Chapter -7
Morning rays filtered into the hotel room, gently brushing against Aariv’s face. He had been awake for a while, sitting near the window with his diary and pen, lost in thoughts about Prayagraj.
Yug stretched on the bed, rubbing his eyes before sitting up lazily.
“Subah-subah itne gehre khayalon mein khoya hua hai humara pyaara aaru huh?,” he teased, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at Aariv.
Aariv caught it with a faint smile but his eyes didn’t lose that seriousness. “Yug, mujhe lagta hai hum log sirf aam jagah cover karke apna kaam pura nahi kar paenge. Prayagraj ke asli raaz andheron mein ???? ??? ???.”
Yug tilted his head. “Kya matlab? Tu fir se wahi haunted kahaniyan soch raha hai kya?”
Aariv finally turned fully towards him. His voice dropped a little, almost like sharing a secret.
“Kal raat maine suna… hotel ke staff mein se ek aadmi dusre ko bata raha tha ki gaon ke ek kone mein aaj raat kuchh rituals perform hone wale hain. Log kehte hain vo jagah shraapit hai… haunted. Mujhe lagta hai hume waha jaana chahiye.”
Yug raised his brows dramatically. “Tu pagal ho gaya hai kya, Aaru? Din mein ghoomna theek hai, but raat ko haunted jagah? Documentary banani hai ya bhoot pakadna hai?”
Aariv chuckled lightly but his eyes were stubborn. “Yug, humne decide kiya tha ki sach capture karenge. Jo aam tourists ko nahi dikhai deta, wahi hum dikhayenge. Ye chance miss nahi karna chahiye.”
Yug sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. “Theek hai, lekin ek baat samajh… raat ko waha rituals hote hain. Agar hum jaldi nikal gaye to sab miss ho jaayega. Mujhe lagta hai hume 11 baje tak nikalna chahiye… taki 12 baje tak pohonch jayein. Tabhi asli cheezein shuru hongi.”
Aariv tapped his pen in the diary, thinking for a moment. “Hmmm… tu sahi keh raha hai. Pehle maine socha 9 baje nikalna better hoga, par fir vo to waste ho jayega. Okay 11 baje sharp nikalte hain.”
Yug smirked in relief. “Good. Tab tak hum log thoda rest kar lete hain. Mujhe lagta hai aage ki raat bahut lambi hone wali hai.”
Aariv looked out of the window again. The morning was bright, the city bustling with chants, bells, and the fragrance of incense drifting through the air. Yet deep inside, something uneasy stirred in his chest like this night would change something forever.
He scribbled one last line in his diary before closing it:
“it feels like Tonight, the real story begins.”
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The night air was thick and strangely heavy as Aariv and Yug walked quietly toward the far end of the village.
Both of them had covered themselves with simple shawls, blending in with the darkness.
Their breaths fogged slightly in the cool night, and the sound of crickets filled the silence.
Aariv whispered, “Yug, dheere chal, koi dekh na le.”
Yug smirked, whispering back, “Tumhe lagta hai main jungle mein fashion show karne aaya hoon? Bilkul ninja mode mein hoon main.”
Aariv gave him a side glance, clearly nervous but also used to Yug’s humor. They finally reached the spot they had heard about the haunted side of the village. The trees looked ancient and bent as though they had secrets of centuries carved into them.
They crouched low behind a thick bush. And what they saw left them frozen.
In the middle of a clearing, a large circle was drawn with some white powder. The circle glowed faintly under the moonlight, giving it an eerie effect. Almost twenty men were standing around it, chanting in deep, rough voices that made Aariv’s stomach twist.
At the center of the circle sat a teenage girl, trembling violently. Her hands and legs were tied, tears streaking her face. She looked so helpless that Aariv felt his chest tighten.
Then one of the men spoke in a low, disgusting voice, “Sabse pehle teri baari hai… iske sath sambandh banane ki.”
The girl’s terrified sobs broke the night. She tried to shuffle away even though her hands and legs were bound, but the man stepped forward with a sick grin.
Aariv’s fists clenched. His eyes widened with horror and rage.
“Hume uski help karni hogi, Yug.” His voice was sharp, determined.
Yug’s heart raced. He grabbed Aariv’s arm tightly and whispered frantically, “Par Aaru, ye log itne saare hain! Hum kya karenge? Yeh hamari jaan bhi le sakte hain!”
But Aariv wasn’t listening anymore. His eyes were only on that terrified girl. The moment the man’s hand reached out toward her, Aariv’s body moved on instinct.
He broke through the bushes and sprinted into the circle, ignoring the gasps of shock from the men. The chants broke, and the clearing fell into stunned silence.
With one swift motion, Aariv untied the girl’s hands. His voice was firm, loud, almost commanding, “Bhaago! Bhaag jao yaha se!”
The girl didn’t think twice. With newfound strength, she scrambled up and ran into the darkness, her sobs fading into the night.
Yug, cursing under his breath, rushed after Aariv. “Tu pagal hai kya, Aaru?!” he hissed, standing at his best friend’s side. His eyes darted nervously to the twenty furious faces around them.
The leader of the men stepped forward, his voice booming with rage, “Kaun hai tu? Tujhe pata bhi hai tune kya kiya hai?!”
The circle of men began to close in. Their shadows stretched long and monstrously under the moon. Aariv’s jaw tightened, his heart thundering in his chest, but his stance was strong. Yug moved slightly in front of Aariv, trying to shield him though his knees felt weak.
a rough shove sent yug flying backward.
“Yug!” Aariv screamed, his voice cracking.
There was a sickening thud. Yug’s head struck against a jagged stone, and he slumped onto the ground, blood seeping from the fresh wound, staining his temple. Aariv’s entire body went cold at the sight.
“Yug… Yug, utho! Please!” Aariv’s voice broke into sobs as he tried to step toward his friend, but two strong hands gripped him from either side.
“Chhod do mujhe!” Aariv cried, thrashing desperately, but his fragile body was no match for the men. His wrists burned from the harsh grip, his feet stumbling as they dragged him forward.
The leader of the group, his eyes gleaming unnaturally in the dim firelight, leaned closer and sneered.
“Vo ladki bhaag gayi… lekin koi baat nahi. Tumhari shuddhta se humara kaam aur bhi asaan ho jaayega.”
Aariv’s breath hitched, his wide eyes welling with tears. “Nahi… please… chhod do mujhe!” His voice was soft, trembling, yet it echoed across the silent forest, mixing with the faint, unnatural whispers that drifted on the wind.
The men pulled him roughly inside the circle drawn with the white powder. The air felt heavier the moment his foot crossed the boundary like an unseen energy had gripped him, draining away every ounce of strength.
They forced him to sit in the middle of the circle. Aariv’s tears streamed down his pale cheeks as he struggled weakly, his eyes darting again and again toward Yug’s motionless form lying just outside the circle.
“Yug…” his lips trembled as he whispered his friend’s name, his chest tightening in helpless agony.
Around him, the twenty men began chanting again, their voices low and guttural, echoing unnaturally as though more than one voice was speaking through them. The flames of the torches flickered violently, shadows twisting and dancing along the trees, as if alive.
Aariv shivered violently. He wasn’t just terrified of the men anymore there was something else.
Something unseen. The way the powder glowed faintly under the moonlight, the strange wind that whipped his hair though the air was still, and the whispers those whispers that seemed to hiss his name, “Aariv…”
His fragile form shook as he hugged himself, his tears falling silently, and his heart begged for help anyone, anything to save them.
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Thnks
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