Shadows of the unfinished

It was late at night. Shatarupa, who had just become a mother, was resting on the nursing home bed. Her husband, Rahul, had fallen asleep with his head resting near her feet, while their little daughter, Ahona, slept peacefully in the cradle beside them. The room was silent, save for the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall.Suddenly, a strange sound broke the silence. Shatarupa’s eyes flew open. She quickly sat up in bed, scanning the dimly lit room for the source of the noise. But before she could figure it out, the sound had already stopped. A chill ran down her spine as she suddenly remembered Ahona. Instinctively, she turned toward the cradle—and froze.The cradle was empty. Ahona was gone.Her breath hitched. Panic surged through her as she reached out, feeling the void where her baby should have been. "Rahul!" she called out, her voice shaking. But he didn’t wake up. She called him again—louder this time—but he remained motionless, lost in deep slumber.

Shatarupa couldn’t wait any longer. Fear tightening around her chest, she screamed for the doctor, the nurses, for anyone who could hear her. But to her horror, no one responded. The entire nursing home was eerily still. It was as if everyone had been cast into an eternal slumber, trapped in a dreamless void for a thousand years.Tears welled up in her eyes. A desperate sob escaped her lips. And then—The sound returned.A slow, grating noise filled the room, sending shivers down her spine. Shatarupa turned her head cautiously, her heart pounding against her ribs. In the far corner of the room, something stirred in the shadows.A figure.A tall, shadowy figure stood motionless in the corner, its features obscured in darkness. Shatarupa squinted, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. The figure was doing something—but what? Her breath quickened as she strained her eyes, trying to pierce through the gloom.And then she saw it.In one hand, the figure was holding Ahona.In the other, a gleaming knife.A sharp, scraping sound echoed through the room as the figure slowly dragged the knife against the wall, its cold steel screeching against the surface. The eerie sound sent ice through her veins. Shatarupa’s body refused to move. She wanted to scream, to rush forward and snatch her child away, but her limbs were frozen in terror.Tears streamed down her face as she finally forced out a trembling cry—"Who are you? What are you doing? What are you doing to my Ahona? Please, don’t do this! Please… please… please…!"

The next moment, a jolt shook her awake.Her eyes snapped open. Sweat clung to her skin. Her breath was ragged and uneven. She gasped, struggling to make sense of her surroundings. Rahul was beside her, his hands gently shaking her shoulders. His face was filled with concern."What happened, Shatarupa?" he asked. "Why were you screaming in your sleep? Were you having a bad dream?"Shatarupa’s eyes darted toward the cradle.Ahona was there. Sleeping peacefully.A shaky breath escaped her lips as relief washed over her. She reached for the glass of water on the bedside table and took a few sips, her hands still trembling.Rahul took the empty glass from her, refilled it, and placed it back. "Lie down and try to sleep," he said softly. "Morning will be here soon. I’ll rest on the sofa for a while."Shatarupa lay back down, but sleep refused to come. The silence of the room felt heavier now, the shadows darker. As she stared at the ceiling, the clock on the balcony wall chimed—Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!It was 4 AM.

Rahul and Shatarupa had been married for almost five years. Just two days ago, they were blessed with a beautiful baby girl.Since Shatarupa hadn’t yet received permission from the doctor to go home, Rahul had been staying with her at the nursing home at night. From the very beginning, they had decided—if they had a daughter, they would name her Ahona, and if it was a boy, they would name him Indra.Shatarupa was supposed to be discharged that evening, but due to the doctor’s other commitments, the discharge was postponed until early the next morning. That night, when Shatarupa had gone into labor, Rahul had rushed her to a nearby nursing home. However, when the doctor overseeing Shatarupa’s pregnancy was informed, he hesitated upon hearing the name of the nursing home.The truth was, unless absolutely necessary, people rarely chose this place over the bigger, well-equipped hospitals in the city. This nursing home was quite old, and so was its medical equipment. In the past, reports of frequent patient deaths had tarnished its reputation, making it the last choice for most people.

Rahul and Shatarupa, too, had always held a negative perception of this place. But fate had other plans, and circumstances led them to this very nursing home. Yet, their experience here changed their view entirely. Despite its outdated infrastructure, the kindness and dedication of the doctors and staff had left a lasting impression on them. The nurses were attentive, and the doctors were highly responsible, ensuring the best care for their patients.When Shatarupa woke up screaming from her nightmare, a nurse had rushed in immediately. However, Rahul quickly reassured her, explaining that Shatarupa had just had a bad dream and there was nothing to worry about. Even so, before leaving, the nurse reminded them multiple times to call for help if needed.As the first light of dawn spread across the sky, the nursing home slowly began to buzz with activity. The doctor finally gave permission for Shatarupa to be discharged. After gathering their belongings and making sure everything was in order, Rahul and Shatarupa left the nursing home, eager to start a new chapter with little Ahona.

Upon reaching home, they took turns freshening up. They had a house helper, but since the helper wasn’t aware that they would be returning from the nursing home that day, Rahul decided to order lunch from outside. After placing the order, he called the helper, only to find out that they had gone to their village and wouldn’t be back for another week.At lunchtime, as they sat down to eat, Rahul informed Shatarupa about the helper’s absence. Hearing this, she became quite worried. Managing the household while taking care of newborn Ahona would be overwhelming. Sensing her concern, Rahul reassured her, saying,"Don't worry. We’ll have to hire someone new. Let me finish eating, and then I’ll drop by Amit’s place. He knows a lot of people who can help with this kind of thing."As soon as Rahul finished his lunch, he left for Amit’s house to find a house helper. Meanwhile, Shatarupa put Ahona to sleep and decided to take a short nap herself.Just as she was drifting into sleep, her phone rang. She picked it up, and Rahul’s voice came from the other end—"I’ve found a woman for the job. I’ve given her our address, and she’ll come over on time. Just don’t try to do everything by yourself, okay?""Aren’t you coming home now?" Shatarupa asked."I got a call from the office. My boss needs me there for a bit. I’ll be back soon," Rahul said before quickly hanging up.

Evening turned into night—it was now 8 PM. Yet, neither Rahul nor the house helper had arrived.Shatarupa had called Rahul twice, but he hadn’t picked up. He was probably busy—after all, he had been on leave for days. Not wanting to disturb him further, she decided not to call again.Sitting on the balcony chair with Ahona in her arms, Shatarupa stared into the night, lost in thought. The cool breeze touched her face, but a strange uneasiness crept into her heart.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door—Tok! Tok!She frowned. Maybe Rahul is back, she thought. But then another thought struck her—why would Rahul knock instead of ringing the doorbell?As these thoughts ran through her mind, she instinctively reached for the door handle and opened it.It wasn’t Rahul.A woman stood there, her face covered with a veil.Shatarupa hesitated for a moment before asking, "Who are you? Whom are you looking for?"The woman replied in a calm, almost emotionless voice, "Rahul brother sent me. He said there’s housework to be done."

Something about her felt… off. But Shatarupa didn’t question her further. Without another word, she stepped aside and let the woman in. She showed her the room where she would be staying. Yet, a strange uneasiness settled in her mind—she felt as though she had seen a veiled woman like this somewhere before. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember where.That night, Shatarupa and the new house helper prepared dinner together. As they worked, her phone rang—it was Rahul."I’ll be late tonight," he said. "My boss will be dropping me home. Don’t wait for me—just eat and go to bed."Shatarupa wasn’t surprised. Rahul coming home late wasn’t unusual, so she didn’t think much of it.Holding Ahona close to her chest, she slowly drifted off to sleep.A sound woke her.

A strange, grating noise, like something being dragged across the floor.Shatarupa’s eyes shot open. For a moment, she lay still, heart pounding, trying to locate the source of the sound. Then, instinctively, her eyes darted toward the bed—and she froze.Ahona was missing.A strange bluish glow had filled the room, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The air felt thick, heavy.Shatarupa pushed herself up, her breath shallow and erratic. And then she saw it.In the far corner of the bedroom, a shadowy figure stood with its back to her. It was hunched over, doing something—though Shatarupa couldn’t tell what.Her blood turned to ice.Her voice barely came out as she stammered, "Who… who’s there?"The figure slowly turned around.Shatarupa’s breath caught in her throat. It was the same woman—the house helper.But now, her veil had slipped off, revealing her face.Blood-red eyes. Disheveled hair. A twisted, sinister smile. Her entire body was smeared with blood.And in one hand—Ahona.In the other—a gleaming knife.The blade caught the dim light, reflecting a cold, deadly shimmer.Shatarupa’s nightmare from the other night was no longer a dream. It was real.Tears blurred her vision as she sobbed, "Why are you doing this? What have I done to you? Please, let go of my daughter!"The woman took a step closer. Her hollow, bone-chilling voice echoed through the room—"You are about to become the next victim of my curse. You have no idea, do you? That room in the nursing home—it’s cursed. It was in that very room that the doctors murdered me and my baby… on my husband’s orders."Shatarupa’s body stiffened in shock.The woman continued, her voice dripping with vengeance—"The doctors spread the lie that I died on the operating table, so no one ever suspected them. Since then, my spirit has been trapped in that cursed room. But I swore vengeance… and I have kept my promise.One by one, I hunted them down—my husband, the doctors who betrayed me… I killed them all.Now, it’s your turn."A twisted, vengeful grin spread across the woman’s blood-streaked face as she tightened her grip on Ahona.Shatarupa sobbed, desperation clawing at her chest. "Yes, you were wronged, but we had nothing to do with it! Please, let us go! Please…!"The woman let out a hollow, eerie laugh. "I can’t let you go. Do you know why?"She stepped closer, her blood-streaked face just inches from Shatarupa."Because Rahul… he was my husband’s brother. That night, he was involved too. He knew everything. He was part of their plan."Shatarupa’s heart stopped.The woman smirked and whispered—"Do you know why I didn’t kill you earlier? Because I wanted you to suffer. I wanted to kill your child in front of you, just like they killed mine.And Rahul? He’s already dead. I finished him off a while ago.Now it’s time for your daughter… and then, I will come for you."

A chilling silence filled the room.Shatarupa trembled, paralyzed by terror. "Please… not my daughter… you were a mother too. Kill me instead, but let her go!"For a fleeting moment, something flickered in the woman’s bloodshot eyes. Was it hesitation? A trace of motherly instinct buried deep beneath her rage?She lifted Ahona before her face, staring at the child as if lost in thought.Then, wordlessly, she placed Ahona back into the cradle.Shatarupa gasped in relief. But before she could even breathe, the woman grabbed the knife—And lunged.Shatarupa tried to move, to run—but she couldn’t. An invisible force pinned her to the bed, binding her in place.She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out.The last thing she saw was the glint of the sharp blade flashing in the dim blue light.And then—cold steel sliced across her throat.Blood gushed from the wound, soaking the bed sheets in deep crimson.The woman’s eyes gleamed as she watched the life drain from Shatarupa’s body. A twisted smile curled on her lips.Her revenge—her long-awaited vengeance—was finally complete.

The next morning, the neighbors made a horrifying discovery—Rahul’s lifeless body lay in the front yard, his face frozen in terror.When the police entered the house, they were met with a scene straight out of a nightmare.Blood was everywhere.The walls. The floor. The bed. A chamber of horror.In one corner, Shatarupa’s lifeless body lay in a pool of blood, her throat slashed open.And in the other—the cradle rocked gently.Inside, little Ahona lay crying—the only survivor in a house of death.Despite an extensive investigation, the police found nothing. No fingerprints. No clues. No leads.Eventually, they closed the case.

Ahona was handed over to a foster family. She grew up in a new home, under a new name—Ahalya.No one knew the truth.No one knew that every night, when the world fell asleep, the woman still came back.She stood in the shadows, unseen, unnoticed—watching over Ahona.Perhaps, even after her vengeance, she couldn’t let go.Perhaps, in the end, she had fallen into the trap of motherly love once again.After all, she too was once a mother—Even if she had never gotten to hear her own child call her "Mom."