Iravil nizhalaaga (இரவில் நிழலாக)

Eight

It's Saturday, when they move into Vikram's apartment,

Saranya: Intha room girls ku.

Harish: Okay okay

Vikram: Late aaguthu. Thoongunga. Naalaiku leave thana, balance naalaiku paathukalaam.

Everyone agreed.

Next morning,

The girls came out of their room,

Priyanka: Vikram enga?

Harish: Breakfast vaanga poi irukaan.

He said while reading the newspaper.

Harish: Na ena avalo aarvama va newspaper padichitu iruntha, ne room ku ponatha na paakave ila.

He said to Mansi,

Saranya: Epo paakala.? Kaalaile etha olaritu iru.

Priya went to prepare coffee and saran went to take a bath, Mansi sat beside him.

Harish: Maadi epdi irunthuchu?

Mansi: Naanum ithe apartment thaan. Ena pudhusa kekkara.

Harish: Construction work poguthu sonaanga.

Mansi: Aama naane paakanum nu nenacha. Ne vetti ah thana iruntha paathutu vanthu irukalaam la.

Harish: Ena mansi olara.

Mansi: Na ena da olara. Ne thaan kaalaile puriyama pesitu iruka.

Harish: Hey ne oru half an hour munnadi maadi ah paaka pora nu poniye, epo vantha!?

Mansi: Ena da olara, night thoonga poitu ipo thaan na veliyave vara.

He widened his eyes in shock and threw the newspaper and turned towards her.

Harish: Mansi, I hate pranks. You know that right.

Mansi: Ena da aachu unaku?

Harish: Hey ne ipo thaan veliya vara nu solriya?!

She nodded.

He started sweating, Vikram entered the house,

Harish: Vikram

Vikram: Mansi, maadi la etho construction work poitu irunthuche over ah?

Mansi: Enaku epdi-

Harish cut him off,

Harish: Enaku etho kaatra nu sonna ila. Come.

He dragged her to the terrace.

Mansi: Ena da aachu?

Harish: Mansi innaiku kaalai la naanum Vikram um paper padichitu irunthom. You came to us. You called Vikram to the terrace. But avan, ipo breakfast vaanganum aprom ah polaam nu sollitaan. Then, you left to the terrace alone.

She widened her eyes. Both of them are shivering.

Harish: Etha puriyutha?

She nodded.

Harish: Ena?

Mansi: IT STARTED SHOWING UP.

Harish: Ena panna porom.

Mansi: I don't know.

Harish: Hey romba pinnadi pogatha. Wall ila. Vizhunthudatha.

She nodded and looked down, they were on the 9th floor, she widened her eyes and looked at him,

Harish: Ena aachu?

Mansi: Athoda target Vikram nu enaku thonuthu.

Harish: What? But why?

Mansi: I don't know. Come

They ran towards the lift. They reached the floor and opened the door.

She looked at him arranging everything and talking with Priya,

She sighed in relief, then she saw the water on the floor behind him, if he falls, he will hit his head in the railing in the balcony,

Mansi: Vikram

I ran to him to pull him away from the water.

??? : Ella thadavayum kaapathidlaam nu nenaikaatha.

Someone said near her ears but she found no one. Tears started flowing from her eyes.

Mansi: Inga epdi thanni vanthuchu.

Saranya: Na ipo thaan perukitu pona kitchen ku. Apo thanni illaye. Aprom epdi.

Vikram: Enaku onnum ila ma. Parava ila. Theriyama kotti irukum. Vidu.

She hugged him.

Vikram: Enaku onnum ila mansi.

He rubbed her back but the words kept ringing in her ears.

She pulled away and went to the room. Harish followed her, she explained to him what happened with tears.

Mansi: Enaku bayama iruku, Harish

Harish nodded.

Harish: Romba. Sollidlaam ah ellarum kittayum?

Mansi: no no.

Vikram, priyanka, and saranya came in.

Saranya: Ena di, Ena aachu?

She looked up to see herself behind Vikram. She pulled him towards her and crawled back. But she faded away.

Priyanka: Ena aachu?

Mansi: Onnum ila.

Vikram: Mansi-

Mansi: Please vidunga. Yaarum ethum kekkatheenga.

They sighed.

That night,

She was sleeping, she had a dream in which someone was killing her by pushing from the terrace. She fell down and lay in the pool of blood. She is breathing abnormally, she is lying on her stomach in the pool of blood. She tried hard and turned to look up,

She looked at the person who did this while struggling to breathe, he pulled off his mask.

Vikram.

She woke up from the dream shouting his name.

Thanks for reading darlings ❤