She was browsing through the business page of the newspaper when her doorbell rang. Too lazy to get up immediately, she waited for a minute, but the bell didn’t ring again. Putting the newspaper aside, she shuffled towards the door. Her bare feet slipped on the polished marble floor and she fell on her side with a thud. ‘Oh damn,’ she cried. She got up, her back aching a little, and walked to the door. There was no movement on the other side. She opened the door but saw no one. As she was about to close it, she noticed a small white envelope lying on her doormat. Her back hurt as she bent down to pick it up. She looked around once again, quite perplexed by the appearance of the mysterious envelope. She ran back to her room and peeked through the window that looked out on to the street. She saw a shadowy figure, wearing a black hoodie that obscured its face. The physique and gait seemed quite familiar to her.

Her phone rang as the man disappeared into the fog. It was an unknown number. She didn’t answer and instead sat on the couch and looked at the envelope. Her mind was still reeling from the story Madhav’s mom had told her.

Radhika sipped her coffee, which had become cold by then. The envelope had a fine layer of dust on it. It was sealed with a yellowing piece of sticky tape. She wondered how old it was. She turned it over and noticed a logo on the front that looked like the emblem of a school. Her address was written with a scratchy blue ballpoint pen in a familiar handwriting. She finally tore it open. The letter itself wasn’t handwritten but typed out. But before she could start reading it, her phone rang. It was the unknown number again. Her heart pounding, Radhika finally answered it.

‘Hello,’ she said, with trepidation.

‘Ma’am, I am calling from Vodafone. We want to share the details of our post-paid plans. We have some new offers for you,’ a rushed voice blurted out. Radhika was annoyed but calmly replied, ‘I am busy. Please call me some other time.’

The morning sun peeked lazily through the fog. She switched off her phone and focused on the letter.

Hello Radhika,

I hope you are doing well. You must be drinking your morning coffee and reading the newspaper right now. I have known you for a while now, you see. And now that you know me too, I thought I must write to you.

We have met several times before, though you may not be aware of it. I have seen you and Madhav laugh, talk and love. You’ve made him experience love in a way he never has before, except perhaps once, a long time ago. I know that you love him very much and want him to heal. I wish you luck because I want to be free. I don’t want to live with him any more. He has captured me, not only in his brain, but also in his soul, his heart, his consciousness. He hasn’t let go of me. He has been striving to be the person I always wanted to be. He has been dying each day so that he can live the way I always wanted to live. His dreams have been forgotten, his life is in a shambles.

Oh! I forgot to tell you my name, though I’m sure you must have guessed it by now.

I am Parth Aggarwal.

I am not dead yet. I live inside Madhav. I am festering inside him and with each passing day, he is becoming more and more helpless to stop me. But your presence and light has helped diminish my power over him. I don’t know how much longer you’ll be able to hold me at bay, but for both your sakes, I hope you can help him win this battle.