Kartik was sitting alone in his room, but he didn't feel alone. He stood in front of the mirror—the same mirror where he had recently seen Tanvi's reflection alongside his own.
The air still carried a strange chill, as if someone had just breathed inside the room.
"We're not two people anymore... We're one story, written in blood."
Tanvi's words echoed in his ears repeatedly. Kartik's mind had gone blank. On one hand, he felt angry at himself for falling into the trap of a psycho girl, but on the other hand, there was a strange fear—what if Tanvi really disappeared? What would happen then?
He ran his hand through his hair and thought, "I need to get out of this madness. Siya is the only person who knows the truth about this."
Kartik picked up his phone. Siya's number was flashing on the screen. Without thinking much, he dialed it.
The phone was ringing... One, two, three...
The call was answered on the other end.
"Hello, Kartik?" Siya's calm voice came through.
"Siya, I need to meet you right now. Please. What is going on? What is Tanvi doing to me?" Kartik's voice sounded desperate.
"Alright," Siya said slowly. "The same old café. Let's meet in half an hour. Don't be late... and watch your back on the way, someone might be following you."
The call disconnected. Kartik's heart started beating fast.
📍The Warm Meal and Cold Eyes
Half an hour later, Kartik was sitting at a corner table in the old, dimly lit café. A short while later, Siya arrived. She was wearing a black jacket and had a mysterious smile on her face.
"You look very scared, Kartik," Siya said as she took a seat.
"Why wouldn't I be scared, Siya? That girl is doing such things in my house, I feel like she has entered inside my mind. And you're telling me she just 'loves in her own way'?" Kartik said in anger and frustration.
Siya signaled the waiter and ordered something. Shortly after, the waiter placed a plate on the table—it was a spicy chicken dish, releasing a steaming hot aroma.
"Eat this," Siya said, pushing the plate toward Kartik. "You haven't eaten anything properly in three days. Look at your face, you've become completely pale."
Kartik looked at the plate. Seeing the chicken suddenly reminded him of Tanvi. Tanvi had also loved spicy food so much... back when they were together.
"I don't feel like eating," Kartik tried to refuse.
But Siya insisted. "Eat, Kartik. You need energy. If you want to fight Tanvi, you have to make yourself strong first."
Kartik picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. The food was spicy and tasty, but as it went down his throat, it left a strange, bitter taste.
Suddenly, Kartik's gaze fell on Siya's wrist. There was a fresh cut mark on Siya's right wrist—the exact same kind Tanvi had on her hand.
Kartik's hand shook. He left the food right there and asked quietly, "Siya... what is this cut?"
Siya calmly hid her hand inside her sleeve and gave a faint smile.
"Must have gotten hurt."
"Don't lie," Kartik leaned forward, his voice turning a bit stern. "Are you Tanvi's ex-roommate, or something else? Why are you both so weirdly identical?"
Siya picked up her coffee cup, took a sip, and looked straight into Kartik's eyes without any fear.
"Because, Kartik... the person you know as Tanvi is just a name. The pain she suffered, I suffered too. The only difference is she couldn't stay quiet, and I learned how to keep quiet."
📍The Discovery
Kartik's head was spinning. He stood up from the table. "You both are crazy. I made a mistake coming here."
"The mistake you made, Kartik... was when you ignored her love," Siya said from behind in a voice that sounded exactly like Tanvi.
Kartik didn't look back. He rushed out of the café, got on his bike, and rode straight back to his apartment. He felt that if he stayed there even for another minute, he would lose his mind completely.
However, when he reached near his flat, he noticed the lock on his door was slightly open.
Click.
He pushed the door open slowly. It was dark inside.
"Who's there?" Kartik shouted.
No response came.
He walked slowly until he reached his bedroom and switched on the light.
An envelope was lying on the bed, with something written in red ink:
"You ran to her... but you belong to me."
And right on the nearby table lay the old flash drive—the very flash drive Siya had given him, but now a fresh drop of blood had fallen on top of it.
Kartik turned around. The wardrobe door was opening slowly. From inside, Tanvi's voice emerged—right close, next to his ear:
Kartik stopped breathing. When he looked in the mirror, he knew there was no escape left. He and Tanvi were now burning in the same fire—a fire that would only extinguish when everything turned to ash.