Lilly stood there… confused and scared.
Her eyes moved between her parents
and the neighbor from Flat No. 52.
The argument was getting worse.
The man's voice was loud… aggressive… filled with anger.
"Since the last seven months, children have been disappearing!" he shouted.
"And that's exactly when you came here!"
Arun stepped forward, trying to control the situation.
"This is nonsense. Don't drag us into your assumptions."
But the neighbor didn't stop.
"And now you've brought her!"
he pointed straight at Lilly.
"First, you had no child…
and suddenly you adopt one?"
His voice turned colder.
"Maybe she isn't just your daughter…
maybe she's part of it."
Lilly's heart started racing.
Her mind was filled with questions—
fear… confusion… anger…
She didn't understand what was happening.
Why are they saying this?
What have we done?
But then—
Something inside her snapped.
For the first time…
Lilly stepped forward.
Her voice was not loud…
but it was firm.
"Stop it."
Everyone went silent.
She looked straight at the man.
"They are good people."
Her hands were slightly trembling…
but her eyes didn't move.
"They can't do something like this."
For a moment…
even the neighbor was taken aback.
But then—
he laughed bitterly.
"Good people?" he said.
"That's exactly what everyone thinks… until the truth comes out."
And just like that—
the tension returned.
Stronger than before.
The man wasn't done yet.
He stepped closer… his voice low but sharp.
"I've seen her."
Everyone went silent.
He pointed at Lilly.
"She calls the children to her flat… to play."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
"And when they return…"
he continued slowly,
"they're not the same."
Karuna's face turned pale.
"That's not true—"
But he cut her off.
"They become quiet… distant… strange."
His eyes narrowed.
"And some of them…"
he paused,
"…never return at all."
The whispers grew louder.
Fear turned into suspicion.
Suspicion… into accusations.
Then he said the words that shook everything—
"Your family is hiding something."
"Black magic… or something even worse."
The crowd reacted instantly.
People stepped back.
Some looked at Lilly with fear… others with disgust.
"She's not normal…"
"I knew something was wrong…"
The voices overlapped.
Lilly stood there… frozen.
Only she and her parents knew the truth—
and even that truth felt too fragile now.
No one was ready to listen.
No one wanted to understand.
In the chaos…
Karuna quickly held Lilly's hand and took her inside.
The door shut behind them.
Locked.
Outside—
the argument grew louder… uglier…
Voices clashing.
Accusations flying.
Inside the room—
Lilly stood alone.
Silent.
Her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Her mind filled with one question—
If they're wrong…
then why does everyone believe them?
Outside…
The raised voices slowly began to fade.
The argument ended—
but the damage didn't.
The society members didn't apologize.
They didn't try to understand.
Instead, they warned Lilly's parents—
"Stay away from our children."
"Stop whatever you're doing."
They accused them…
without proof…
without listening.
Parents pulled their children closer.
Some even dragged them away.
"Don't go near that house," they whispered.
"Don't talk to that girl."
And just like that…
Everything changed.
People who once smiled at them…
now avoided them.
Doors closed.
Conversations stopped.
The distance grew.
And inside that distance—
a silent tension settled in Gitanjali Society.
For Lilly…
it became a lonely world once again.
Years passed…
Nearly 10 years went by.
Things seemed calmer on the surface.
But the fear…
never truly left.
Then one day—
another child disappeared.
Just like before.
No clues.
No answers.
And almost instantly—
all eyes turned back to one place.
Lilly's house.
The whispers returned.
Stronger.
Harsher.
"They were quiet for years…"
"But it's starting again…"
And once again—
Lilly's parents were blamed.
The whispers hadn't even settled…
when Ramesh, the neighbor from Flat No. 52,
stepped forward once again.
His eyes were fixed on Lilly's parents.
Cold.
Unforgiving.
"I warned you before," he said slowly.
"But you didn't listen."
Arun clenched his fists.
"We've done nothing wrong."
Ramesh let out a dry laugh.
"Maybe," he said.
"Or maybe… you're just good at hiding it."
A few people in the crowd nodded in agreement.
The tension thickened.
Then Ramesh took a step closer…
his voice dropping, but turning more dangerous—
"Leave this society."
Silence fell instantly.
Karuna's face went pale.
"What…?"
"You heard me," Ramesh continued.
"Take your family… and go."
Arun's voice rose, filled with anger.
"You can't force us to leave!"
Ramesh didn't react.
Instead, he looked around at the crowd—
and then back at them.
"We're not forcing you," he said calmly.
A pause.
Then—
"We're protecting our children."
No one spoke.
No one disagreed.
And in that silence…
Lilly understood something.
This wasn't just an argument anymore.
They weren't being accused.
They were being pushed out.
After the warning…
one by one,
everyone went back inside their flats.
Doors closed.
Lights turned off.
And just like that—
it was over.
Lilly and her parents stood there…
broken… humiliated…
left alone in the silence.
No one tried to understand them.
No one cared to know the truth.
They were already judged.
Already guilty… in everyone's eyes.
That night,
after a long silence—
Arun finally spoke.
"We'll leave," he said quietly.
Karuna looked at him, her eyes filled with pain.
"We don't have a choice, do we?"
They decided to ask for some time.
Time… to pack their lives,
and leave a place that never accepted them.
Days turned into weeks.
Weeks turned into months.
They searched for houses…
small flats… rented spaces…
Anywhere they could start again.
But every time—
something went wrong.
Owners refused.
Deals got canceled.
Calls stopped getting answered.
It was as if—
something didn't want them to leave.
Two years passed.
Nothing changed.
They were still there.
Still unwanted.
Still blamed.
And in between all this…
Lilly turned 20.
On 25th August, 2016…
For the first time in years,
Lilly's parents tried to bring back a little happiness.
They decided to celebrate her birthday.
Not a big party.
Not anything grand.
Just a small cake…
a quiet dinner…
and a few decorations in the living room.
Karuna smiled softly.
"Happy Birthday, Lilly."
Arun tried to lighten the mood.
"This year will be better. I promise."
But outside—
the society remained silent.
No one came.
No neighbors.
No greetings.
No wishes.
It felt as if…
they didn't exist.
Still, Lilly smiled.
A small… quiet smile.
Not because everything was okay—
but because her parents were trying.
And then—
just a few days after her birthday…
something changed.
Arun found a flat.
A place far from Gitanjali Society.
A chance to start again.
For the first time in years…
there was hope.
They were going to shift next month.
But this time—
they didn't tell anyone.
Not the neighbors.
Not the society members.
No one.
Because they had learned one thing—
in this place, silence was safer than truth.
On the day they were supposed to leave…
everything ended.
Lilly's parents met with a road accident.
The brakes failed.
And just like that—
they were gone.
When the news reached Lilly…
she couldn't believe it.
Her hands trembled.
Her mind went blank.
"No…" she whispered.
"This can't be true…"
But it was.
Once again—
she was alone.
An orphan.
Tears streamed down her face
as she stood in the middle of Gitanjali Society…
the same place that had taken everything from her.
And then—
she heard something.
A voice.
Ramesh.
He was smiling.
"Good," he said.
"Now the problem is finally gone."
He looked around at others.
"We should celebrate."
Those words…
hit Lilly like poison.
Something inside her broke.
Completely.
Her tears didn't stop—
but her expression changed.
She slowly looked up.
At Ramesh.
At the society.
At everyone.
Her voice trembled…
but every word was sharp.
"You all are responsible for this."
Silence fell.
"You forced us to leave…"
"You blamed us for something we never did…"
"You made us suffer…"
Her fists clenched.
"You wanted a problem?"
A pause.
Her eyes turned cold.
"Fine."
"Now I'll become one."
She stepped forward slightly.
Her gaze locked on Ramesh.
"From today…"
"Whoever lives in Flat No. 52…"
A brief silence.
"…will die a mysterious death."
Gasps spread across the crowd.
But she wasn't done.
"And this society…"
She looked around slowly.
"…will never be happy again."
Ramesh laughed mockingly.
"What proof do you have?" he said.
"That you and your parents were innocent?"
Lilly didn't hesitate.
Her voice was calm now.
Steady.
"I will prove it."
And in that moment—
something changed.
Not just in Lilly…
but in Gitanjali Society.
The curse had begun.
And in that moment…
the fear that once lived in Gitanjali Society…
finally had a name.
Lilly.