Chapter 12: The Aftermath
The atmosphere in the PG changed after the puja. A palpable energy swept through the rooms, as if invisible cobwebs of dread had been swept away by a cleansing wind. Anay found himself able to focus on his studies again. Laughter returned to the corridors, echoing late into the nights as the housemates prepared for their end semester exams. The weight that had pressed on their hearts seemed to have lifted, replaced by a sense of relief and gratitude for ordinary days.
The semester drew to a close, and with the end of his second year, Anay packed his belongings for the last time. He left the PG behind—its haunted nights, the strange shadows, the terror that once threatened to swallow him whole. Yet, as he closed the door, he paused for a moment, glancing back at the building that had been on the stage for a chapter of fear and transformation. He knew he was not the same person who had moved in, and as he stepped out into the sunlight, there was a quiet sense of having survived something inexplicable, something that would forever mark his journey.
After those harrowing nights in the PG, Anay emerged changed, as if a shadow had passed through his soul and left a permanent mark. The world, once ordinary and predictable, now shimmered with unseen possibilities and invisible threats. His skepticism about the supernatural faded, replaced by a quiet reverence for mysteries beyond his understanding. He took to visiting temples with a newfound devotion, praying not out of habit but from a place of deep gratitude and humility.
The flickering ghosts of memory haunted him whenever someone suggested watching a horror film—a chill would crawl up his spine, and he would politely excuse himself, unwilling to relive the terror that had once been all too real. Never again did he challenge fate or utter careless wishes into the night. Anay had learned to respect the thin veil between worlds, and in that respect, he found both peace and caution.
Ink of Dread 
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