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Aanchal stood frozen at the edge of the bridge, watching a man in distress. He was standing precariously, as though caught in the grip of an overwhelming darkness.
"What are you doing?" Aanchal called out, her voice trembling. "Please, come down from there!"
Without warning, the man lost his balance and fell from the bridge. Aanchal gasped, her heart racing, and screamed in horror.
But just as suddenly as the nightmare had begun, Aanchal woke with a jolt, drenched in sweat. Her breath was shallow, and the unsettling images of the fall still haunted her mind.
Tanuja, her ever-curious friend, leaned over from the other side of the bed, concerned. "Hey, Aanchal, what happened to you?" she asked.
Aanchal took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "I’m fine. Just a nightmare," she muttered, wiping her forehead.
Tanuja didn’t seem convinced but let it go with a casual shrug. "Okay, carry on."
Later, Aanchal stood in front of the mirror, quickly getting ready for her meeting. The anxiety from the nightmare lingered, but she pushed it aside. She had responsibilities.
As she waited for a taxi, she overheard a group of people whispering.
"Who is she?" one of them asked, pointing in Aanchal's direction.
Tanuja, standing nearby, smiled and answered, "She’s my friend, Aanchal. No one else is here for her, so she’s with me."
Aanchal smiled faintly, grateful for Tanuja's constant support, though something inside her stirred uneasily. She climbed into the taxi, trying to shake off the unease. ---
At the office, Aanchal’s interview with the reporters was in full swing. The questions flowed quickly, and she answered them with practiced ease, detailing how she had discovered the key evidence that had led to the resolution of Mr. Kapoor’s murder.
As the conversation continued, the door to the room opened, and Siddharth, Aanchal’s boss, stepped in, his presence commanding attention. He gestured toward Aanchal, motioning for her to join him in the conference room.
Once inside, the entire team was gathered around the table, waiting for the discussion to begin. Siddharth stood at the head of the table, a proud smile on his face.
Aanchal stood there, feeling a mix of pride and unease as the team applauded her efforts in cracking the Kapoor murder case. As a criminal defense lawyer at one of the top firms in the city, she was often called upon to assist with complex cases, but this case had been different. It had taken months of late nights and sifting through mountains of evidence, and now, it was finally over.
Her boss, Siddharth, stepped forward with a grin. "This is what happens when you have a lawyer like Aanchal on the team," he said. "She cracked the case wide open."
Aanchal smiled tightly, trying to ignore the nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. Her work as a criminal defense lawyer often put her in the thick of murder cases, but this one had hit too close to home.
Siddharth’s voice broke through her thoughts. "We’ve got another case," he said, his tone shifting. "The death of Mr. Shravan Malhotra. It's complicated, and I need you to take the lead on this one."
The mention of Shravan's name sent a chill through her. Aanchal’s breath caught in her throat. The mention of Shravan’s name stirred up something deep inside her, something she wasn’t ready to face. She felt a cold sweat begin to form on her forehead as memories of the past threatened to surface.
Siddharth, oblivious to her reaction, continued explaining the details of the case. But Aanchal could barely concentrate, her thoughts spinning in disarray.
Suddenly, Siddharth’s voice broke through her fog of anxiety. "Aanchal, can you take this case?" he asked, his tone businesslike. She didn’t answer right away, her mind still reeling.
"Aanchal?" Siddharth’s voice was sharper now.
Aanchal snapped back to reality, trying to compose herself. "Yes, sir," she said, her voice quiet but forced.
But before she could continue, her heart began to race, and the fear she had been suppressing threatened to take over. She quickly stood up, her hands trembling. "Sorry, sir. I can’t take this case. Excuse me."
Without waiting for a response, she rushed out of the conference room, her pulse pounding in her ears.
Later that night, Aanchal stood alone at the platform, waiting for an auto to take her home. The streetlights flickered overhead, casting eerie shadows around her. A chill ran down her spine.
She heard a voice, faint at first, calling her name. "Sumo..."
Aanchal’s heart skipped a beat. She turned around, her eyes scanning the empty street. "Is anyone there?" she called out, her voice trembling with fear.
The streetlights above her flickered again, then exploded with a loud crack, showering the ground with broken glass. A sharp pain stung her forehead as a shard cut into her skin. She screamed, the world around her spinning. Then she heard it again—the voice, closer this time. "You can’t escape from me."
Aanchal's knees gave out, and she collapsed, her vision fading to black.
---
When she woke, Aanchal found herself in a hospital bed, the sterile smell of the room making her head spin. Tanuja was sitting by her side, her face etched with worry.
"Tanu, what happened? How did I get here?" Aanchal asked, her voice weak.
Tanuja gave her a concerned look. "Your boss, Siddharth, brought you here. He called me and said you collapsed on the side of the road."
Aanchal tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in her forehead stopped her. As she reached up to touch the wound, memories of the night flooded back, and her body tensed.
Just then, the door opened, and Siddharth entered, his usual calm demeanor replaced by concern. "Aanchal, how are you feeling?" he asked, walking toward her bed.
Aanchal gave him a weak smile. "I’m okay, sir. Just a bit shaken."
Siddharth nodded, though his gaze was searching. "I was on my way home last night when I saw you fall on the road. I took you to the hospital. What happened? Are you sure everything is okay?"
Aanchal winced, the pain in her forehead intensifying as the memory of the voice echoed in her mind.
"Just... just take it easy, Aanchal," Siddharth said softly. "You need rest. Tanuja will take care of you."
With that, he left, but the unease that gripped Aanchal’s heart only deepened. Something about the night, about the voice, felt like a warning. And she had a terrible feeling it wasn’t over yet.
