Naina’s POV

I was sitting by my bedroom window. The cold night air drifted in, making my hair sway. It was late, the sky filled with stars—just like the sparkle in my eyes as I looked at my engagement ring in the soft moonlight. The diamond glowed beautifully.

“Are you coming tomorrow?” Dev asked.

“Mom told me not to go out much now since the wedding is so close,” I said, still staring at my ring.

“What? But we still have to settle things in our new house. How will I manage without you?” Dev said, sounding a little sad.

I smiled. “You can show me everything on a video call.”

“Video call mein woh baat nahi hoti jo tumhare saath hone mein hoti hai,” he replied softly.

I blushed.

“Aur meri kiss bhi baki hai… kal bina diye hi bhaag gayi thi,” he added.

“Sab wahan the, Dev! Main kaise karti kiss?” I laughed.

“Toh ab maang raha hoon. Kal aa jana dene,” he said.

“Acha?” I teased.

“Haan.”

“Acha chalo, dekhoongi,” I said, acting casually.

“Dekhoongi nahi, aana hai tumhe,” he insisted.

“Acha chalo, ab so jao. Bahut raat ho gayi hai, kal baat karte hain,” I said.

“Pehle promise karo,” he said.

“Okay, bye,” I teased and cut the call.

He called again, but I put my phone on silent—just to irritate him. Of course, I was going to go tomorrow. I loved teasing him.

Dev had been my boyfriend since I was 18. We met in college, and once we got into a relationship, our love only grew stronger. He even introduced me to his family. Mine were a bit strict, so I hid it for a year. But then one day, my dad saw us together in a movie theatre.

That day was terrifying. I thought he would stop me from going out, but nothing like that happened. In fact, he approved of our relationship after Dev promised he would marry me.

And it hadn’t even been a year since then. Dev himself asked my parents for my hand. He wanted me as his wife—and I couldn’t say no. I mean, who wouldn’t want to marry the love of their life?

So here I was, just 20, already engaged and about to be married. And I was happy.

Dev was even making one of my biggest dreams come true—our own house, designed exactly the way I wanted. He was my senior in college, incredibly intelligent. Along with his studies, he worked too. Unlike me, he saved money. Yes, his father helped, but Dev promised to return it all.

And I promised too—that after marriage, I’d get a job and contribute to our dream house.

Just today, we got engaged. And in 15 days… I’d be his wife.

I smiled, imagining our future together.

But what I didn’t know was… that future was never going to come true.

Because somewhere out there, someone had already set his eyes on me. And he had already planned to take me away from Dev.

I got up from the window to go to bed.

Suddenly, a cold gust of air brushed past my ear.

A sharp shiver ran down my spine.

I turned back.

The chill hit my face again.

Why did it suddenly get so cold?* I thought, quickly closing the window.

Ignoring it, I lay down, turned off the lights, and hugged my pillow—drifting back into dreams of my future life.

But I didn’t know…

Everything was going to change tomorrow.

“Happy birthday!”

The loud chorus of voices pulled me out of sleep.

I slowly opened my eyes and froze for a second. My entire room was filled—my family, relatives who had stayed over after the engagement, my friends… and Dev with his family. Everyone stood around my bed, smiling and wishing me.

In our family, we don’t celebrate at midnight. We wait for the morning.

And today… I had turned 20.

Dev was standing in front, holding a cake.

“Happy birthday, Naina,” he said softly, placing the cake box in front of me as I sat up.

“Cut the cake, jaan,” he added, handing me the knife.

I nodded, still smiling, and cut the cake. Claps filled the room as everyone cheered. I fed them one by one, laughter and happiness echoing everywhere.

“Aaj toh party banti hai!” one of my cousins said excitedly.

“Kyun nahi? Meri ekloti beti ka birthday hai,” my dad said proudly.

I smiled and hugged him tightly. “I love you, Dad,” I said, kissing his cheek.

“Aww…” everyone reacted together.

“Pyar toh bahut karte hain tumhare papa tumse,” one of my aunts said.

“Mujhse zyada nahi,” Dev said immediately.

I shot him a glare. “Dev!”

Everyone burst out laughing.

“Waise Naina hai hi itni sundar… ise pyar nahi karega koi toh kise karega?” my friend teased.

“Mere alawa koi nahi karega. Naina sirf meri hai,” Dev said, his tone suddenly a little too possessive.

I shook my head while others laughed it off.

“Aisa hai kya, jiju? Kya pata koi pehle hi karta ho,” my cousin sister teased.

“Aisa nahi ho sakta,” Dev replied confidently.

“Aisa ho gaya hai…”

A trembling voice cut through the laughter.

We all turned toward the maid, who stood at the door—pale, frightened.

“Kya hua?” my mom asked, instantly alert.

“Bahar… kisi ne kala jadoo kiya hai…” she said shakily.

A chill ran down my spine.

“Kahan?” my dad asked.

“Naina mamsahab ke jhulle ke paas… baal bhi pade hain wahan… aur unka kuch samaan bhi…”

Everyone went silent.

Without wasting a second, we all rushed toward the backyard—the place where my favorite swing stood. The same swing where I often sat… sometimes even fell asleep.

But as soon as we reached—

We stopped.

Frozen.

Right in front of the swing… was something unnatural.

A large black and red circle had been drawn on the ground.Inside it… a six-pointed star in deep red**.
At each point, a diya was still burning—its flame flickering unnaturally in the still air.At the center…
A black cloth doll.Tightly bound with red thread.
Knots upon knots.

My breath hitched.

Next to it—

My comb.

With strands of hair tangled in it.

My hand instinctively went to my hair… and I felt it.

A small section—cut.

My heart started pounding.

And then I saw it.

My engagement ring.

Lying right beside the doll.

For a moment, no one spoke.

No one moved.

We all just stared.

the maid whispered, her voice shaking, “it looks like somone has done a binding ritual… using mamsahab’s belongings…”

My throat went dry.

Before the fear could settle—

My cousin brother suddenly laughed.

“Guys, seriously? Who did this prank? Come on, enough now.”

“Must be jiju,” another cousin added jokingly. “He’s the one dying to bind Naina forever.”

All eyes turned to Dev.

I looked at him too.
 
“Then it’s just a prank,” my cousin said again.

“Guys, this is not funny,” I said, now convinced one of my cousins or friends had done it.

“We didn’t do it,” they all said together.

“Stop lying,” my dad said sternly.

“No, uncle, we really didn’t,” they insisted.

“Sir, yeh mazak nahi hai… yeh sach mein kala jadu kiya hai kisi ne,” the maid said again, her voice shaking.

“Kya keh rahi ho, Shanti? Aisa kuch nahi hota,” my dad dismissed her. “Chalo, saaf karo ise. Sab apne-apne kaam pe jao.”

“Sir, yeh sach mein mazak nahi hai,” she said, stopping us again.

We all looked at her.

“Yeh bandhne ka kala jadu hai… kisi ne Naina mamsahab ko khud se baandh liya hai,” she said.

“Acha? Usse kya hoga?” my friend asked jokingly.

“Ab Naina mamsahab uski ho chuki hai,” she said.

I froze slightly.

“Ab woh kisi aur se shaadi nahi kar sakti… woh hone hi nahi dega,” she added.

“Kya mazak hai yeh?” I said.

And then—

A rough, deep voice echoed right next to my ear.

“Mazak nahi… teri sachai hai yeh.”

My entire body went cold.

I looked beside me—only girls were standing there.

Then where… did that voice come from?

Again—

“Tum sirf meri ho… aur main tumhe kisi ka nahi hone dunga."

My heartbeat began racing.

There was no one near me.

But the voice…

It was real.

“Tod do yeh shaadi… achi rahogi,” it whispered.

“Warna…” it warned.

“Warna kya?” I asked under my breath.

“Ji?” the maid looked at me, confused.

“Nothing… remove this, aunty. It’s just a prank,” I said, trying to sound normal.

“Nahi mamsahab… yeh prank nahi hai. Ab aap sach mein us insaan se band chuki hai,” she said.

“Sun rahi ho na tum…” the voice came again, colder this time.

I froze.

“Ab aap uski ho gayi hai. Agar aapne shaadi karne ki koshish ki…ya Dev sir ke kareeb jaane ki bhi koshish ki… toh woh sab tabah kar dega,” the maid continued.

“What rubbish,” I said.

“Bakwas nahi … sach hai. Jaan se maar dunga main use,”the voice growled inside my head.

My breath hitched.

‘Aur tujhe,’ he said. ‘Saamne dekh’ he ordered, and I looked even though I shouldn’t.

I saw nothing for a moment, but after blinking twice, I saw my naked self right in front of me—tits bare, pussy exposed and vulnerable. My hand flew to my mouth in terror. I blinked again, and two giant dogs appeared near me. One of the dogs lunged, its rough tongue licking my exposed nipple, slobbering and sucking hard, while the other licked my neck, hot drool dripping down my skin. I looked shocked at them, heart pounding in fear.

‘They will tear you apart,’ the voice said, making me tremble.

I blinked again, scene changed. Now I was again naked but in between two men. They were only wearing pants, their cocks bulging hard. One of them was sucking on my neck, biting marks into my skin while playing with his hand with my nipple, pinching and tracing it roughly. The other was sucking on my other nipple, teeth grazing it, while rubbing his fingers on my clit so fast, making my pussy throb and leak against my will.

‘They will fuck the life out of you,’ the voice said again, ‘and these are not alone. The more you try to give yourself to anyone apart from me, the more ghosts I will release after you, which will remind you nothing but of me, of begging me for mercy, and remind you you should stay only mine.’

‘Bakwas band karo aur saaf karwao ise,’ my dad’s voice pulled me out of the haze.

It’s just in my head… overthinking… nothing else… I tried clam myself.

“Bakwas nahi hai,” the maid insisted again. “Agar yakeen nahi hai, toh Dev sahab ke ghar bhi dekhiye… wahan bhi kuch kiya hoga. In dono ko alag  karne ke liye.”

Just then, Dev’s mom’s phone rang.

She picked it up.

And the color drained from her face.

She cut the call… and looked at me.

“Hamare ghar… Dev ke kamre mein bhi… kuch mila hai.”

A silence fell.

“Dekha?” the maid whispered.

“Samajh gayi?” the voice returned, slow and possessive. “Ab tum sirf meri ho…. Soch samjh ke kareeb jana uske , warna mara jayega woh.”

Panic rose inside me.

“Dara diya bachi ko,” I heard my dad scolding the maid.

But it wasn’t her who scared me.

It was the voice.

I ran straight into  my room  then  washroom.

My head was pounding. I stood under the shower and turned it on without thinking. Cold water drenched my clothes instantly.

And then—

The voice came again.

“Kapdon mein itni kamaal lagti ho… bina kapdon ke toh jaan he nikal  logi meri…”it said softly.

I turned, pressing myself against the wall.

Trembling, I whispered, “Kaun hai?”

The voice didn’t stop.

My vision blurred… and then I saw it.

A figure.

A man.

Tall… more than six feet.

Just an outline—but there.

I tried to move—

I couldn’t.

It felt like something had frozen my body in place.

He stepped closer.

Closer.

Until I could feel his presence right  in front of me.

He bent near my ear and whispered—

“Kaal…”

A pause.

“Sirf tumhara Kaal.”

My breath stopped.

The fear overwhelmed me.

Everything went black.

I fainted—

But just before I hit the ground…

I felt someone holding me.
 
Even as  I fainted  I  kept telling myself it was all in my head.

But I was wrong.

Because it was real.

He was real.

Kaal.

My Kaal.

My destruction.