On the onset of winter, in the evening. Isha drove the car to her parking spot, and she got out of the car and glanced once at her apartment window. The glass of the window showed darkness. There was no one at home and Isha knew that, but letting go of the habit was proving to be challenging.
It had been almost two months since her roommate left. Isha was sharing the rent of the apartment with Lekha. They didn’t become friends in the beginning; it was something which developed gradually and they bonded like sisters.
Lekha worked from home mostly while Isha went to the office every day and every day when Isha came back home, she would look up to see whether light could be seen from within the window, that way she would know Lekha was home or not.
The problem began after two years.
“I always feel someone is watching me when I am alone,” said Lekha
“From outside?” asked Isha
“No here”
“But that is not possible”
“The other day I thought someone was in the kitchen and I thought that it was you. But no one was there.”
“Are you sleeping properly at night or are stills working those extra hours?” asked Isha
“I do have to work till late sometimes but I get good sleep otherwise,” said Lekha
“Let’s go out this weekend for a short trip. You need some break from work,” said Isha and Lekha agreed
But as the weekend came near, Lekha was down with a fever. It was viral. But Lekha was convinced it was something else and somewhere this belief was slowing down the progress. Despite various efforts by Isha to convince Lekha otherwise and make her feel better, Lekha decided to go back home for a while. Her home was in another state and she recovered there but never came back.
Isha packed and sent Lekha’s remaining belongings. Lekha still calls Isha almost every day and Isha and Lekha have long conversations but Lekha does not talk about the apartment.
Isha never felt anything that Lekha told her about and she could not understand what could have been the reason. Nonetheless she decided to shift from the apartment later on to part ways with the negative thoughts which had somehow become associated with it.
Written by Anuran Chatterji
Early Morning Memories 
One response to “Darkness in the Window”
This is a beautifully written and atmospheric piece! 🌙✨
You’ve captured the mood of loneliness, memory, and unease so delicately that the reader feels both the warmth of Isha and Lekha’s bond and the subtle creep of tension as Lekha begins to sense something unsettling. The details are vivid yet restrained — like the recurring glance at the apartment window, which becomes symbolic of presence, absence, and comfort. That’s such a powerful storytelling device.
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