(For those who are curious to know about my e-book I'm publishing a few starting pages for you to judge.)
“Every burning
thirst is not
meant to be
satisfied,
Because when
the moon blooms
full, and the
sky looks bright,
There awaits
someone under water,
eager for her
first bite.”
The
dark angels had
seized all over
and without our
headlights switched on,
the moon was
the only source
left with us
that we could
count on.
We were in
the middle of
a thick forest
which laid on both the
sides of the
road, the air
getting freezing cold
and the howling
wolves were making
the situation even
worse. I was
in the front
seat, holding the
map and trying
to read its
directions to my
friend Bob who was then
my camera man
cum my driver
too. Holding a
cigarette in one
hand and the
other on the
steering wheel, he
had been driving
continuously for the
last four hours.
He had turned
into an extensive
smoker since the very first
day his ex-wife
dumped him for
her new boyfriend,
who later turned
out to be
his own brother.
Back stabber!
Anyways, smoking was
not gonna get
him his wife
back, therefore I
suggested him a
zillion times to quit
that disgusting habit
which was making
him hollow from
inside, but each
time I would
warn him he
would contradict me
saying, “One day
you guys are
gonna owe your
life to this
disgusting smoker of
yours but I might not
be there then.”
He never realized,
each time he
kissed a cigarette’s
ass, he kissed
his own upcoming
death.
The smoke that
my friend blew
off had filled
every single corner
of the caravan
because of which
it was getting
hard for us
all to breathe
in, so I
asked my wife
to open up a window
so that the
fresh air could
get in.
We have been
hitting on road
for last four
hours, but still
we had got
no single clue
that indicated if
we were heading
in a right
way. I was
repeatedly trying to
make a call
to my friend
who was then
in America, but
it wasn’t working
as the bars
indicated that the
signal was out
of reach; that’s
why I asked
Bob to stop
the vehicle by
the side of
the road and
marching back and
forth I dialed
again. The phone
did ring this
time which got
answered by Rajiv
himself. After a
brief manly discussion
and arguments I
asked him if
we were lost!
Rather, he insisted
us to keep
moving straight until
we see our
first cottage and
then after covering
a few meters
more shift to
the road that
turns right. “That
road would lead
us to our
destination,” he claimed.
I hung up
the phone and
it was not
even a second
that had passed
after I placed
it back in
my pocket when
something weird happened;
something heavy just
pounded over the
surface of the
ceiling of our
caravan.
We were in
the middle of
a thick forest
with no sign
of human civilization
and we had
no idea what
the hell was
waiting for us
outside. I prayed
it not to be the
one I read
over internet. There
were rumors about
this place but
whatever, we all
were seized under
panicky as the
creature on the
surface of the
roof of the
bus was now
trying to scratch
its way in,
groaning continuously which
made our skin
crawl. Sonja, my
daughter who was
then just a
few months old
started to cry
and Aryan like
always, clutched one
of his mom’s
hand tightly, closing
his eyes and
then only god
knows what he
really did next.
All I was
armed with was
a lump of
sulfur powder which
I used for my skin,
which I knew
was not gonna
help in such a bloody
situation.
Lora and Jerry
on my command
had shut all
the possible entrances
so that the
problem couldn’t get in. After
keeping thinking for a minute
or two when
I realized my
mind was completely
frozen it was
Bob who suddenly
turned the engine
on in a
hope that its
noise would scare
off the unwanted
among us just
like any movie
he imitated this
step from.
All of our
eyes were staring
up at the
top in a
way as if
were capable of
seeing the happenings
above but sadly
all we could
do was just
wish and watch.
For a moment
it struck into
my head, what
if I ask
Bob to start
driving so sudden
that the creature
fall off, thinking
inertia would definitely
help if the
step prior didn’t
but the thing
is I wasn’t
in the mood
of spilling some
blood over our
tires as it
could upset our
host and the
guy we had
borrowed this vehicle
from.
We kept still
and waited until
there came no
more noises of
nails scratching steel.
I rushed to
the back seat
slowly so that
it doesn’t hear
any of my
foot steps and
opening a window
cautiously, tried to
have a peek
of it through
a mirror which
I was holding
in one of
my hand; praying
for it as
it was my
favorite one but
nothing. That thing
was gone, completely
vanished! It might
have jumped off
the roof. Got
lost somewhere in the dark
among the bushes
where it had
come from.
“Lucky we!” Jerry
whispered to himself.
We were relieved
too for a
while but we
still had a
major problem lying
ahead and that
was to find
the address we
were heading to.
The wheels kept
on rolling further
until we had
got our first
clue. There was
a small brick
made cottage right
on the right
hand side of
the road just
as he claimed
but there was
an unpredicted obstruction
lying ahead which
was hindering our
vehicle from moving
further. After blowing
a horn or
two a man
in uniform stepped
out of that cottage
with a gun
hanging down his
shoulder.
It might be
for a moment
or two when
I and Bob
were counting on
the possibilities of
him being a
dacoit who loots
those travelling during
night time as
a place like
such would serve
as a hunting
spot for those
but thanks to
god he wasn’t.
He was just
some kind of
revenue collector whom
we had to
pay a hundred
rupees for letting
us drive ahead
after he lifted
up that iron
pole which cleared
off our path.
Got to say,
I had never
seen a gun
man such who
appeared to be
more scared than
the guys on
the other side.
While he was
collecting the sum
from my hand,
I sensed some
short of fright
in his eyes.
The way they
were drifting between
us and the
woods that was
all around made
it appear as
if something was
bothering him too
much. May be
something like the
one we faced
twenty minutes ago.
I even asked him
when he handed
us a chit,
if he was
all right but
either he was
deaf or he
didn’t speak our
language as he
didn’t reply back.
As soon as
he tied the
pole back to its initial
position, I saw
the reflection of
him rushing back
in, slamming the
door shut; must
have prayed for
us to be the last
one he had
to step out
of the sanctuary
he was in.
Poor Guy!
On our way
we saw a many small
cottages that seemed
to be abandoned
many years ago.
Some of them
had turned to
ruins, some we
guessed still had
people living in
as we could
see the light
coming out of
those.
The circumstances were
as such as
I and my
wife Lora had
wished for. We felt
like we were
in the perfect
place where we
could get some
real spice to
show in our
show. You guys
must have heard
of horror shows
that takes its
audience to some
of the most
haunted places of
the world through
the eyes of
their camera. Me
and my wife
were a part
of it. My
friend Rajiv, whom
I first met
somewhere in a
café suggested me
about this place.
I had known
him since last
two years, and
in those two
years he had
become my trust
worthy friend, rather
I would say
he was the
best of all my friends.
He had been
here once during
his college years
when he was
in India and
according to him
this place has
witnessed the most
bizarre killings incidents
than any other
place in the
world and the
most shocking fact
was, the killer
and his cause
were still a
mystery.
I myself had
also made some
research about that
place, Rishikul and
the results were
quite unbelievable. According
to the google
in past three
decades there had
occurred a hundred
brutal murders under
mysterious circumstances and
the year 1964
witnessed the most;
total sixty in
twelve months. The
most bizarre fact
was, almost all
body recovered were
badly mutilated with
most parts gone missing.
At first it
was supposed that
the victims must
had fallen prey
to any man-eater
carnivore but later
there were repetitive
reports made on
strange creature sightings
made by the
locals which made
the mystery of
mystery killer more
mysterious. Those reports
brought a serious
negative impact on
the whole town’s
economy due to
the decrease in the number
of tourists but
later on there
was noted a
significant decrease in
the number of
death rolls which
let the local
businessmen there to
reopen the tourist
sites denying the
claims of the
locals considering it to be
a superstitious believe
but the rumors
still went on,
that there is
something that resides
in the territory
hiding itself which
comes looking for
its victims on
every full moon
night.
After fifteen minutes
of ups and
downs when my
wife thought we
were never gonna
make it the
tiers stopped rolling
and stood at
the front of
a gate which
was huge and
red that was
later opened for
us after blowing
repetitive horns letting
us all in.
As soon as
the gate was
opened we got
to see the
world on the
other side of
it which was
totally different from
the one we
were in a
while ago. The
place was like
a small paradise
which had been
brought down to
the earth. Everything
that we saw
in there was
more than we
had ever expected
in a sub-urban
region like this.
The artificial fountains,
the garden, the
music of the
river flowing somewhere
near and the
most beautiful thing
was that the
whole area was
surrounded by a
chain of mountains,
which were covered
under dark thick
forest. The cool
breeze blowing that
tendered over our
skin had almost
healed our wounds
that we bore
to reach Rishikul.
The caravan was
stopped and we
were asked to
move out of
it so that
it could be
parked at some
other suitable place.
We stepped on
a red carpet
that ran all
over the path
that led us
through entrance door
straight into the
building where there
was a woman
standing to welcome
us.
The woman was
all dressed in
a well designed
fashionable Indian Sari
and was laden
with exotic jewels
but no bindi
over her forehead
which was because
I guess of
her being a
widow. She was
looking so fancy
that at least
for a moment
I can say
I forgot being
here with my
wife. Her eyes
were brownish, her
skin was tan
which looked fabulous
upon her. Veena
Roy, was her
name and she
was our hostess,
the owner of
the mansion.
After introducing herself,
she asked us
about how our
journey was to
which Lora narrated
her the whole
story of the
unknown creature we
faced in the
woods. She was
relieved when Veena
claimed it to
be a panther,
as according to
her their attacks
were much common
in this region.
“But as long
as you are in here,
you are safe,”
she said assuring
us all.
“Though panthers are
not something, not
to be feared
but it was
not something that
the people living
here feared the
most.”
Just like her
name her voice
was as sweet
and soothing to
my ears; each
time she spoke
it felt like
Apollo playing his
lyre.
It was interesting
to see her
well dressed despite
of being a
widow which was
once against the
traditions of ancient
India.
The time had
changed a lot
since last two
decades, old traditions
were almost lost
in the sand
of time. Things
were more tragic
then, a widow
was supposed to
sacrifice her life
by letting herself
on the flames
of the burning
pyre along with
the corpse of
her husband while
for those who
chose to live
the use of
jewelry, casual clothes
and even good
food was forbidden
and were forced
to shade their
long hairs. It
must have been
hard then for a woman
to survive in
this manly world
were humanity for
them seemed less
common.
While a servant
was taking our
luggage to our
respective rooms she
took us on
a round of
the mansion where
we were gonna
stay for next
two days. The
lodge we were
in was a
two stories building;
the exterior design
was like a
European style farm
house with roof
covered in tiles
while the interior was
a perfect combination
of Indian and
western architecture with
chandeliers hanging from
the ceiling of
each and every
room, huge decorative
paintings which included
Indian gods and
goddesses, Roman nude
paintings mostly dedicated
to marine myth
were something to
be seen and
praised; for a
minute or two
I had to shut my
son’s eyes close,
as he was
too young to
see all those.
The walls of
each and every
room in there
had silver candlesticks
screwed to them,
with candles placed
on them and
when I asked
for the reason,
the reason was
power cuts, which
were much frequent
here, like after
every thirty minutes
there would be
a blackout that
would last for
more than five
hours.
The whole building
was full of
exotic historical evidences
and it appeared
as if each
and every brick
used in building
this place was
having its own
stories to narrate.
For a moment
me and my
wife got busy
in handling Aryan
as we didn’t
want him to
even touch any
possible item lying there as
the place was
full of objects
which were made
of glass. Some
were huge, filled
with water and
life breathing underneath
it’s surface while
others were as
small as a bowl with
smaller species.
Aryan was a bit troublesome,
just like any
other kid.
After she was
done, she gave
us the keys
to our rooms
and asked us
to get ready
for the dinner.
Our room was
on the first
floor and the
kids room was
next to ours.
That night I
stood under the
shower for like
more than half
an hour which
washed away all
the exhaustion which
I was carrying
off my mind.
The water was
cold which relieved
me from the
stress that was
lying somewhere inside
me. I mean
the feeling of
an unknown fear
of the danger
out there which
was yet to
be discovered.
After me and
my wife were
all fresh and
dressed up, we
went to call
others to join
us.
We went to
our children’s first
but they were
not in there,
therefore we went
searching to the
rest two hoping
for the possibility
of them being
with Bob and
Jerry but later
we were worried
to find that
none of them
were to be
seen around, not even the
grownups. The rooms
were huge and
there were a
lot many. For
newcomers like us
it was like
losing someone in
a giant maze
game with situation
getting worser as it was
really hard for
us to get
a clear view
of anything in
the presence of
burning candle light.
It
was when we
went passing through
the hall, we
heard a voice
calling us..........
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