The Haunted Fortress of Bhangarh: Book 1

73. Circle of light

The man looked the tiger straight in the eye with an affable smile plastered on his lips. A slight shake of the head on either side and a reassuring blink later, he stood up straighter and chuckled when the beast lowered its gaze, took a step behind, swerved, and began retreating into the depths of the forest. Its luscious tail was perceptible for a few more moments before getting consumed by the darkness. Turning towards the dumbfounded and terrified clique, he said, "There you go. Not at all scary, innit?"

All of them sighed in relief when the tiger left.

Ayush wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Thanks... uh... thanks a lot. We were most certainly scared."

The man chortled. "More than ghosts and spirits, these wild animals haunt the fort and the surrounding woodlands. Nothing to be scared about since both are nothing but creations of nature. As much as you are."

Surbhi blinked rapidly a few times. "What does that mean? We surely can't cohabit with someone like the lady in red," she screeched.

The man let out a short laugh. "May I ask what all you brave hearts are doing here at this hour?"

Ranvir and Aman shifted uncomfortably at their spots while exchanging furtive glances at one another. They were unwilling to share the motive behind their presence for two reasons. Firstly, they weren't sure if anyone would believe their strange story. Secondly, they weren't willing to impart crucial information to complete strangers when the place was nothing but a depot of ghosts.

Aman cleared his throat after a stretch of uncomfortable silence. "Exploring. We have heard a lot about the famed citadel. It's a hub for paranormal activities, right?"

The man bobbed his head. "People say so."

Ranvir flashed a weak smile. "Must be a grain of truth somewhere in there."

The man began ambling ahead. "I will leave you to figure it out for yourselves."

The gravel and leaves crunched under his feet as he continued to depart the spot while the melodious tunes of a folk song emanated from his mouth and reverberated in the silent surroundings. As if in a trance, the four continued to stare at the back of the man and listened to the song he crooned without batting an eye.

When a hyena laughed at a distance, Aman jolted back into attention. "We don't have much time. Let's get back to work."

Ayush picked up the shovel he had dropped earlier and resumed scooping mud and silt from the location highlighted on the map.

***

The owls hooted, and the crows encircled the palace, cawing and fluttering. The scratching and rustling of the bats created a ruckus while the roar of the winds picked up pace. Hyenas and tigers could be heard in the forests nearby while the consistent grumbling of dark clouds continued to resound inside the fort. The eerie silence from earlier was overtaken completely by a series of cacophonies after the weird-looking preta announced the entry of a divine power inside the premises. However, amidst all the din, Rudra could hear her loud and clear.