Meher looked at Areeba.
“Now you must understand…” Areeba slowly asked, “What is that?” Tears rolled down Meher’s cheeks.
“That is the one…” For a moment, everything fell silent.
Then Meher whispered, “The one who has kept me trapped here for twenty years.” Areeba stared at the dark corner for several seconds.
The two glowing eyes were still there.
“Twenty years?” Meher nodded.
“Yes.” “You’ve been trapped here all these years?” Meher lowered her eyes.
“I wasn’t trapped here…” Areeba looked at her in confusion.
“Then?” Meher slowly said: “I could never leave this mansion.” “Why?” Meher didn’t answer.
Instead, she held out her wrist toward Areeba.
The moment Areeba saw it, the color drained from her face.
There was a deep black mark around Meher’s wrist.
It looked as though someone had pressed a burning piece of iron against her skin.
“What is that?” Meher whispered, “It’s not a mark…
it’s a binding.” Areeba slowly asked, “Whose?” Meher looked toward the darkness behind her.
“His.” Suddenly, the two glowing eyes in the darkness disappeared.
Silence filled the basement.
Dadi Zohra immediately said, “Meher, we have to leave.” Meher shook her head.
“It’s too late.” “Why?” Meher looked at Areeba.
“Because he has seen Areeba.” Areeba’s heart began pounding.
“Why did he see me?” Meher was about to answer when suddenly…
the lantern in the basement went out.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Dadi Zohra quickly grabbed Areeba’s hand.
“Everyone, stay quiet.” Then they heard footsteps.
Tap…
tap…
tap…
The sound slowly moved closer to them.
Areeba tried to reach for Meher’s hand.
But her hand…
was freezing cold.
Meher leaned close to Areeba’s ear and whispered only one thing: “Whatever happens…
don’t look behind you.” Areeba closed her eyes.
But at that very moment, someone whispered directly behind her: “Areeba…” The voice…
was her own.
Areeba’s entire body went numb.
She kept her eyes tightly shut.
Again, the same voice came from behind her: “Areeba…” This time, it was so close…
as if someone were standing right beside her ear.
Meher tightened her grip on Areeba’s hand.
“Whatever you hear…
don’t answer.” Areeba slowly nodded.
Dadi Zohra stood completely silent as well.
Then footsteps began circling around them.
Tap…
tap…
tap.
Sometimes the voice came from the right.
Sometimes from the left.
And sometimes…
right behind them.
Areeba’s breathing grew faster.
Suddenly, a faint light appeared in front of her.
The lantern had lit again.
Areeba opened her eyes.
Meher was standing in front of her.
But Dadi Zohra…
was gone.
Areeba panicked.
“Dadi?” Meher immediately covered her mouth.
“Quiet!” Areeba looked around.
The basement was empty.
“Where is Dadi Zohra?” Meher whispered, “He took her.” “Where?” Meher pointed toward the basement wall.
There was an old door built into it.
Areeba stared at it in disbelief.
“That door wasn’t here before.” Meher shook her head.
“It has always been here.” Areeba pulled out the key.
The same key she had found for the locked room.
The moment Meher saw it, she stepped back.
“How did you get that?” “Dadi gave it to me.” Meher’s expression changed.
“Then she didn’t tell you everything.” Areeba asked, “What?” Meher looked toward the door.
“That key doesn’t open the room you think it does.” Areeba stared at the key.
“Then what door does it open?” Meher slowly replied, “The door…
behind which your grandmother locked me away.” Areeba’s eyes widened.
“So my grandmother locked you in here?” Meher nodded through her tears.
“Yes.” “Why?” Meher was about to answer when suddenly, Dadi Zohra’s scream came from behind the door.
“Areeba!” Areeba rushed toward the door.
Meher tried to stop her.
“But…” Areeba inserted the key into the lock.
The lock began turning on its own.
Click.
The door slowly opened.
Inside was complete darkness.
Areeba turned on her phone’s flashlight.
The first thing the light revealed was an old wooden chair.
Dadi Zohra was tied to it.
Areeba screamed, “Dadi!” Dadi Zohra opened her eyes.
“Close the door!” Areeba froze.
“Why?” Dadi Zohra said in a trembling voice, “Because I’m not alone…” Areeba slowly lowered the flashlight.
Behind Dadi Zohra…
a tall shadow stood against the wall.
But there was no body behind it.
Only a shadow.
Then it slowly raised its hand.
Areeba’s phone slipped from her hand.
A voice echoed through the darkness: “Now your wait is over.” Areeba stared at the shadow for several moments.
Her feet felt as though they were frozen to the floor.
Dadi Zohra was still tied to the chair, and the fear in her eyes was unmistakable.
“Areeba…
step back.” Areeba looked at Dadi Zohra.
“But I have to untie you.”