Naila was a writer. She was known for writing fictional horror stories inspired by eerie experiences. However, there was one terrifying incident from her own life that she had never shared with anyone.

Last week, she was invited to appear on a podcast. She happily accepted.

“Aah, I’m going to be late…” Naila thought as she panicked. She quickly grabbed her purse and bike keys.

After riding over bumpy roads and through several twists and turns, she finally reached the studio just on time.

She met the host, Ayesha, and after exchanging a few introductory remarks and getting settled, the show began.

“Naila, you write horror fiction, and I’m pleased to say that every story we’ve read has kept us on the edge of our seats. Your writing feels so realistic and vivid that it often seems as though the events actually happened. We’ve received many requests from our audience, who are eager to know whether you’ve ever experienced something truly frightening in real life.”

“Alright…” Naila smiled. “Yes, I had one experience that I can never forget. I was flying back to Lahore from Canada. The journey was uneventful until I heard someone sobbing in the seat beside me. I didn’t know who she was. She looked about my age, perhaps a little younger.

“I leaned over and asked, ‘Hey, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?’

“She looked at me. Her eyes were red and swollen, and tears streamed down her face.

“‘I… I lost someone,’ she whispered.

“That was all she managed to say before breaking down again. After a few moments, between sobs, she continued, ‘She had gone to Canada and… passed away there. She was from Pakistan. She wanted to become a scientist.’

“I felt terrible for her. I placed a hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort her. ‘I know this is hard for you, but everyone has to leave this world one day. Maybe she’s at peace now.’

“To distract her, I started talking about different things. She gradually stopped crying, and before long we were chatting and even laughing. By the time the plane landed, it felt as though we had become friends.

“As we were about to leave, I smiled and asked, ‘By the way, what’s your name? You never told me?’

“She turned to look at me, smiled faintly, and leaned close to whisper in my ear. ‘Aira.’

“I froze. And in the very next moment… she was gone.”

“Oh my God, that was really scary. And knowing it actually happened to you makes it even more unbelievable. Did you ever try to find out who Aira really was?” Ayesha asked.

Naila nodded. “I did.” She paused before continuing, “Right after she disappeared, I went to the flight attendants and asked about the passenger who had been sitting beside me.

They looked confused and told me there had been no one in that seat. According to the airline, it had remained empty for the entire flight.”

The studio fell silent.

“But something even stranger happened a few weeks later. I came across a newspaper article about a girl named Aira, an aspiring scientist from Pakistan who had travelled to Canada to pursue her degree. She had died in a tragic road accident there.”

Naila took a deep breath. “The photograph in that article…” she paused again, “It was the same girl who had been sitting beside me on the plane.”

Naila looked down for a moment. “I still don’t know who — or what — I met on that flight. But even today, I can still remember the warmth of her hug.”

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 22nd, 2026