# **Chapter 18: Whispers from the Past**
440 Words
O
---
#
The diary had shaken both Aaryan and Anjali. Though the name in Rhea’s writing had been smeared beyond recognition, the emotions on the page were crystal clear. Fear. Betrayal. Desperation.
Anjali couldn’t sleep that night. She kept staring at the ceiling, thoughts swirling in her mind like a storm.
Downstairs, the mansion creaked with its usual night whispers, but that night, they felt louder—closer.
The next morning, Aarush came running into the kitchen where Anjali was trying to make his favorite pancakes.
“Mumma, someone was in my room last night,” he whispered, eyes wide.
Anjali froze. “What do you mean, sweetheart?”
“I saw a shadow. By the window. It wasn’t a dream.”
She crouched down to his level. “Did you tell Papa?”
He nodded. “But he said it was just the wind.”
Anjali pulled him into a tight hug. “You did the right thing telling me. I’ll keep you safe. Always.”
She didn’t say anything to Aaryan immediately. But that evening, she installed a small motion detector in Aarush’s room, using a security app she had learned about during her college days. If there was someone lurking, she’d catch them.
Later that night, Aaryan returned from a business meeting with a hard expression on his face.
“Something’s not right,” he muttered as he poured himself a glass of water. “The office server was breached last week. Financial records accessed. Someone’s after something.”
Anjali’s heart sank.
“Is it connected to Rhea?” she asked carefully.
Aaryan didn’t answer immediately. Then he whispered, “I don’t know. But I’ve started to suspect everyone.”
Even me? she wanted to ask. But she didn’t.
---
That night, as she tucked Aarush into bed, the motion detector blinked green — active.
She kissed his forehead and whispered, “If you see anything, don’t be scared. Just come to me.”
It was around 2:47 a.m. when the alert buzzed on her phone.
Movement detected.
Location: Aarush’s room.
Her heart pounded. She ran barefoot to his room.
Empty.
No sign of anyone. Aarush was still asleep. Window — locked.
She checked the footage.
A blurry shadow moved across the frame. Tall. Slow. Intentional.
She saved the clip and backed out of the room. In the hallway, Aaryan was standing with his phone’s flashlight.
“You saw it too?” he asked.
Anjali nodded, trembling. “Aaryan… it’s not the wind.”
He looked toward Aarush’s door, then back at her. “It’s time we stop pretending this house isn’t hiding something.”
---
- Writer
