The city of Coorg, which was constantly under cloud-cover, was now vibrantly decorated with lights, flowers and colours adorning the city in the lively spirits of Holi. Tucked into the corner of the city was the two storey house named 'Prahlad' which belonged to the Mishra family since decades. Shreeja, the youngest daughter of the family was a staunch believer in paranormal activities whereas her elder brother Shubham believed that there was nothing as such as ghosts.
The night of holika dahan was filled with laughter, celebration and lots of gujiyas. As the ceremony came to an end and the night began growing colder, everyone retired to their rooms. Shreeja lay wide awake in her bed, as the excitement for the upcoming festival made it difficult for her to sleep.She got out of bed and as her bare feet touched the cold marble floor, she made her way to the backyard.
Near the flickering fire of the holika, she saw a familiar silhouette sitting on the chair. As she covered the distance, the shadow became clearer as her brother's gloomy face came to her view. Something about his expressions told her that his brother was troubled by his inner thoughts. She took a seat beside her brother and spoke in a cheerful tone, "Are you coming up with new ideas to steal my laddoos tomorrow?" Shubham stared at her with a terrifying expression, one that made Shreeja's skin crawl. He spoke up in a deep, grave voice which did not sound like his own, "Do you really think that Maa passed away due to a heart attack?" This question sent chills through her entire body. Her mother had passed away 3 years ago.
On the night before holi, their mother had been out for a walk and the next thing they knew was that she was gone due to a cardiac arrest but something about the entire scenario unnerved the sibling duo. This thought had always troubled her and her brother.
But today, something in Shubham's demeanor made Shreeja feel that he knew something no one else did. Before she could reply, Shubham's calm yet haunting voice boomed around her as the words " You should take care of everyone, because he doesn't spare anyone" rolled down his lips. His voice sounding exactly like their mother.
Getting up from the seat, Shreeja made her way towards their shared bedroom with Shubham's daunting words fogging her mind. Entering the bedroom, Shreeja's eyes darted towards her brother's bed.....and she saw him in his bed, fast asleep. As realisation hit her like a truck, she turned to look towards the backyard. The spot where her brother sat a minute ago, now covered in dense fog, the holika, now, burnt down to nothing but ashes.
Her eyes widened in shock as everything clicked into place. Her brother never left the bed that night.
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