Steamed up?

Nayana emerged from the shower enjoying what the hot water did to her tired and cold body. After a hard morning of strenuous running and working out in the chilly weather outside, the hot water had felt like tonic. She looked at the mirror in front of her. It was foggy with steam. She always had to write something on a steamy mirror. Using her finger, she scribbled on it.

I Love you.

She was about to make a heart shape on the mirror as she always did, when she noticed another line of scribbles starting just below where she’d left off.

I love you too…

She gasped.

“Who’s there?” she screamed, turning all around, looking everywhere for some signs of the prankster.

No one.

She looked at the mirror.

A smiley.

“If this is a joke, I don’t like it one bit” she said. “Who’s there?” A firmer tone this time. She didn’t want to sound scared.

And then she looked at the mirror again. More scribbles.

“Always the bold one, huh?” 

“Why won’t you speak out?” her voice gave away the scare that had started seeping into it, her eyes glued to the mirror.

“Fancy getting some clothes on? You don’t want to be seen like this, do you?”

She hastily pulled a towel from the hanger and wrapped it around herself. She decided that she had had enough of this. She turned the door knob trying to get out of the bathroom. The knob seemed stuck.

“Pity!”

“Why are you doing this to me?” she broke down, sliding along the door, falling to the floor, tears now beginning to fill her eyes. She looked at the mirror.

Nothing.

Maybe whoever it was, had left. She gathered herself, got up and walked to the mirror. She didn’t want to be talking to someone through a steamed mirror. She picked up a napkin and rubbed the mirror furiously, till it looked free of steam. And then she gasped again. She could see Neel’s face through it. He was smiling at her.

It couldn’t be…she thought. Neel was dead.

The mirror steamed up again, and he seemed to have vanished as quickly as he appeared.

“You killed me, didn’t you?”

“No….no…. Neel, it was an accident. You...you….kn…know that…”

“Liar!!”

And then something wrapped itself around her neck and dragged her into the mirror, even as she struggled to break free, making a crash sound followed by a thud.