Aiswarya Mythili, the 25-year-old radio jockey who was found dead in her hostel room at Kunnumpuram in Ernakulam on February 28, had made a call to her friend Leena at 7.20 pm.

According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Thrikkakara police, Aiswarya's death happened sometime between 7.30 pm and 1 am on March 1. She was found hanging from the ceiling fan using a shawl. The assistant warden reported to the police after there was no response from Aiswarya. Leena was her batchmate at the Kerala Media Academy, where she stayed in the same hostel.

Leena missed the last call from Aiswarya, and she regrets it. Leena met with an accident a week ago, injuring her leg. When she felt slightly better, she went out to dinner with some friends.

"I should have taken her call; maybe she wanted to tell me something. I have two mobile phones and I left one in my room and she called that number. I didn't receive any call or message to my other number," said Leena.

After having dinner, Leena sat with one of her friends at the hostel's reception area. They chatted up late into the night and she returned to her room at midnight. "I was feeling tired and I slept immediately. I didn't bother to check my phone. In the morning, somebody knocked on my door and told me about Aiswarya, and I was shattered," Leena said, her voice cracking with sorrow as she spoke.

Leena remembered Aiswarya as a bold, confident person. "She had plans about her career and life. She was very focused and hard-working. Her father died at a young age, and she lost her mother when she was doing her graduation.

"Aiswarya was someone who always seemed very strong. Even when we would be upset over certain things in life, she always showed great character and courage. I can't believe someone like her would commit suicide. Since I was on bed rest, I couldn't meet with her as often as I used to," she said.

Aiswarya, a native of Malappuram, has a sister, Anila, who lives in the US. She was active on social media with bubbly, fun-filled posts on her YouTube channel. She had started working part-time as a radio jockey even while pursuing a PG diploma in public relations at the Media Academy. Of late, Aiswarya had grown silent on social media, her friends said. She didn't share anything with them.

The police recovered a brief note in Malayalam from her desk. It said that nobody was responsible for her death and that she was ending her life of her own free will. In the note, she also said she had caused trouble in the past and wished her sister a happy life. "We couldn't find anything suspicious in the letter. She didn't blame anyone for her death," said an official with Thrikkakara police.