on my whole body. Tears rolled down my cheeks, I've never felt so helpless in my whole life. I was blinded by a bright light and closed my eyes, I saw Priya. "Om Namah Shivaaye, I'm Namah Shivaaye," she chanted over and over again and finally I was freed. I wiped my tears and sweat. I smiled at her and drank plenty of water. A bright light like a doorway appeared behind her and she was about to enter her own world.
Priya☝
I stopped her. "Priya stop," I said, she turned to me and the light doorway disappeared. I got off the bed. "Priya, tell me how you and Neil died?" I asked and she started to walk away asking me to follow her. I continued to follow her, she stopped at the terrace. "When you all died, I had no will to live, Neil was getting hopeless about me, you know Neil was a lonely person, all he had was us just like Shlok, mom had no other option to make me fine so she made me marry Neil to give us both the support we need."
She sighed and continued. "Neil used to make me happy by giving me surprises, taking me on outings, after one year, I even got pregnant, and to celebrate this happiness, we went to different places everyday as our family was about to be complete," she said and a tear rolled down her cheek. "But then one day..." her voice trailed off as tears fell down from her eyes. "We both had went to a garden and we were chilling, but when did we knew that such an incident will happen that everything will be taken away." She said and disappeared not wanting to recall those days. "Priya!" I screamed trying to stop her, I walked back sadly to my room.
Next morning, we all sat to have breakfast, I was scared by last night. I saw Omkara and Ishana sitting together, he stood up and went away not wanting to talk to her. I followed him to the kitchen and saw him peeling an orange, he took a slice and squeezed it in his eye and winced as it might be burning, he went to her again. I will kill this bitch one day losing my control. "Actually Ishana, I am suffering from eye infection, I don't want you to get affected," he said rubbing his eye. "Oh God, show," she said and he did, she blew on his eyes. I went to them and held his face blowing on his eyes and took him with me, I helped him feel better. "Thanks Gauri, this bitch, uff, a little..," he said and pressed his index finger on his forehead and I laughed. When we were finished with breakfast, we retired to our rooms but Ishana and Omkara were talking as if they know each other since a long time. I took my phone and hid behind a pole taking their pics. My phone automatically wrote the day and time the picture was taken. When Ishana stood up to leave, I kept my phone on the ear pretending to talk to someone. 'Hallo, Shantanu Maheshwari there? Ishana is here.'
I spoke loudly to make her hear but she didn't even listen and went. I was really angry and went to Omkara. 'Hello Om, you're a little..,' I said and pressed my index finger on my forehead smiling at him, we had a good laugh and he went from there. Just then, Pinky aunty, my MIL came to me. 'Beta, Priyanka is coming today to stay with us for few days, keep the spare room ready for her,' she said and I planned on not unlocking my previous bedroom but some other locked room. 'OK aunty,' I said, she stopped me.
'Promise me you will call me mom from today?' she asked and I smiled. 'OK mom,' I said and hugged her. 'I know what has been bothering you so that is why I called Prinku as she can solve your problem, this goddess of darkness Ishana is trying to fill your life with darkness but don't worry, if you both love each other, Ishana will only be a third person or other girl forever,' she said and I smiled. 'Mom thank you. Love you,' I said and hugged her again. I cleaned up the spare room neatly for Prinku.
Prinku is Omkara's little sister by the way, sweetest sister in law, helpful, joyful, chirpy and full of life, she always has a smile on her face. When she came and was done with chit chat, we sat to talk about my problem. 'Look Prinku, these are the glass pieces which went inside her skin but no blood nor any DNA, and the posts on her wall on Facebook are giving me disturbing thoughts,' I told her and she kept on looking at the glass piece and gasped, she looked at me worriedly scaring the hell out of me.