The Third Voice

Red standby lights glow. A single desk lamp throws a tired pool of yellow over an audio mixer, laptop, microphones, and a waveform monitor. Soundproof foam walls. Glass booth panels. Claustrophobic.

TANISH (27), pale, jittery, headphones around his neck, leans over the mixer.

FARID (35), uniform cap on, heavy eyelids, suspicious stare, stands near the door like he doesn’t trust the room.

ISHAAN (30), trendy hoodie, podcast-host smile, sits at the mic like he owns the night.

Welcome back, dosto. Aaj ka episode hai

live. No edits. No safety net.

Safety net? Is room mein? Wah.

Dekho, night watchman ka sarcasm. Authentic.

Aur podcast host ka confidence. Fake.

Tanish snorts despite himself.

Levels okay hain. Bas... thoda low rakho.

Tanish bhai, tum sound engineer ho ya funeral

director?

Dono mein bass control hota hai.

Ishaan grins. Farid doesn’t.

Aaj hum baat karenge paranormal recordings

ki. Real stories. Real fear.

He looks straight into the mic.

Aur haan, agar koi yahan hai...

toh please, abhi aa jao.

Tanish winces.

Mazak mein mat bolo.

Arre, content hai.

A beat.

The waveform monitor jumps.

Tanish freezes.

Wait...

Kya hua?

Tanish puts on one headphone cup. His eyes widen.

Mujhe... ek aur voice sun rahi hai.

Kya?

Mic mein. Live.

The waveform shows a second, thin spike.

A VOICE comes through the monitor speakers. Calm. Close.

VOICE (V.O.)

Mic ke left se mat dekho.

Woh tumhe sun raha hai.

Silence.

Bohot funny.

Kisne bola?

Main nahi.

VOICE (V.O.)

Ishaan, tu abhi bhi camera angle dekh raha hai.

Tujhe dar nahi.

Exposure ka darr hai.

Ishaan’s smile tightens.

Okay. Okay, good one.

VOICE (V.O.)

Farid, tu darwaze ke paas isliye khada hai

kyunki andar aane se zyada,

bahar nikalne ka plan hai.

Farid’s suspicious stare hardens.

Yeh prank kaun kar raha hai?

VOICE (V.O.)

Aur Tanish...

Tanish goes pale.

VOICE (V.O.) (CONT'D)

Tu abhi bhi us file ko delete nahi kar paya?

Nahi...

Kis file ki baat ho rahi hai?

Tanish doesn’t answer.

The desk lamp flickers once.

VOICE (V.O.)

Us raat wali file.

Jis mein tumne mera last take record kiya tha.

Farid looks at Tanish.

Kaunsi raat?

Main... main bas archive clean kar raha tha.

Archive clean? Tanish, tumne mujhe bola tha

system glitch hai.

VOICE (V.O.)

Main yahin mara tha.

Isi mic ke saamne.

No one breathes.

VOICE (V.O.) (CONT'D)

Kisi ne record kiya tha.

Kisi ne chhupa diya.

Farid steps away from the door, slowly.

Yeh room pehle bhi aisa hi tha.

Farid, ab tum bhi?

VOICE (V.O.)

Main scare karne nahi aaya.

Main warning dene aaya hoon.

The waveform becomes jagged.

VOICE (V.O.) (CONT'D)

Tum mein se kisi ek ne mujhe wapas bulaya hai.

Ishaan stands.

Bakwaas band karo.

VOICE (V.O.)

Bakwaas? Tumne hi bola tha,

“Agar koi yahan hai, toh aaja.”

Ishaan turns to Tanish.

Tu bola tha?

Mazak tha.

Kaun sa mazak?

Main... main ne bas line boli thi.

Purane session ko test karte waqt.

VOICE (V.O.)

Invite clear tha.

Tanish shakes his head, terrified.

Main ne socha tha koi nahi sunega.

VOICE (V.O.)

Galat.

A harsh STATIC burst.

The laptop screen flashes: OLD SESSION FILE - RESTORED.

Ishaan stares at it.

Tanish...

Main bas... fame nahi.

Main bas prove karna chahta tha ki

yeh room mein kuch tha.

Aur ab?

VOICE (V.O.)

Ab woh yahan hai.

The desk lamp flickers hard.

On the waveform monitor, a final, perfect voice print appears.

VOICE (V.O.) (soft)

Woh jo sabse zyada dar raha hai...

wahi mujhe laaya hai.

Farid’s eyes lock on Tanish.

Ishaan’s smile is gone.

Tanish hears something in his headphones.

A breath.

Right behind him.

Nahi...

The red standby lights stay steady.

The room feels occupied.

THE END.