The Haunted Fortress of Bhangarh: Book 1

70. Hell

The chill seeped into his bones as the bike sped past the silent and dark alleys of the small village. With an ostensibly low population, situated roughly seven kilometers from the haunted fortress of Bhangarh, the last resident town had only the basic amenities in the households. As it was already past midnight, only the feeble night lamps on the porches of the huts and dilapidated edifices shone, illuminating the narrow stretch of road. The marketplace had all the metal doors boarded shut for the night while the chowk had the gigantic streetlight illumining the location with much finesse. Except for a few stray dogs seeking refuge on the veranda of a bank, not another soul was in sight on the frigid December night.

He swerved the bike onto the side road: the unkempt stretch that would lead them to the citadel. Once again, the rough pathways with boulders littering and mud splattering the length provided a bumpy ride to him and his companion, but five minutes of driving in the cold led to the silhouette of the metal entrance gates of the fort coming into their line of vision. Halting near the ticket counter, he killed the engine, and the iridescence from the headlight disappeared too.

Shravani disembarked from behind him and glimpsed around the spot. Screeching of crickets and the occasional barking of dogs aside, there was no other source of sound. No source of light existed either, but the bright rays of the full moon were sufficient to discern everything once her eyes were adjusted to the partial darkness.

He heaved a deep sigh and cast a furtive glance at her. "Shall we go in now?"

She checked her wristwatch. "Yes, we are already late. She must be quite furious by now."

Before he could curse Kalavati to his heart's content, his gaze fell on the culvert on the other side of the ticket counter. A mass of blanket looked back at him, and the slight movements underneath informed him about someone's presence. The blanket slid off in the subsequent moment, revealing a head full of long, black hair as the man had his back turned to the young duo. "Someone is sleeping here." He scoffed. "Out of all the places in the world, this dude found the courage to sleep here at night."

Shravani followed his line of sight and clicked her tongue. "Let him be, Rudra. We should go in."

A shaky puff escaped his throat as he peered at the closed gates of the fortress. Nothing was perceptible beyond the initial two feet of the citadel, but a strong vibe full of negative energy hit him smack dab in the middle of his chest, and he knew his demise awaited him with bated breath. He shook his head to get rid of the momentary dilemma rearing its head inside his heart, and he reminded himself that this decision was for the greater good, and selfishness is for the weak.

Raking his hands over his face, he slid down from the bike. But before either he or she could take another staggering step towards the metal gate, a deep male voice fell on their ears, and the source of it was definitely the man under the blanket on the culvert.

"Quite the brave souls you two are."

Rudra could hear the sarcasm in the man's voice and imagine the smirk on his features. "Excuse me, what?"

The man chuckled and pulled the blanket to his nose. "No sane person should step inside on a full moon night. But you are doing so. Brave or stupid, what should I call you?"

Shravani yanked at Rudra's shirt and silently shook her head to insinuate that speaking and dawdling would be futile, but Rudra felt a strange tug towards the man and gently wriggled out of her hold.

"We have some work inside," Rudra said. "Do you sleep here often?"

"Nah!" The man took a deep breath and sat up straighter. As the blanket slid off him, his long, black beard came into view, and he peered directly at the young man. "On certain days, when I feel someone needs me, I come here."