Red in the frame

. . . . . .
The rain hadn't stopped all night. Shreya lay awake, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling as thunder echoed faintly in the distance. ⛈️
Her phone sat beside her — silent now, but somehow louder than ever.
The last message from the unknown number still burned in her mind:
"Fear looks good on you." 😈
What scared her more — the words? Or the fact that they knew she was afraid?
Next Day Morning.......
The next day, Shreya packed her camera bag and headed to a small café in Bandra. A client meeting — nothing serious. She just needed to act normal. Be normal.
But paranoia followed her like a shadow.
Just then her phone buzzed with the message
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
📱Any more creepy texts? 😬
Shreya Singh (FL)
Shreya Singh (FL)
📱No. But I feel like I’m being watched. Even in my own home.
Shreya Singh (FL)
Shreya Singh (FL)
📱Is it weird if I say I checked behind my shower curtain?
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
📱Umm… it’s not weird.
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
📱It’s survival. 😐
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
📱You should get pepper spray. And a knife. Or just… don’t go anywhere alone.
Shreya Singh (FL)
Shreya Singh (FL)
📱Too late for that.
Shreya Singh (FL)
Shreya Singh (FL)
📱Have to shoot a café today. Small client.
Shreya Singh (FL)
Shreya Singh (FL)
📱I’ll be fine.
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
📱If you go missing, I’m using your face on my merch. 😒
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
📱#MissingButAesthetic
Shreya Singh (FL)
Shreya Singh (FL)
📱Wow. So touched. 🫠
At the Cafe.......
The café shoot went smoothly. Soft lighting. Warm tones. Minimal drama.
But as she reviewed the raw photos later at home, something made her stop. 🖥️
There, in the corner of one shot… a man. Standing near the window.
Not looking at the café. Looking directly into the lens.
Zoom. Enhance.
Tall. Formal suit. Sharp features. Eyes... blank.
His face wasn’t familiar. But it felt familiar.
Like a presence she’d sensed before.
She hadn't noticed him when shooting. He wasn’t a customer.
Unknown
Unknown
📱You framed him beautifully.
Unknown
Unknown
📱But did you even see him? 📸👤
Shreya’s heart thudded.
She dropped the camera.
Shreya Singh (FL)
Shreya Singh (FL)
What the hell is happening?
Later that night, she did what she swore she wouldn’t — She searched Aarav Agnihotri online.
No Instagram. No recent interviews. No tagged photos.
Only press articles from two years ago. Most vague. A few unsettling.
“Tech prodigy vanishes from public view after failed merger.” “Solvex CEO avoids court appearance. Settles in private.” “No photos available.”
Every article used the same outdated headshot. It wasn’t the man in her photo.
Or was it?
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
📱Hey. You okay?
Shreya Singh (FL)
Shreya Singh (FL)
📱No.
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
Maya Kapoor (FL cousin & bff)
📱You want me to come over?
Shreya Singh (FL)
Shreya Singh (FL)
📱No. I want to know who the hell is watching me.
Shreya Singh (FL)
Shreya Singh (FL)
📱And why.
She stared at the image again. The man in the window. The message. The silence.
She thought she was just capturing moments. But maybe, just maybe —
She had captured something she wasn’t supposed to see.
. . . . . TBC . . .

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