THE SELFIE

 

THE SELFIE

-BY BINDESWAR SAHA

‘I told you it was not worth going to the party,’ Anushka said Richa.

‘Well, I didn’t find any reason to skip the party. Besides Ajay had come in his new car, a Medeces’, Richa retorted.

‘Are you kidding? Ajay got a Medeces! Wasn’t he poor? How could he afford it?’ asked Anushka.

‘His company’s stocks skyrocketed in the stock market though I am not sure what he really deals in.’

‘That’s insane. In college days, he used to wear the same shirt every day and didn’t have the money to attend the college fest. Must have got into serious matters,’ she left it unsaid.

‘Well, I heard Ajay always crushed on you. I don’t see any facts to deny that. He was always shifty whenever you were around’ mocked Richa.

‘What a nerd! He was awful and I cannot shame myself by befriending him. Sorry, not my type,’ smirked Anushka.

‘Anyways, how are you doing with your career? Varun said you are promoted to the senior journalist.’

‘I wish I never had this promotion. It made me stand onto an ocean. A great deal of work. Deadlines. Lack of sleep and many more’ Anushka ran her fingers over the forehead and sighed.

‘I understand. Being at the top doesn’t make it easier. Try me. I have to supervise fifty employees. And the amount of crappy programs I get throughout the day makes me question their qualifications. They are absolutely fat headed dumbos.’

Anushka gave an understanding nod and took a sip from her cup of coffee.

‘Anyway, what’s the news about Dhruva?’

‘He is busy with his career’ Anushka smiled wryly.

‘He was supposed to move to your apartment. What happened to that?’ inquired Richa.

‘Well, I’m not ready with that. So I denied’ Anushka inhaled heavily, ‘I got to keep now. Have some unfinished work. See ya’

She abruptly cut the video call. It was an hour past midnight. She needed to finish a few articles before she retires for the day. Reluctantly she stretched her back, cracking her spine and neck.

No sooner did she switched on her laptop than Dhruva texted her. She tightened her lips. Dhruva was her weakness and lately, they were dating and Anushka liked the boy.

‘So what’s my nightingale doing?’

‘Tossing over some words in my article,’ she texted back, browsing through her files.

‘You have been stressing too much. Why not take a break’ Dhruva suggested.
‘Maybe a selfie could ease your stress…’

Her phone buzzed. She looked at the selfie Dhruva had sent. She chuckled at the weird expression Dhruva happened to make while clicking the picture. She placed her phone in her palms and stretched it to take a good picture of her face, raising two fingers by her cheeks.

‘You look gorgeous even when you are stressed,’ mocked Dhruva.

‘And your peculiar expression doesn’t define you are cute,’ retorted Anushka.

‘I’m not that bad, am I?’

‘Ask yourself,’ said Anushka. Her phone buzzed again. She checked Dhruva had sent a picture. With one hand he ruffled his hair, one eyebrow raised. She sent him another selfie. This time she curled her lips in a slightly flirtatious manner, her brunette hair hanging perfectly by the side of her face.

She was blushing, thinking about Dhruva’s reaction to her not-of-world affection. Her phone buzzed and she couldn’t hold herself from checking the message.

‘Who is that guy behind you?’

Involuntarily she turned back, staring at the darkness. The room was partially lit by her table lamp. Otherwise, it was all darkness.

Anushka frowned at this unusual text. She quickly asked, ‘Who? I live alone!’

‘The guy peeping from the doorway of your room.’

She turned back only to be gripped by the eternal darkness. The silence of the night sunk in. Suddenly, her phone buzzed and she felt an urgency to enquire of the notification.

‘Maybe, I am mistaken. Don’t bother yourself,’ Dhruva texted and sent a selfie in the attachment. When she looked at his face, at once her fear was gone. She shook her thoughts away.

Dhruva had sent her a selfie, showing off the contours of his shoulder muscles. Anushka zoomed the image, staring closely at the muscular built. Her breath grew heavy and she swallowed the lump in her throat. She bit her lips.

To seal the moment, she quickly opened up her hair, settled them on her shoulders, and posed for another selfie. Excited, she sent Dhruva multiple snaps. As she looked through the pictures she had captured, her flirtatious eyes gave way to a gaping horror as she noticed a ghostly figure peeping from her doorway. Trembling with fear she switched to another picture and then another. The ghostly figure came out and stood in the doorway, and with every picture she switched to, it walked towards her. Pitch-black as coal and eyes with scarlet red, it didn’t have a human form.

It stood near her bed. Afraid, she didn’t dare to look at the other image. She felt her heart caught up in her throat, her breath stuck in her chest and her guts got tighter and tighter. Her breath got heavier and heavier, and she began gagging on her own lump. Immobilized by fright, she tried to shake herself but the silence was broken by a thunderous clacking of utensils in the kitchen. She shivered, her phone slipped out of her hand.

As the sound shrunk into the void room, she slowly stood up. In the maleficent silence of the night, as the darkness closed in, Anushka felt a sinister presence lurking in the shadows, devouring at her with thirsty eyes. She felt a chill running down through her spine. Despite her gut feelings, she walked towards the door of her room as if possessed by a malicious spell which drove her beyond the world she existed in. Sweat beads flowed down her jawline. She paused at the doorway, panting and anxious. She flinched at the unusual coldness in the hallway. She took a long breath, gathering up the courage she switched the light of the hallway.

Empty…..

The sight eased her pain. But her thought clogged her mind. Where is that thing? Could it be hiding in the living room? What was that noise? Did somebody break-in?

The lights of the hallway started flickering vigorously before they went out. Confused, she tried the switch. Nothing happened. Then, she heard footsteps, approaching her. Paralyzed she realized there was someone in the hallway. She could hear its breathing, feel its physical presence and, felt the gripping fear in her throat under the surveillance of the sinister presence.

She began retreating. Suddenly, her phone buzzed. She shivered and let out a cry. She hurried towards her desk and grab her phone.

‘Don’t turn on the lights. It hurts my eyes,’ – a text from Dhruva. She started breathing heavily. She began furiously typing a message. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears. Sniffing, she wrote, ‘Dhruva, if this is some kind of joke, let me warn you, it isn’t funny. There is something in my house’.

No sooner had she sent the text than her phone buzzed. Dhruva has sent a message, it read. On inquiring, she could barely believe her eyes. Dhruva sent her pictures in which she saw herself standing at the doorway. She covered her mouth as she broke down. Dhruva has sent a message, it popped on her screen. She opened it. It was her picture but someone had captured it right then from the doorway.

Anushka started to tremble. She could barely hold herself. Then her phone buzzed again. It was another picture of hers but taken at a closer distance. The thing had entered her room.

‘Dhruva, please stop this. I’m scared,’ she texted Dhruva.

‘Honey, I’m right behind you,’ Dhruva texted with a smiley emoji.

Her phone buzzed. This time the picture was taken right behind her. She stopped crying, she knew someone was behind her. It’s warm, ravish breath touched her neck. She moved her head like a doll. She turned white when her eyes met the grotesque face of the oblivious presence. Anushka heard her own scream before she choked on her own blood.

Back in his room, Dhruva was tossing in his bed, waiting for Anushka’s reply. ‘Anushka, are you asleep?’ he texted.

A second later his phone vibrated. Anushka has sent a message, it read. He smiled. Anushka had sent him a selfie where she pouted with an amorous expression. At the bottom it read, ‘The night is young, join me tonight.’