“Noooo!” Aarthi yelled.
She watched in horror as her best friend, Priya, lost her balance on the cliff edge and fell to her death.
“Noo,” Akash yelled, as he sank to his knees. “This can’t be happening!”
What had started with five friends going on a fun trip to Kodaikanal, had ended prematurely, with only four returning home.
***
A new wave of fear hit Aarthi, as the cold wind blew on the train windows.
“We can go back even now,” Akash said, seeing Aarthi shudder.
Aarthi had had recurring dreams over the past few months asking her to return to Kodaikanal with her friends. At first, she tried to ignore them, but they kept recurring. After much persuasion, Akash, Divya, and Karthik agreed to go with her.
“No. We have to go,” said Aarthi. She wanted to put an end to her sleepless nights. She rested her head on his shoulder as he gently pushed back the loose hair strands on her face.
They had married a few years after that fateful trip. Aarthi had been Priya’s closest friend and Akash had been her boyfriend. They had bonded over the loss of Priya, who had been close to both of them. Over time, they had grown closer, their friendship blossoming into love.
***
“It’s getting dark. Can’t we go tomorrow?” said Karthik, as they walked towards the ‘Dolphin Nose’.
“Let’s just get over with this,” said Aarthi, panting heavily.
As soon as they had entered their hotel, Aarthi felt a strong force pulling her to the cliff where Priya had died and urged her friends to go there with her immediately.
Everyone looked at Aarthi and exchanged uneasy glances. Why was she acting strangely? Was something bad going to happen?
Aarthi felt dizzy when they reached the cliff.
“Akash”, she said feebly, and he caught her just before she passed out.
Aarthi, with her eyes still closed, suddenly flew up in the air. The three of them huddled together and looked up in shock and fear.
Aarthi suddenly fell down and stood up. She opened her eyes, and the three stepped back, startled by her hard, cold stare.
“You finally came,” said Aarthi in a voice eerily similar to Priya’s.
“I’m sorry. Please let me go,” said Aarthi in her normal voice, almost pleading.
“You pushed me off a cliff, lied to your friends for twenty years, and you’re just sorry?”
“What?!” asked Divya.
“Oh, I’ll tell you,” said Priya, as Aarthi tried to fight against her. “Aarthi pushed me off a cliff so that she could have Akash all to herself. I haunted her in her dreams and made her come here with all of you so that everyone would know the truth.”
Suddenly, Aarthi started walking towards the edge of the cliff.
“No,” Aarthi pleaded. “I’ll do anything you want me to.”
“Which is what you’re doing now,” sneered Priya.
“Noooo!” Aarthi yelled as she fell off the cliff edge.
Justice for Priya had at last come full circle.
