The classroom buzzed with soft murmurs and chair sounds, the kind that came from people settling in. Summer's heat had mellowed down, but the fans still groaned overhead. Vihaan walked in with his usual late stride, headphones around his neck, messy hair, half-zipped bag hanging from one shoulder.
A few guys at the back threw nods.
"Yo Vihaan!" one of them said.
He grinned back, raising his hand lazily. "What's up, backbenchers?"
They laughed.
It was like nothing had changed.
He slipped into his seat, legs stretched out, acting like he owned the row. From the outside, he looked normal—too normal maybe. Like the kind of guy who joked with the teacher, passed around memes during lectures, and forgot about assignments. But inside...
It hadn't even been a full week since Rishav's death.
His name still echoed sometimes in Vihaan's head.
That final moment. That voice trembling, "Tu badal gaya, bhai..."
But today—Vihaan had buried it. Deep.
"New student today," the guy next to him whispered.
Vihaan looked ahead lazily, his eyes falling on the girl entering the classroom.
She wasn't the kind of pretty that would make people stare. No heavy makeup, no loud clothes. She had calmness on her face. Hair tied in a simple braid, a light black shirt, black jeans and white shoes in her feet. Her eyes didn't scan the boys like most newcomers did. Instead, she looked for a seat silently and sat in the second row—alone.
Vihaan's brows raised slightly. Just a second.
That was all he looked.
Then, drift.
The memory of blood.
That red-stained knife.
That siren in the dark.
That moment when his head had spun and blacked out.
The world slipped again into static.
"Bro," someone nudged him. "You're staring."
"Was I?" Vihaan blinked. "Nah, just thinking."
---
[Break Time – Canteen Area]
The group huddled around chips, cold drinks, and pointless conversations.
"You saw that new girl? Total mystery vibe," one boy joked.
"I bet she's just shy," another smirked.
Vihaan laughed, chewing on his straw. "Or maybe she thinks we all stink."
Everyone burst out laughing.
"You going to school tomorrow?" someone asked.
"School?" Vihaan tilted his head. "What's that?"
More laughter.
Truth was, he hadn't stepped in school for days. Teachers thought he was sick. His classmates didn't even notice. Not that it mattered. Coaching was enough crowd for him to hide in.
---
[Evening – Vihaan's Home]
The key clicked softly. The house felt colder than usual. The silence wasn't peaceful—it felt like it was listening.
He dropped his bag, kicked off his shoes, walked to his room.
"Back to the world of ghosts," he whispered to himself.
He turned on his speaker, played something low and slow. Just enough to keep the quiet away.
Standing in front of the mirror, he stared at his reflection.
"Why do you smile so much?" he asked himself quietly.
The mirror didn't answer.
His phone buzzed. A text.
Unknown Number.
"Still pretending to be normal?"
His heart skipped a beat.
He didn't reply.
Instead, he threw the phone on his bed and walked to the bathroom. Washed his face. Looked at the water draining away.
"Let it go... just let it go," he muttered.
---
[Night – Living Room]
The house was asleep. The world was sleeping But Vihaan was wide awake.
The lights were off. Only the dim blue of the TV screen flickered in the silence. Not that he was watching it.
He sat on the sofa, knees up, his arms around them.
Talking to no one, and everyone.
"You know," he whispered, "sometimes I feel like I don't even exist in this house. If I vanish tonight, maybe it'll take them a week to notice. Maybe two."
He let out a dry chuckle. "Rishav... at least you screamed before you left."
Tears rolled down his cheek. But he didn't wipe them.
[The Next Morning – Back to Coaching]
And there he was again.
Leaning against the bench, joking around. His eyes were tired but his smile convincing.
"You back from the dead?" one boy joked.
"Bro," Vihaan said, grinning, "I'm the ghost haunting you all."
He pulled out snacks from his bag, passed them around.
Laughed louder than everyone.
Acted like the king of the room.
But from the corner of his eye, he saw her again.
The new girl.
Still sitting alone.
Still quiet.
Still not noticing anyone.
But once… just once…
Her eyes flicked to his for half a second.
And then away.
He felt something.
But before the feeling could grow, the voice in his head whispered again—
"She doesn't belong in your world… and neither do you."