The house did not feel like a house anymore.
It felt like a place where something had been decided.
Raghav's body had been taken away.
Police questions had been asked.
"Did he seem disturbed?"
"Was he under stress?"
"Any history of sleepwalking?"
Sourav answered mechanically.
"No.
"
"No.
"
"I don't know.
"
He avoided looking at the terrace.
Avoided looking at the empty space near the staircase.
But he could still see it.
The fall.
The iron rods.
The faint warmth rising from metal when flesh touched it.
That detail refused to leave his mind.
Iron rods were heated the previous afternoon for bending work. The workers had
mentioned it casually while passing by.
Now that memory felt important.
Too important.
Evening came quietly.
No one cooked properly.
Didi kept crying in intervals.
Baba stared at the main door as if waiting for someone to walk in.
Sourav finally stood up.
"I need air,
" he said softly.
16He walked toward the terrace again.
The door creaked slightly when he pushed it open.
The same terrace.
The same edge.
But something felt wrong.
The railing.
There was a faint dent near the corner.
As if someone had gripped it hard.
Hard enough to bend the metal slightly.
Sourav touched it.
Cold.
But when he closed his eyes—
He felt heat.
A flash.
Rain.
Metal rods.
A scream.
Not Raghav's scream.
Another voice.
Smaller.
"Please don't leave…
"
His eyes snapped open.
His breathing became shallow.
"We left him.
"
The words escaped before he could stop them.
Behind him—
A soft sound.
Like someone stepping lightly on wet ground.
He turned quickly.
No one.
But near the staircase door—
There were faint muddy footprints.
Small ones.
Child-sized.
Leading toward the terrace edge.
Sourav stared at them.
They looked fresh.
Wet.
But it hadn't rained.17
He took one slow step forward.
The footprints disappeared.
Gone.
As if they were never there.
Night deepened.
The electricity flickered once.
Not fully going out.
Just a reminder.
3:00 AM.
The clock clicked loudly.
Sourav was awake.
He didn't want to sleep.
He didn't trust sleep anymore.
His phone suddenly vibrated.
Unknown Number.
At exactly 3:00 AM.
His hands trembled as he answered.
He didn't say hello.
For a few seconds—
Only breathing.
Soft.
Uneven.
Then—
A child's voice.
Calm.
"You didn't stay.
"
The line disconnected.
Sourav's entire body went cold.
He looked at his recent calls.
The number wasn't saved.
But below it—
Another call log appeared.
Raghav – 2:59 AM
He stared at it.
That was impossible.
He had seen Raghav's body.
He had watched them pull it down from the heated iron rods.
18He had seen the damage.
The rods had pierced cleanly through him.
Abdomen and chest.
The memory made him dizzy.
But the call log remained.
He pressed on Raghav's name.
Call connected.
No ringing.
Just silence.
Then—
A whisper.
"Same place.
"
The call ended.
Sourav didn't think.
He ran toward the terrace.
The door was already open.
Cold wind rushed in.
But this time—
He wasn't alone.
Near the edge—
Raghav was standing there.
Back facing him.
Still.
Wearing the same clothes from the night he fell.
But no blood.
No injury.
Just standing.
Sourav's voice cracked.
"Raghav…
"
Slowly—
Raghav turned.
His eyes were not angry.
Not scared.
Just tired.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Raghav asked quietly.
"Tell you what?"
"That there were three of us that day.
"
The world felt heavier.
Sourav's chest tightened.
"You remember now, don't you?" Raghav continued.
And memory broke through fully.
19Years ago.
Rain.
Three boys playing near a restricted construction site.
The smallest boy was new in the neighborhood.
They had dared him to run across the rods.
Just for fun.
"Don't be scared,
" young Sourav had laughed.
The boy slipped.
Got trapped between vertical rods.
One rod pierced near his shoulder.
Not fully through.
But deep.
He screamed.
Raghav panicked.
"We need help!"
But Sourav—
had hesitated.
Fear of punishment.
Fear of police.
Fear of blame.
"We'll say it was an accident,
" he had said.
They ran to call adults.
But they didn't run fast enough.
Or maybe—
they ran too late.
By the time help arrived—
The boy was silent.
His body had grown cold against metal.
Back on the terrace—
Raghav stepped closer to Sourav.
"He wasn't angry,
" Raghav said softly.
"He was scared.
"
Sourav's eyes filled.
"I was a child…
"
"So was he.
"
The words hit hard.19
Wind suddenly grew stronger.
The terrace floor flickered—
Turning wet.
Turning old.
The past overlapping the present.
Near the edge—
The child appeared.
Six years old.
Pale.
Neck scar faintly visible.
Not bleeding.
Just there.
Watching.
"You promised,
" the child said calmly.
Sourav shook his head.
"I never promised—
"
"You did,
" Raghav interrupted.
Flashback.
Sourav kneeling beside the trapped boy years ago.
"I'll come back. I promise.
"
Then running.
The promise broken.
The loop born.
Tears rolled down Sourav's face.
"I was scared,
" he whispered.
The child stepped closer.
"So was I.
"
Suddenly—
The railing behind Raghav cracked slightly.
Metal strain.
Same sound from the night before.
Raghav didn't react.
Almost like he expected it
"Maybe this time,
" Raghav said quietly,
"you don't run.
"
The wind pushed harder.
The terrace edge felt closer.
The same pattern.
The same setup.
The loop wasn't random.
It was recreating.
Same place.
Same height.
Same metal below.20
Sourav understood.
If he stepped back now—
The loop would continue.
If he stayed—
Something might change.
Raghav slowly leaned backward.
Not falling yet.
Just enough to test him.
"Don't,
" Sourav said, stepping forward.
His heart was pounding violently.
"I'm not leaving again.
"
The child watched silently.
Raghav's foot slipped slightly.
The exact same moment as last night.
This time—
Sourav lunged forward and grabbed his arm.
Strong.
Tight.
The metal railing dug into his palm.
Skin scraped.
Pain shot through him.
But he didn't let go.
"Hold me!" Sourav shouted.
Raghav grabbed the railing with his other hand.
The terrace trembled slightly—
Like reality resisting change.
The child's voice echoed softly:
"Stay.
"
Sourav tightened his grip.
"I'm here!"
The wind suddenly stopped.
Everything froze.
For a few seconds—
Absolute silence.
Then—
The terrace returned to normal.
Dry.
Still.
Morning light beginning to form at the horizon.
Raghav was no longer leaning.21
He was standing upright.
Breathing heavily.
Alive.
No fall.
No rods.
No crowd.
No police.
Sourav slowly released him.
Both of them looked at each other.
Shocked.
Confused.
Raghav touched his own chest as if checking something.
Nothing.
No wound.
The loop had shifted.
But it wasn't fully gone.
Behind them—
The child stood near the staircase.
Not angry.
Not smiling.
Just observing.
"Not finished,
" he said softly.
Then he faded.
Clock inside the house ticked.
3:07 AM.
Time had moved forward.
Not reset.
Sourav's hands were bleeding slightly from the railing grip.
Real cuts.
Proof.
Raghav looked at him.
"You remember everything now, don't you?"
Sourav nodded slowly.
"Yes.
"
Raghav's expression hardened slightly.
"Then this isn't over.
"
The sky slowly turned lighter.
But neither of them felt relief.
Because now—
The loop was aware that they remembered.
And that changed everything.
TO BE CONTINUED