The calling
The cursor in the search bar blinked every alternate second. Omkar broke his stare, blinking twice, and continued staring at the search bar. He inhaled some energy and extended his arms to search. The fat fingers of Om quickly typed and pressed the enter button. A new tab and a page started to load on the computer screen. Between the buffer time, Om moved his gaze to check the floor beneath him. Towards his right-hand side, there was a wooden frame with an old lock. A drop of sweat trickled down his forehead, a pop broke his gaze and brought him back to the screen. There was a window with a few tabs. The tab had the name of a few Doctors. Omkar clicked the first one - Dr. Tashi. A new window opened up and a video call was placed. When the doctor attended the call, the video of Omkar appeared on the screen and the doctor's window was turned off. Omkar was only able to hear his voice.
Omkar - Hello Doctor!
Dr. Tashi - Hi Om. Still, hearing those sounds?
Omkar's eyes again got distracted by the lock.
Dr. Tashi - Omkar!
Omkar - Yes doctor.
I tried to ignore it but it's not working out. I feel something is trying to come out and…..
Dr. Tashi - And?
Omkar - Posses me…
Dr. Tashi - Do you have a carpet?
Omkar - Yes.
Dr. Tashi -Why don't you try hiding it?
Omkar quickly pulled a caramel carpet covered in dust. He stopped when he went closer to the lock. He flung the carpet on it and ran back to it.
Omkar - Doctor.
Dr. Tashi - Yes.
Omkar - I have covered it. Will everything be alright?
Dr. Tashi - Let's wait and see.
The call got disconnected and the window closed. Om switched off his window and moved away from the computer. For the next few hours, he kept on staring at the bulge on the carpet from different angles. He dragged an old single-seater from the living room and placed it on it. Because of the bulge, the single-seater settled in a slanting position. He gently pushed it with his palm to see how firm the weight was. The single-seater stayed still. Little relief came to his mind.
He wiped the sweat on his forehead and sat on the couch. He spread his legs and leaned back to get some comfort. He stayed there on the slanting chair for a few minutes. After some time he carefully looked down. Everything was still. The intensity and fear reduced. Om stood up and casually moved away from the chair. He reached the bookshelf next to him and started scanning through his collections. He picked up a fat novel and flipped through the pages. When he finally found his bookmark he noticed the line where he left off. He held the book firmly, went back to the living room, and sat on the couch to continue his story. As he ran through the lines silence prevailed in the room. Water drips from the kitchen, a ticking sound from the clock, and a gentle breeze from the window crack added to the ambiance. When the rhythm of the ambient sounds went in sync, suddenly a new noise joined them. I was loud and out of rhythm.
Om’s grip on the book tightened. The bookmark fell on the ground. The vibrations from the thumping sounds spread evenly on the floor. When the bookmark landed on the floor, it slightly hopped from the floor. Sweat started to trickle down on Om’s forehead again. The fear of the unknown froze Om. He shivered in nervousness. He gradually moved to the other room and saw the fallen single-seater. The bulge in the carpet hopped up and down. It was like someone was trying to come out of the wooden frame. The lock was the only thing that held it inside. In fear, Om leaned back on the wall, closed his ears, and sat down. When the knocks became aggressive he closed his eyes and breathed heavily. After a few minutes, everything stopped. Omkar sat there and continued staring at it.
The top
In the void filled with darkness, a few light streaks fell on the ground. In the partially illuminated spot, a small figure came in and looked up. Its face was covered with long hair, it had a white robe and the visible parts were its hands and legs. The mysterious person followed the feeble light. Gradually the light grew brighter and lit a path. The person's legs marched ahead. It kept on walking guided by the feeble light looking for hope. After a few minutes into the path, a huge trail of steps extended to the roof. Beneath the cluster of tangled hair, the person’s eyes were visible. A drop of tear trickled down from it. The person kept on looking up. She wanted to reach the roof where a thin bright light of freedom emerged. New energy rose and the person started climbing the stairs. The mysterious person rushed through the stairs and reached the top. When the person’s worn and torn hands reached the bright-line and tried to open, it got stuck. The person tried to push the door by knocking frequently on it. The door never opened. The struggle went in vain with a dark realization of a lock. The person’s hand shivered in pain. It went closer to the tangled hair and removed the clusters and revealed a female’s place. Her eyes were as dark and dingy as her surroundings. Her lips were dry and covered in cuts. She leaned ahead with her moist eyes and tried to peek through the gap. The tear in her eyes gave out a blurry image of a man sitting approaching the door. She got excited and tried to scream, but her throat was dry and empty. She aggressively knocked at the door. The image of the man grew bigger. She quickly wiped her eyes and saw him spreading a big sheet to cover the door. The last source of light got covered and complete darkness prevailed in the void. She sat on the top of the stairs, beneath the door waiting for the lost hope of light to come back. A few hours had passed and she never moved from her position. She looked up, stood up, and gave one last knock with all her might. Though she heard the sound of something falling, she could not open the door. She continued knocking for some time and gave up.
The strange familiarity
The tab on the right corner of the window in the computer screen showed 2 missed calls. Omkar sat upright and called Dr. Tashi for the third time. The window opened and Omkar’s face popped up on the right corner of the screen and the doctor's window was blank.
Dr. Tashi - How have you been Omkar?
Omkar - Doctor It’s getting serious. The sounds are getting louder and nothing is working out. I think the lock will open soon.
Omkar kept staring at the bulge on the carpet.
Dr. Tashi - What do you think is inside there?
Omkar remained silent.
Dr. Tashi - Is there a person beneath the door?
Omkar’s attention came back to the screen again.
Dr. Tashi - Is there a creature beneath the door?
Omkar continues his silence.
Dr. Tashi - or could it be a ghost?
Can you try and remember when these knocks and sounds started to occur? When was the first time you saw the lock?
Omkar looked at his image on the video screen. His eyelids automatically blinked several times to reduce strain. He remained blank without giving any response.
Dr. Tashi - Do you remember anything from the recent past?
Omkar's mouth slowly opened wide. His eyes were filled with confusion and his face was covered in sweat. The doctor went on with his questions and Omkar responded with silence.
Dr. Tashi - Om, are you there?
Omkar’s hands closed the video window. His brain was filled with a lot of questions. Vague imagery kept on flashing in front of his eyes. It was all blurry and distorted. There were feeble whispers all around his ears. Omkar stood up and slowly walked near the carpet. The same fear crept through his skin and spine but simultaneously a familiar warmth emerged in his heart. Omkar sat down and removed the carpet. He saw the huge rusty lock and the darkness that came from the line between the wooden doors. For a change, Omkar knocked on the door. Suddenly the entire home lost its light. A feeble source of light from the moon fell on the computer table. Omkar approached the table and started to inspect it. After checking all the other drawers, he opened the last one. To his surprise, there was an old key covered in rust, termites, and ants. Om picked it up, cleaned it, and went near the door. He mustered a lot of courage and slid the key in the lock.
The truth -
The lady heard a loud knock. She strained her weak legs and stood up. She heard the sound of metal. Her eyes became moist in joy. The clunk from the key felt like a melody to her ears. One part of the door opened and opened and revealed Omkar’s half face. Om saw the lady’s other half. When the other door got opened they both could see each other. Omkar froze in shock. Everything came back to him. A series of imagery ran rampant in his mind, he held his head and tried to see through the blurriness. The lady extended her hands towards Omkar. When Omkar held her hands the entire space lit up again. Suddenly the blurriness in his head cleared. Omkar and the lady were in a different setup. They both were inside a car enjoying the view of a sunset. As they drove through the wide lanes of the coastal area, the sun simmered in warm hues. Omkar saw a different version of the lady next to him. She was pretty and looked young. The lady turned and saw Omkar with a sigh of satisfaction. Both of the visions were set on each other. Suddenly a wagon crashed their car, broke their eye contact, and toppled their car. Immediately everything became blurry and dark around Omkar. When he opened his eyes he found himself in an old house with a computer table and a few books.
After realizing this past, Om came back to his senses. It was his memory that resurfaced from the bottom of his heart. He closed his eyes and tried to open them again. The blurriness came back, but it cleared quickly. Om turned to his left and saw monitors, drips, and medical equipment all around him. When he turned to his left he saw his lady standing next to him with tears of Joy. With her help, Om got up and hugged her. Her face was covered with many bruises.
Lady - Doctor said you will never wake up.
Omkar - Dr. Tashi?
The lady was surprised at his question.
Lady - How do you know his name?
Omkar smiled and hugged her again.
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