Chapter 5: The Corridor Shadows
As I started, she suddenly asked, “Excuse me, about how long will it take to open the door?”
Her voice was barely a whisper. She clutched her phone, as if expecting another call. Her shoulders were tense, eyes flicking back toward the lift.
"About ten minutes," I said, working. Tried to sound cheerful, as if jammed locks at 2AM were my everyday thing.
"Bhaiya, jaldi ho sakta hai kya? Please?" she whispered, biting her lip, glancing nervously at the corridor.
She wasn’t just nervous—she was scared. Her hands shook as she held the phone, gaze flicking between me and the dark hallway.
The corridor felt longer suddenly, shadows stretching as the tube light flickered above. My mouth went dry, but I forced a smile.
"This lock is really stubborn, but I’ll try to be faster," I said, grunting and wiping my brow. “Don’t worry, madam, I’m here. Koi problem nahi hai.”
But deep down, I felt an odd prickling at the back of my neck.