Devendra went back to school.
His body walked there on its own, like it remembered the path even if he didn't remember why he was moving anymore. His legs felt heavy, his head felt light, and something inside his chest kept tightening for no clear reason.
She was still there.
Not in front of him. Not behind him.
Inside his ears.
Why are you pretending?
You hear me, don't you?
Devendra pressed his palms against his ears as he walked, but the sound didn't fade. It never did. It wasn't loud—just close. Too close. Like someone whispering directly into his thoughts.
The school gate came into view.
Children were laughing. Running. Shouting. Living.
Devendra stepped inside, and everything felt wrong immediately.
The classroom smelled the same as always. Chalk. Wood. Dust. But the air felt thicker, heavier, as if it didn't want him there.
His friends noticed him the moment he sat down.
"Devendra… are you okay?"
"You look really tired."
"Did you even sleep?"
He tried to answer. His mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Don't talk to them, the voice murmured.
They don't belong to us.
Devendra flinched.
He stared at his desk, at the scratches carved by students before him. The lines began to blur, bending into shapes that didn't make sense. His hands were shaking now.
The bell rang for break time.
The noise exploded.
Plates clattered. Children laughed. Benches scraped the floor. Everything mixed together into a single, unbearable sound.
Devendra stood near the wall, clutching his lunch box, not opening it. He could feel eyes on him. Or maybe that was just her again.
Look at you, she whispered, amused.
Trying to act normal.
Suddenly, the voices around him faded.
Not into silence.
Into distance.
The world pulled away from him like it was sinking underwater. The sounds became muffled. Faces stretched strangely. His vision swam.
Someone said his name.
Someone else shouted.
Devendra dropped to his knees.
He didn't understand what was happening. His heart was racing, but his body felt frozen, locked between moments. His lips moved without permission.
"Why me…?" he whispered.
"Why won't you leave…?"
Because you hear me, she answered softly.
And hearing is enough.
Children backed away. Teachers rushed forward. Hands hovered over him but didn't touch him, afraid they might make it worse.
Devendra screamed.
Not in pain.
In panic.
"Go away!"
"Please… go away!"
He didn't know who he was begging.
The bell rang again.
And just like that, the world snapped back.
The voices stopped.
The lunch plates clattered again. The room felt warm. Normal. Too normal.
Devendra sat on the floor, breathing hard, eyes wide, unable to understand how everything could return to normal when he hadn't.
No one laughed anymore.
Everyone stared.
And for the first time, Devendra realized something that terrified him more than the voice itself:
Even awake…
Even surrounded by people…
She could still reach him.