(and the faintest rustle of a letter fluttering to the floor:
See you soon. Read Part 2 )
PART 3: SHADOWS
For the first few
nights, Maya could not sleep.
Every creak in her
apartment felt like footsteps. Every reflection in the window felt like eyes
watching her.
The police interviewed
her, took her statement, and searched for Arjun. It was an extensive search.
But it was as if Arjun never existed. He vanished.
And then the small
things started to happen. Small disturbing events.
A single rose left on her doorstep.
Frequent missed calls.
And one day there was a sketch taped to her balcony railing--- her face, soft and smiling, drawn in the
exact style Arjun used.
And a note:
Maya,
I'm proud of you for telling the police. You want them to find me.
It means you still believe that we belong together.
---A
Her hands trembled, but she immediately called the police and reported it. They
checked cameras, and asked every passerby.
But, once again, there was no lead, no trail. Nothing.
He was too careful.
Too patient. Too obsessed.
Then her phone began
vibrating at exactly 2:03 AM every night.
Unknown number.
No voice.
Just slow breathing. The silence hovering over her would haunt her every minute.
On the seventh night, in between the breaths, she finally whispered, "Why are you doing this?"
She heard a soft chuckle.
And then, she heard his voice:
"To make sure you don't forget me."
She hung up immediately and sobbed
into her pillow.
But she knew one thing
now, he wasn’t trying to kill her.
At least, not yet.
He wanted control.
He wanted to watch her break, to watch her need him again.
And the worst part was that a tiny part of her still missed the Arjun she thought she'd known.
But now she was done
being afraid.
She needed answers.
She needed to know what he did to the girl before her.
She needed to fight
back.
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