ILLUSION

by
Pranaykumar Anugurti

CHAPTER-1

Time11.20pm

Iamrollingonmybed.Icouldntsleep.Theroomwasdark
andsilent,withtwootherbedsempty.Icouldntsleepmay
beduetothesoundsoftheDiwalicrackersoutsidethe
hostelorduetothefearofbeingaloneintheroomat
midnight.Atthismoment,Irealizedthevalueofmy
roommates,whohadgonetotheirhomesontheoccasionof
Diwali.MostofthestudentsatMNNITAllahabadwhoskip
theDiwalicelebrationswillbetheSouthIndians(justlike
me).WheneverIamtryingtoclosemyeyesIfeelsome
strangecreatureismovingovermejustlikeinthe
HollywoodhorrormoviewhichIhavejustwatchedwithmy
SouthIndianfriend,Mahipal.Atthistime,Iwanttokick
himforforcingmetowatchthehorrormovieandhethen
lefttohisroomleavingmealoneinmyroom..RoomNo.
424.IdontknowhowmanytimesIrolledovermybed.Iam
tryingnottothinkaboutthemoviebyplacingmyhead
underthepillow.SuddenlyIheardsomestrangesound(It
heardlikeawomancry).Icouldntunderstandfromwhere
thesoundiscoming.Myheartstartedbeatingfastandmy
entirebodyiswetwithsweat.Thenthesoundstopped.I
prayedtogodnottoaddanymoremasalatomy
imaginations.Ithinkmyprayersdidntreachthegod.Two
stonesheavilystruckmywindow.UnconditionallyIwent
undermyblanketandmytonguewasdryingoutrapidly.I
stayedcalmforfewminutes.Thereiscompletesilence.I
gatheredmygutsandgotoutofmybedandtookthewater
bottlebutforhellssake,itisempty.Shit!Mahiemptied
it,hedranktheentirebottle.Idonthaveachoice,I
shouldgooutforwater..Continues

CHAPTER-2

Anyhow,Ireachedthedoorslowlywiththebottle,slapping
overmythighrepeatedly.Iswitchedonthelights.Entire
corridorwasdark.Theonlylighttryingtokillthatdense
darkwasmyroomlight.Ikeptthedooropenandstepped
outsidetheroom.Allroomsinthecorridorwerelocked.I
decidednottolookanysideandwalkedstraighttowards
thewashroomwiththewaterbottleinhand.Icouldnthold
thebottleproperlyduetosweatinhands.Anyhow,I
reachedthewaterpurifier,drankwater,filledthebottle
completely,keptthebottleoverfridgedockandwent
insidethewashroom.Iwashedmyface,keptstaringinto
themirror,lookingatmyself,myeyeswereredmaybedue
tounrest.Suddenly,inthemirror,Isawareflectionofa
personwithaKNIFEinhishandsrushingoutside.
Isitreal?OrIamimagining
it.
(MORE)

2.

(CONT'D)
AsIamtheonlypersonstayingon
thisflooronthisnight,whowill
bethereinthebathroom?Whyhe
needsaknifeinthebathroom?Why
isherunningoutside?Definitely!
ThisismyILLUSION,talking
myself,Itookthebottleand
rushedimmediatelytomyroom,to
mysurpriselightsintheroom
wereswitchedoff.ButIamsure,
lightsareon,beforeIamgoing
out,reallysomethingisgoing
wrong.
Okay,whateveritmaybe,Ineed
tosleeptogetridofthisshit

,toldmyself,lockedthedoor,keptthebottleonthe
tableandjumpedintothebed.Iclosedmyeyesandtold
myselfwhateverhappens,Iamnotgoingtoopenmyeyes,
andcoveredmyfacewiththeblanket.Acoupleofminutes
laterIagainheardthesamestrangesoundofwomencrying,
butthistimeabitlouder.Iimmediatelystoodfrommybed
andthesoundstopped.Myheartwasbeatinglikeatuning
forkandmythroatwasdryingout,Itookthewaterbottle.
Butitisalmosthalfempty.
Buthow.Reallysomethingis
goingwrong.

Idrankthewaterleftinthebottle.Isatonthebedand
triedtostaycalm.ItoldmyselfthatIwasabraveperson
andnotgoingtopanicanymore.Againthesoundstartedto
play.Irealizedthatthesoundwasrepeatedexactlysame.

Ohgod!Itisaringtonebutit
isnotinmymobile.

ThenIstartedsearchingforthemobile,soonIsensedthat
phoneisundermybed.Ihesitatinglystretchedmyhandsto
getholdofthatphone,myearscouldntbearthatnoisy
ringtoneandmyhandswerealmostwet.

ThenIfoundthevibratingphone.Iimmediatelyturned
mobile,onthescreen,itisblinkingDadiscalling..
Thereisapopupsaying.Youhave8newmissedcalls
fromDadOnthenotificationbar,Icanseethetime
11:40pm.Oh!ItisMahismobile,buthowcomeitisunder
mybedWhyhisfatheriscallingatthistimeand8missed
callsAnythingemergencyMaybesomethingserious?But
whatshouldIdonow.Mahisroomisonthe7thfloorThe

3.
phoneisringingcontinuouslyMyheartisbeatingfastand
mywethandscouldntholdthatmobile.

Ohgod!Again,Ihavenochoice,Ishouldgoto7th
floor..

Tobecontinued

CHAPTER-3

Ilockedmyroomandreachedthestairs.Ihavetwoways,
oneusingstairs(whichwasslowerandbitscariest)and
anotherusinglift.Atlast,IcametoadecisionthatI
willusethelifttogoto7thfloor.Buttomysurprise,
theupwardanddownwardbuttonsofliftwerealready
pressedbysomeone.Thephonewasringingcontinuouslyand
theliftwascomingdownwardsfromthe7thfloor.Assoon
asitreachedthe4thfloor,thedoorswereopened.I
enteredtheliftandpressedthe7thfloor,buttheground
floorbuttonwasalreadypressed.Theliftstartedmoving
down.Thephonestoppedringingduetoweaksignals.Lights
andfanswerenotworkinginthelift.Itwastoohot
inside.Meanwhile,liftreachedthegroundfloorandthe
doorswereopened.

Isteppedoutside.Almostthefloorwasdarkandtherewas
onlyonelightglowingveryfarattheentrancegate.I
thoughtitwasbettertousestairsinsteadofthehot
lift.Iwentnearthestairsandlookedupwards,"Holy
Shit!7floors".Ilaughedatmyselfformyfoolishnessof
notusingthestairswhenIwasonthe4thfloor.Isawa
lightblinkingonthe5thfloor.Onseeingitmymind
headedmetowardsthelift.

Butalreadyelevatorstartedmovingupwards."Nochoice!".
ItoldmyselfthatIamneithergoingtolookupwardsnor
downwards.Iwasalmostrunning.Ireachedthe5thfloor.I
couldn'trunanymore,Ipausedforawhileandresumedmy
journey.Ipassedthe6th-floordoorandmovingtowardsthe
7thfloor,thenIheardaheavysoundofdoorslamming.I
lookedbackatthe6th-floordoor,itisclosed.Ithought
itoccurredmaybeduetoheavywindpassing.AssoonasI
reachedthe7th-floordoor,itslammedalmostonmyface.I
couldn'tbalancemyselfandIalmostslippedthemobile
phone.Mybreathingwasheavierthanbeforeandmyshirt
wasalmostwet.

4.

Afterafewseconds,thedooropenedslowly.Ihesitatingly
movedtowardsRoomno.704(Mahi'sroom),butitwas
locked.Ididn'tunderstandwhattodoandthemobilephone
wasringingcontinuously.Icouldseetherewere20missed
callsandtimewas11.55pm.Therewere5southIndianrooms
onthe7thfloor.4roomswerelockedandmeanwhile,my
eyesturnedtowardsthe5throom,itwasSri's(myother
closefriend)roomitwasnotlockedfromoutside.I
thoughtmaybeMahiwassleepinginthatroom.Irantowards
itandassoonasIraisedmyhandtobeatthedoor,Iwas
pushedfrombackwardsandthedooropened.

Ialmostfellontheground.Butmyhandsreachedatable,
lightswereswitchedonandIwasfacingacake."HAPPY
BIRTHDAYPANDU",waswrittenonthecake.Therewerearound
20southIndiansinthatroom,allstartedshouting"happy
birthdayPandu(itismyname)"Iwasalmostintears.Then
fourhandshuggedmefrombackwards,theywereMahiand
Sri.ThenIpushedthemandshoutedangrily,"Whothehell,
plannedthis?"Thentheylookedtowardseachotherand
laughed.Thentheystartedexplaining,howthey
successfullyfooledme.

AssoonastheygottoknowthatmybirthdaywasonDiwali
theyplannedtheentiredrama.Accordingtoplan,theyneed
toscareme.SoMahiforcedmetowatchtheHorrorMovie,
placedhismobilephoneinmyroomandleftmealone.To
addmoremasalatothisdramatheywantedmetocome
outsidetheroom.SoMahiemptiedthewaterbottle.Sriwas
handlingthemobilephonefromtheVeranda,seeingthrough
thewindow.AssoonasIwentoutsidewiththebottle,Sri
wentinsidemyroom,replacedMahi'smobileundermybed,
switchedoffthelightsandwaitedintheVeranda.Mahiwas
waitinginthebathroomwithaknife.Assoonashesensed
meinsidethewashroom,heranoutsideandwiththeknife
hemadeaholeinthebottlewhichIplacedonthedock.
AfterIwentinsideandslept.SricalledMahi'smobile
phonefromthenumberwhichtheyalreadysaveditasa
contact(namingDADY)andassignedascaryringtonetoit.
Astheyplannedthebirthdaypartyonthe7thfloor,they
createdDadyemergencycallingdrama.Theypressedthelift
buttonsbeforeme.Blinkinglight,doorsslammingandall
othereffectswerecreatedbythem.

TheytriedveryhardtocreatetheILLUSIONandthis
birthdaybecamemostmemorableoneinmylife.
"HappyBirthdayPandu"

5.
THEEND