Manik’s car stopped outside the club, he unbuckled his seatbelt and smiled at Nandini. “We reached,” he said and got out while she unbuckled her seatbelt as well and he opened the door for her forwarding his hand. She smiled and placed her hand on his palm and he slowly pulled her out. “You look beautiful in red, it’s my favorite color,” he said as they walked inside. “I know right, that’s why I wore it,” she replied walking beside him still holding his hand. Little did they know that they were carrying a soul with them in their car.
Anjali was sitting in the dicky of the car hiding herself. She slowly rose up revealing herself and eyed them. Her features were normal as human, she walked outside through the door without opening it and went inside. Nandini brought drinks for herself and Manik. She gave it to him and drank one. They were dancing in between the crowd and having a lot of fun. She slipped thrice only to be held by him, she laughed like a maniac. They continued dancing and got tired. He sat on the couch. She sat beside him resting her head on his shoulder closing her eyes.
“Anjali,” said little Nandini to little Anjali. “Yes,” replied little Anjali. “We won’t ever separate, promise?”, asked Nandini forwarding her little hand towards her. “Promise,” Anjali replied holding her hand and they smiled at each other. Nandini got up from his shoulder with a jolt and realized she was sleeping. “You OK?”, Manik asked. She nodded in positive. “I need one more drink,” she said and stood up going to counter and drank until she had no strength to stand still. She came to Manik. “I am going to washroom, I will just come.” He nodded.
She went with stumbling steps towards the washroom and entered inside closing the door. She stood before the basin, her eyes felt heavy, she couldn’t stand still, she looked in the mirror and her eyes opened wide. Anjali’s reflection stood beside her resting her head on her shoulder, she was smiling at her. She held her head as she was about to fall and felt a hand around her shoulders that stopped her from falling. She got scared as she entered alone, then how come someone else got in there? She turned to her side and startled seeing Anjali, she was really there.
She got out of her grip and moved back pinning herself to the wall, her eyes never left her ghostly figure though she still had humanly features. Anjali moved towards her and she pinned herself more and more to the wall, she rubbed her eyes and opened them again, she was still there. Anjali raised her pinky and she widened her eyes recalling the promise she made to her after she died and now it was crystal clear that she won’t ever leave her and that she did a mistake by doing so. She closed her eyes squeezing them tight.
After standing there like that for some more time she slowly opened her eyes and she wasn’t there anymore. She had a sigh of relief and washed her face. She took the towel from the rack and wiped her face. She heard the knocking sound and opened the washroom door but found no one and closed it again. She turned towards the mirror and screamed as a hand knocked on the mirror from inside it, she started sweating and closed her eyes tightly, her hand reached for the knob behind her and a hand popped out of the mirror extended towards her.
Anjali came out of the mirror and stood before her. Nandini tried opening the door but her hands were too weak to move. Anjali kept coming closer until she had possessed her body. She smiled and opened the door but walked stumblingly and sat on the second stair that came a few steps away from the washroom. She hung her head low. Manik got restless as Nandini didn’t returned till now, he stood up and went to washroom to check on her. He stopped seeing her sitting on the stairs leaning to the wall at her side with her legs touching the wall in front of her.
He was sure it was Nandini. He held her hand. “Nandini, get up, let’s go home,” he said and she looked up. “I am Anjali and not Nandini, why no one recognizes me? I loved you, why didn’t you come to me? You are marrying Nandini? Why always her name and not mine?”, she asked and he got shocked. “Huh? Stop joking, get up,” he said and she stood up. She eyed him lustily and they walked away together. Only if he knew what mistake he did.