Echoes in the Adoption File - Part 1

 

The File That Wasn’t Empty

The adoption file was supposed to be thin.

That’s what Anika Rao had always been told—routine case, no complications, closed chapter. She believed it for twenty-six years. Until the day the file slid across the dusty wooden table in the basement of St. Mary’s Adoption Trust and landed in front of her with a soft, accusing thud.

It was thick.

Anika’s fingers hovered over the folder, her pulse suddenly loud in her ears. The old ceiling fan groaned above her, pushing warm air that smelled of paper, ink, and secrets long buried. The caretaker, an elderly man with tired eyes, avoided her gaze.

“Are you sure this is mine?” she asked.

He nodded once. “That’s what the register says.”

Anika opened the file.

The first few pages were expected—date of birth, place of discovery, a temporary name scribbled in blue ink: Female infant, approx. three days old. But then she saw it.

A page torn roughly from a notebook.
A fingerprint in dried brown ink.
And one line, underlined twice:

“Father deceased. Mother missing.”

Her breath caught.

That was not what she had grown up hearing.

Her adoptive parents had always said the same thing: Your parents loved you, but they were poor. They wanted a better life for you. No deaths. No disappearances. No violence.

Anika turned the page, her hands trembling now.

There was a police stamp—faded, almost erased with time. A case number. And one word circled in red:

HOMICIDE

The room seemed to tilt.

“Why would this be here?” she whispered, more to herself than to the caretaker.

He finally spoke, his voice low. “Some adoptions… begin in tragedy.”

Anika closed the file slowly. Her reflection stared back at her from the plastic cover—dark eyes filled with questions she had never allowed herself to ask.

If her father was murdered…
If her mother vanished…

Then her adoption wasn’t just an act of mercy.

It was an escape.

As she stood to leave, something slipped from the back of the folder and fluttered to the floor. Anika bent down and picked it up.

A photograph.

A young couple stood outside a small house. The man’s arm was protectively around the woman, who was visibly pregnant. Both of them were smiling—but someone had scratched over the man’s face with a sharp object, gouging deep, angry lines.

On the back of the photo, written in hurried handwriting, were four words:

“She must never know.”

Anika felt a chill crawl up her spine.

For the first time in her life, she understood something with terrifying clarity:

Her past wasn’t lost.

It was hidden.

And someone had killed to keep it that way.

Evil Within Part- 10 - Final

 At first, he didn’t notice it.

One morning passed without a message. Then another. Then a third.

No vibration.
No unknown number.
No quiet guidance.

He checked his phone again and again—unlocking it for no reason, scrolling through old chats, rereading those short, unsettling lines that had once terrified him… and later, strangely, steadied him.

Nothing came.

The silence felt wrong.

The unknown presence had slipped into his life so quietly that he hadn’t realized when it became a habit. A part of his routine. A voice that reminded him, warned him, watched over things he cared about.

Now it was gone.

And he missed it.

That realization disturbed him more than the messages ever had.

---

Living Without the Voice

Days went by. He settled into his new job, learning systems, understanding people, forcing small conversations. Life looked normal from the outside. Stable. Successful, even.

But inside, something felt incomplete.

At night, he stared at his phone before sleeping—half-expecting it to light up.

It never did.

He wondered if it was ever real.
Or if it had only existed when he was at his weakest.

Some unknown was part of my life… so unclear, isn’t it?
The thought repeated itself often.

---

A New Chapter Begins

One evening, his mother spoke while folding clothes.

“You’re settled now,” she said gently. “Good job, stable life… it’s time to think about marriage.”

He looked up at her.

Her eyes weren’t pressuring him. They were hopeful.

He nodded slowly. “As you wish, Amma.”

She smiled—the same smile that had pulled him back from darkness more than once.

The talks began. Meetings. Photos. Conversations that felt strange but harmless. He stayed quiet, letting things move forward.

And soon enough, the wedding happened.

Simple. Traditional. Full of relatives and rituals.

Everyone said he looked happy.

He smiled when expected.

---

After Marriage

His wife was kind. Observant. Soft-spoken.

She noticed things others didn’t—how he sometimes paused mid-thought, how he stared at his phone even when it didn’t ring, how silence around him felt loaded.

One night, she asked casually, “You keep checking your phone. Waiting for someone?”

He hesitated.

“No,” he said. “Just… a habit.”

He didn’t tell her about the unknown messages.
He didn’t know how to explain something he himself couldn’t define.

---

The Absence

Weeks turned into months.

Still no messages.

The fear faded—but the emptiness didn’t.

He had everything he once prayed for:
A job.
A home.
A wife.
His mother safe and smiling.

And yet, something inside him whispered—

You didn’t win. You were allowed to move forward.

Late one night, as his wife slept beside him, his phone vibrated.

Just once.

He froze.

Heart pounding, he picked it up.

A notification.

But it wasn’t a message.

Just the time changing.

He lay back down slowly, staring at the ceiling.

Lying there in the quiet of the night, he finally understood.

Whatever had spoken to him, guided him, warned him… it was neither an enemy nor a savior. It was the part of him that had learned to survive when no one else could hear his fear. The voice that rose when he stayed silent. The strength that formed when he had no choice but to endure.

The evil within was never truly evil.
It was pain shaped into protection.
Fear turned into awareness.
Loneliness transformed into strength.

And when he no longer needed it—
when his life found balance, love, and purpose—
it stepped back into silence.

Not gone.
Just resting.

Because the moment he would ever break again…
it would return.

And this time, he would know its name.

Evil Within - Part - 9

 The day his mother was discharged from the hospital, the house felt alive again.

The silence that once comforted him now felt warm, familiar. She moved slowly, carefully, but she was home. That was enough. He watched her settle into her chair near the window, sunlight touching her face, and for the first time in weeks, he smiled without forcing it.

“You look lighter,” she said, noticing his face.

He nodded. “I feel… better.”

And for a while, it was true.

---

A Fresh Start

With his mother resting safely at home, something inside him steadied. He woke up early, shaved, dressed neatly, and packed his documents with care. His sling bag felt lighter today—not because it weighed less, but because his mind did.

Before leaving, his mother stopped him.

“Go with confidence,” she said, placing her hand on his head. “Whatever happens, come back smiling.”

He did.

The interview room was quiet. Familiar. This time, he didn’t rush his answers. He spoke clearly. Calmly. He listened. He thought.

When the final interviewer smiled and said, “We’ll move ahead with you,” he felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Relief.

He stepped out, leaned against the wall, and exhaled.

He had cleared it.

---

The Message Returns

His phone vibrated.

His heart skipped—but he didn’t panic.

UNKNOWN:
You did well today.

He froze.

No one knew about the interview.

HIM:
Who are you?

A pause.

UNKNOWN:
Someone who knows you better than you think.
Someone who doesn’t want you to fall.

He swallowed hard.

HIM:
Then why scare me?

The reply came quickly.

UNKNOWN:
Fear keeps you alert.
I helped you survive when you were weak.

He stared at the screen.

Helped?

---

An Unseen Ally

Over the next few days, the messages continued—but they changed.

Gentler. Timed perfectly.

Don’t forget your documents.
Take the earlier bus today.
Check on your mother before leaving.

Each time, the advice proved useful.

He hated how comforting it felt.

One night, sitting beside his mother as she watched TV, his phone buzzed again.

UNKNOWN:
She’s smiling more now.

He looked at her.

She was.

---

A Line Is Drawn

HIM:
Are you watching us?

Three dots appeared. Disappeared.

UNKNOWN:
No.
I’m protecting what matters to you.
Because if you break again… I grow.

His fingers trembled.

This wasn’t a friend.
But it wasn’t an enemy either.

It was something living in the space between.

---

Mother’s Unease

One evening, his mother looked at him carefully.

“You talk less these days,” she said. “But your eyes… they look stronger.”

He forced a smile.

She touched his cheek. “Just remember—strength doesn’t come from being alone.”

He nodded, but said nothing.

Because somewhere deep inside, he knew—

The evil within hadn’t left.

It had simply changed its face.

And now…
it was helping him succeed.

Evil within - Part 8

 Hospitals had a way of erasing time.

Days blended into nights. Meals were skipped. Sleep came in fragments—ten minutes here, twenty there. He lived on the plastic chair beside his mother’s bed, his world reduced to the rise and fall of her chest and the soft beeping of machines.

He no longer checked job portals.
He no longer prepared for interviews.

Nothing outside this room mattered.

His mother was improving slowly, the doctors said. “Stable,” they called it. But he noticed things others didn’t—how she looked at him longer than usual, how her hand searched for his even when she slept.

She knew something was wrong with him.

---

A Change

One evening, as rain lashed against the hospital windows, she spoke suddenly.

“You’re not the same,” she said softly.

He looked up. “I’m fine, Amma.”

She shook her head weakly. “You’re here… but your mind is somewhere else.”

He didn’t answer.

She tightened her grip on his hand. “Promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“Don’t let darkness sit inside you. Talk. Don’t keep everything buried.”

Her words hit him like a blade.

Darkness.

She had no idea how close she was to the truth.

---

The First Crack

That night, he stepped out to the hospital terrace for some air. The rain had stopped, leaving the floor wet and shining under dim lights.

His phone vibrated.

He didn’t jump this time. He expected it.

UNKNOWN:
She feels it too.
You think you’re protecting her.
You’re not.

His jaw tightened.

HIM:
Stop.

Three dots appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again.

UNKNOWN:
I was born the day you learned to stay silent.
I grew every time you swallowed your pain.
You named me without knowing — the evil within.

His breathing grew shallow.

This wasn’t someone watching him.

This was something that knew him.

---

Reality Slips

The next day, a nurse approached him.

“Sir, did you move your mother last night?”

He frowned. “No. Why?”

“She was found sitting upright at 3 a.m. She said you told her to get up.”

His stomach dropped.

“I didn’t,” he said firmly.

The nurse exchanged a glance with another staff member. “Maybe she was confused.”

But he wasn’t.

He remembered being on the terrace at 3 a.m.
He remembered his phone vibrating.

---

Raghav’s Warning

Raghav visited again that evening. One look at his face and Raghav stiffened.

“You’re not sleeping,” Raghav said. “Your eyes… this isn’t normal.”

“I’m fine.”

Raghav lowered his voice. “That consultant—maybe you should go back. Or someone else. This isn’t just stress anymore.”

He finally snapped.

“I said I’m fine!”

The sudden anger shocked even him.

Raghav stepped back. “That’s exactly the problem.”

They stood in silence.

Raghav spoke again, carefully. “Promise me one thing. Whatever you’re hearing… whatever you’re feeling… don’t face it alone.”

He didn’t promise.

He couldn’t.

---

The Whisper

Late that night, while holding his mother’s hand, he heard it.

Not a voice.

A whisper inside his head.

If she survives, you lose yourself.
If you break, I become stronger.

He squeezed his eyes shut.

This wasn’t fear anymore.
This was a battle.

And the scariest part?

The evil within didn’t want to destroy him.

It wanted to replace him.

Evil within Part 7

 The phone buzzed again that night.

He didn’t check it this time.

He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the wall, replaying the message in his head. The words felt alive, as if someone had been watching him for a long time. The consultant’s careless dismissal still echoed in his ears.

Overreacting…

He clenched his fists.

---

The Call

Just before dawn, his mother collapsed in the kitchen.

The sound of the steel tumbler hitting the floor woke him up. He rushed out and found her seated on the floor, holding her chest, her face pale and breath uneven.

“Amma!” his voice cracked.

The next few hours blurred into chaos—an auto ride at an ungodly hour, hospital corridors filled with antiseptic smells, nurses moving too fast, doctors speaking in measured tones that carried hidden fear.

“She needs to be admitted,” the doctor said. “Observation at least.”

Those words landed hard.

---

Hospital

She lay on the bed, oxygen mask resting lightly on her face, eyes closed but peaceful. Machines beeped softly beside her. He sat in the chair near the bed, not moving, not blinking much.

This was the first time he truly felt fear—not for himself, but for the one person who anchored his world.

He took out his phone absentmindedly.

No new messages.

That scared him more.

---

Days Pass

He stopped attending interviews.

Stopped checking emails.

Stopped answering calls.

Everything else faded into the background.

His world narrowed down to hospital timings, medicine schedules, doctor updates, and sitting beside her bed—sometimes talking, sometimes just watching her breathe.

Friends asked questions.
Relatives advised.
Raghav visited once, then twice.

“You can’t put your life on pause,” Raghav said gently.

He looked up slowly. “I already did.”

There was no anger in his voice. Just emptiness.

---

Mother’s Eyes

One evening, she woke up fully alert and looked at him sitting beside her, unshaven, dark circles under his eyes.

“You didn’t go anywhere today, did you?” she asked.

He shook his head.

Her eyes softened. That same warmth. That same concern.

“You shouldn’t stop your life because of me,” she said quietly.

He forced a smile. “You are my life.”

She reached out and held his hand. Her grip was weak, but it was enough.

But inside him, something shifted.

The evil within stirred again.

Not as fear this time—but as guilt.

---

The Silence Returns

Late that night, when she was asleep, he stepped out into the hospital corridor. The lights flickered faintly. The place was quiet, eerie.

His phone vibrated.

This time, he looked.

UNKNOWN:
You chose her over yourself.
Good.
Now watch what it costs you.

His blood ran cold.

He scanned the corridor. Empty.

This wasn’t coincidence anymore.

He typed back for the first time.

HIM:
Who are you?

The message showed seen.

No reply.

Inside the ward, his mother stirred slightly, murmuring his name in her sleep.

He rushed back in and sat beside her, gripping her hand tightly, as if holding on to the only thing keeping him grounded.

Whatever this was…
it had waited for him to be weak.
It had waited for him to care too much.

And now, it was watching.

The evil within had found its moment.

Evil Within - Part 6

 The counselling center looked calm from the outside. Too calm. White walls. Glass doors. Soft music leaking faintly into the corridor. The kind of place meant to make people feel safe.

But the moment he stepped inside, something felt… off.

Raghav spoke to the receptionist and gestured for him to sit. He lowered himself into the chair, fingers interlocked tightly, eyes fixed on the floor. The air-conditioning was cold, but sweat still formed at his temples.

After a few minutes, a man in his late forties appeared.

“Come in,” the consultant said, smiling politely.

They entered a small room. Two chairs. A desk. A notebook. A ticking wall clock that suddenly felt too loud.

The consultant looked at him over his glasses.
“So… tell me what brings you here.”

He stayed silent.

Raghav cleared his throat. “He’s been struggling internally. Anxiety. Isolation. Overthinking. Loss of confidence.”

The consultant nodded as if he’d heard this story a hundred times before. He scribbled something in his notebook.

“And you?” the consultant asked, turning back to him. “What do you feel?”

He hesitated. Words crowded his mind, but none of them felt right. How could he explain something he himself didn’t fully understand?

“I feel… tired,” he finally said. “Not physically. Inside.”

The consultant smiled knowingly.
“That’s common. You just need to change your mindset. Think positively. Socialize more. Reduce screen time.”

He blinked.

That was it?

The consultant continued, “You’re intelligent. There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re just overthinking. Try meditation. I’ll prescribe something mild to help you sleep.”

Raghav nodded, satisfied.

But something inside him twisted.

This man didn’t ask about the walk in the heat.
Didn’t ask about the fear that crawled up his spine at night.
Didn’t ask about the thoughts he never spoke aloud.

The evil within wasn’t being seen.

He stood up abruptly.

“This is useless,” he said quietly.

Both men looked at him, surprised.

“You don’t know what I’m dealing with,” he continued, his voice controlled but firm. “You’re treating symptoms, not… whatever this is.”

The consultant frowned. “Young man, you’re overreacting.”

That sentence did it.

He walked out.

---

Outside

The sunlight hit his face again. Raghav followed him, irritated.

“What was that?” Raghav demanded. “You didn’t even give it a chance!”

He stopped near the gate and turned slowly.

“This isn’t about anxiety. Or confidence. Or work,” he said.
“There’s something else. Something darker.”

Raghav stared at him. “What are you talking about?”

Before he could answer, his phone vibrated.

An unknown number.

He froze.

Raghav noticed. “Who is it?”

He didn’t respond. He just stared at the screen.

A message appeared.

UNKNOWN:
You can’t run from it forever.
You felt it yesterday… on the road.
The walk was only the beginning.

His throat went dry.

Raghav leaned closer. “What is it?”

He slowly locked the phone and slipped it back into his pocket.

“Nothing,” he lied.

But his hands were trembling.

The consultant visit hadn’t failed.
It had confirmed something terrifying.

Whatever was breaking him…
wasn’t something that could be fixed by advice, medicine, or mindset.

It knew him.
It watched him.
And it had finally decided to speak.

The evil within was no longer silent.

Evil within - Part 5

 He lay on his bed that night, the fan spinning slowly above him, shadows stretching across the ceiling. But sleep didn’t come. Raghav’s words kept circling in his head:

“Tomorrow… big day.”
“A place where we can fix this… together.”

What did he mean?
Was it some job lead?
A training center?
Something else?

The uncertainty gnawed at him.

Meanwhile, in the hall, his mother finished folding clothes. She stopped for a moment, looking toward his closed door with worry etched on her face.

“God… give him some peace,” she whispered before heading to her room.

The night passed slowly.

---

Morning

He woke up early, surprisingly. His body still ached from yesterday’s long walk, but his mind was sharper today—alert, almost tense.

He walked to the kitchen. His mother was already there, pouring tea.

“Up so soon?” she asked.

He nodded, avoiding her eyes.

“You didn’t sleep properly,” she said. It wasn’t a question.

He smiled weakly. “I’m fine, Amma.”

She didn’t believe it, but she let it go. “Drink this. Raghav is coming, I suppose?”

He froze for a second. “How did you—?”

“He told me last night when he left,” she replied, setting the cup in front of him.
“Said he has some plan for you today. I hope he doesn’t drag you into anything stressful.”

He sipped the tea. His stomach tightened again.

---

Sudden Knock

Around 9:15 AM, the gate clanged. He looked out the window—Raghav was already there, dressed casually but looking unusually serious.

“Come fast!” Raghav shouted from below.

His mother came to the door. “Where are you taking him?”

“Just somewhere,” Raghav replied quickly. “Don’t worry, Aunty. I’ll bring him back.”

But there was a sharpness in his tone. A hidden urgency.

His mother didn’t like it. Her eyes narrowed a little.

“Be careful,” she told her son quietly.
He nodded.

He stepped out with Raghav, the sling bag hanging loosely on his shoulder again.

---

Walking with Raghav

They walked towards the main road. Raghav kept a fast pace, almost too fast, and didn’t speak for a few minutes.

Finally, he asked, “Where are we going?”

Raghav glanced at him. “A place where people change their lives. A place that might change yours too.”

He frowned. “What place?”

Raghav took a deep breath.

“A counselling center,” Raghav said finally. “Professional help. I’ve watched you struggle for months… withdrawing… losing confidence. Yesterday you walked home in that heat because you didn’t even ask for help. You keep everything inside. You’re fighting something alone… something dark.”

He stopped walking and looked straight into Raghav’s eyes.

Raghav continued, his voice softer:

“I know you won’t ask for help. So I brought it to you.”

Silence stretched between them.

He felt exposed.
Seen.
Almost embarrassed.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” he asked quietly.

“Because you would’ve refused,” Raghav answered. “Now you can’t.”

He wanted to argue, but he couldn’t. Because… Raghav was right.

The evil within—the thoughts, the fear, the crushing self-doubt—had been eating him slowly. And yesterday, during that long walk under the punishing sun, he had felt it almost break him.

He swallowed hard.

“Is this really necessary?” he whispered.

Raghav placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Necessary? Brother… it’s overdue.”

For the first time in months, he didn’t hide behind excuses. He just nodded.

They continued walking—towards a place he didn’t want to go, but desperately needed.

He didn’t know what waited inside the center.
He didn’t know if it would help.
But for the first time… he wasn’t walking alone