Part 1 – The New Flat
Aman, a young software engineer, had just shifted to Mumbai for a new role at a multinational tech firm. Like many newcomers, he was looking for a decent place that wouldn’t empty his savings. That’s when he came across Flat 403 - a fully furnished 1BHK in a surprisingly prime location, and shockingly affordable.
The broker, a quiet middle-aged man, barely made eye contact when handing over the keys. He said little - except for one peculiar warning:
"If a stranger ever knocks on your door, no matter the time, do not open it."
Aman chuckled. It sounded like an overused horror cliché. Maybe the man just wanted to scare off unwanted guests. He nodded politely and moved in.
He laughed then.
Now… he doesn’t.
Part 2 – The First Knock
The first two weeks passed uneventfully. Aman worked long hours and spent the nights unwinding in his new home. Everything seemed perfectly normal.
But one night, during a heavy storm, the power flickered - just for a moment. Then it happened.
At 12:07 AM, a clear, firm knock echoed through the silence.
Knock… knock… knock…
He paused, unsure if he imagined it. Slowly, he walked to the door and peeked through the peephole.
No one was there.
Confused and a little uneasy, he turned to head back to bed - and saw a piece of folded paper on the floor, pushed in through the gap below the door.
He unfolded it.
“Do you remember who you are?”
His hands went cold.
Part 3 – When Normal Fades
After that night, strange things started to happen. Subtle at first, then increasingly disturbing.
His alarm would ring every day at 3:33 AM, even when he had disabled or deleted it.
A folder titled “MEMORY” appeared on his desktop each morning. No matter how many times he deleted it, it returned.
Water stains appeared on his wall in patterns — almost like… words. But none he could understand.
He installed a new smart doorbell with a motion-sensor camera. But the footage never showed anyone at the door.
Still, at exactly 12:07 AM, the knocking returned.
One night, as he reviewed the footage frame by frame, he noticed something.
A faint distortion. A blur. A shadow, passing slowly across the frame, as if something… or someone… invisible was standing there.
Watching.
Part 4 – The Visitor
A week later, during another night of thunder and rain, the knock came again.
But this time, someone was there.
A man stood at the door, drenched from head to toe, hair stuck to his forehead, eyes hollow but calm. He gave a faint smile.
“Hi,” he said softly.
“I used to live here… before you.”
Aman’s heart skipped. He instinctively reached to shut the door, but the man raised his hand and whispered just one thing:
“Day 114.”
Aman froze.
He remembered. For the last few weeks, his phone had been showing cryptic notifications he never paid attention to:
“Welcome back. Day 107.”
“Day 108 in session…”
“Day 109... syncing memory…”
He always thought it was some weird bug from a synced calendar or app.
Now… he wasn’t so sure.
Part 5 – The Truth in Pieces
The man introduced himself as Ravi. He looked worn, not old, just… tired, as if he had lived too many years in too little time.
He told Aman something unbelievable:
“This flat doesn’t just rent space. It rents... you.”
“Before you, I lived here. Before me, someone else.”
“This place resets. But not like you think. It doesn’t trap your body. It erases… your identity.”
Aman wanted to laugh. But deep down, something clicked — the déjà vu, the repeating days, the sleep paralysis, the unshakable feeling that he wasn’t alone.
“When Day 114 comes,” Ravi whispered, “you’ll start to forget. Then… you’ll become part of it.”
Part 6 – What Lies Behind Walls
In the days that followed, Aman couldn’t focus.
Every day felt like a replay of the one before. Conversations at work repeated. His dreams became darker.
One night, a patch on the wall near the closet crumbled, revealing a hollow space behind it.
Inside, he found:
Old VHS tapes labelled with names he didn’t recognize.
Torn photographs — different people, all standing in the same room.
Diaries filled with desperate scribbles: “It’s watching.” “I am not me.” “Flat 403 breathes.”
Each journal ended the same way:
“This place is alive. It replaces you… slowly.”
Part 7 – Day 114
The 114th day came quietly.
Aman didn’t wake up on his own.
His laptop screen flickered to life:
MEMORY → DELETE_PENDING
His phone buzzed:
“Transfer in progress…”
Then came the knock.
Knock… knock… knock…
He opened the door.
Ravi was there — dry this time, with a peaceful expression.
“It’s time,” he said.
“You are me now. And I… I am what you’ll become next.”
Aman tried to scream, but his voice sounded distant. Like someone else’s.
He ran to the mirror.
The reflection… wasn’t his anymore.
Part 8 – A New Tenant
Thirty days passed.
Flat 403 was listed as “available” again. No mention of past tenants.
A cheerful young woman moved in — her first job in Mumbai, full of hope and excitement.
The same broker gave her the keys and smiled warmly.
“Just one thing,” he said as he walked away.
“If a stranger knocks… don’t open the door.”
That night…
Knock... knock... knock...
Conclusion – The Loop Lives On
Not all homes are built with bricks and concrete.
Some… are built with memories.
But memories fade.
And in Flat 403, every 114 days, a new soul enters, and the old one is… overwritten.
This place doesn’t take your life.
It takes your identity, piece by piece, until you don’t even realize… you’re not you anymore.
So the next time a stranger knocks at your door —
Ask yourself:
“Is it them… or have you already knocked before?”
React
