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

Evil within - Part 4

 

The night grew quieter as he ate the warm upma his mother had lovingly prepared. The exhaustion of the day still clung to his shoulders, but the comfort of home softened the edges of his tired thoughts.

His mother watched over him for a while, making sure he ate enough. When he finished, she took the plate away without a word, sensing he didn’t have the energy to talk.

He got up after a moment.
“Amma… I’ll just sit outside for some air,” he said softly.

She nodded. “Don’t be long. The night air is getting cold.”

He stepped out into the balcony again, this time with the street lights flickering in the distance. The darkness felt calmer than the blazing afternoon sun. He took a deep breath.

But his mind wasn’t calm.
Something inside him kept twisting—anxiety, fear, self-doubt.
The evil within, as he used to call it.
The silent enemy that attacked when he was already weak.

He stared at the sky, battling the thoughts rising again.

Just then, the gate creaked.

He looked down.

A man stepped in—tall, lean, carrying a backpack slung over one shoulder. His cousin, Raghav, who stayed in the next street. He often visited late evenings, but tonight his timing felt strange… almost too perfect.

Raghav looked up and saw him seated in the balcony.

“Hey,” he called out, walking towards the steps. “Aunty said you came home tired. Thought I’d drop by.”

He forced a small smile and nodded.

Raghav climbed the stairs and joined him on the balcony.

“Interview didn’t go well?” Raghav asked, settling into the plastic chair beside him.

He shook his head.

Raghav exhaled sharply. “These people don’t know how to judge real talent. You’re smart, you just… you overthink.”

The words stung—not because they were wrong, but because they were too true.

Raghav continued, “But you know what? Sitting and worrying won’t help. Tomorrow, I’m taking you somewhere. A place where we can fix this… together.”

He frowned a little.
“Where?”

Raghav smiled mysteriously. “You’ll see. Trust me.”

There was something in Raghav’s eyes—confidence, determination… and something else. A hint of secrecy.

Before he could ask more, his mother called from inside.

“Both of you come and sleep! Enough talking.”

Raghav got up. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Big day.”

He nodded slowly, unsure yet curious.

As he closed the balcony door behind him, a strange chill slid down his spine.

Something was coming.
Something that would change everything.

And he wasn’t sure if it was good…
or another challenge waiting to break him.