The Girl & The Ghost || Arshi FF

Chapter 5 - Talk

Khushi didn't know how long she was sitting on the chair, holding the (now) empty bottle of water, and sluggishly crushing the plastic. The sun was setting outside - was it a couple of hours?

The man; the invisible man; the ghost what should she call him (!), had been patient. At times Khushi would begin to think that it was all a dream when he'd clear his throat and ask if she was all right. She would nod slowly, in a daze. 

Her stomach rumbled, letting her know that she hadn't eaten in almost 18 hours now.

As if on cue, the fridge opened and out came a floating piece of carrot.

"Don't," Khushi protested, weakly lifting her hand, "Don't do that."

The door of the fridge closed. "I was just trying to help," the voice sounded dejected.

"It freaks me out," Khushi blurted, "So just stop with," she raised her hands and moved them, "any invisible moving of things. It's creepy."

"Okay," the voice took some time to reply. She could sense that he was controlling his displeasure at her command; maybe because she commanded him, rather than request. Was it advisable to enrage a... ghost? Demon? Monster? What was he? She had to clarify his form first.

"What are you?" she looked near the fridge, assuming that was where he was standing. She took an apple from the dining table, not quite comfortable walking to the vicinity of the fridge.

"My name is Arnav," the voice replied, "I am a..." He was at a loss of words.

"Demon?" Khushi offered.

"Of course not!" he sounded offended.

"Ghost?"

"I don't think so. I don't know..."

"Are you alive?" she asked without thinking. It was a silly question. If he was alive why would he be haunting her flat? But what was she supposed to ask? There were no guidelines to follow on how to talk to your resident ghost!

The ghost took some time, "I don't feel that I am. I am not sure."

She could sense some sorrow in his voice, "I am sorry," she replied earnestly, "... Arnav." She added his name as an after thought. It was weird calling this ghost (she had decided to use the term ghost' for him) by his name.

She took a bite from the apple. "So what's you story?" she spoke with her mouthful.

"That's not a good etiquette," the ghost reprimanded her.

"What?" she asked, befuddled.

"Talking with your mouth full," he replied as a matter-of-factly.

"I know," Khushi rolled her eyes and swallowed the contents, "Forgive me but this is an extra-ordinary event. I was not prepared to spend my evening chatting with a ghost."

"I'd prefer if you refrained from calling me that," the ghost asserted, "you can call me by my name."

Khushi raised her eyebrows. This ghost was getting sassier by the second. She wanted to tell him to dial down the attitude but she refrained. He was after all a ghost! Who knows what he could do if he was incensed.

"Okay... Arnav," Khushi responded, "Tell me your story. How long have you been here? Where did you come from?"

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Arnav nodded and then stopped. Why was he doing physical actions? It's not like the girl could see him.

He cleared his throat as she took some more fruits from the table and sat on the sofa, staring at the wall in front of her. He walked over to where she looking and sat down. He didn't need to though he felt it would be easier for her to have a conversation that way if she thought she was looking at him.