The sky was painted in shades of orange and dull grey as the sun slowly disappeared behind the crowded buildings of the city.
Aarav stood silently in front of the hostel gate, his fingers tightening around the strap of his backpack.
This place… was going to be his new home.
But something about it didn't feel right.
The building wasn't exactly broken or abandoned, yet it carried a strange, unsettling aura.
The walls looked faded, as if time had slowly drained their life away. The windows were dark—too dark—like empty eyes staring back at him.
For a moment, Aarav felt a slight hesitation.
"It's just a hostel… stop overthinking," he told himself, forcing a small smile.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside.
The moment he entered, a faint smell of dampness hit him.
The reception area was dimly lit, with a single flickering tube light hanging above.
It buzzed continuously, creating a low, irritating sound that echoed in the silence.
The entire place felt… lifeless.
Behind the wooden desk sat a middle-aged man. He was flipping through some papers lazily, barely acknowledging Aarav's presence.
"Ji… new admission?" the man asked in a flat tone.
"Yes," Aarav replied politely, placing his documents on the desk.
The man glanced at them briefly, then looked up.
For a second… their eyes met.
Aarav felt a strange discomfort.
There was something unusual about his gaze.
It wasn't just normal observation… it felt like he was studying him, as if trying to understand why he was here.
"Room 217. Second floor," the man said, pushing a key toward him.
"Thank you… uh…"
"Mishra," he replied. "People call me Mishra ji."
Aarav nodded, but the uneasy feeling didn't leave.
As he turned to leave, he couldn't shake the thought—
Why did that man look at me like that?
The staircase creaked under Aarav's footsteps as he climbed up.
Each step echoed through the building, making the silence feel even heavier.
When he reached the second floor, the corridor stretched endlessly in front of him.
It was too quiet.
Not the normal kind of quiet—but the kind that makes you aware of every tiny sound. The faint hum of electricity, the distant creak of wood… even his own breathing sounded louder.
Room 217.
He stopped in front of the door.
Right next to it—
Room 218.
The door was shut tightly.
There was no nameplate. No sign of anyone living there.
For a brief moment, Aarav found himself staring at it.
Then he shook his head and unlocked his own room.
The room was simple. A bed in the corner, a wooden table, a chair, and a cupboard that looked slightly old. The window was covered with a thin curtain that moved gently with the breeze.
Nothing unusual.
And yet… something felt off.
Aarav placed his bag down and looked around again, as if expecting something to move.
Nothing did.
Hours passed as he arranged his things. Slowly, the sky outside turned dark. The hostel grew quieter with each passing minute.
By the time he finished, it was completely night.
Aarav lay down on his bed, scrolling through his phone. The faint light from the screen was the only source of brightness in the room.
The silence around him felt deeper now.
Almost unnatural.
Just as his eyes began to feel heavy—
🎹 A soft piano note echoed in the darkness.
Aarav's eyes snapped open.
He sat up instantly.
Another note followed.
Then another.
A slow… haunting melody began to form.
"What…?" he whispered.
The sound was coming from somewhere very close.
No—
Not somewhere.
👉 Right next door.
Room 218.
Aarav held his breath
And then—
🎶 A girl's voice joined the melody.
Soft.
Beautiful.
But there was something strange about it.
It wasn't just singing.
It felt… emotional.
As if every note carried pain.
As if she was trying to say something… but couldn't.
Aarav slowly got off the bed and moved toward the wall that separated his room from 218.
The closer he got, the clearer the sound became.
The piano…
The voice…
It was mesmerizing.
For a moment, Aarav forgot everything and just stood there, listening.
But then—
A sudden chill ran down his spine.
Something felt wrong.
The melody… it wasn't consistent.
At times, it felt rushed. At times, it trembled.
The girl's voice…
It almost sounded like she was… pleading.
The next morning, Aarav walked straight to the reception.
"Mishra ji," he said, trying to keep his voice steady, "who stays in Room 218?"
Mishra ji didn't look up.
"No one."
Aarav frowned. "But last night I heard—"
"There is no one in that room," Mishra ji repeated, this time slightly louder.
Aarav felt his throat go dry.
"I heard piano… and someone singing…"
For the first time, Mishra ji looked at him properly
His expression had changed.
It wasn't normal anymore.
It was… serious.
"Galatfehmi hogi," he said coldly. "You imagined it."
The way he said it didn't sound like an explanation.
It sounded like a warning.
Aarav didn't argue further.
But as he walked back toward his room, one thought kept repeating in his mind—
👉 That was not imagination.
That night…
The sound returned.
But this time—
🎹 The piano was louder.
🎶 The voice… clearer.
And far more disturbing.
It no longer felt beautiful.
It felt… desperate.
Almost like someone was trying to be heard.
Or…
Trying to escape.
Aarav stared at the wall, his heartbeat rising.
"If no one lives there…"
Then who—
Or what—
Was inside Room 218?
Unseen.
Unheard by others.
But not by him.
And somewhere…
On the other side of that wall…
Something waited patiently.
Not just to be heard.
But soon…
👉 To be seen .👁️
What do you think is inside room 218??
Comment below!