As the opponent, Reyna one-tapped Tahan, he said, “They must be cheating. I’ll choke her to death.”
Noorie giggled, then became a little serious and said, “Have you ever thought about how many people you’ve killed by now, and are still killing? We couldn’t even say sorry to them.”
A teammate with the username Laddu said, “Lol. It’s a game.”
Tahan said, “Yeah, and you can’t even kill the bottom fragger.”
As the defeat screen filled the monitor, Tahan left the party.
Someone had sent her a friend request.
“Oh, that Laddu guy.”
She accepted it, and Laddu messaged, “Do you have Discord? Send me your ID.”
She gave him her Discord ID, and he added her to a server.
She was scrolling through Instagram when she glanced at her monitor and noticed the server. Its name was One Last Time.
She assumed it was some random gaming server.
But when she entered, she saw some strange text channels: #reached, #waiting-room, and #things-we-never-said.
There was a voice channel too.
Left Unsaid.
There were already 247 members.
Just then, Laddu sent her a message.
“Don’t text anyone or join the voice channel unless you’re mentioned in #waiting- room.”
Noorie asked, “Who would even mention me? Have you added anyone I know?”
Laddu replied, “Someone you wanted to talk to. Someone you cared about.”
Noorie: “What?”
Laddu: “Time will give you your answer.”
A few minutes later, Noorie saw a post saying that her department mate, Rika, had gone missing.
Everyone was looking for her. A police case had already been filed.
Tahan texted her.
“Did Rika intentionally go somewhere? She had a breakup just a few days ago.”
Noorie replied, “We’re not close. I don’t know. Listen, that teammate from our last game added me to a weird server.”
Tahan: “Bro, you are not even worried about her? Enjoy. I need to sleep.”
Noorie: Are you even listening to me?
Tahan: No. I can’t hear you or see you. Good night.
Noorie turned off her phone. She wondered where Rika had gone. Her parents must be worried. Suddenly, she got a notification. Someone had mentioned her in the #waiting-room channel of that server. She opened the message. She had been asked to join the voice channel, Left Unsaid. Noorie wondered who it could be. She joined.
“Dear, how are you?”
A familiar voice. Noorie froze.
Noorie: “Who’s speaking?”
“It’s me. You wanted to say something.”
Noorie: “You must be pranking me, Laddu. It’s not fair. We don’t even know each other, dude.”
“It’s not Laddu. You wanted to say goodbye.”
Noorie’s throat tightened. Her eyes became teary. She immediately left the channel. A few seconds later, the green circle beside the voice channel disappeared. Noorie couldn’t believe or understand what had just happened. At that moment, she was mentioned in a text channel. She entered and saw a message from someone named Shifa.
“ You still couldn’t say goodbye.”
Noorie felt a chill run down her spine. That name was familiar too. She scrolled up. There were already a few conversations among strangers above.
Nishi: Go back to your father, Mamoni. He misses you.
Nitun: No, Ammu. Home doesn’t feel like home after you die.
Nishi: Both of you have to take care of each other now. Don’t leave him alone.
This conversation had taken place just a few hours ago.
She scrolled a little further up.
Rihan: You should move on.
Mihu: How could I? You know I loved you, right?
Rihan: You can. I know you can.
Mihu: It hurts.
Rihan: Loving me shouldn’t stop you from living.
Noorie tried to take pictures of the conversations, but every time she did, the screen turned black. She couldn’t sleep the entire night. All she could think about was the voice. The messages.
At around four in the morning, she finally texted Tahan. ”Meet me at the canteen today. I need to tell you something.”
Noorie fell asleep. When she woke up, it was already 10 AM. She checked her phone and saw that Tahan had called her three times between 8 and 9 AM. She rushed to the university.
Outside, reporters were interviewing Rika’s best friend, Mahi. Mahi was crying while talking to them. Noorie called Tahan. He came to the canteen. Noorie told him everything that had happened the previous night. She tried to open the server in front of him, but it wouldn’t open. Rika’s news was being aired on the TV.
Tahan: Laddu is messing with you. I’m pretty sure.
Noorie: But I haven’t told anyone about my aunt.
Tahan: Maybe Laddu did some digging.
Noorie: Bruh. These aren’t things people can just find out. I’ve never told anyone.
Another news report came on TV. A runaway daughter, Nitun, had returned home. After her mother’s death, she thought she and her father had grown apart. But now she wanted to live with him and take care of each other.
Noorie suddenly pointed at the TV.
Noorie: That’s her!
Tahan looked at the screen.
Noorie: That’s the girl who was talking to her mother on the server yesterday.
Tahan: I can’t understand. What are you saying?
Noorie didn’t answer.
Tahan: Can you ask Laddu to add me to the server? I want to see all this for myself.
Noorie: Laddu, can you add my friend Tahan to the server?
Laddu: Does he know the rules?
Noorie: Yeah.
A few moments later, Tahan was added to the server. Unlike Noorie, Tahan had a different reason for joining. He wanted to know what had happened to Rika. The member count was now 248.
Late that night, Tahan got a mention. He joined the voice channel.
“Nanu bhai, kemon achho?”
Tahan froze. It was his Nanu Moni’s voice.
Tahan: We miss you, Nanu. But… how are you here?
Nanu: I miss you too, Nanu bhai.
They talked for a few minutes.
Tahan: Nanu, can you tell me where Rika is?
Nanu: How could I know, dear? But I can tell you one thing. She’s not alive anymore.
Tahan felt his chest tighten.
Nanu: You used to like that girl, didn’t you?
Tahan looked down, holding back his tears.
Tahan: Valo thakio, Nanu.
The conversation ended. Tahan sat there quietly, trying to hold back his emotions. After a while, he typed Rika’s name in the chat.
Message failed.
He tried to mention her again. The next second, he was kicked out of the server.
Reason: Rule Violation.
Tahan called Noorie. “I got kicked out of the server.”
Noorie: Why?
Tahan: I tried to mention Rika. She’s no more. I can’t believe she’s really gone.
Noorie: Oh c’mon, How do you know?
Tahan: Nanu said it. She mentioned me today on the server. Can you please ask Laddu how we can contact Rika? How did she die? Where did she die?
Noorie: Calm down, bhai. Everything will be alright. I’m here for you.
Tahan: Can you please…?
His voice was heavy, as if he was holding back tears.
Noorie: I will.
Noorie texted Laddu on Discord. “Are you there?” Ten minutes later, Laddu replied, “hmm.”
Noorie: What’s this server about? Who made it? Can you explain? Why did Tahan get kicked out? And can you tell me where our friend Rika is? Can we contact her?
Laddu: Cool down for a moment.
Noorie: Please tell me.
Laddu: This server connects you to deceased people. I made this server. Tahan broke the rules; that’s why he got kicked out. I don’t know where Rika is. But someone close to her can contact her.
Noorie thought for a few seconds. Then she thought of Mahi, Rika’s best friend.
Noorie: Can her best friend contact her?
Laddu: Uhmm, maybe.
Noorie: One last thing, how and why did you make this server?
Laddu: I’ll tell you later.
TV Reporter: Police are still searching for Rika’s body. After reviewing CCTV footage, investigators have identified her last known location. According to police sources, Rika was last seen near Shah Poran Lake on the night she went missing. Her mobile phone is also missing and has not yet been recovered. So far, Rika’s friends and family have been fully cooperating with the investigation. Police say they are following several leads and doing everything possible to find answers. Authorities have assured the public that the investigation remains active and that they are trying their best to uncover what happened to Rika.
Noorie was walking with Tahan, telling him everything Laddu had said the previous night. Tahan looked upset.
Noorie: Now the first thing we need to do is tell Mahi everything. There’s a good chance he won’t believe us.
Tahan: Okay, let’s go.
They found Mahi at the university.
Noorie: Mahi, Tahan and I have something important to tell you.
Mahi: What’s that?
They told him everything.
Mahi frowned.
Mahi: Are you kidding me? Rika is dead? Noorie, I didn’t think you’d joke about something like this.
Noorie: We’re serious. Just try to believe us.
Mahi smiled sadly.
Mahi: You know how hard this has been for me since Rika disappeared.
Tahan: Then at least give us your Discord ID.
Mahi shook his head and walked away.
That afternoon, Noorie texted him again and asked for his Discord ID. This time, he sent it.
Noorie immediately messaged Laddu and asked him to add Mahi to the server. A few minutes later, Mahi texted her.
Mahi: I still can’t believe I’m doing this.
Laddu added Mahi to the server.
250 members.
As soon as Noorie told him, Tahan came to her house. The three of them waited for hours.
By 1 a.m., nothing had happened.
Tahan: I think I should go home now.
Noorie: Wait a little longer.
A few minutes later, Mahi texted Noorie.
Mahi: How long are you going to keep joking with me?
Noorie: Until Rika responds.
But Rika didn’t contact him that night.
Early in the morning, around 6 a.m., Mahi suddenly got a mention from the server.
Without wasting a second, he joined the Left Unsaid voice channel.
Noorie and Tahan stared at their screens, waiting impatiently.
Rika: Kire!
The moment Mahi heard her voice, he started crying.
Rika: Stop crying, crybaby.
Mahi: Where are you, Rika?
Rika: I guess you already know what happened to me.
Mahi: I still hope you’ll come back.
Rika: I’m afraid I won’t.
Mahi: Were you kidnapped and then killed? Where’s your body? Who did this?
Rika: Yeah. But I wasn’t buried where I went missing. My body is buried beside Shishu Niketon School.
Mahi froze.
Mahi: Who killed you?
Rika: It’s him. The one you’re thinking of.
Mahi: What’s his name?
Rika: You told me to stay away from him.
A long silence followed.
Mahi: Will you talk to me again?
Rika: Probably not. Stay blessed and happy.
Mahi: You too.
Rika: Uhu. Say “rest in peace.”
Mahi wiped his tears.
Mahi: Rest in peace, Rika.
The call ended.
Almost immediately, Noorie called him.
Noorie: What happened? What did she say?
Mahi told Noorie and Tahan everything.
For a moment, none of them spoke.
Noorie: We have to inform the police.
Mahi: But how? We can’t tell them a dead girl told us where her body is.
Tahan: Just say you received an anonymous tip.
The others agreed.
Mahi: Fine. I’ll contact the police.
After that, silence filled the room again. Then Tahan spoke.
Tahan: Before that, we should think about who might have killed her.
Mahi: I think it’s her ex.
Noorie: Sohan?
Mahi nodded.
Mahi: He’s the first person that came to my mind.
Noorie remembered how often Rika and Sohan used to argue. Their breakup had been messy, and several of their friends had witnessed heated confrontations between them.
Tahan: Do you have any proof?
Mahi: Not really. Just a feeling. But if anyone had a reason to hurt her, it would be him.
Without wasting any more time, Mahi headed to the police station.
Inside the investigation room, he sat across from the officer handling Rika’s case.
Officer: You said you have information?
Mahi: Yes. I think you should look into Rika’s ex-boyfriend, Sohan.
The officer leaned forward.
Officer: Why do you suspect him?
Mahi: They had a bad breakup. They argued a lot. I can’t prove anything, but I think he’s hiding something.
The officer wrote down Sohan’s name.
Officer: We’ll look into it. Anything else?
Mahi hesitated for a moment.
Mahi: I also received an anonymous tip regarding a location near Shishu Niketon School. I think you should search there.
The officer exchanged a glance with another detective.
Officer: Anonymous tip?
Mahi: Yes, that’s all I know.
The police immediately noted the location. Since it matched some details from their ongoing investigation, they decided the lead was worth checking.
That evening, police searched the area near Shishu Niketon School based on the anonymous tip.
After several hours, they made a shocking discovery.
Rika’s body was found buried behind a cluster of bushes. Nearby, officers also recovered her missing phone.
The area was immediately sealed off, and the forensic team began collecting evidence.
A preliminary examination revealed skin tissue trapped under Rika’s fingernails, suggesting that she had fought back against her attacker.
The samples were sent for DNA testing.
Soon afterward, police collected a DNA sample from Sohan for comparison.
As news spread across the city, everyone waited for the test results.
If the DNA matched, the police would finally have evidence linking Sohan to Rika’s murder.
Noorie couldn’t stop thinking about the server, who had created it and how it was even possible. At the same time, she was worried about Rika’s murder case and her conversation with her aunt.
Finally, she called Laddu.
After a few seconds, he answered.
Noorie: Hello, can we talk?
Laddu: Hmm, sure.
Noorie: Who built this server?
Laddu: Uhmm, who else? Me.
Noorie was stunned.
Noorie: Why? And how?
Laddu: So, you want to hear my backstory?
Noorie: Yes.
Laddu: Okay, I’ll tell you.
When I was four years old, my mother died. After that, my grandmother raised me. She was a shaman.
Noorie: And your father?
Laddu: Relax, he’s still alive. Don’t interrupt while I’m talking.
Noorie went silent as Laddu continued his story.
After I lost my mother, I became deeply sad and spent most of my days crying for her. My grandmother couldn’t bear to see me in that state. One day, she told me that she could call my mother so that I could speak with her again.
Confused, I asked her how that was possible. She replied that she knew how to call the souls of the dead. I didn’t understand what she meant, but I watched as she performed a series of strange rituals.
Within a few minutes, I heard a voice.
It was my mother’s voice.
At first, I thought I was imagining it, but then she spoke my name.
Yes, she was talking to me.
We did that many times over the years. Whenever I missed my mother, Grandma would help me speak with her.
As Grandma grew older, she called me one day and said, “It’s time for me to teach you.”
I wasn’t sure if I could do what she did, but I tried anyway. To my surprise, I succeeded. Over time, I learned all those shamanic rituals and techniques.
When I was seventeen, I had a crush on a girl from my class. She was kind of out of my league. I always wanted to impress her. I approached her a few times, and things went pretty well. I was a little introverted back then, so even holding a conversation felt like an achievement.
A few months later, her father passed away.
She became a completely different person. The cheerful girl I knew suddenly looked sad all the time. I tried to comfort her, but nothing worked.
One day, I told her, “I can help you talk to your dad.”
She thought I was crazy.
The idea disgusted her. She was a modern-minded girl who didn’t believe in spirits, rituals, or anything supernatural.
So I made the server for her.
Instead of asking her to believe me, I asked her to try it for herself. It took a lot of convincing, but eventually she agreed.
Noorie listened silently before asking,
“Did she believe you then?”
“Yeah,” Laddu replied with a laugh. “She’s my girlfriend now. :3”
“Wait. Is Laddu your real name?”
“Of course not.”
“Then what’s your real name?”
There was a moment of silence on the call.
Then Laddu spoke.
“Talking session ended. Bye-bye.”
“Hey, wait…….”
The call disconnected.
The DNA test results came back, and Sohan was confirmed as the culprit. He was arrested. Slowly, everyone returned to their normal lives.
What was left? One last conversation between Noorie and her aunt.
And it happened.
Noorie got a mention in the waiting room. She joined the voice channel – “One Last Time.”
Noorie: Hello.
Shifa: Are you ready?
Noorie: Yeah.
She took a deep breath.
Noorie: The last time I saw you, you were in the hospital. I couldn’t bear seeing you like that. I wanted to escape reality, so I came back to Dhaka without even telling you goodbye. I didn’t contact you afterward either. A month later, I got the news that you had suffered a stroke and passed away in the hospital.
I still can’t bear the pain. I feel so guilty. I know I shouldn’t have left you like that. I never got to say goodbye.
(Breaking down in tears) I’m sorry. I should have been there.
Shifa: It’s okay, dear. I know how much you love me. It’s okay.
Noorie: It isn’t.
Shifa: It is. Keep shining in life. I’ll always be watching over you.
Noorie: I’ll miss you even more.
And that was the last call she ever had. Noorie looked at the empty voice channel one last time. This time, she finally felt at peace.
She left the server.
The End
- সুমাইয়া নাওমীhttps://www.thepapyrus.org/author/%e0%a6%b8%e0%a7%81%e0%a6%ae%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%87%e0%a6%af%e0%a6%bc%e0%a6%be-%e0%a6%a8%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%93%e0%a6%ae%e0%a7%80/
