The mirror light faded.
And suddenly—
He wasn't alone.
To his left, barely visible in the dim corridor, stood a child.
Small. Silent. Watching him.
The boy looked about six years old. Pale skin. Empty eyes.
And across his neck—
A thin, dark cut mark.
Sourav's body went cold.
The child tilted his head slowly.
"Papa…
"
The word hit him harder than any scream.
"Papa, why didn't you cometo help me?"
Sourav's breath stopped.
"I… I don't have a son,
" he whispered, but even he didn't believe his own voice.
The child opened his mouth to say something else—
But before the words came out, a soft wind brushed against Sourav's ear.
Cold.
Whispering.
And everything changed.
The corridor disappeared.
The mirror vanished.
He was standing in a bathroom.
Alone.
7The white light above flickered normally now.
He stared at himself in the bathroom mirror.
"I'm fine,
" he muttered.
"I'm completely fine.
"
But his reflection did not look convinced.
He checked the time.
4:00 AM.
His routine was ruined. His head was pounding. His chest still tight.
Exhausted, he lay down.
And sleep took him instantly.
The next day at Gabriel Company felt strangely normal.
Too normal.
Files. Screens. Silence.
As he was working, his phone vibrated.
Didi Calling… 📞
He hesitated before answering.
"Hello, Sourav 👋 kaisa hai? Aur sab kaam theek chal raha hai?" his sister's warm voice
came through.
"Haan didi, sab badhiya chal raha hai. Bahut din ho gaye aapse baat kiye hue.
"
"Tujhe toh pata hai ghar ka kaam bahut hai… aur aaj Maa ki death anniversary hai.
"
Silence.
Sourav's fingers tightened around the phone.
"Haan didi… Maa ke bina sab adhoora lagta hai.
"
"Hmmm… achha bata, Varanasi kab aa raha hai? Baba aur main teri raah dekh rahe
hain.
"
Sourav swallowed.
"Haan didi… ek baar boss se baat karta hoon holiday ke liye.
"
"Achha, theek hai. Main phone rakhti hoon.
"
"Okay didi… bye.
"
The call ended.
But the emptiness didn't.
8He went to his boss.
"Sir, I need a four-day leave.
"
"How many days?" the boss asked calmly.
"Four days, sir.
"
A pause.
"Okay 👍"
Just like that.
Too easy.
That evening, Sourav packed his backpack.
Night had already fallen.
His train was scheduled soon.
As he was about to leave—
The lights went out.
Total darkness.
He cursed under his breath and searched for his torch. After fixing the fuse, the
electricity returned.
The room lit up again.
And that's when he noticed it.
His backpack.
It was supposed to be on the bed.
But now—
It was on the table.
He froze.
He was sure.
Absolutely sure.
He had left it on the bed.
A chill ran down his spine.
"Lack of sleep,
" he whispered to himself.
He ignored it.
Locked the door.
And headed to the railway station.
Soon, he was sitting in his train seat.
Watching the dark night pass outside the window.
The train began to move.
Slowly.
Then faster.
And in the reflection of the train window—
For a split second—
He thought he saw the child sitting beside him.
Smiling.
9The train moved steadily through the night.
Sourav was staring at his ticket when a vice interrupted his thoughts.
"Excuse me… would you mind taking the lower berth? I prefer the upper one.
"
Sourav looked up.
The man standing before him appeared to be around his age. Calm face. Sharp
eyes. A polite, almost efortless smile.
"Yes, that's fine,
" Sourav replied.
"Thanks. I appreciate it,
" the stranger said as he climbed to the upper berth.
"I'm
Raghav.
"
"Sourav.
"
The train lights flickered briefly.
Neither of them mentioned it.
As the hours passed, conversation began naturally. They spoke about work, cities,
responsibilities, and the strange exhaustion that adulthood brings.
There was something comfortable about Raghav's presence.
Almost too comfortable.
"So… where are you headed?" Sourav asked casually.
"Varanasi,
" Raghav replied.
Sourav paused.
"Varanasi? I'm going there too.
"
For a brief moment, Raghav's expression shifted — just slightly.
Then he smiled again.
"What a coincidence,
" he said softly.
TO BE CONTINUED