CHAPTER 12.

                                    

                                          
Next night,
2:30 pm
Mallika was sleeping peacefully in her room. But her beauty sleep was disturbed as her throat became dry so she got up for water but instead found an empty jug on the table. 
Letting out a sigh she slowly got up from the bed to not disturb Monika and headed towards the kitchen. 
She filled the jug with water and was about to come back then suddenly she heard some weird noises. She didn't mind much about it and left the kitchen. 
But when she put forth a step upstairs a shadowy figure ran past from behind.
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Mallika's POV,
I whipped my head back, but there was no one. I was feeling something was off so I decided to check if there was any thief or not. 
Tiptoeing towards the living room I cautiously made my way by holding tightly the water full jug as protection.
There was a big window in there. Moonlight was shining brightly from the sky and illuminating the whole area. The serene-filled canvas looked rather creepy back then.
I started searching here and there but found nothing suspicious. 
I bent down to check under the sofa. But as soon as I got up I felt again the same shadow passed by from my behind. 
I felt a cold sensation run along my body which caused goosebumps to erupt on my skin. I quickly turned my head but again found nothing. 
"Kaun hai woha?" I somehow managed to ask sternly but it came out like a whisper from my mouth. 
My mouth became dried in anticipation, so I gulped down my saliva in fear. Though I was the one who was never afraid of ghosts and the one who always watched horror movies late at night, but this time the situation wasn't like, I ever felt before.  
My trance broke when I heard some scratching noises coming from the window side. 
I quickly turned and saw...
I saw...
The same figure which I saw a day before in the mirror was standing outside but its body was clearly visible through the window. 
And the most terrifying thing was that... it was scribbling something over the window with its sharp inhumane nails. 
I WANT YOU !
Fear would be an understatement for what I was feeling back then. 
NO! I won't run like a coward. 
I was Miss horrorworm Mallika Singh, I could never be afraid of ghosts. 
NEVER! 
Though I never felt in such a situation before but... Didn't I want to face it since childhood? Then what was the point of running now? How could I miss the chance to finally meet with a ghost? 
'Finally, my dream will gonna happen! I'm going to meet with a ghost, yay!' 
'Stop it Mallika! Go and see who's there, maybe he's a stupid burglar.'
'But why a burglar will want me?' 
'And if not then, does it mean that the ghost wants ME? But why?' 
'Uffo, pehle jaa to woha fir to pata chalega na.' my subconscious scolded me.
I slowly started making my way towards the window, maintaining eye contact, in case that shit tried to escape. 
But it was still there, staring at me creepily. 
My heart was hammering against my chest as if it would come out at any moment. 
'NO MALLIKA YOU SHOULDN'T BE AFRAID, U HAVE TO BE STRONG!'  I was chanting those lines while approaching the window. 
I was trying to act brave but the sweet beads were narrating the tale.
I found myself face to face with the shadow. Just the mere glass separating us, or would he come through? 
Just when I was about to touch the pane...
"Mallika! itni raat ko woha khidki ke pass kya kar rhi hai?!" Monika called me abruptly from behind as my head jolted to meet with her confusing eyes. I placed my palm over my heart to stop the erect beating.
'Firse bigaad dali. Mera bhoot dekhne ka sapna adhura hi reh jayega lagta hai bhagwan.' I mentally cursed Mon and sighed. 
Turning back to the window I saw and of course, there was none, the words too vanished. 
"Now why are you silent now? Mallika, tell me something. Are you alright?" Monika came to me and started examining me from head to toe.
"I'm absolutely alright Mon, as you can see. Actually pani khatam ho gaya tha isiliye pani bharne ayi thi. See." I replied showing her the jug.
"Then why are you standing there?" She again questioned me like a CBI. That's why I called her a CBI officer.
"That? wo... actually... Moon! Look Mon the moon is looking so beautiful today, isn't it? I'm just watching it. Let's go now. I feel very sleepy. And tomorrow is Kiran's Sangeet ceremony. Plenty of works." I pushed her with me to avoid more questions from my so-called CBI sister. And we went to our room and slept hugging each other. 
But my mind was occupied with the incident which happened some minutes ago. I kept thinking about the shadow and didn't know when slept.