Rishbala Os - Whispers in the dark.

They looked up at the house. It was large...and beautiful. She smiled and looked at him. "So, do you like it?" She asked. "Yeah. Its pretty nice." He replied with a smile. "Let's go inside." She said and took out the keys from her handbag. He stood behind her as she opened the door. She pushed open the door as the door begrudgingly opened. She walked inside the house and he followed her keeping the door open to let sunlight in. The furniture was covered with white sheets. The walls showed black decay by neglect. Cobwebs covered the walls, spiders dreading towards their prey. She looked at him and said, "This place wasn't like now 8 years ago. I guess we will have to clean up everything to turn it like before." She said with a smile. He nodded as he walked towards the window and opened it. Folding his sleeves, he started to take off the covers from the furniture.

Two hours later, they sat on the sofa utterly exhausted. "I am hungry." Rishabh said. "It will take me time to cook lunch. Eat this for the while."Madhu said taking out a pack of chips from her handbag. "Thanks." Rishabh said as he started eating from it. "So, why did you leave this place huh? I mean it's big, nice and even far away from the city crowd." Rishabh asked keeping the packet aside. "I never got to know the reason why we left this place. I was 15 years then. All I remember is that it was a Saturday night, and mom came screaming from the kitchen. And then Mom had a brief conversation with Dad. And we left the next morning. I tried asking Mom about this, but she never told me the truth." She said as she looked at Rishabh. "Hmm..strange." Rishabh said scrunching his brows. "Anyways, it doesn't matter. Let's get back to work." Madhu said getting up. "Did you inform Mom-Dad about this, that we are shifting here?" Rishabh asked holding her hand. "Nah! They would never allow us to stay here if I tell them this." She said and walked towards the kitchen.

Rishabh sighed as he stood up and started unpacking their stuff. "Where is our room?" He asked. "Upstairs. The first room on the right." She said. He walked up the stairs. The stairs made a creaking sound as he climbed up. Each step intensified the creaking making him feel as if the staircase would collapse any moment. "Good that we would know if there would be a thief in the night." He mumbled chuckling. He gently pushed open the door of his new room and peeked inside. A musty, dank odour crept into his nose forcing him to pinch his nose. Quickly, he rushed to the window to grab some fresh air. After a matter of a few seconds he walked away from the window and started settling things inside the room.

Madhu stood in the kitchen as she made lunch humming a song. She looked at the window in front of her. She smiled as she started fixing her hair looking at her reflection. Suddenly she saw a reflection in the mirror. It wasn't hers. Her breath caught in her throat as her heart thumped against her chest. The air around turned cold as she stared at the reflection. "Trish?" Madhu whispered in a voice full of shock and horror. She immediately turned behind. But she didn't find anyone. She blinked twice as she tried to make out what just happened. Was that her imagination or was her friend actually present there. But how could she be there? She had just passed away 8 years ago. Then how?

"I have arranged our clothes in the wardrobe." Rishabh said as he walked down the stairs. Madhu looked up at him and gently nodded. After staring at the floor for a minute, she got back to cooking. Noticing the sudden change in her behavior, Rishabh walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "What's wrong?" He asked kissing her shoulder. "Nothing." She murmured. "Wont you tell your husband?" Rishabh asked making her face him. "There's nothing big Rishu. I..I just thought that I saw Trish here." Madhu said looking away. "Who Trish? Rishabh asked scrunching his brows. "She was my friend. She used to play with me here. She...She passed away long ago. A week after her death, mom and dad decided to leave this place. Maybe they wanted to forget her...maybe they wanted to move on. I..I saw her here Rishu. She was right here." Madhu said as she hugged him. "I know you love her Madhu. It was just hallucination...nothing else." Rishabh said ruffling her hair and she gently nodded.

"Trish...You here? How are you?" Madhu asked with tears flowing down her cheeks. "What do you think?" Trishna asked slightly chuckling. "I don't know Trish. All I know is that I missed you." Madhu said as she hugged her. All of a sudden, Trishna's grip on her tightened. "Trish...what are you doing? Leave me!" Madhu said as she felt suffocated. "I wont." Trishna whispered in her ear sending shivers down her spine. Trishna looked at her and said, "I wont leave you Madhu...I will always be with you!" She said with an evil smile.

Madhu woke up with a jerk with sweat beads covering her forehead. She looked beside herself and found her husband sleeping peacefully beside her. "I wont ever leave you...I will always be with you." Trishna's words haunted her and kept re playing in her mind like a recorder. Taking in a deep breath she lied down and tried to sleep.

Madhu was reading on the couch when she heard what sounded like footsteps from the kitchen. Her pulse ramped up. Its nothing' She told herself, I'm imagining things.

The past few days were crazy. She had been seeing her friend...dreaming about her, even feeling her breath near her. Every night Rishabh had to put her to sleep by consoling her. Deep inside her heart, she knew that something was wrong. But what?

The floorboard beside the stove groaned once. Twice. She froze- all her breath trapped. Her heart thumped against her chest. Rishabh wasn't home. He had started going to work a few days ago. Madhu knew that she was definitely not alone. Someone else was there in the house as well. Madhu kept aside her book, straining to hear, but her heart thumped too loudly and her breathing was harsh.

She crept into the kitchen. It was empty. No one could be seen there, yet her heart wouldn't settle. She knew that something wasn't right here. She could feel eyes on her. She could sense someone looking at her closely. She quickly grabbed a knife from the counter. That was when she saw a shape in the window, over the sink. A reflection. She whipped around, a cry breaking from her lips. But there was nothing, no one. Her pulse roared and confusion flashed through her. She threw a glance back at the window and realized that the reflection in the mirror was just herself.

"Madhu? Are you ok?" Rishabh asked as he splashed water on her face. She blinked her eyes and tried to adjust to the light around her. The last thing she could remember was when she felt someone's touch on her ankle. But she didn't even know whether that was actually happening to her. Was she turning crazy? There wasn't anyone in the house, then what was happening with her? What was that she was feeling from a few days? She managed to get up and looked at Rishabh.

"What happened to you? I found you lying in the kitchen." Rishabh asked concerned. "I don't know." Madhu murmured. "I..I am turning crazy. I see her everywhere, she even comes in my dreams telling me that she wont ever leave me. And from past few days, I have even started feeling her presence around me...her breathing sound..her footsteps. I am turning mad Rishu! She is here! Right here among us. But how can she be here? I just don't understand what's happening." She said as she buried her face into his chest.

It was Tuesday evening. She was sitting on the sofa staring at the wall. Things were changing...they were turning smoother. She hadn't seen Trishna from a few days now. "It was all my imagination." She said as she smiled. The phone rang. "Hello?" She said picking up but no one replied. She hanged up and sat on the couch as she switched on the Tv. After half an hour she decided to go to the kitchen to prepare dinner. As she passed the bathroom, the pounding started on the door. There was someone inside. But who? "Help me! Someone help me!" Came screams from the bathroom sending a shiver down Madhu's spine.

She ran into the kitchen and called Rishabh. She grabbed a large kitchen knife and headed over to the bathroom where the screams were still going on. Madhu burst into the bathroom. Time stopped as she looked around. It looked like a bomb of blood had exploded. She stood there motionless. There was no one in the room. She looked behind the door and saw the blood curdling messages on the wall.

It said,

I am behind you.'

The door flew open as Rishabh ran inside. "Madhu, are you alright?" He asked as he caressed her cheek. She looked at him as tears rolled down her cheeks. "She is here Rishu." She said as she hugged him tightly. "Shh.." He whispered as he tried to console her. He picked her up and started walking towards her room. He placed her on the bed and handed her a glass of water. "Help me Rishu, she will kill me." She said as she cried. "Shh Madhu. I wont let anything happen to you." He said as he placed his hand on hers. "We...we should have told Mom Dad about this." She said as she looked down regretting her decision of coming here. "I will inform them. We will leave this house immediately in the morning." He said and grabbed his phone. After a few minutes of speaking to his mother in law, he turned towards Madhu. "She said that she is coming in the morning." He said in a whisper. Madhu thought for a while and gently nodded. "Lets sleep." He said as he pulled blanket over her. "I am scared." She whispered. "I am right here." He said as he held her hand tightly.

Later that night,

"Rishu!" Madhu screamed waking Rishabh up. "What happened?" He said in a reflex as he looked at her. Noticing Madhu looking behind him, he turned...he could see a lady like figure walking out of the door...His breath caught up in his throat as he stared at the door. This was the first time he saw Trishna...

Madhu slid towards Rishabh as they sat on the bed. They could hear loud screams from outside followed by muffled cries. He walked up and locked the door. But will that prove to be an obstruction for Trishna? Someone knocked on the door. Once. Twice. Madhu looked up at Rishabh and moved closer towards him. Suddenly the door creaked open and slammed again scaring the two. "We are going to die." Madhu said as she clutched his shirt. "Shut up." He replied in an angry whisper as he stared at the door. A loud evil voice could be heard from outside.

Fear filled the atmosphere. They were sitting on the bed. None of them knew what to do. They felt helpless. They could hear cries and giggles from outside the room. Though it was scaring them, they chose to stay quiet and sit in the room. It was 2'o clock and they were still wide awake. The cries and laughs had stopped long back. Soon they dozed off due to their fatigue. The clock tick tocked. Strong wind started blowing and the windows rattled. Suddenly she felt a sensation of being grabbed on the leg. Her eyes shot open. Her heart beat increased. She could hear the sound of shoes across the floor. She looked besides her, Rk was sleeping peacefully. She extended her hand to wake him up. But suddenly she heard breathing sound near her ear which made her close her eyes tightly. Praying to God she slowly opened her eyes. She was sitting right in front of her, with an evil smile on her face. "Hey." She whispered chuckling evilly.

AAAHHH!

The sun came up giving them some hope. "Shall we go out?" Madhu asked as she got up. "I don't know. Shall we wait till Mom Dad reaches here?" He asked. "I don't know." Madhu said as she sat down again. "What if she is still here?" Rishabh asked as he moved towards the door. "Don't open it." She said panicking. "I have to check. And do you think that she cant come here if we lock the door?" He asked. He took a deep breath and opened the door. Stepping outside, he started looking around. Suddenly the door slammed shut and he immediately turned behind. "Madhu!" He screamed as he banged on the door. A sequence of screams could be heard...all belonging to Madhu.

"Madhu open the door!" he screamed as he tried to open the door. "Rishu help me, she is here!" Madhu screamed as she banged on the door from inside...but it wouldn't open. There was a knock on the main door. He looked at the door and rushed to open it. "Mom, Madhu!" He said as he saw his in-laws standing in front of him. "Madhu? What happened to her? Is she fine?" Padmini asked concerned. "She...she got locked in the room. I think Trishna is in there." He said as he looked at her, worried. "We have to do something." Padmini said as she rushed up.

Rishabh and Shamsher broke the door open and rushed inside. Hot tears started rolling down her cheeks as Madhu looked at her parents. "Help me." She whispered with pleading eyes...blood flowing down through her head. Chairs started sliding across the floor and door knobs were turning by their own. The atmosphere filled with fear and shock. Window shutters started rattling on the outside as the wind howled. "Madhu, are you alright?" Rishabh asked as he started walking towards her. But an invisible force stopped him and he got thrown away right on the mirror.

"Please don't hurt her Trishna." Padmini said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "She loved you... Please don't harm her. Please." Padmini said as she fell on her knees. "She loved me, right? Then why cant she come there with me? We were supposed to be friends forever, then how can I leave her here alone? I will take her with me...FOREVER!" She said and smiled. Suddenly Madhu rose up in the air. She screamed for help as she stayed hung in middle air. "Don't kill her." Rishabh shouted. Madhu was being pulled all across the room. Suddenly everything stopped...Trishna's evil laughs; Madhu's cries...Rishabh's shouts. Everything!

A week later,

Madhu sat on the bed with a suitcase in front of her. "Madhu...come here!" Rishabh shouted from the hall. "Coming." She said. She took a last glance at the picture in the hand. It was her picture with Trishna. She smiled softly as she kept it back in the suitcase. "Thank you for letting me live." She whispered as she looked at the sky.

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