The events of the day weighed heavily on Ananya’s mind. After the unsettling visit from the police, everyone had decided to call it a day. The group dispersed to their rooms, the silence hanging in the air like a heavy cloud. Despite her exhaustion, Ananya couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. The missing girl. The strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.

As she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, sleep wouldn’t come. She tossed and turned, but the eerie quiet and the image of the missing girl haunted her thoughts. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she glanced towards the hallway. A faint glow was seeping through the cracks of Karan’s door.

Curious and a little restless, Ananya slipped out of bed and padded across the hall. She stood for a moment outside his door, hesitating. Should she knock? What would she even say? But the pull of her thoughts was too strong, and she raised her hand to knock. Before she could change her mind, the door creaked open, and there stood Karan, looking surprised but not displeased.

“Couldn’t sleep either, huh?” Karan asked, a half-smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Ananya shifted uncomfortably, trying to find something to say. “Yeah... just, you know, thinking.”

“You and your overthinking.” Karan stepped aside to let her in. “Come on, we’re all thinking about the same thing, but there’s no use stressing over it.”

She walked in, her eyes scanning the room briefly before settling on him. Karan was sitting on his bed, laptop open, but the screen wasn’t exactly what she expected. A playlist of old Bollywood songs was playing softly in the background. He caught her glance and raised an eyebrow.

“What? You don’t like the classics?”

Ananya rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t help but smile. “You’re something else, you know that?”

Karan grinned. “And yet, here you are, knocking on my door at midnight. You must be as weird as I am.”

She took a seat on the edge of his bed, crossing her arms. “I wasn’t exactly planning to knock. But... I don’t know. It just felt like talking might help.”

“Talking?” He leaned back, clearly amused. “You think talking is going to help? You’re more of a thinker than a talker.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me, I’m not that bad.”

“Really?” Karan teased. “You just said you couldn’t sleep because you were overthinking. Sounds like someone’s in denial.”

Ananya playfully shoved him, her heart fluttering a little at how easy it was to be with him. “You’re impossible. Seriously.”

“Admit it. You enjoy being around me,” Karan said, his tone softening for a moment.

Ananya froze, caught off guard by the sudden shift in his words. “I—what?”

“I mean,” he leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “who else would you talk to at this hour? Rhea’s in her own world, Arjun’s probably asleep, and Ishaan—well, he’s Ishaan. I’m your only option.”

Her heart skipped a beat at his words. Was he flirting? Or was it just him being his usual teasing self? She tried to laugh it off. “Yeah, you’re right. No one else to talk to.”

There was a long silence between them, both of them aware of the strange tension that had settled into the room. Ananya shifted uncomfortably on the bed. She didn’t want to make it weird, but... why was her heart racing now?

“So,” Karan said, breaking the silence with his usual grin, “since we’re both awake, how about we watch a movie? Something light to take our minds off... everything.”

Ananya hesitated, but then nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good. I need something to distract me from... well, everything.”

He flicked the remote, and the movie started. They both settled into a more comfortable position, sitting side by side on the bed. Ananya couldn’t help but notice how close they were. Every time he moved, their arms brushed together, sending little sparks through her.

The movie played on, but Ananya wasn’t really watching it. Her attention kept wandering back to Karan—his laugh, the way he always seemed so carefree despite everything happening around them. She hated how much she liked being around him. Every time their eyes met, her heart fluttered a little.

After the movie ended, neither of them really wanted to go back to sleep just yet. The kitchen seemed like a good place to go for a late-night snack, so they both made their way downstairs, still talking.

“So,” Ananya said, leaning against the counter while Karan rummaged through the fridge, “what’s your take on all this? The police, the missing girl...”

Karan paused, glancing over at her. “Honestly? It’s creepy, but I’m not gonna lose my mind over it. What’s the point? We’ve been through worse.”

Ananya nodded, though she didn’t entirely agree. “I guess you’re right. But... I don’t know. There’s something weird about all this. It just doesn’t feel... normal.”

Karan smirked, his eyes twinkling. “You do know, you're being all serious right now, right? It's just a missing person. Happens all the time.”

Ananya laughed, shaking her head. “You really know how to lighten the mood.”

“It's my talent,” Karan said with a grin. “I’m the professional mood-lifter.”

Ananya rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide the smile that tugged at her lips. "Okay, Mr. Mood-Lifter, let’s make some Maggi then. I’m starving."

Karan nodded enthusiastically. “Maggi at this hour? Now you’re speaking my language.” He grabbed a packet of noodles and began to fill a pot with water, making a big show of it as if he were cooking in a five-star restaurant.

Ananya laughed, leaning on the counter and watching him. “You know, you’re the only person I know who can make cooking instant noodles look so complicated.”

“Oh, please,” Karan shot back, his eyes glinting. “I’m an artist in the kitchen. You just don’t understand the culinary genius at work here.”

She rolled her eyes again, but couldn't suppress a smile. “Right, right. Sure, chef.”

As the water came to a boil, Karan tossed the noodles in and began stirring them with exaggerated care, humming to himself as if he were conducting an orchestra. Ananya, bored and amused, decided to tease him a little.

“Do you always make this much of a drama out of everything?”

Karan flashed a grin at her. “Of course. Everything in life deserves a little drama.”

Ananya raised an eyebrow. “Hmm, I don’t know about that. Drama’s not always a good thing.”

He leaned closer to her, still stirring the noodles, his voice low and playful. “Well, maybe you just need a little more of it in your life.”

Before Ananya could respond, she noticed something that made her freeze. A shadow flickered across the window, just outside the kitchen, moving slowly. She blinked, her heart rate picking up, but when she looked again, it was gone. Was it just her imagination?

"Did you see that?" she whispered, her voice suddenly tight.

Karan raised an eyebrow, still focused on the pot. “See what?”

Ananya’s heart raced, but she quickly brushed it off. It was probably just someone walking by. “Never mind, I’m just being paranoid.”

But the feeling wouldn’t leave her. She glanced at the window once more, and for a split second, she thought she saw someone standing there, just out of sight. Her breath caught in her throat.

Karan, oblivious to her growing unease, continued stirring. “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Ananya laughed nervously, trying to mask her unease. “Yeah, just tired. It’s nothing.”

Still, the feeling gnawed at her. As they finished making the Maggi and sat down to eat, Ananya couldn’t shake the sense that they were being watched. The silence in the house was too thick, the air too still. But when she glanced out the window again, nothing was there.

“Maybe I should get some sleep,” she murmured, trying to shake off the unease that had settled into her bones.

“Yeah, I think we both need it,” Karan agreed, still clueless about the moment of tension.

They ate in silence for a few more moments, Ananya’s mind racing. Was someone out there? Or was she just overthinking? Either way, she couldn’t deny the strange feeling that clung to her, making the night feel colder than it should.

Hello readers, i hope you are in good health.
Thank you so much for reading. I hope you like this chapter 🩷