Pending Abandonment

KNOCK OF A PHANTOM

Arya's POV

There's always someone standing just outside my window near the mango tree, I can't see their face but their posture, their attire, looks so eerily similar. They were there that night as well, watching me, as I stared off into the night sky from my balcony. It used to be my safe, the balcony. I would slowly inhale the fresh air and exhale, releasing all my worry and care into the world. But for the last few weeks, I couldn't do that there as well, every time I would face the man a ball would lodge in my throat, and my heart would be thumping loudly. The first time I had tried chasing him down, he had run away and disappeared like a phantom. Like he was never there at all. I can still feel his gaze lingering on me, watching me intently. Then almost on a whim, he turned and headed for the door of our Hostel, the warden wouldn't let him in but the fear still lingered. I reached the collapsible gate but he was nowhere near, just then i heard the clink near the back door, I slowly carried my towards the back door and put my ear to it, listening in on whatever was audible. Then, I heard it, his laugh followed by a faint whistling . He whistled the tune of 'Saude Baazi', a song very close to my heart. I remembered when it was mine and Samir's first month anniversary, he had surprised me with a cupcake. I had played my guitar and sang that song for him, halfway through which he had dragged me to dance with him while singing. After about a few seconds the whistling stopped and something slipped from under the door frame, it was a letter. It said:

Hello Arya,

Last night you looked breathtaking in the moonlight, you were just wearing your camisole, and your hair was flowing freely in the wind. I had never wanted to kiss someone this bad, As you hummed the beautiful tune I wanted to kiss you till you ran out of breath. Can I? I want you so bad but you are breaking my heart, Why did you have to kiss that boy? It was the 6th of this month, you had been to the Parisian bistro in the suburbs and when you both had come out, you reached out and kissed him. You did, but how could you? Aren't you supposed to be mine? Next time on, if I see you kissing him, I'll burn that part of him that your lips touched.

Lovingly Yours,

X.

I stumbled back a few steps, What sick maniac would write such a letter to me? For how long had he been following me and how does he know about Rishi?  Whatever be his motive what this stalker didn't know that I wouldn't shoved into a corner by his empty threats.

I felt goosebumps prickling my skin, as the whistling resumed. I bolted towards my room as an unsettling feeling dawned on me. Then as I sat on my bed, looking all disheveled, my roommate approached me.

"Are you alright? Why are you panting this hard? ", I handed her the note and watched her closely as her eyes scanned through it. Then as she reached the end of it, a teasing smirk appeared on her face.

" You have an admirer. ", I was baffled by her choice of her and her woriless almost amused expression. I had just been scared out of my wits.

" A stalker, not an admirer, a stalker. "

"A stalker that wants to kiss you ergo your admirer. ", then her face broke into the most hideous smile I had seen on my face. I snatched the note from her hand.

" Calm down, he's just a stupid stalker. It'll pass. Next time you see him, call me over, we'll do something about it. Or better yet, you have that camcorder don't you? And you know the time he comes around, why don't we set it up near the balcony, I mean we could gather some evidence about him then."

And we did, we set the camcorder there and next day we waited around for him. Lo and behold, he was there, like always, like he had always been there. He was like a phantom haunting me. He watched me and i watched him, it was like an intense stand off between us. After about an hour of doing so, I got bored and went to sleep. The next morning a note had been waiting for me in my balcony. It read

Hello Arya,

I see you are recording me now, are you really that desperate to see me ? Believe me, I am as well, to finally have you all to myself. To finally see you here in my arms, away from that slug-face boyfriend of yours. Your roommate won't come back home , I know. Should we have some fun love?

Lovingly Yours,
X.

I felt the ground beneath my feet slip, how did he know she wouldn't be here tonight? How did he know we were watching him? It was well concealed. That night, I checked all the doors and windows five times over, and went to bed with a knife by my side. I tried hard to not fall asleep, but I dozed off eventually. The sleep wasn't undisturbed as I was woken by some sound yet again, it was that tune. The one I had heard that day as well. I felt something on my eyes, I tried reaching out to remove it only to find they had been tied to my back as well.

"You're awake. ", it was almost as if this person was deliberately trying to sound like someone else, someone older and someone with a way more raspy voice. He held my shoulder and helped me sit up.

" Slept well? ", said the voice. I couldn't help but shudder.

" Untie me. "

"But then you'll run and I would I have to punish you bunny. And I don't want to do that. "

"Untie my hands, I feel anxious. I can't bear to sit around like this. Please. "

He grabbed me by my waist and helped me stand up. Then went on to untie my hands but held them behind my back.

To be continued