Kalpana's hands trembled as she slowly walked back towards the bed.

She sat down cautiously.

Her frightened eyes wandered around the room.

For a few seconds...

Everything became completely normal.

No sounds.

No flickering lights.

No strange movements.

Kalpana slowly let out a relieved sigh.

"Shayad..."

"Main hi zyada soch rahi thi."

(Maybe... I was just overthinking.)

She placed one hand over her racing heart, trying to calm herself.

But the very next second-

THUD!

The flower vase kept on the table suddenly crashed onto the floor.

"Ahhh!"

Kalpana screamed in fright.

At the exact same moment...

Creeeak...

The balcony window slowly opened on its own.

Before she could even react-

BANG!

The window slammed shut.

Creeeak...

It opened again.

BANG!

It slammed shut once more.

Unknown to Kalpana...

Inside the control room...

Vanya and Aarav silently pulled the nearly invisible nylon strings attached to the flower vase and the balcony window.

Every movement happened exactly according to plan.

Kalpana wasn't even in the state to think properly anymore.

The medicine had already exhausted both her body and mind.

And now...

These strange incidents were making her lose whatever courage she had left.

Her breathing became uneven.

Cold sweat covered her forehead.

"K-Kaun ho tum?"

(Who are you?)

"Mere saath yeh sab kyun kar rahe ho?"

(Why are you doing all this to me?)

"Agar himmat hai..."

"Toh mere saamne aao!"

(If you have the courage... then come in front of me!)

Her frightened voice echoed throughout the silent room.

For one long second...

Two...

Three...

"Hahahahahaha..."

A deep male laughter suddenly echoed throughout the room.

The mysterious laughter sent chills down Kalpana's spine.

Her eyes widened in horror.

Meanwhile...

Inside the control room...

Veeransh slowly moved away from the microphone after perfectly delivering the laugh.

His calm expression didn't change even slightly.

Beside him...

Kabir immediately covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

Then he whispered softly,

"Yeh pagal aurat..."

"Is situation mein bhi questions pooch rahi hai."

(This crazy woman... she's asking questions even in this situation.)

Arjun immediately lowered his head to hide his smile.

Aarav quietly looked away.

Even Vanya had to bite her lower lip to stop herself from laughing.

Only Rudra remained completely focused.

His sharp eyes never left the live camera feed.

He spoke calmly,

"Koi careless nahi hoga."

(No one gets careless.)

"Mission abhi khatam nahi hua hai."

(The mission isn't over yet.)

Everyone immediately controlled their expressions and nodded seriously.

Back inside Kalpana's room...

Hearing the mysterious laughter...

The little courage she had left completely disappeared.

"W-Who are you?"

"Mere saath yeh sab kyun kar rahe ho?"

(Why are you doing all this to me?)

"M-Main police ko bula lungi!"

(I'll call the police!)

Her trembling voice echoed through the room.

But...

No answer came.

Only silence.

As if someone...

Or something...

Was watching her every move.

A deep laugh echoed through the room once again.

"Hahahahaha..."

Then the mysterious voice spoke,

"Jail...?"

"Tum ek aisi rooh ko jail kaise bhejogi jo pehle hi mar chuki hai?"

(Jail...? How will you send a spirit to jail when it's already dead?)

The room fell into complete silence.

Kalpana stood frozen.

Her lips trembled.

"W-What...?"

"What do you mean?"

The voice chuckled again.

"Tum insaan bhi kitne ajeeb hote ho..."

(You humans are so strange...)

"Main toh kab ka mar chuka hoon."

(I died long ago.)

"Ab batao..."

"Ek bhoot ko jail kaise bhejogi?"

(Now tell me... how will you send a ghost to jail?)

Kalpana's face turned completely pale.

Fear completely took over her mind.

With trembling lips, she immediately started chanting the Hanuman Chalisa.

"Jai Hanuman gyan gun sagar..."

"Jai Kapis tihun lok ujagar..."

She continued chanting desperately.

Inside the control room...

Everyone silently looked towards Veeransh.

Without changing his expression...

He calmly continued the next line through the hidden microphone.

"Ram doot atulit bal dhama..."

"Anjani putra Pavan sut nama..."

The moment Kalpana heard the mysterious voice completing the Hanuman Chalisa...

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"N-No..."

"Bhoot..."

"Hanuman Chalisa kaise padh sakta hai?"

(How can a ghost recite the Hanuman Chalisa?)

Inside the control room...

Kabir immediately covered his mouth.

Arjun lowered his head.

Aarav looked away.

Even Vanya had tears in her eyes from trying so hard not to laugh.

Only Rudra remained composed.

Veeransh replied in the same eerie voice,

"Kyunki..."

"Main ek achhi aatma hoon." (Because... I am a good soul.)

Kalpana's hands trembled even more.

In a shaking voice, she asked,

"M-Mere peeche kyun pade ho?"

(Why are you after me?)

"Maine tumhara kya bigaada hai?" (What have I ever done to you?)

For a few seconds...

There was complete silence.

Then the mysterious voice spoke once again.

"Oh..."

"Toh tumhe yaad bhi nahi..."

(Oh... so you don't even remember...)

"Tumne kitna galat kiya tha."

(How many wrong things you have done.)

Kalpana's heartbeat quickened.

She lowered her gaze.

A sudden realization flashed through her mind.

Her breathing became heavier.

Seeing her frightened expression through the hidden camera...

Veeransh spoke again,

"Tumhare chehre ko dekhkar lagta hai..."

"Ab tumhe yaad aa gaya hai..."

"Tumne kya paap kiya tha."

(Looking at your expression... it seems you've finally remembered... what wrong you had done.)

Kalpana stood rooted to the spot.

Her hands trembled uncontrollably.

A single question echoed inside her mind...

"Kya... sach mein koi meri purani galtiyon ka badla lene aaya hai?"

(Has someone really come to take revenge for my past mistakes?)

Outside her room...

Six silent smiles appeared.

Mission Mosquito was working exactly as planned.

Inside Kalpana's Room...

Kalpana's entire body trembled uncontrollably.

Cold sweat covered her forehead.

Her breathing became heavier with every passing second.

Her frightened eyes darted around the room, desperately searching for the owner of the mysterious voice.

But...

There was no one.

Only an eerie silence.

Just then...

The deep male voice echoed through the room once again.

"Mujhe nahi pata..."

"Tumne kitne logon ke saath galat kiya hai."

(I don't know how many people you've wronged.)

A brief silence followed.

Then the voice grew colder.

"Lekin..."

"Meri beti ke saath galat karne ki himmat kaise hui tumhari?"

(But how dare you do something wrong to my daughter?)

Kalpana froze.

Her lips trembled.

She looked around the room in horror.

"T-Tumhari beti...?"

(Your daughter...?)

The room became silent again.

A few moments later...

The voice answered.

"Haan..."

"Meri beti..."

"Vanya Singh."

(Yes... my daughter... Vanya Singh.)

Kalpana's pupils shrank.

The deep voice continued,

"Meri beti ke snacks mein woh medicine milane ki himmat kaise hui tumhari?"

(How dare you mix that medicine into my daughter's snack jars?)

"Tumhe laga..."

"Kisi ko sach kabhi pata nahi chalega?"

(You thought no one would ever learn the truth?)

"Ek baap se apni beti ka dard kabhi chhupa nahi rehta."

(A father's daughter's pain can never remain hidden from him.)

The words struck Kalpana like lightning.

Her face turned completely pale.

She immediately shook her head.

"N-Nahi..."

"Maine kuch nahi kiya!"

(No... I didn't do anything!)

"Mujhe kuch nahi pata!"

(I don't know anything!)

Meanwhile... Inside the Control Room

Everyone watched the live camera feed without taking their eyes off the screen.

Arjun folded his arms.

A faint, disappointed smile crossed his face.

"Itni darne ke baad bhi jhoot bol rahi hai."

(Even after getting this scared, she's still lying.)

Rudra's expression remained unreadable.

His gaze never left the monitor.

"Yeh himmat nahi hai."

"Yeh bewakoofi hai."

(This isn't courage. It's foolishness.)

"Jitna jhoot bolegi..."

"Utni hi buri tarah fasegi."

(The more she lies, the deeper she'll trap herself.)

Kabir slowly shook his head.

"Sach bolne ka naam hi nahi le rahi."

(She just refuses to tell the truth.)

Aarav quietly held the nylon string, waiting for Vanya's signal.

Vanya kept watching Kalpana carefully.

Then...

She gave a slight nod.

Veeransh understood immediately.

He leaned closer to the microphone.

His voice became colder than before.

"Ab bhi jhoot?"

(Still lying?)

"Sach batao."

(Tell the truth.)

His voice roared.

At that exact moment...

Vanya gently pulled another nylon string.

CRASH!!

The photo frame hanging on the wall suddenly fell.

Glass shattered across the floor.

"AAAAAHHH!!"

Kalpana screamed at the top of her lungs.

She stumbled backwards until her back hit the wall.

Her legs gave way.

She slid down onto the floor.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Please..."

"Maine kuch nahi kiya..."

(Please... I didn't do anything...)

Inside the control room...

Kabir immediately covered his mouth.

Arjun nudged him lightly.

"Control."

Kabir nodded repeatedly.

Even Aarav had to look away to hide his smile.

Only Rudra and Veeransh remained completely serious.

Rudra finally spoke.

"Mission abhi khatam nahi hua hai."

(The mission isn't over yet.)

Everyone's expressions instantly turned serious again.

Veeransh spoke through the microphone one last time.

"Sach bata do."

(Tell the truth.)

"Varna..."

"Agar meri patni ko aana pada..."

(Otherwise... if my wife has to come...)

"Toh tum aur zyada takleef mein rahogi."

(Then you'll suffer even more.)

The room fell silent once again.

Kalpana hugged herself tightly.

For the first time...

She wasn't thinking about escaping.

She was only wondering one thing-

Who... or what... was really inside the room with her?

A heavy silence filled Kalpana's room.

Her trembling body remained pressed against the wall.

Tears had already formed in her eyes.

Her breathing became more and more uneven.

The shattered photo frame lay scattered across the floor.

Broken pieces of glass reflected the dim light inside the room.

For several long seconds...

Nothing happened.

No voice.

No laughter.

No strange sounds.

Only silence.

A silence so terrifying...

That Kalpana wished someone would say something.

Anything.

Her trembling lips finally moved.

"M-Maine..."

"Maine sach mein kuch nahi kiya..."
(I... I really didn't do anything...)

The room remained silent.

Meanwhile...

Inside the control room...

Everyone watched the live camera feed without taking their eyes off the monitor.

Kabir slowly leaned closer to the laptop.

"Cupcake..."

"Lagta hai tootne wali hai."
(I think she's about to break.)

Arjun folded his arms.

His gaze remained fixed on the screen.

"Abhi nahi."
(Not yet.)

"Abhi bhi jhoot bol rahi hai."
(She's still lying.)

Rudra stood silently with his arms folded.

His sharp eyes carefully observed every little expression on Kalpana's face.

Fear...

Confusion...

Regret...

Everything was visible.

Only one thing was missing...

The truth.

Without changing his expression...

Veeransh switched on the microphone once again.

His calm, deep voice echoed throughout Kalpana's room.

"Ab bhi jhoot...?"
(Still lying?)

Kalpana immediately looked around in panic.

"N-Nahi!"

"Maine jhoot nahi bola!"
(I-I'm not lying!)

For a few seconds...

Silence filled the room.

Then...

Veeransh spoke only two words.

"Your wish."

His calm tone was far more frightening than anger.

Inside the control room...

He slowly removed his finger from the microphone button.

Then...

He simply looked towards Vanya.

A slight nod.

Nothing more was needed.

Vanya immediately understood.

A mischievous smile appeared on her face.

Beside her...

Aarav quietly picked up the remaining nylon strings.

Rudra calmly looked at everyone.

"Koi mistake nahi honi chahiye."
(There shouldn't be any mistakes.)

Everyone nodded.

Mission Mosquito entered its next phase.

Vanya gently pulled the first string.

CRASH!!

The flower vase suddenly flew off the table and shattered into dozens of pieces.

Kalpana screamed.

"AAAAHHH!!"

Before she could recover-

THUD!!

The wooden chair beside the dressing table toppled onto the floor.

"N-No..."

At the exact same moment...

Aarav gently pulled another string.

The curtains started moving violently.

As though someone invisible had just brushed past them.

Cold wind entered through where she didn't understand.

Kalpana's entire body froze.

Her heartbeat became deafening inside her ears.

Kabir immediately pressed another key on his laptop.

Chan...

Chan...

Chan...

The soft sound of anklets echoed throughout the room.

Not loudly...

Very gently.

As if someone...

Was slowly walking around her.

Kalpana's frightened eyes darted from one corner of the room to another.

"N-Nahi..."
(No...)

"Yeh... yeh kya ho raha hai?"
(What's happening?)

The anklet sound stopped.

Complete silence.

Then...

Chan...

Chan...

This time...

It sounded much closer.

Almost beside her.

Kalpana instinctively took two shaky steps backwards until her back touched the wall.

Her legs had almost stopped supporting her.

Inside the control room...

Everything was going exactly according to plan.

Vanya slowly stood up.

She picked up the voice changer lying on the table.

Then...

She quietly started walking towards the microphone.

Just then...

Kabir softly began humming,

"Ra ra Sarasaku..."

"Ra ra..."

For exactly one second...

Everyone froze.

THAK!

Arjun immediately smacked the back of Kabir's head.

"Oye!"

"Mission pe dhyaan de."
(Focus on the mission.)

Kabir rubbed the back of his head dramatically.

"Aah..."

"Bas atmosphere ban gaya tha."
(I just got carried away.)

Even Aarav had to look away to hide his smile.

Vanya slowly closed her eyes.

Then turned towards Kabir.

"Kabir bhaiya..."

Kabir immediately understood.

He raised both hands.

"Sorry, Cupcake."
(Sorry, Cupcake.)

"Ab bilkul serious."
(I'll be completely serious now.)

Arjun shook his head helplessly.

"Ek din..."
(One day...)

"Tum apni comedy ki wajah se pakde jaoge."
(Your comedy will get us caught.)

Kabir grinned sheepishly.

"Lekin tab tak toh maze le lete hain."
(Until then... let's enjoy ourselves.)

Even Veeransh's lips curved into the faintest smile before returning to his usual calm expression.

Only Rudra remained completely focused.

His eyes never left the monitor.

He spoke in a firm voice.

"Enough."

Everyone immediately became serious again.

The room fell silent.

Vanya took a deep breath.

She switched on the voice changer.

Vanya slowly leaned closer to the microphone.

Her voice, now transformed into that of a mature woman through the voice changer, echoed softly throughout the room.

The calmness in her voice was far more terrifying than anger.

"Kalpana..."

The frightened woman stiffened.

Her eyes searched every corner of the room.

But there was no one.

Only silence.

The mysterious female voice spoke again.

"Main tumse ek baar phir pooch rahi hoon..."
(I am asking you one more time...)

"Meri beti ke snacks mein medicine kyun milayi thi?"
(Why did you mix medicine into my daughter's snack jars?)

"Sach bata do."
(Tell the truth.)

The room fell silent.

Kalpana swallowed nervously.

For a brief moment...

Everyone inside the control room thought she was finally going to confess.

But instead...

She slowly shook her head.

"N-Nahi..."

"Maine kuch nahi milaya."
(No... I didn't mix anything.)

"Mujhe kuch bhi nahi pata."
(I don't know anything.)

Inside the control room...

Nobody spoke.

Vanya quietly stared at the monitor.

Her expression slowly turned serious.

She switched off the microphone for a moment.

Then she looked towards Veeransh.

Veeransh gave a small nod.

It was her turn now.

Vanya switched the microphone back on.

Her calm voice echoed once again.

"Theek hai..."
(Fine...)

" Raghav ji se zyada mujhmein sabr kam hai."
( I have even less patience than Raghav.)

"Ab tum khud hi apni zid ka anjaam dekhna."
(Now you'll have to face the consequences of your own stubbornness.)

She slowly looked towards Kabir.

No words were needed.

Just a glance.

Kabir immediately understood.

He reached for a small remote kept beside his laptop.

A mischievous grin appeared on his face.

"Operation Rat..."

He whispered dramatically.

"...start."

Arjun immediately looked at him.

"Kabir."

Kabir coughed awkwardly.

"Theek hai..."

"Bilkul serious."
(Okay... completely serious.)

He pressed a button.

A small hidden compartment near the wall quietly opened.

Within seconds...

A tiny grey rat ran out into Kalpana's room.

It quickly scurried across the floor.

Its tiny feet made soft scratching sounds against the marble.

Kalpana didn't notice it at first.

She was still looking around the room in fear.

Then...

Something moved near her feet.

Her gaze slowly dropped.

The tiny rat paused for a second.

Then looked straight at her.

"Squeak..."

Kalpana's eyes widened.

For one heartbeat...

She couldn't even scream.

Then-

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!"

She jumped backwards onto the bed.

"N-Nahi!"

"Chuha!!"
(A rat!!)

The frightened little animal ran beneath the dressing table.

Then suddenly darted towards the other side of the room.

Kalpana immediately lifted both her feet onto the bed.

Her entire body trembled.

Inside the control room...

Kabir instantly covered his mouth.

His shoulders shook as he struggled not to laugh.

Arjun rubbed his forehead.

"I can't believe this."

Kabir whispered,

"Mujhe nahi pata tha aunty ko chuhon se itna darr lagta hai."
(I didn't know Aunty was so scared of rats.)

Even Aarav looked away to hide a smile.

Only Rudra and Veeransh remained completely focused.

Rudra calmly spoke,

"Mission pe dhyaan."
(Focus on the mission.)

Everyone immediately became serious again.

Arjun folded his arms.

Looking at Kalpana's terrified expression, he sighed.

"Itni darne ke baad bhi..."

"Yeh sach bolne ka naam hi nahi le rahi."
(Even after getting this scared... she still refuses to tell the truth.)

He shook his head.

"Agar humein pehle se sach pata na hota..."

"Toh shayad hum bhi iski baaton par yakeen kar lete."
(If we hadn't already known the truth... we might have believed her.)

No one replied.

But everyone silently agreed.

Vanya slowly switched on the microphone once again.

The female voice echoed through the room.

"Kalpana..."

"Main tumhe aakhri mauka de rahi hoon."
(I am giving you one last chance.)

"Sach bata do."
(Tell the truth.)

Kalpana remained silent.

Her breathing was ragged.

She clutched the bedsheet tightly.

The rat suddenly ran out from beneath the dressing table again.

It crossed the room.

Straight toward the bed.

"Squeak..."

Kalpana let out another frightened scream.

"Nahi!"

"Please!"

She covered her face with both hands.

"Main bataungi!"
(I'll tell you!)

"Main sab sach bataungi!"
(I'll tell the whole truth!)

"Bas..."

"Please isse mere paas se hata do!"
(Just... please get it away from me!)

Inside the control room...

Everyone exchanged quick glances.

Vanya slowly lowered the microphone.

A faint smile appeared on her face.

Without saying a word...

She looked towards her brothers.

The first real crack in Kalpana's stubbornness...

Had finally appeared.

To be continued...