Short Story: The Havisham Effect by Jiel Narvekar

Jiel Narvekar weaves a captivating tale of love and loss, taking us back and forth in time with characters that are haunting.

Ting, ting, ting, the phone on the bedside table was vibrating with notifications. Awakened from my sleep by the sound. I tried to focus on the clock opposite the wall. Squinting to make sense of the time. I focused by squinting and realized it was 3.00 am. The Devil’s Hour.

I reached out for my rosary below my pillow to feel comfort by just touching the beads. Reassured, I glanced at my children sleeping beside me. They were completely unaware that I was awake. Relieved that they seemed fine, I reached out for the phone.

Dreading that the news was about a death, I unlocked it.

The pings were from my school WhatsApp group. I had forgotten the group even existed. 90 unread messages. Yet someone was typing.