The temple bells still echoed in Siya’s ears long after she reached home.

That man’s eyes haunted her. Not because they were cruel. Cruelty was easier to understand. Those eyes had looked at her like she was something sacred standing in the middle of a battlefield.

And somehow, that terrified her more.

11:30 PM — Siya’s Room

Her study lamp cast a warm yellow glow over the mess of textbooks spread across her bed.

Political Science notes.

Modern History assignments.

Three untouched chapters of Economics staring at her like personal enemies.

Siya rubbed her tired eyes and forced herself to focus.

“Fundamental Rights are…” she mumbled while highlighting a paragraph, but the words blurred together.

Her phone vibrated.

Unknown notification.

Her stomach tightened instantly.

She grabbed the phone with shaking fingers.

@H_Y_A_L_E_T liked your chapter update.

That was it.

No message.

No threat

Just… there.

Watching.

Aaru, who was on video call with her, groaned dramatically. “Bro, if you fail boards because of your mysterious mafia stalker, I’ll personally haunt both of you.”

Siya huffed a weak laugh despite herself.

“I’m serious,” Aaru continued, stuffing chips into her mouth. “Study. Your exam is in nine days. Krishna ji won’t descend from heaven to write your answers.”

“Thanks for the motivation.”

“You’re welcome.”

Siya adjusted her glasses and tried again. This time she forced herself to read aloud while Aaru listened half-seriously.

Outside, rain tapped softly against the balcony railing.

For the first time all day, her heartbeat slowed.

Normal

Almost.

Next Morning — 7:15 AM

Delhi looked washed clean after the night rain.

Siya crouched near the tea stall outside her colony, carefully opening packets of biscuits.

“Arre slowly, Motu!” she laughed softly as the fattest stray dog nearly climbed into her lap.

Three puppies barked around her feet while an injured brown dog waited patiently at a distance.

“You first,” Siya murmured gently, walking toward him.

The dog wagged his tail weakly as she placed food near him.

A black SUV sat parked across the road.

Engine off.

Windows tinted.

Inside, Kabir watched silently.

“She feeds them before herself,” he muttered into the phone.

On the other side of the call, Shashwat said nothing.

Kabir glanced toward the backseat where untouched breakfast boxes lay scattered.

“You haven’t slept, have you?”

Still silence.

Then finally—

“Did she smile today?”

Kabir looked at Siya again.

She was sitting cross-legged on the pavement now, one puppy asleep in her lap while she scratched another behind the ears.

“…yeah,” Kabir admitted quietly. “For a second.”

The line disconnected.

1:40 PM — College Library

The library smelled like old paper and dust.

Siya sat tucked into the corner near the window, typing furiously into her laptop.

Her Wattpad draft glowed on the screen.

(Chapter 18 — The Monster Learns to Pray)

Her fingers hesitated over the keyboard.

Then she continued typing.

> “Some monsters don’t destroy temples.

Some enter quietly, stand at the back, and pray harder than saints.”

Her readers would lose their minds over this chapter.

Comments from last night still flooded her notifications.

> GIRL WHO IS THIS MAN???

> SHASHWAT IS SCARING ME AND ATTRACTING ME AT THE SAME TIME.

> MEERA RUN.

> NO WAIT—DON’T RUN.

Siya smiled despite herself.

Writing had always been the only place where fear became manageable. Fiction gave shape to emotions she couldn’t explain aloud.

Tap.

A chocolate milk carton appeared beside her laptop.

She frowned and looked up.

No one.

The librarian pointed toward the exit. “A boy left it for you.”

“What boy?”

The old woman shrugged. “Tall. Scary face. Very polite.”

Siya’s pulse stumbled.

Her eyes darted toward the glass doors.

Empty.

She looked back at the drink.

Attached was a sticky note written in sharp, precise handwriting.

You forgot breakfast again.

No name.

No threat.

That somehow made it worse.

Or maybe…

Something else

Siya stared at the note for a long moment before shoving it inside her notebook like hiding evidence from herself.

Then she opened Wattpad again.

And updated the chapter anyway.

8:10 PM — Wattpad Comments Exploding

Siya sat wrapped in her blanket while notifications flooded endlessly.

Thousands of reads in under an hour.

Readers screaming over the temple scene.

Readers begging for updates.

Readers declaring fictional love for a man they should absolutely fear. And buried between them—

One comment.

From @H_Y_A_L_E_T.

> Monsters are never born monsters, Meera.(He calls her "Meera" because of Radhe Writes.)

Sometimes the world teaches them hunger first.

Siya stared at the words.

Then slowly typed a reply before she could stop herself.

> And what if the monster eats the person he loves?

The typing indicator appeared instantly.

Her breath caught.

But before the reply came—

The lights in her room flickered once.

Twice.

Then the entire house went dark.

Outside, thunder cracked across the sky.

And her phone rang.

Unknown Number.

To be continued…