3 am

Chapter 6

(13th Jan Friday, 5pm)

They are back in their apartment on their couch. Their TV is on with F.R.I.E.N.D.S playing on it. The time in their wall clock is 5 pm, the same time when they received a call from their friend. When they check their phones, it also shows the same time.

"Huh? Well, isn't this weird?" says Shriya

"It is! Everything is same like when we received call from Vedika! I remember we had turned off the TV, switched off the lights, and then left the apartment"

"Exactly! Then how is this possible?"

"Never mind!" said Srushti and turned off the TV "Let's call Vedika and check if she is okay"

Shriya nods and they call Vedika. A few seconds later, she picks up the call

On the call

"Hey Shriya" says Vedika "How are you and how is Srushti?"

"We are good but how are you? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am! Why?"

"Hey listen" says Srushti "Can you please come at our apartment? We need to talk to you! Please! It's urgent!"

"Can we not talk on the phone?"

"No! We need to talk about this face to face"

"Alright! I am free right now. Text me your address and I will come"

"You have our address right?"

"No. I don't"

"We had sent you our address!"

"I really don't have your address!"

"Okay. I'll send you" 

They hang up the call and Shriya texts their address to Vedika. Vedika texts back saying that she'll be there in an hour.

"How does she not know our address?" asks Srushti

"That's what I am wondering about! How did she come to pick us up if she didn't have our address?" 

"No idea!"

----------

After almost an hour, the door bell rings. Srushti opens the door to find Vedika.

"Come in."

Vedika comes inside and sits on the couch. Shriya and Srushti sit beside her

"Are you sure you are okay Vedika?" asks Shriya "You were acting peculiarly!"

"Yeah, I am! And when was I acting peculiarly?"

"When you came to pick us up! And we had sent you our address. How did you not have it?" asks Srushti

"Me? To pick you? When did this happen? I really didn't know where you exactly lived!"

"Don't act like you don't know anything! You called us for a night out at your place and you came to pick us up!" says Shriya

"I really don't know what you guys are talking about! I never called you!"

"Really! Let me show you my call history then" says Srushti and unlocks her phone. She goes to her call history to show Vedika that she had called them. She is shocked when she doesn't find Vedika's name in call log history. Srushti shows this to Shriya and even she is shocked

"You can't see my name, right?" asks Vedika "How will you? I never called you!"

"I swear you did!" says Shriya

"I didn't! Okay listen guys. There must be some confusion. Can you tell me what exactly happened? Maybe I can help you sort this out?"

"Alright!" says Srushti "You first called us and asked us to come at your place for night out. Then you came to pick us up in your car"

"Um... I don't have a car"

"What!?" they both exclaim not able to digest what she said

"Yeah, I don't have a car. Never mind. You continue"

"Okay. So, you took us to your building. I think it's name was Crystal palace"

Shriya then continues "Yes it was Crystal palace. It wasn't too far from our apartment. This building must be in our area. Then, you took us to your apartment. And you told us that you wanted to talk about something. But before that you wanted to bring something for which you left the apartment. Then, you didn't return and we got locked in your apartment!"

Vedika is looking at them in confusion

"Okay. Let me tell you something" she says "I don't live in Crystal Palace; I live in Starlight society. And also, there is no such building called Crystal Palace in our area! You can search on Google maps if you want"

Shriya quickly searches for Crystal Palace on Google maps for their area. Both of them are shocked when 'can't find Crystal palace' comes on the screen

A chills runs through their body. Vedika is saying that she never called them. She says that she doesn't have a car. She says that she never came to pick them up. There is no building called Crystal Palace on the map for their area.

"If you never came at our place, then who was the one to pick us up?"

They figure out that they have experienced something paranormal and it wasn't Vedika who picked them up. They realise who it was and say it out loud, together.

"WAS THAT ...

A GHOST?"