𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐈

The morning light hit my face through the curtains. My eyes flutter open. The light adjusts my eyes slowly.

I stay laying for few minutes. And something fell off. My window, it's open now. A frown formed on my face. I sit up slowly, leaning my back against the headboard of my bed, my legs stretched under the blanket. I remember clearly.

Last night before I slept, I did shut the window. I always shut my windows while sleeping. Then how? Did someone? Nah...no. How would any other person will do that? No way. I'm in fourteenth floor of this apartment building. No one climb up here. And no one can enter my apartment until I let.

I'm thinking too much. Maybe last night. I just didn't remember. Maybe I did closed it. But again opened it and just didn't remember.

Yeah, yes. This would have happened. I'm just overthinking. I need to get ready for college. I removed the blanket and about to climb off the bed when suddenly I hear a jingling like sound.

And my eyes fell on my feets. My eyes widened. What? How?

Anklets?
How? I don't have any anklets.
My brain stopped working. How in the freaking world this is possible that I slept last night without any jewelleries, and woke up with finding a pair of anklets around my my feets. No, this is not any mistake. I do remember everything. I don't have any anklets with me, neither I bought nor I wore ever. I mean yeah if I don't buy or gifted how I'll wear one.

I pull my feets closer. Observing it. It's silver but touches of gold in minute designs are engraved in it. It's beautiful, really beautiful.

But that means some body was here in my apartment last night. And that window was shut but someone opened and entered through it last night. How? How is this possible? I'm fucking in fourteenth floor.

The realisation send a shiever ran down my spine. My blood ran chill. Someone entered my apartment, my room last night. And whoever it was had put on these anklets around my feets.

Because this is the only thing that makes sense. I didn't slept with my window open. I always keep my windows shut while sleeping. And my window are sliding ones, so no 'may be due to winds..' can be use for excuse. And I fucking never had anklets since childhood. Because I always craved for grandma's ones. But after the demise four years ago. I never saw her anklets. So no, there are no chances of anklets in this appartment.

But yes, the anklets. It looks....... familiar. Very very familiar. I feel like I have seen it earlier. But I don't know where.

Maybe in long lost memories.

I snapped back to the situation and my phone pinged with a message. I reached over beside my pillow for my phone. As I grabbed it. My fingers touched something else. A paper.

I took both and brought it front of me. A note. A note? Did that sneaker? Who else would be?

I opened the folds of the note. And found another small note inside it folded. I set the small one aside and started reading the note.

My eyes widened, at the realisation drawn within me. Tears started pricking my eyes, my fingers trembled around the edges of the sheet.

The note says....

"Rini, my child. My moon. I know when you'll find this note, I won't be alive. Maybe few years would have passed. But this note is important. For you, your life. I'm your grandmother. I don't have any choice or time left so I'm talking you with the help of this sheet of paper. After our accident. You lost your memory. I know, I have been informed. We both had accident. And I can't express how thankful I'm to Mahadev, that you my heir, my child survived. You are unaware of many things. And forget many things. Your papa, my son. Is too selfish in his daughter's love that he won't tell you anything to keep you with him. I don't blame him. Because after you are his first child, the daughter he prayed for five years. He is not ready to see you as someone else's. He is blind to keep his daughters.

And don't ask. Don't ask him anything. Nothing. I know when you'll get these note you'll be in New York. And this what both reliefs and unsettles me at the same time. I know you must be wearing my anklets too.

Don't worry, he won't hurt you. He is here for you.

Things will take time but slowly you'll know everything. And remember I'm always there for you, in this note."

The note fell on my lap, tears now freely streaming down my cheeks.

It's my grandmother.
These anklets, her's.
This note confirms. But how? And who was she talking about? And what truth?

My chin trembles as I sob.

Minutes later as my sobs subside, my eyes dropped on that another small note.

My hand reached it, as I hold it up with my trembling fingers. And slowly unfolded it.

"10 more days. Be ready to be... claimed."

My breath hitched, eyes widened. This is definitely not my grandmother.

But the person who was here last night.

Who? Who is could be? It's has been just a month I came in New York. A day only passed as I joined my college.
And these. Now this!

What is this? Tears again welled up my eyes.

I grabbed my phone and to call the only person. I can think about now.

My papa.
Only he.
I need to tell him everything now.

Wiping my tears from my cheeks with the back of my palm. I opened the call log and started to dail the number. When half of the number I dialed and about to complete.

And suddenly, a notification. It's a message.

Unknown number.
Who could be?
Worst thoughts started filling up my brain.

I opened the chat with trembling hand. And my eyes popped out at the message. It says, no. It threatens.

UNKNOWN
"About to call your Daddy, dove?"

My throat dried. A knot fromed in my stomach.

How? Is my phone hacked?
Yes, offcourse it is. I fucking wasn't expecting this. I just started my life here. And my life is already on the Chaos of silence.

Is it that person who was in my room last night?
Who else will me? Or may be someone else. I snapped out of my thoughts when another message came.

UNKNOWN
"Don't pressurise your genius little head, dove. And I hope you won't call him. And don't make me give you any threats. You are smart to understand the unspoken warning."

My hands trembled. What do I do now? No one here. Whom I should tell.

This bastard just threatened me. I couldn't take any risk.

Should I reply him? Should I demand answers now? Is this is any prank?

My mind races with questions and thoughts, worst thoughts.

And another message chimed.

UNKNOWN
"I won't hurt you. Not yet."

Chills ran down my spine at the message. Why?

Should I tell someone? Saksham? Aishi? Or kabir? I can't take any risk with their life. But I need someone too.

Door bell rings.

I flinched at the sudden sound of the door bell. My chest tightened with fear. Who is it? That intruder?

Door bell rings again.

The door bell rings again. What I should do? Should I go and check? What if some danger lurkering outside? But it could be someone else too.

Either way I have to check. I climbed off my bed. Keeping those notes in the drawer of my nightstand, leaving my phone on bed, I walked out of my bedroom.

Crossing my living room, I slowly make my way to the door. I reached the door handle and peeked out through the see-through hole.

No one. What? I pulled away my face from the see-through. Should I open the door and check? But no one is there. But the door bell was ranged by someone.

Door bell rings again.

As it rang again, I quickly peeked though the see-through hole. And there. I saw.

A man standing, his face is masked. He is wearing all black.

Who it could be? No no no no. What I'll do now.

"Chainese billi, darvasa khol. Jaldi. Khole. Kitne ghode bech ke so rahi hai?"

(Chainese cat, open the door. Faster. How much sleep do you need?)

Oh. Thank god. That's kabir. I quickly locked and opened the door. There he is.

But why is he dressed like this? I sighed in relief. He entered, past by me. And collapsed on couch.

I frowned, locked the door. All black? Black t-shirt, jeans, a cap and a black surgical mask.

He pants. As I went to the kitchen to bring water for him.

I came in living room with few seconds. And hand him the bottle.
I sit beside him on the sofa. He gulped the water. He was defined upto something.

After drinking water, keeping the bottle aside, he looked at me. And found me already watching him with a frown on my face.

"What? Seeing a hot man for the first time." He asked.

I rolled my eyes. And spoke.

"You tell me. What happened? What are you upto?" I asked, my eyes curious.

"Nothing. Just...... went out for a jog. And came to drink water." He replied sheepishly.

"Jog? In these outfit? At 9 a.m.?" I say bluntly, not buying his words. Atleast, he wasn't out for jog it's clear.

"Ugh...uh... yeah.... actually...." He trailed off, but before he could complete I cut him off.

"Srilekha Roy." I say the name catching him off-guard. He gulped, his eyes drift somewhere else as he avoid my gaze and question both.

He knew he can't lie now. He simply nodded. His eyes are focused on the tattoo on his right hand wrist.

The tattoo 'caramel'.
His eyes are fixed on the tattoo as if finding someone in it. But getting nothing, except the ink.

I sighed, placing a palm on his shoulder.

"Still? Why? You know this is wrong." I say him. His jaw clenched.

"You and Aishi always support Saksham but not me." He says.

"Kabir, you know that Saksham do it because he has no choice. He is protecting her. But you.....you are..." I say as he cuts me off.

"I...I love her, Rini." He confess, releasing a deep breath. "since.....since childhood. When I saw her first picture with Reeddhi, her best friend." He completes.

"But-" Before I could say, he cuts me off again.

"But what, Rini?!! you and aishi know that Saksham is stalking Reeddhi, since she was 10 and he was 16. He had her pictures, with her sister, best friend. Then why I'm wrong? Because Srilekha is best friend of Reeddhi? Reeddhi, the girl he loves? I'm wrong that I fell for her best friend?" He says, defensively.

I sigh deeply. But then spoke.
"I understand Kabir, but you can't justify the situation." I pause.

"Kabir, you and Saksham were both 17 at that age. And I still know, and believe, stalking is a crime, invading privacy and it cannot be justified. But Saksham started stalking Reeddhi because his intentions were just to keep her safe. Safe from the danger of in her house. You are very aware that if Saksham wouldn't have been stalking her, Reeddhi wouldn't have been breathing till date. She and her sister is alive because of Saksham." I pause again.

"Yes, he had her pictures with her sister and best friend. And yes, he told us everything when we were 16-17. He showed her picture to us, because he trusts us enough to show the girl he loves. But you, since you saw that picture. And saw her best friend. You were obsessed in the one look. You were obsessed over a girl at the age of 16 when she was herself 11." I say firmly but gently trying to make him understand.

"It's still, stalking. If he isn't wrong, then how I'm?" He says defensively.

"For God sake, Saksham was protecting her. If he wouldn't have, she'd have died, including her sister. And he fell in love eventually. He never invaded her privacy wrongly. Every day of her room, house footage, is checked by his trusted female official. He had strict order that if in footage, Reeddhi's private daily things, like changing clothes, or in bathroom that should me edited and deleted from the footage. He never crossed the line he drawned. But you. Since you saw Srilekha. You stalked her, you killed over fifteen men over her. Your obsession is not just obsession. It's not love." I say, instantly regretting at my last words.

"Those fifteen men weren't innocent, Rini." He says, looking at me. "I love her, don't ever say that I don't." He says sadly, hurt.

I decide to change the topic. I don't want push this more. As now I have a stalker for myself too. Should I discuss with him? About the notes, messages? No, not yet. I don't want him to get involved in my problems when he already has his a lot.

"So, you are already ready for college. You wait here. I'll go and change. Okay?" I ask.

"The university is closed today. It's sealed. For a month." He says bluntly. I got off-guard at his words. Why it's sealed, for a month? What happened suddenly?

"What? You? You sure? But why? The new session just started yesterday. Then why it's sealed, for a month?" I asked.

"The librarian, is murdered." He says.
Librarian? That one whom I met yesterday. She is murdered. God, a murder in the college we study.

"How you know? Did you get any message from college? Because I didn't get any, yet." I ask curiously.

"Yuvraj bhai, informed me this morning. Our dad and Saksham's dad and bhai were there, in college this morning." He murmurred sadly.

"Oh.... okay. You sit here. I'll just freshenup up in few minutes. Then I'll make breakfast and we'll call Aishi and Saksham over here for breakfast okay?" I say, trying to bring his mood back.

"No need. Just go and freshenup and come to Saksham's apartment. Aishi and I'm going there now. He is already preparing breakfast for us." He says, still upset with my earlier words.

I sigh, but nod. Not questioning him anymore. I watch as he stood up and walked to the door.

"I'm sorry, kabir. I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have said like that. I'm sorry." I apologise genuinely.

He stopped, turning his head over his shoulder. He smiled softly at me, shaking his head slightly.

"It's okay. You don't need to apologise. You were right at your place. And honestly, I don't like when you, Saksham or Aishi apologies after scolding me." He says, pausing.

"Now, go and freshenup and come over Saksham's appartment. I'm going there." With that he stepped out of my apartment.

I sigh. My friends aren't just my childhood friends or best friends. They are my support system.

I locked the door and went back to my bedroom and walked to my bathroom.

Few minutes later, after shower and other morning business. I came back to my bedroom, wearing a pajama and t-shirt. And started fixing my bed.

My mind drift back to the notes, intruder, messages and these anklets. I look down. My eyes fell on my feet, the anklets. My grandma.

Who is he? How he knows about my grandmother? And even if he does why is he doing this for her, after her death?

Why? Do I know him? I don't know.

～☯～

After having breakfast in Saksham's appartment. We three, Aishi, kabir and me are still here in his living room.

I'm sitting on a big couch and reading a book, in my phone. Saksham sitting beside me on same couch, he focused on his laptop.

Aishi and Kabir are focused on T.V. and fighting for remote. They are in another couch, next to us.

"Owww. Don't pull my hair, Aishi." Kabir squeaked.

I look up from the phone. Aishi is fisting on Kabir's hair, and his right hand is up, held high to keep the remote away from her reach.

"De, jaldi de remote." Aishi warned.

(Give, give the remote, fast.)

I was about to say. But Saksham beside my quietly murmurred to me.

"Don't spoil it. Just enjoy, Rini" Saksham says, keeping his eyes fixed on his laptop screen.

"But- oh.... okay." I give in his words.

"Don't pull my hair, Japanese Billi. Otherwise today I'll forcefully take to the salon and make you bald." He threatened, trying to pull away from her grip on his hair.

"I'll make sure, I'll rip off all your hair from your head before that, donkey." She snapped back.

Me and Saksham almost about to laugh, but stayed quiet.

Enjoying this too much, knowing very well that this is normal between them.

～☯～

Later that night, I'm standing in my balcony. Looking down at the empty road from the 14th floor.

It's almost, 12:00 a.m. I stand there, leaning against the railing. And suddenly the lights went off. I flinched at the sudden power cut.

I walk back in my room, leaving balcony. I walked to the nightstand to take my phone.

A message popped. I open to see but pause, I saw it's that same unknown number.

UNKNOWN:
"You look ethereal under moonlight, dove."

My hands trembled, my stomach sank. As the realisation washes over me.

He is close enough to see me.

Hey cupcakes, this is the 5th chapter.
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