Chapter 4 – The Secret Notebook
357 Words
The next morning, Aanya tried to convince herself she had imagined it—the whispers in the library, the icy air, Aarav’s cryptic warning. But when she opened her bag in class, her blood ran cold.
On top of her books lay a notebook she had never seen before. Black leather cover, no name. She glanced around—Meera was beside her, scribbling notes. No one else seemed to notice.
Curious, Aanya flipped it open. On the first page, written in neat, sharp handwriting:
“Stop digging into the past. Or you’ll end up like the others.”
Her fingers trembled. She turned the page.
Another message: “The auditorium isn’t empty at night. Don’t go there again.”
She slammed the notebook shut, her pulse racing. Who had put it in her bag? Was someone watching her even now?
At lunch, she whispered to Meera about it.
Meera frowned. “Maybe it’s some sick prank. After what happened yesterday, everyone’s spooked.”
“But how would they know I was in the library last night?” Aanya asked.
Before Meera could answer, Aarav passed their table. He didn’t look at them, didn’t slow down, just walked toward the far end of the courtyard. But Aanya noticed something: his hand was ink-stained. The same black ink as in the notebook.
Her chest tightened. Was it him? Was he trying to warn her… or scare her?
That evening, determined to find out, Aanya tucked the notebook back into her bag and headed toward the hostel. The corridors were unusually silent. Halfway down, she heard footsteps behind her.
She turned.
Aarav stood there, partly hidden by the shadows, his expression unreadable.
“You found it,” he said quietly.
Her grip tightened on the notebook. “So it was you?”
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Not everything written in there is from me.”
Before she could ask what he meant, the corridor lights flickered. From the end of the hall, a door creaked open by itself. A rush of cold air swept through, carrying with it a faint whisper—her name.
“Aanya…”
- Writer
