Chapter 1: The Road of Shadows
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden hue over the vibrant streets of Goa, alive with laughter and the scent of marigold flowers. The Diwali festival pulsed with energy, a tapestry of colors shimmering in the twilight. Shweta and her family mingled with friends and colleagues, their spirits high as they reveled in the festivities. The sweet notes of traditional music floated through the air, mingling with the crackling sound of fireworks bursting above, illuminating the night sky like a thousand stars.
“Another round of fireworks?” Shweta’s brother, Rohit, grinned, holding a sparkler that fizzled with life. His wife, Priya, laughed as she danced around him, her laughter infectious. “Let’s make this a night to remember!”
As the night wore on, they shared stories, reminiscing about their past adventures. Shweta felt a warmth in her heart, a fleeting moment of happiness she wished could last forever. But the clock ticked relentlessly, a reminder that time waits for no one.
“We need to head back,” Rohit said, glancing at his watch, the joy fading from his expression. “I have deliveries to make tomorrow morning. This urgent business can’t wait.”
A wave of disappointment washed over Shweta, but she understood. “Can’t it wait just a few more hours? We’ve barely started enjoying ourselves!”
Rohit shook his head, the resolve in his eyes unwavering. “I wish it could. But it’s important. We’ll have to cut our trip short.”
As they loaded their bags into the car, a sense of unease began to settle in, creeping through Shweta’s mind like a whispering shadow. The festive lights of Goa faded in the rearview mirror, swallowed by the night as they embarked on the journey back to Pune.
The road twisted and turned as they entered the Phonda Ghat. Towering hills loomed on either side, their shapes shrouded in darkness, the shadows deepening with each passing moment. The faint glow of the moon barely penetrated the canopy of trees that enclosed them, creating a sense of claustrophobia.
“Is it just me, or does it feel eerie out here?” Shweta remarked, breaking the silence that had enveloped the car.
“Eerie? It's just a little dark, that's all,” Priya replied, brushing aside Shweta's unease with a light laugh. But Shweta couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.
As they drove deeper into the ghat, the silence thickened, almost palpable. The only sounds were the tires humming against the asphalt and the occasional rustle of leaves. The absence of other vehicles made the atmosphere feel increasingly sinister.
“Why is there no one else on the road?” Shweta’s voice trembled slightly. “It’s weird, right?”
“I guess most people are smart enough to avoid driving through here at night,” Rohit said with a chuckle, but even he couldn’t completely hide the tension in his voice.
Moments later, they approached a police checkpoint. The vehicle slowed to a halt, and Shweta peered out of the window, her heart racing. The officer, a grim-faced man, approached with an expression that spoke of unspoken horrors.
“Where are you headed?” he asked, his voice low and steady, but there was a hint of urgency that sent shivers down Shweta’s spine.
“Pune,” Rohit replied casually, but the officer’s demeanor shifted. His face went pale, and he stared at them as if they were apparitions from another realm.
“I suggest you take a pit stop here,” the officer said, his voice strained. “It’s Amavasya night. The terrain is haunted, and it’s not safe to travel.”
A nervous chuckle escaped Shweta’s lips. “Haunted? Come on, it’s just a night like any other.”
The officer stepped closer, lowering his voice as if sharing a dark secret. “You don’t understand. On nights like this, evil spirits are unleashed. People have gone through this ghat against my advice… and they never come back.”
Chills cascaded down Shweta’s spine. She exchanged glances with Priya, who raised an eyebrow, skeptical. But Rohit’s face reflected concern, a frown forming as he absorbed the officer's words.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Shweta interjected, trying to dismiss the growing tension. “We’re fine. I’m ex-MARCO; I can handle anything.” The bravado in her voice felt hollow, even to her.
The officer’s eyes bore into her, filled with a mix of pity and warning. “I can’t make you stay, but I would advise it. The ghat is unforgiving. Many have met their fate here.”
His words hung in the air, a heavy weight that suffocated the festive spirit that lingered in their hearts. Shweta felt the darkness press against the car, a palpable presence threatening to suffocate them.
As the officer stepped back, Shweta couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. The shadows seemed to shift, whispering secrets of long-lost souls, drawing them closer to a fate they couldn’t foresee.
“Let’s just go,” Rohit urged, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. The group nodded, and as they drove past the checkpoint, Shweta caught one last glimpse of the officer. He stood watching, his figure a dark silhouette against the flickering lights of the checkpoint, a guardian against the encroaching darkness.
The road ahead twisted into the unknown, a shadowed path that beckoned them with the promise of danger. And as they ventured further into the ghat, Shweta couldn’t help but feel that the road was alive, breathing in sync with the deepening night—a road of shadows that whispered of things best left undisturbed.
Chapter 2: Whispers in the Dark
The road wound ahead, flanked by tall, looming trees that appeared to clutch at the sky with gnarled branches, their shadows stretching ominously across the asphalt. With each passing mile, the atmosphere grew thicker, the air heavy with an unshakeable tension that clung to the group like a shroud. The vibrant spirit of Diwali felt like a distant memory, replaced by an unsettling silence that echoed in their ears.
“Where are all the cars?” Shweta murmured, peering out into the darkness, her heart racing. The headlights of their vehicle sliced through the gloom, illuminating patches of the road ahead, but beyond that lay only an abyss of black.
“It's late, and most people heeded the officer's warning,” Rohit replied, his voice steady but his grip on the wheel tightening. He cast quick glances in the rearview mirror, perhaps hoping for a sign of life that wasn’t there.
Priya fiddled with her phone, trying to capture a signal in the remote area, but the screen remained frustratingly blank. “I feel like we’re the only people left on Earth,” she said, attempting a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Just then, the headlights flickered over something unusual on the roadside—a figure. A woman stood alone, dressed in a flowing white garment that glimmered faintly in the darkness, her long hair cascading over her shoulders like a dark waterfall. Beside her was a small child, clinging to her hand, the pair stark against the desolate backdrop.
“Should we stop?” Priya’s voice trembled, uncertainty creeping in. Shweta felt a knot of apprehension tighten in her stomach.
“Just keep going. It’s late,” Rohit urged, his voice firm. Yet, an inexplicable compulsion gripped Shweta, pulling her thoughts in the opposite direction.
“Wait,” she said suddenly, her heart racing. “What if they need help? We can’t just leave them here.”
Rohit hesitated, torn between his instincts to protect his family and the unease settling in the pit of his stomach. “I don’t like this, Shweta. There’s something off about it.”
But the sight of the woman and child stirred a sense of concern within Shweta that was hard to shake. “We can’t just ignore them,” she insisted. “Let’s at least ask if they need a ride.”
With a reluctant nod from Rohit, he slowed the car to a stop, the engine idling quietly as the group exchanged glances, their apprehension palpable. Shweta took a deep breath, stepping out into the stillness of the night, the chill in the air wrapping around her like icy fingers.
“Are you alright?” she called, her voice quavering slightly as she approached the woman, the child hiding shyly behind her.
The woman turned, her face illuminated by the car’s headlights. Her eyes were dark and haunting, glistening like pools of ink, and as she smiled, the expression felt wrong, twisted in a way that sent a shiver down Shweta’s spine.
“We need help,” the woman said softly, her voice a mere whisper. “He’s sick.” She gestured toward the child, who clutched her leg, peering out with wide, frightened eyes.
“Can you tell us what’s wrong?” Shweta asked, stepping closer. The air around her felt electric, charged with an unseen tension that heightened her senses.
As the woman spoke, the words drifted into the silence, her tone unsettlingly calm. “He’s not well. We need to get him home. The shadows… they’re waiting.”
Shweta frowned, a wave of dread washing over her. “What shadows? What do you mean?”
But the woman didn’t respond; instead, she seemed to withdraw into herself, her gaze lost in the distance, as if she were listening to something only she could hear. The unnatural silence enveloped them, stretching like a taut string about to snap.
“Let’s get out of here,” Rohit’s voice broke through Shweta’s unease, and she turned to see the tension etched on his face. The child whimpered, and Shweta felt a pull of sympathy, but she couldn’t ignore the fear that gnawed at her instincts.
As Rohit reached for Shweta’s arm, urging her back to the car, the silence shattered. A deep thud resonated from the back seat, making them all jump. Priya gasped, clutching her stomach as her face turned pale.
“What was that?” she asked, her eyes wide with terror.
“I don’t know,” Rohit replied, turning toward the car. “Maybe it’s just something shifting.”
But the knot of fear tightened in Shweta’s chest as they all instinctively turned back to the woman. To her horror, she noticed the child had disappeared, vanished into thin air, leaving only the woman standing there, an eerie smile still plastered across her face.
“Where did he go?” Shweta demanded, her heart pounding as she took a step back, retreating toward the safety of the car.
The woman simply shook her head, her expression darkening. “The shadows take what they want,” she whispered, her voice now cold and distant. “And tonight, they’re hungry.”
Suddenly, the air crackled with energy, and the car felt like it was surrounded by an unseen force. The shadows around them deepened, stretching and twisting, almost as if they had a life of their own.
“We need to go!” Rohit shouted, scrambling back to the driver’s seat, panic etched on his face.
As Shweta rushed back, she glanced over her shoulder one last time. The woman stood still, her figure a chilling silhouette against the backdrop of the night, her eyes piercing into Shweta’s soul.
They jumped into the car, Rohit slamming the door behind them, the sound echoing in the silence. The engine roared to life, but as Rohit pressed the accelerator, the vehicle lurched forward, and a series of loud thuds resonated from the back seat again.
“What is happening?” Shweta cried, her heart racing as she glanced back, her stomach twisting in knots.
Priya was trembling, her eyes wide with terror. “Something’s wrong… something’s really wrong!”
As they sped away, the landscape blurred by, but the shadows seemed to chase them, an unyielding force determined to catch up. Shweta felt the darkness encroaching, pressing against the windows, and deep down, she knew they were being hunted by something far more sinister than they could ever imagine.
“Drive faster!” Shweta urged, her voice breaking as the whispers of the night grew louder, echoing in her mind.
Rohit’s grip tightened on the wheel, the car careening through the darkness, but the night held its secrets tightly. With each turn of the wheels, the road became a descent into terror, and as the shadows swirled around them, Shweta couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to break through the veil, something that had been waiting for this moment.
Chapter 3: Chasing Darkness
The car raced down the treacherous path, the engine roaring like a wild beast, but the panic inside felt more primal. Shweta’s heart pounded violently in her chest as she turned to her sister-in-law, Priya, who was clutching her stomach, her breath coming in sharp, shallow gasps.
“Are you okay? What happened back there?” Shweta’s voice trembled, struggling to maintain control.
“I don’t know!” Priya cried, her eyes wide with terror. “Something… something grabbed me! I felt a cold hand!”
Rohit, his knuckles white against the steering wheel, glanced back at the rear seat. “We need to get out of here! Now!” he shouted, desperation cutting through his voice. But as he turned the wheel, an unnatural force slammed against the car, making the vehicle swerve violently.
“Don’t look back!” Shweta urged, but the instinct to glance over her shoulder was too strong. She caught a fleeting glimpse of the woman, her eyes dark and piercing, keeping pace with them as if propelled by a force beyond this world.
The terror surged anew. “She’s chasing us!” Shweta shouted, the reality hitting her like a slap.
“Faster! We need to go faster!” Rohit shouted, his voice straining. The ghat twisted and turned, each curve a potential deathtrap as he pressed the accelerator harder. The car screeched, tires gripping the road for dear life, but the woman remained there, effortlessly keeping up, a specter of nightmares.
“Why won’t the doors open?” Priya whimpered, pounding her fists against the jammed door. Shweta tried her own, but the handle refused to budge. It was as if the car itself had turned against them, locking them inside this mechanical prison of terror.
“Stay calm!” Rohit barked, adrenaline-fueled determination driving him. “I’ll find a way out!”
But before they could formulate a plan, a bone-chilling scream erupted from Priya, slicing through the air. “She’s here! She’s coming for us!”
Shweta spun around, and the woman was closer now, her expression twisted in a grotesque smile that seemed to mock their fear. The unnatural silence of the night was broken only by the thudding of Shweta’s heart and the roar of the engine. The woman’s mouth opened wider, and a shriek filled the air—a sound that felt like nails scraping against a chalkboard, dragging raw dread across Shweta’s soul.
“Hold on!” Rohit shouted, veering sharply as they hurtled through the curves of the ghat, rocks and dirt flying from the tires as the car fishtailed dangerously. Each turn felt like it might be their last.
Suddenly, a loud thud reverberated from the back seat, echoing like a death knell. Shweta turned, and her blood ran cold as she saw Priya's eyes glazed over, her expression slipping into horror. The atmosphere thickened, a suffocating presence enveloping them.
“Rohit, we need to do something!” Shweta cried, her voice rising in panic. “This is not normal!”
“Just keep driving!” he shouted, voice tight with stress. “We’ll lose her!”
But even as he yelled, the reality of their situation settled in. The woman was still there, pacing beside them, her feet barely touching the ground as she glided through the night like a phantom. It was impossible, horrifying, and utterly surreal.
“Pray!” Shweta shouted suddenly, desperation gripping her. “Pray for us!”
Rohit reached for the Bible he kept in the glove compartment, fumbling as he opened it with shaking hands. He pressed it against the window, reciting the verses aloud, voice breaking but resolute. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want…” The words spilled out, a fragile lifeline against the encroaching darkness.
But as the words flowed, the cacophony of night grew more chaotic, filling the car with a tempest of dissonance—horrific whispers mingled with the woman’s haunting shrieks, echoing off the walls of the ghat like some unholy symphony. Shadows twisted around the car, crawling closer, seeking to pull them into the void.
Suddenly, the woman’s form began to waver, her figure blurring at the edges, the monstrous smile distorting into something unrecognizable. “You can’t escape me!” she shrieked, her voice an agonizing wail that pierced through the din, reverberating against their eardrums.
And then, with a heart-stopping twist, she vanished into thin air, leaving only the suffocating silence of the night behind her.
“Did she… did she just disappear?” Shweta gasped, disbelief mingling with relief.
“Keep driving! Just keep driving!” Rohit urged, fear still etched deep in his features, adrenaline still coursing through his veins.
The ghat opened up ahead, and the lights of the police checkpoint flickered in the distance like a beacon of hope. Shweta felt a surge of relief wash over her as they barreled towards safety, praying they wouldn’t have to face the horror again.
As they screeched to a stop, the trio rushed out, panting and trembling. The officer on duty looked up, his expression shifting from boredom to alarm as he assessed the chaos unfolding before him.
“What happened?” he barked, his tone sharp and commanding.
“There's a woman—a ghost! She was chasing us!” Priya exclaimed, her voice cracking with fear.
The officer narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening. “You should have listened to the warnings about this stretch of road, especially on Amavasya night,” he said, an eerie calm washing over him. “You’re lucky to have made it this far.”
“What do you mean?” Rohit pressed, anxiety creeping back in.
“Many others have come this way, lost to the shadows,” the officer replied, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Some never made it to the other side. You may have escaped tonight, but those who come here often find that the darkness has a way of lingering.”
Shweta felt the chill seep back into her bones, a cold reminder that their terror might not yet be over. As they stood there, trembling and shaken, a chilling thought settled in her mind: they had faced the darkness, but the darkness was far from finished with them.
Post a Comment