The air in Siyara's room always smelled like turpentine and unfinished dreams.It was still early-the sky outside her window painted with pale lavender and gray, like the morning was still half asleep. The world hadn't opened its eyes yet, but Siyara was already awake. She had been up for hours, her fingers messy with black, blue, and crimson stains. Her wrists hurt, not from sleep, but from holding the brush too long, like it was the only weapon she had.She stood barefoot on the cold floor, her old cotton nightdress dotted with paint from days before. On the easel ...Read More

It had been three days.Three long, restless days since the gallery incident. Siyara hadn't returned to her studio-at least, with the intention of creating anything. She stared at blank canvases the way some people stared at graves. Her fingers itched to paint, but every time she picked up the brush, the memory of his eyes flared behind her eyelids.Aarav.And the way he had looked at her-concerned, confused, captivated. She hated it. Hated that her body remembered him. Hated that she still saw that ruined painting every time she blinked."Siyu?" Nikita's voice pierced her fog."Hm?""I said we need to go ...Read More

Somewhere Else...Aarav stood on a rooftop overlooking the highway. Rain battered his shoulders. His knuckles were raw from punching wall."Siyara... where are you?"He scrolled again through the CCTV footage from the bus terminal. There. A blurry silhouette. A figure that looked like her, one week before the incident.He paused the video, zoomed in."It's her..."And the search continued.-----------In the dark room, the steady sound of tapping filled the air. Aarav sat frozen, eyes locked on the CCTV footage from the haunted house. Finally, he had found something-because his sister was back. Riya had been missing for fifteen days. He had ...Read More

The lamp beside Siyara's bed gave off a soft golden glow, throwing gentle shadows over the floral bedsheet. The was quiet, except for the low tune her mother hummed while folding freshly washed clothes in the corner. The faint smell of detergent hung in the air-familiar, grounding.Siyara sat cross-legged on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest. Her fingers traced patterns on the blanket while her eyes stayed lost in thought. She hadn't spoken since the guests left. Since he left.At last, her voice broke the silence. "Maa...?"Her mother turned, smiling faintly. "Hmm, beta? Do you want water? ...Read More