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Hide and Seek
#TheWritingProject
Life often teaches us lessons in a hard way, through various people crossing their paths in our lives. Sometimes, we end up putting our complete trust in them, only for it to be broken. Sometimes, we end up giving our hearts to them, only for it to be returned in broken pieces. Those are the moments when we really need to focus on the good things in life and have faith on ourselves. We need to learn those lessons and grow, but, unfortunately, most of the times we seem to ignore them by solely focusing on our setbacks. My life, for example, had been quite a rollercoaster ride.
To begin with, I loved science. I’d always been fascinated with it. Hence, my aim in life was to go abroad, study and conduct scientific researches. But, to fulfill my dream, I had to work hard. I come from a middle class family. And, to have such a dream in life, being a middle class, doesn’t help much, unless and until one really has a good luck.
My brother, being my only alive guardian, got me enrolled in a graduate school, for the degree of Bachelor of Science. On the first day of college, I got ready and packed my bag. I lived in an empty house then. My brother was a doctor. He went abroad for some conference work for a few days. I took a bus and reached the university. I was very nervous, mostly because of the new environment and new people. As I made my way inside the gate, a feeling of fear gripped me. I closed my eyes and contemplated in going back home.
“Hi, I’m Varun.” I opened my eyes at a melodious voice. He looked handsome and flawless. He stretched his hand towards me and gave a warm smile. I got butterflies in my stomach at the sight of this mysterious boy. I smiled at him nervously and took his hand. Immediately, there was a tingling sensation deep down my body. Before making a complete fool of myself on my very first day, I said, “Hi, I’m Tania.”
He let go of my hand and asked, “Nervous?”
“Just a bit.” I said and looked into his eyes. They were of hazel brown colour. I had never seen such beautiful and deep eyes.
He smiled at me and said, “Don’t worry. We all are a bit nervous today. Just relax. It’s going to be our home for a few years now.” I smiled at his words. He was right. ‘Home for a few years’, indeed!
“Is it very obvious that I’m nervous?” I asked him thoughtfully.
He pondered over my question for some time and said, “Yes. You’re right palm is a bit sweaty.” My face flushed at his words. I tried to rub my palm on my jeans. Seeing my action, he laughed out loud. I looked down and started walking inside the university. This boy looked great, nevertheless, he was trying to get on my nerves.
“Hey! I was just stating the fact. You were the one who asked me how I knew it. Is it wrong to be honest?” He came running beside me and said.
“Right!” I retaliated, rolling my eyes.
“By the way, what are you here for?” He asked, being amused.
“To teach you a lesson.” I answered at his stupid question.
“That is?” He was playing along.
“Why are you asking me such a stupid question? Of course, people come here to study.” I said matter of factly.
“I meant your degree. Which subject are you here for?” He asked.
“Physics.” I said.
“Cool.” He said excitedly.
“And, you?” I questioned back.
“The same.” He replied. I liked him and the fact that he initiated the conversation with me made me feel good for some reason. Not to mention that, he would be my classmate.
We went to our class, with him chatting all the while. It took some time for us to finally find the class. I took a seat in the first bench, whereas Varun took the last. There were a few other boys and girls talking to each other. Before I could make an effort to strike a conversation with them, a girl came, pointed to the seat next to me and asked, “Can I sit here?” She was tall and beautiful. Her eyes were almond shaped and dark brown in colour.
“Yes, sure.” I smiled and said.
She sat down and thanked me, “I’m Ahana. What’s your name?”
“I’m Tania.” I said. She seemed to be very sweet. We started talking about random things. Our classes began and soon, it was time for our lunch break.
Ahana and I went to the canteen and bought our lunch. I couldn’t see Varun anywhere. He must be still in class or maybe somewhere else, I thought. After a few minutes, I found Varun enter the canteen with two girls in tow. They looked very close to each other. I tried to ignore the gnawing feeling deep inside.
“What happened?” Ahana asked me suspiciously.
“Nothing.” I said looking down at my plate. There was bread and vegetable curry, which I started eating reluctantly.
“Who is that boy? I think he is from our class.” She said, pointing towards the direction I was looking at some time back.
“Varun. I just met him at the gate.” I said.
“And those girls?” She asked again.
“I don’t know them.” I said with a lack of interest. Ahana must have understood it, so she quickly dropped the subject and started talking about the next class.
Soon, I spotted Varun come up to me. He walked casually and sat on the chair in front of me. He always seemed to be carrying a vibe of freshness with him.
“How are you, Shorty?” I looked at him, puzzled. Shorty? Who was he referring to? I sure was short with my 160 centimetres of height. But I didn’t expect him to be so straightforward.
“Varun, I have a name. In case you forgot, after your grand PDA with the girls, let me remind you. I’m Tania!” I said angrily. He smirked.
“Are you jealous, Shorty? I can understand if you have a crush on me. All the girls here do. You can confess it.” He said proudly.
“Stop calling me that. And, for your information, I hate you.” I said and got up from the chair. As I was about to leave, he grabbed my hand and pulled me back.
“You don’t have to be so mean, Shorty. By the way, you still didn’t say how you were.” He said with a smirk.
“Stay away, Varun.” I said and pulled myself away from him. Ahana and I left the canteen and came back to the class.
“I’m sure he likes you. He is such a beautiful and handsome boy. How could you refuse him so easily?” Ahana gushed.
“Didn’t you realise that he is a playboy?” I said, being annoyed.
“Alright! I’ll go and use the washroom.” Ahana said and left.
I sat in the empty classroom for some time and soon it started getting filled. Meanwhile, one of the boys came up to me and said, “Hey, I’m Raunak. We have a party today at my house. I want all of us to get to know each other. So, will you join us?”
I looked at the door to find Ahana but she was nowhere. “Sure, I’ll be there.” I smiled and said.
“Your name?” He asked.
“Tania.” I said.
“Great, can I get your number? I’ll make a group chat and send the address there.” He said.
“Sure.” I said. I gave him my number. He beamed with joy and left. I turned back and spotted Varun. He smirked and winked at me. I immediately turned my head and cursed myself for turning back. Ahana joined me after sometime. She seemed to be absent minded. So, I asked her if she was alright. But she didn’t say anything. The day went on with classes one after the other. Soon, it was time for us to go home. Ahana lived in the hostel, so she left first. I got out of the class and was on my way to the gate when I heard Varun again.
“Hey, Shorty! Let me drop you.” He came running behind me.
“No need. I can go by myself.” I told him.
“I know. But I’m willing to know where you live.” He said.
“Why?” I frowned.
“So that I can take you to the party in the evening.” He said.
“I’ll go by myself at the party. You don’t have to take me. I have the address.” I said.
“But I want to, Shorty. It’s not really safe. Look, I have my bike with me. Let’s drop you home.” He said, pointing to his bike at the far end of the gate, inside. I refused him and took the bus home.
In the evening, as I was getting ready for the party, I got a call from an unknown number. I didn’t want to pick it up, but considering the fact that I was going to an unknown place, I picked it up.
“Hello?” I said. There was nothing from the other side. “Hello?” I said again. Nothing again. I disconnected the call and looked at the number on my screen. It ended with a triple eight. It was probably some scammer, I thought. I got ready and called Ahana. Her phone was switched off. I sent her a message to let her know that I was leaving.
I took a taxi to reach the venue of the party. As I sat inside the car, the driver looked at me warily. “Are you sure about the destination, Madam?” He asked.
“Yes.” I said and looked at his phone faced towards me. It was the exact address which Raunak had sent me. I rechecked it once to make sure I don’t end up in a wrong place.
“Okay, Madam.” He said and started the engine. In about half an hour, I reached the venue. I got off the car and looked around. It was dark. There was no house nearby. Immediately, I got another call. The number had triple eight at the end, again. Maybe, it was the same caller. I answered it just to disconnect it immediately, when a voice came from the other side.
“Hello? Tania?” The voice said. It sounded familiar. But, I couldn’t understand who he was.
“Who is this? And how do you know my name?” I asked. There was no reply from the other side, just a laughter.
“Let’s play a game called Hide and Seek.” He said and disconnected the call.
At the same time, I received a message from the same number. It read: HIDE.
I ignored it and started walking. It was probably a prank call. Maybe someone from the University was trying to scare me. It was a chilly night and I had forgotten to carry a warm jacket with me. It was dark and there was no sign of anyone. According to the address I received, there was supposed to be a house at that spot, but there was nothing. There were trees and darkness all around. I checked the time. It was half past seven. The party was supposed to start an hour back. Did I reach the wrong place?
I called Ahana. Her phone was still switched off. Next, I called Raunak. Even his phone was switched off. I didn’t have anyone else’s phone number with me. I took a picture of the place and sent it to Raunak. I shared my location as well. But, he hadn’t received any of those messages, since his phone was switched off. I checked the group chat. From there, I started searching for someone else’s phone number. I got Varun’s number from the group members' list. I saved his number and tried calling him. The number was unavailable.
I spotted a number in the list with an R in its name. This number looked familiar. It ended with a triple eight. Maybe, it was a coincidence. I ignored it and called. It said that the number was unavailable. When I tried texting, I realised that it was from this very number that I had received the message: HIDE. My mouth suddenly felt dry and goosebumps erupted all over my hands. I texted back: I need help.
As soon as I sent this, I heard an evil laughter from somewhere just over my shoulder. I couldn’t dare to turn back. I was getting colder by the second. The dark night made it impossible for me to see anything ahead of me. I slowly dared to turn back to face whoever it was. But there was no one. Was it really some prank? Maybe, Raunak had purposely sent me the address of such a place to scare me. I shouldn’t have refused Varun when he said he would take me to the party.
I kept on trying to call as many people as I could, but not a single person responded. After waiting for nearly three hours, I finally got a call. It was from my brother. I immediately picked it up and asked him to come. He asked me to send the address and I did. After about half an hour, I heard his voice. But, by then I had lost all my energy and I didn’t know what happened after that.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on a hospital bed. I looked around and spotted my brother looking at the window.
“Raj? Why am I here?” I asked while trying to get up. He looked at me and grinned. He helped me sit and hugged me tightly.
“Finally you’re awake, Tania. You freaked me out.” He said, wiping his tears with the back of his hand.
“Was I unconscious?” I asked him.
“Yes, you had fainted when I reached you. What on earth happened, Tania? Why did you go to such a place? I had just gone out for a few days and this is where I find you when I come back.” He reprimanded me.
I closed my eyes and thought of everything that had happened. I narrated the whole incident to him, from the time I went to the university until I got his call. He put his hands on his head and closed his eyes.
“Who enrolled you in the university? Do you remember?” He asked.
“Of course I do. You did.” I said.
“Tania, I didn’t enroll you anywhere. You are doing researches from home. We already had this discussion when I told you that you would be taking break for a year and then we’ll think about resuming your studies.” He said impatiently.
“But Raj, you were the one who told me to join this university for my B.Sc. degree.” I replied.
“No, I didn’t. I never told you that. Do you even know how I found you?” He looked at me and asked. He continued, “I reached home and didn’t find you there. Then, I called you and you told me to pick you up. I immediately rushed to the location you had shared. It was a dark and deserted place, Tania. Thankfully, I could bring you back. What would happen had I not reached at the correct time?”
I didn’t have an answer to that. I had no idea what he was saying. But, I remembered everything vividly. I still had my phone to prove it to him that I went to the university he enrolled me in and that I met some friends, who sent me such an address.
“Where is my phone?” I asked him. He put his hand inside his pocket, brought my phone out and gave it to me. I unlocked it and opened the chats, ready to show him but there were no group chats. I searched for the contacts. There was no mention of Ahana, Varun or Raunak. No suspicious message from the suspicious caller. No call logs, except for the one I received from my brother. I was shocked. I remembered I had clicked photos. There were no recent pictures in the gallery. No, this was impossible. Someone must have deleted every detail from my phone.
“Why is everything deleted from my phone?” I asked him in frustation.
“There’s nothing to begin with, Tania. How could anything be deleted?” He said calmly.
“But how is that even possible? Don’t tell me I had been dreaming all the while.” I threw my phone on the bed and said. There had to be some explanation to this. He remained quiet, looked away from me and sat down thoughtfully. I asked him, “What’s wrong with me, Raj?”
He looked at me and said, “Please don’t freak out, Tania.” He paused for a while and said, “Actually, you suffer from confabulation.” He saw the confused look in my face and continued, “It means, you create false memories without even knowing that you’re doing them.”
What? What was he saying? I was speechless. Was that even a disease? And was it real? How could every single incident and every single people I met be false? The university, the people, the chats, the calls, everything? Tears rolled down my eyes.
“No, there must be some misunderstanding, Raj. I clearly remember every incident.” I sobbed. He rubbed my back and said, “Yes, I can understand. But can you really prove your words? Tania, just calm down. I know it’s difficult to digest but it’s the reality. We have to deal with it well.”
I couldn’t say a word. After all, I didn’t have a solid evidence of whatever I said. How could anyone possibly believe me?
“Don’t worry. You’ll be alright. You’ll have to visit a psychiatrist often and work it out. I’ll be with you, no matter what.” He came to me, took my hands in his and looked me in the eye. Then he continued, “You want to be a scientist, one day. I’m sure you will be one. Let’s focus on your health, for now. I’m sorry that I left you and went. I shouldn’t have done that.” He hugged me tight as tears rolled down my eyes.
“You must be hungry, right?” He asked me with a raised brow.
“No, I’m fine.” I said, even though I was hungry. I just needed some time alone to accept my condition. He got a call and he answered it. After disconnecting it, he said, “I’ll have to go back home now. There are some important files which I need to send for the conference. I’ll just go and bring my laptop and work from here. Will that be fine? Can you stay here alone for an hour? Or else, I’ll just ask the nurse to keep an eye on you, in case you need something.”
“Raj, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Go and do your work. You don’t have to bring the laptop here. Go home, take some rest, do your work and then come. You don’t have to babysit me. I won’t run away anywhere. And, don’t say the nurse about looking after me. They’re doing their job anyway. If I need something, I can press the emergency call button. Don’t stress yourself out. Just go.” I held his hand and said.
“I can’t leave you here and go. I need to come as soon as possible.” He said impatiently.
“Raj, I need some time alone. You gave me a blow with the information. I need some time to accept it. Please? Just come back after you take some rest. I’ll be safe here.” I consoled him.
“Okay but promise me you’ll take care of yourself.” He held his palm in front of me.
“I don’t need to take care of myself. There are enough people here to do that.” I said, while taking his hand in mine.
“But…”
“No buts, just go! Leave me alone.” I stopped him and said with crossed arms.
“Tania, just take care, okay? And, one more thing, the doctor said that you could be discharged by tomorrow if all of your reports are normal.” He smiled and said.
“Great then, it’s evening now. Come tomorrow and take me home.” I said and smiled back. He hugged me and left.
After he went, I kept thinking about every little incident that had happened. They felt so real. How could everything be just made up? I couldn’t even enter the university if I didn’t get enrolled there. Then how could I ever go back there and find out the truth? Or, maybe Raj was saying the truth? How could everything from my phone just vanish? Maybe I actually had the mental disorder to make up lies?
An hour later, a nurse served me some soup and gave me medicine. She checked my vitals and left me alone with my thoughts. A few minutes later, I got a call. I took my phone and saw the number with triple eight at the end. For some reason, I smiled. That meant I wasn’t simply imagining. I didn’t hesitate to answer the call.
“Hello?” I said. There was no answer. “Hello?” I said again. “Who are you?”
“Seek.” The voice said. I felt like it was a very familiar voice. I couldn’t recall it well.
“Who are you?” I asked cautiously.
There was a harsh exhalation on the other side and then the line went dead. I tried calling it again, but it said that the number was unavailable. That night I slept with my phone close to me, half expecting it to ring again. But, it didn’t.
The next morning, Raj came to pick me up. I didn’t mention anything to him about the caller. I thought he might say that it was a wrong number. He arranged my discharge papers. He was extremely happy when he informed me that my reports were normal, as if he hadn’t expected them to be. We went home. I had purposely kept my phone on vibration, expecting Raj to pry on me. I never parted with it. I took it with me wherever I went.
Two days later, at night, I took my phone and went to get some water from the kitchen. Raj's room was just around the corner, a bit farther from mine, but nearer to the kitchen. I had to pass his room while going to the kitchen. While going, suddenly my phone vibrated. I looked to see that same suspicious number calling. I wanted to barge in his room and show him that I was right. But, he might think that I was cooking stories again. So, I answered the call anyway. The other side spoke first.
“Hello? Tania.” The voice seemed to be so familiar but I couldn’t put a face to it, how hard I tried.
I was quiet. The caller continued speaking, “Tania?” At that very moment, I heard the same from my brother’s room. I put my ear close to his door and tried to listen.
“Are you there, little girl? Are you scared?” The same words being said in his room and in my phone. I didn’t take time then to distinguish the two voices. To my astonishment, it was the same person. Thankfully, the doors weren’t soundproof in our house. I tiptoed and went to the balcony.
“Who are you?” I asked, even though I knew the answer.
“Let’s play a game called Hide and seek.” He said as an evil laughter echoed in the house.
And then he said, “Hide.” Immediately, the line went dead.
© thenotebook_01
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Picture credit: Pinterest. Website: 500px.com
Life often teaches us lessons in a hard way, through various people crossing their paths in our lives. Sometimes, we end up putting our complete trust in them, only for it to be broken. Sometimes, we end up giving our hearts to them, only for it to be returned in broken pieces. Those are the moments when we really need to focus on the good things in life and have faith on ourselves. We need to learn those lessons and grow, but, unfortunately, most of the times we seem to ignore them by solely focusing on our setbacks. My life, for example, had been quite a rollercoaster ride.
To begin with, I loved science. I’d always been fascinated with it. Hence, my aim in life was to go abroad, study and conduct scientific researches. But, to fulfill my dream, I had to work hard. I come from a middle class family. And, to have such a dream in life, being a middle class, doesn’t help much, unless and until one really has a good luck.
My brother, being my only alive guardian, got me enrolled in a graduate school, for the degree of Bachelor of Science. On the first day of college, I got ready and packed my bag. I lived in an empty house then. My brother was a doctor. He went abroad for some conference work for a few days. I took a bus and reached the university. I was very nervous, mostly because of the new environment and new people. As I made my way inside the gate, a feeling of fear gripped me. I closed my eyes and contemplated in going back home.
“Hi, I’m Varun.” I opened my eyes at a melodious voice. He looked handsome and flawless. He stretched his hand towards me and gave a warm smile. I got butterflies in my stomach at the sight of this mysterious boy. I smiled at him nervously and took his hand. Immediately, there was a tingling sensation deep down my body. Before making a complete fool of myself on my very first day, I said, “Hi, I’m Tania.”
He let go of my hand and asked, “Nervous?”
“Just a bit.” I said and looked into his eyes. They were of hazel brown colour. I had never seen such beautiful and deep eyes.
He smiled at me and said, “Don’t worry. We all are a bit nervous today. Just relax. It’s going to be our home for a few years now.” I smiled at his words. He was right. ‘Home for a few years’, indeed!
“Is it very obvious that I’m nervous?” I asked him thoughtfully.
He pondered over my question for some time and said, “Yes. You’re right palm is a bit sweaty.” My face flushed at his words. I tried to rub my palm on my jeans. Seeing my action, he laughed out loud. I looked down and started walking inside the university. This boy looked great, nevertheless, he was trying to get on my nerves.
“Hey! I was just stating the fact. You were the one who asked me how I knew it. Is it wrong to be honest?” He came running beside me and said.
“Right!” I retaliated, rolling my eyes.
“By the way, what are you here for?” He asked, being amused.
“To teach you a lesson.” I answered at his stupid question.
“That is?” He was playing along.
“Why are you asking me such a stupid question? Of course, people come here to study.” I said matter of factly.
“I meant your degree. Which subject are you here for?” He asked.
“Physics.” I said.
“Cool.” He said excitedly.
“And, you?” I questioned back.
“The same.” He replied. I liked him and the fact that he initiated the conversation with me made me feel good for some reason. Not to mention that, he would be my classmate.
We went to our class, with him chatting all the while. It took some time for us to finally find the class. I took a seat in the first bench, whereas Varun took the last. There were a few other boys and girls talking to each other. Before I could make an effort to strike a conversation with them, a girl came, pointed to the seat next to me and asked, “Can I sit here?” She was tall and beautiful. Her eyes were almond shaped and dark brown in colour.
“Yes, sure.” I smiled and said.
She sat down and thanked me, “I’m Ahana. What’s your name?”
“I’m Tania.” I said. She seemed to be very sweet. We started talking about random things. Our classes began and soon, it was time for our lunch break.
Ahana and I went to the canteen and bought our lunch. I couldn’t see Varun anywhere. He must be still in class or maybe somewhere else, I thought. After a few minutes, I found Varun enter the canteen with two girls in tow. They looked very close to each other. I tried to ignore the gnawing feeling deep inside.
“What happened?” Ahana asked me suspiciously.
“Nothing.” I said looking down at my plate. There was bread and vegetable curry, which I started eating reluctantly.
“Who is that boy? I think he is from our class.” She said, pointing towards the direction I was looking at some time back.
“Varun. I just met him at the gate.” I said.
“And those girls?” She asked again.
“I don’t know them.” I said with a lack of interest. Ahana must have understood it, so she quickly dropped the subject and started talking about the next class.
Soon, I spotted Varun come up to me. He walked casually and sat on the chair in front of me. He always seemed to be carrying a vibe of freshness with him.
“How are you, Shorty?” I looked at him, puzzled. Shorty? Who was he referring to? I sure was short with my 160 centimetres of height. But I didn’t expect him to be so straightforward.
“Varun, I have a name. In case you forgot, after your grand PDA with the girls, let me remind you. I’m Tania!” I said angrily. He smirked.
“Are you jealous, Shorty? I can understand if you have a crush on me. All the girls here do. You can confess it.” He said proudly.
“Stop calling me that. And, for your information, I hate you.” I said and got up from the chair. As I was about to leave, he grabbed my hand and pulled me back.
“You don’t have to be so mean, Shorty. By the way, you still didn’t say how you were.” He said with a smirk.
“Stay away, Varun.” I said and pulled myself away from him. Ahana and I left the canteen and came back to the class.
“I’m sure he likes you. He is such a beautiful and handsome boy. How could you refuse him so easily?” Ahana gushed.
“Didn’t you realise that he is a playboy?” I said, being annoyed.
“Alright! I’ll go and use the washroom.” Ahana said and left.
I sat in the empty classroom for some time and soon it started getting filled. Meanwhile, one of the boys came up to me and said, “Hey, I’m Raunak. We have a party today at my house. I want all of us to get to know each other. So, will you join us?”
I looked at the door to find Ahana but she was nowhere. “Sure, I’ll be there.” I smiled and said.
“Your name?” He asked.
“Tania.” I said.
“Great, can I get your number? I’ll make a group chat and send the address there.” He said.
“Sure.” I said. I gave him my number. He beamed with joy and left. I turned back and spotted Varun. He smirked and winked at me. I immediately turned my head and cursed myself for turning back. Ahana joined me after sometime. She seemed to be absent minded. So, I asked her if she was alright. But she didn’t say anything. The day went on with classes one after the other. Soon, it was time for us to go home. Ahana lived in the hostel, so she left first. I got out of the class and was on my way to the gate when I heard Varun again.
“Hey, Shorty! Let me drop you.” He came running behind me.
“No need. I can go by myself.” I told him.
“I know. But I’m willing to know where you live.” He said.
“Why?” I frowned.
“So that I can take you to the party in the evening.” He said.
“I’ll go by myself at the party. You don’t have to take me. I have the address.” I said.
“But I want to, Shorty. It’s not really safe. Look, I have my bike with me. Let’s drop you home.” He said, pointing to his bike at the far end of the gate, inside. I refused him and took the bus home.
In the evening, as I was getting ready for the party, I got a call from an unknown number. I didn’t want to pick it up, but considering the fact that I was going to an unknown place, I picked it up.
“Hello?” I said. There was nothing from the other side. “Hello?” I said again. Nothing again. I disconnected the call and looked at the number on my screen. It ended with a triple eight. It was probably some scammer, I thought. I got ready and called Ahana. Her phone was switched off. I sent her a message to let her know that I was leaving.
I took a taxi to reach the venue of the party. As I sat inside the car, the driver looked at me warily. “Are you sure about the destination, Madam?” He asked.
“Yes.” I said and looked at his phone faced towards me. It was the exact address which Raunak had sent me. I rechecked it once to make sure I don’t end up in a wrong place.
“Okay, Madam.” He said and started the engine. In about half an hour, I reached the venue. I got off the car and looked around. It was dark. There was no house nearby. Immediately, I got another call. The number had triple eight at the end, again. Maybe, it was the same caller. I answered it just to disconnect it immediately, when a voice came from the other side.
“Hello? Tania?” The voice said. It sounded familiar. But, I couldn’t understand who he was.
“Who is this? And how do you know my name?” I asked. There was no reply from the other side, just a laughter.
“Let’s play a game called Hide and Seek.” He said and disconnected the call.
At the same time, I received a message from the same number. It read: HIDE.
I ignored it and started walking. It was probably a prank call. Maybe someone from the University was trying to scare me. It was a chilly night and I had forgotten to carry a warm jacket with me. It was dark and there was no sign of anyone. According to the address I received, there was supposed to be a house at that spot, but there was nothing. There were trees and darkness all around. I checked the time. It was half past seven. The party was supposed to start an hour back. Did I reach the wrong place?
I called Ahana. Her phone was still switched off. Next, I called Raunak. Even his phone was switched off. I didn’t have anyone else’s phone number with me. I took a picture of the place and sent it to Raunak. I shared my location as well. But, he hadn’t received any of those messages, since his phone was switched off. I checked the group chat. From there, I started searching for someone else’s phone number. I got Varun’s number from the group members' list. I saved his number and tried calling him. The number was unavailable.
I spotted a number in the list with an R in its name. This number looked familiar. It ended with a triple eight. Maybe, it was a coincidence. I ignored it and called. It said that the number was unavailable. When I tried texting, I realised that it was from this very number that I had received the message: HIDE. My mouth suddenly felt dry and goosebumps erupted all over my hands. I texted back: I need help.
As soon as I sent this, I heard an evil laughter from somewhere just over my shoulder. I couldn’t dare to turn back. I was getting colder by the second. The dark night made it impossible for me to see anything ahead of me. I slowly dared to turn back to face whoever it was. But there was no one. Was it really some prank? Maybe, Raunak had purposely sent me the address of such a place to scare me. I shouldn’t have refused Varun when he said he would take me to the party.
I kept on trying to call as many people as I could, but not a single person responded. After waiting for nearly three hours, I finally got a call. It was from my brother. I immediately picked it up and asked him to come. He asked me to send the address and I did. After about half an hour, I heard his voice. But, by then I had lost all my energy and I didn’t know what happened after that.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on a hospital bed. I looked around and spotted my brother looking at the window.
“Raj? Why am I here?” I asked while trying to get up. He looked at me and grinned. He helped me sit and hugged me tightly.
“Finally you’re awake, Tania. You freaked me out.” He said, wiping his tears with the back of his hand.
“Was I unconscious?” I asked him.
“Yes, you had fainted when I reached you. What on earth happened, Tania? Why did you go to such a place? I had just gone out for a few days and this is where I find you when I come back.” He reprimanded me.
I closed my eyes and thought of everything that had happened. I narrated the whole incident to him, from the time I went to the university until I got his call. He put his hands on his head and closed his eyes.
“Who enrolled you in the university? Do you remember?” He asked.
“Of course I do. You did.” I said.
“Tania, I didn’t enroll you anywhere. You are doing researches from home. We already had this discussion when I told you that you would be taking break for a year and then we’ll think about resuming your studies.” He said impatiently.
“But Raj, you were the one who told me to join this university for my B.Sc. degree.” I replied.
“No, I didn’t. I never told you that. Do you even know how I found you?” He looked at me and asked. He continued, “I reached home and didn’t find you there. Then, I called you and you told me to pick you up. I immediately rushed to the location you had shared. It was a dark and deserted place, Tania. Thankfully, I could bring you back. What would happen had I not reached at the correct time?”
I didn’t have an answer to that. I had no idea what he was saying. But, I remembered everything vividly. I still had my phone to prove it to him that I went to the university he enrolled me in and that I met some friends, who sent me such an address.
“Where is my phone?” I asked him. He put his hand inside his pocket, brought my phone out and gave it to me. I unlocked it and opened the chats, ready to show him but there were no group chats. I searched for the contacts. There was no mention of Ahana, Varun or Raunak. No suspicious message from the suspicious caller. No call logs, except for the one I received from my brother. I was shocked. I remembered I had clicked photos. There were no recent pictures in the gallery. No, this was impossible. Someone must have deleted every detail from my phone.
“Why is everything deleted from my phone?” I asked him in frustation.
“There’s nothing to begin with, Tania. How could anything be deleted?” He said calmly.
“But how is that even possible? Don’t tell me I had been dreaming all the while.” I threw my phone on the bed and said. There had to be some explanation to this. He remained quiet, looked away from me and sat down thoughtfully. I asked him, “What’s wrong with me, Raj?”
He looked at me and said, “Please don’t freak out, Tania.” He paused for a while and said, “Actually, you suffer from confabulation.” He saw the confused look in my face and continued, “It means, you create false memories without even knowing that you’re doing them.”
What? What was he saying? I was speechless. Was that even a disease? And was it real? How could every single incident and every single people I met be false? The university, the people, the chats, the calls, everything? Tears rolled down my eyes.
“No, there must be some misunderstanding, Raj. I clearly remember every incident.” I sobbed. He rubbed my back and said, “Yes, I can understand. But can you really prove your words? Tania, just calm down. I know it’s difficult to digest but it’s the reality. We have to deal with it well.”
I couldn’t say a word. After all, I didn’t have a solid evidence of whatever I said. How could anyone possibly believe me?
“Don’t worry. You’ll be alright. You’ll have to visit a psychiatrist often and work it out. I’ll be with you, no matter what.” He came to me, took my hands in his and looked me in the eye. Then he continued, “You want to be a scientist, one day. I’m sure you will be one. Let’s focus on your health, for now. I’m sorry that I left you and went. I shouldn’t have done that.” He hugged me tight as tears rolled down my eyes.
“You must be hungry, right?” He asked me with a raised brow.
“No, I’m fine.” I said, even though I was hungry. I just needed some time alone to accept my condition. He got a call and he answered it. After disconnecting it, he said, “I’ll have to go back home now. There are some important files which I need to send for the conference. I’ll just go and bring my laptop and work from here. Will that be fine? Can you stay here alone for an hour? Or else, I’ll just ask the nurse to keep an eye on you, in case you need something.”
“Raj, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Go and do your work. You don’t have to bring the laptop here. Go home, take some rest, do your work and then come. You don’t have to babysit me. I won’t run away anywhere. And, don’t say the nurse about looking after me. They’re doing their job anyway. If I need something, I can press the emergency call button. Don’t stress yourself out. Just go.” I held his hand and said.
“I can’t leave you here and go. I need to come as soon as possible.” He said impatiently.
“Raj, I need some time alone. You gave me a blow with the information. I need some time to accept it. Please? Just come back after you take some rest. I’ll be safe here.” I consoled him.
“Okay but promise me you’ll take care of yourself.” He held his palm in front of me.
“I don’t need to take care of myself. There are enough people here to do that.” I said, while taking his hand in mine.
“But…”
“No buts, just go! Leave me alone.” I stopped him and said with crossed arms.
“Tania, just take care, okay? And, one more thing, the doctor said that you could be discharged by tomorrow if all of your reports are normal.” He smiled and said.
“Great then, it’s evening now. Come tomorrow and take me home.” I said and smiled back. He hugged me and left.
After he went, I kept thinking about every little incident that had happened. They felt so real. How could everything be just made up? I couldn’t even enter the university if I didn’t get enrolled there. Then how could I ever go back there and find out the truth? Or, maybe Raj was saying the truth? How could everything from my phone just vanish? Maybe I actually had the mental disorder to make up lies?
An hour later, a nurse served me some soup and gave me medicine. She checked my vitals and left me alone with my thoughts. A few minutes later, I got a call. I took my phone and saw the number with triple eight at the end. For some reason, I smiled. That meant I wasn’t simply imagining. I didn’t hesitate to answer the call.
“Hello?” I said. There was no answer. “Hello?” I said again. “Who are you?”
“Seek.” The voice said. I felt like it was a very familiar voice. I couldn’t recall it well.
“Who are you?” I asked cautiously.
There was a harsh exhalation on the other side and then the line went dead. I tried calling it again, but it said that the number was unavailable. That night I slept with my phone close to me, half expecting it to ring again. But, it didn’t.
The next morning, Raj came to pick me up. I didn’t mention anything to him about the caller. I thought he might say that it was a wrong number. He arranged my discharge papers. He was extremely happy when he informed me that my reports were normal, as if he hadn’t expected them to be. We went home. I had purposely kept my phone on vibration, expecting Raj to pry on me. I never parted with it. I took it with me wherever I went.
Two days later, at night, I took my phone and went to get some water from the kitchen. Raj's room was just around the corner, a bit farther from mine, but nearer to the kitchen. I had to pass his room while going to the kitchen. While going, suddenly my phone vibrated. I looked to see that same suspicious number calling. I wanted to barge in his room and show him that I was right. But, he might think that I was cooking stories again. So, I answered the call anyway. The other side spoke first.
“Hello? Tania.” The voice seemed to be so familiar but I couldn’t put a face to it, how hard I tried.
I was quiet. The caller continued speaking, “Tania?” At that very moment, I heard the same from my brother’s room. I put my ear close to his door and tried to listen.
“Are you there, little girl? Are you scared?” The same words being said in his room and in my phone. I didn’t take time then to distinguish the two voices. To my astonishment, it was the same person. Thankfully, the doors weren’t soundproof in our house. I tiptoed and went to the balcony.
“Who are you?” I asked, even though I knew the answer.
“Let’s play a game called Hide and seek.” He said as an evil laughter echoed in the house.
And then he said, “Hide.” Immediately, the line went dead.
© thenotebook_01
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Picture credit: Pinterest. Website: 500px.com
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