Aanya had a very specific talent.
She could turn the most serious situation into a joke… and the most peaceful moment into chaos.
Right now, she was doing both.
"Riya, I swear if you don't stop talking about him, I will personally throw your phone out of the window," Aanya groaned, lying upside down on her bed, her hair hanging off the edge like she had given up on life.
On the other end of the call, Riya gasped dramatically.
"First of all, don't be jealous. Second of all, he literally looked at me for two seconds today. TWO. SECONDS."
Aanya sat up immediately.
"Wow. Marriage fixed or still pending?"
"SHUT UP 😭"
Aanya laughed, grabbing a packet of chips from beside her.
"You're delusional. Completely gone."
"Excuse me? At least someone looks at me. You? You're invisible."
Aanya froze for a second.
Then narrowed her eyes.
"Say that again."
"I said—"
The call suddenly glitched.
"…hello? Aanya? Hello??"
The screen flickered.
And then—
The call ended.
Aanya frowned.
"Network issue?"
She checked her signal.
Full bars.
"Strange."
Before she could call back—
Buzz.
A notification popped up.
Unknown Number.
She stared at it.
"Who even texts like this anymore?"
She opened the message.
And read it.
"Don't reply to this message if you want to stay safe."
Silence.
Complete silence.
For a few seconds, Aanya just… looked at the screen.
Then—
She laughed.
"Okay wow. Someone watched too many thriller movies."
She typed instantly:
"Why?"
She hit send without thinking.
Because that's who she was.
Curious. Impulsive. A little reckless.
And completely unaware that this one reply… would change everything.
The reply came within seconds.
Too fast.
As if the person was already waiting.
"You shouldn't have done that."
Aanya raised an eyebrow.
"Overdramatic much?"
She typed again.
"Relax. Who are you?"
Seen.
Typing…
Stopped.
Typing again…
Stopped.
Then—
Nothing.
No reply.
Aanya frowned.
"Great. Now ghosting also."
She tossed her phone aside and flopped back on the bed.
"People really have no work."
But something about it… didn't feel normal.
She didn't know why.
Maybe it was the timing.
Maybe the way the reply came instantly.
Or maybe—
She was overthinking.
"Yeah, definitely overthinking," she muttered.
Five minutes later—
Her phone buzzed again.
She grabbed it lazily.
Same number.
New message.
"You were on a call just now."
Aanya blinked.
"…okay?"
She typed—
"Yeah? So?"
Reply:
"With Riya."
Her fingers froze above the screen.
A small pause.
Then a slow, uncomfortable feeling crept in.
"How does he know that?"
She sat up.
Heart beating just a little faster now.
"Who are you?"
No reply.
She typed again.
"Is this some prank?"
Still nothing.
The chat stayed silent.
Aanya felt irritation rising.
"Seriously? You scare me and then disappear??"
She threw the phone on the bed again.
"Idiot."
But this time…
She didn't feel like laughing.
Night came slowly.
The room grew quiet.
Too quiet.
Aanya tried distracting herself—music, reels, random scrolling.
But her mind kept going back to that message.
"With Riya."
"How did he know her name?" she whispered.
Her stomach twisted.
"Okay no. Enough."
She grabbed her phone and dialed Riya.
Call connected.
"HELLO???" Riya shouted dramatically.
Aanya jumped.
"Why are you screaming??"
"I thought you died. Your call just cut."
"Shut up. Listen."
"What happened?"
Aanya hesitated.
Then said,
"Someone texted me."
"Ooo mystery boy 👀"
"Not funny."
She told her everything.
The message.
The reply.
The name.
Silence on the other end.
For once—Riya didn't joke.
"…that's creepy," she said slowly.
"Exactly."
"Did you tell anyone about our call?"
"No."
"Did I?"
"No."
Both went quiet.
Riya finally said—
"Block him."
Aanya nodded.
"Yeah."
"Right now."
"Yeah, I'm doing it."
She opened the chat.
Clicked on the number.
Pressed block.
Done.
She exhaled.
"Okay. Finished."
"Good," Riya said. "Now sleep. And don't overthink."
"Yeah yeah."
They cut the call.
Aanya placed her phone beside her pillow and turned off the lights.
Darkness filled the room.
The kind that makes small thoughts feel bigger.
She closed her eyes.
Tried to sleep.
Tried to forget.
Buzz.
Her eyes snapped open.
Slowly…
Very slowly…
She turned her head toward the phone.
The screen lit up the room faintly.
Another notification.
Her heart started beating faster.
"No way…"
She picked up the phone.
Hands slightly shaky.
Unlocked it.
And looked at the screen.
A new message.
From a different number.
She opened it.
"Blocking won't help."
Aanya's breath caught.
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
A cold feeling ran down her spine.
"This isn't funny anymore."
She typed quickly—
"WHO ARE YOU??"
No reply.
She waited.
Seconds passed.
Then a minute.
Nothing.
Suddenly—
Another message.
"You should lock your window."
Aanya froze.
Completely still.
Her room suddenly felt smaller.
The darkness felt heavier.
Her eyes slowly moved…
Toward the window.
It was slightly open.
Curtains moving gently with the night breeze.
Her heartbeat became loud.
Too loud.
"…no."
She whispered.
"This is not happening."
She stood up slowly.
Every step toward the window felt… wrong.
Like something was watching.
She reached the curtain.
Her hand trembled slightly.
And then—
She pulled it aside.
Nothing.
Just darkness outside.
Empty.
Silent.
She quickly shut the window and locked it.
Pulled the curtains tight.
Turned around—
And leaned against the wall.
Trying to breathe normally.
"This is just a prank."
"It has to be."
Her phone buzzed again.
She almost dropped it.
"Good girl."
Aanya stared at the message.
Fear.
Real fear.
For the first time.
And somewhere…
Far away…
Someone was watching their phone screen…
Waiting for her next move.