The Birla siblings 💕

it should be a dream 🥺

Aarohi sat alone in the living room that evening, watching as the fading light of the sun cast long, ominous shadows across the floor. She was watching an old vedio clip of children were outside playing-Shivu, Abhir, Ruhi, and Ruhanika-filling the house with the comforting sound of their laughter. She found solace in those moments, knowing that no matter how chaotic her life felt, they were safe. Yet today, a strange feeling gnawed at her, one she couldn't quite shake. She felt as if something was off, an unsettling tension in the air that left her feeling anxious.

She had been lost in thought when the doorbell rang, its shrill sound cutting through the quiet. Aarohi's heart skipped a beat, her hands instinctively gripping the armrest of the chair. Who could be visiting at this hour, just as the sun was setting? She stood up slowly, hesitating for a moment before walking to the door. Her fingers trembled slightly as she reached for the handle, a strange chill creeping down her spine. Something about this felt wrong.

When she opened the door, her breath caught in her throat.

An old woman stood there, her frail figure wrapped in torn, dirty clothes. Her hair was a tangled mess of gray strands, and her eyes-though dull and lifeless-seemed to hold an eerie intensity. Her face was weathered with deep lines, and her chappal were covered in dirt, as though she had traveled a long way on foot. Aarohi's eyes scanned the woman's appearance, a sense of unease growing in her chest.

"Namaste," the old woman greeted, her voice hoarse but calm. "I am Chandika/Durga . I'm very hungry, beta. Could you give me something to eat?"

Aarohi hesitated. Something about the woman felt off, but her kind heart couldn't turn her away. "Of course," Aarohi replied, her voice soft but tense. "Please, come inside."

The woman smiled-a strange, unsettling smile that made Aarohi's skin crawl-and stepped inside. She removed her chappal and made her way to the small basin by the door, where she washed her dirty feet. Aarohi watched her, unable to shake the growing feeling of dread.

Once the woman was settled in a chair, Aarohi quickly prepared a simple meal for her. As she placed the food in front of her, the woman looked around the room, her eyes lingering on the walls, as though she were inspecting something invisible. Her gaze settled on the family photos hanging on the wall. Aarohi's heart quickened when she noticed the woman staring at the pictures of the children-Shivu, Abhir, Ruhi, and Ruhanika.

"There are four children in this house, aren't there?" the old woman asked, her voice quiet but filled with a strange certainty. "Two boys and two girls."

Aarohi froze. How could this woman know that? She hadn't said anything about the children. Her eyes darted to the photos on the wall, and her heart pounded in her chest. There was no way this old woman could know unless she had been here before, but Aarohi had never seen her in her life.

"Yes, that's right," Aarohi answered cautiously, her voice barely above a whisper. "How do you know?"

The woman's eyes darkened, her expression shifting from one of calmness to something more ominous. She leaned forward slightly, her voice lowering to a raspy whisper. "I see things, beta. Things most people can't see."

Aarohi felt a chill run down her spine, her hands trembling as she took a step back. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice shaky.

The old woman's gaze remained fixed on the family photos, her eyes narrowing as if she were peering into some hidden truth. "There is a shadow around them," she said slowly, her words hanging in the air like a dark cloud. "A darkness encircling them-especially the girls, Ruhi and Ruhanika. There are evil eyes watching them, waiting to strike. Something terrible is coming for them."