The Haunted Fortress of Bhangarh: Book 1

2. The serpent tattoo

Siya was exasperated with the response, or the lack thereof, that she had garnered from her friends. "You have never heard of Bhangarh?" She huffed. "It's only the most haunted place in India."

A fortress. War. Blood. The girl. A serpent tattoo. A sword. A horse. The blue sky. The dying breath.

Rudra had to blink his eyes a few times to get rid of the fleeting images his subconscious mind was pushing forth.

"Haunted?" Ranvir snorted. "As in ghosts?"

Siya clicked her tongue. "Yes, as in ghosts. It is a 17th-century fortress that was apparently abandoned overnight. They say it is haunted, which is why even the government does not allow anyone to stay back after sundown. Weird things happen to people who choose to stay there at night."

An ominous silence befell the table at her declaration, and she waited patiently for her friends to respond. Her eyes raked over the faces of the five of them. Ranvir had his lips puckered while Ayush was scratching his head. Aman and Surbhi were exchanging furtive glances with one another while Rudra seemed to be lost in his own train of thought as he unmindfully scribbled his initials on the plastic table with his nails.

He was pondering over the warmth seeping through his body at the mere mention of the town. The random images his brain was spitting also troubled him, and he had to keep blinking vigorously to rid himself of the strange scenes playing like a movie reel inside his delusional mind. Taking a deep breath, he chose to voice out the intrigue ruling his heart. "Where is it exactly?"

Siya shrugged. "Somewhere in Rajasthan. Will have to scour the web for more info."

Surbhi's nose scrunched up. "But ghosts? Do you think we should visit if there are ghosts in the town?"

Aman and Ayush burst out laughing and high-fived each other. The former poked Surbhi's puffed-up cheeks as the girl had taken offense to the boys snorting at her expense. "Ghosts are just a figment of our imagination," he said.

"Of course!" Ranvir snickered. Assuming a deep gravelly tone, rounding his shoulders, he raised his arms midair, curling his fingers, widening his eyes, and imitating a spirit. "Beware, mere mortals! I am a ghost, and I will snatch your donut from you."

Biting his lips, Rudra tried to prevent it, but ultimately, he snickered and burst out laughing, followed by Ayush and Aman too. All because of Ranvir's playful antics.

Surbhi huffed. "But what if they are real?"

Rudra flicked Surbhi's forehead. "Stop exhibiting stupidity. They are real," he scoffed in derision, "and I am the next Prime Minister of India."

Surbhi pursed her lips and glowered at the guffawing boys. "Be serious for a moment!" she screeched.

"I am super scared," Ranvir said in a squeaky voice with his eyes widened. "Save me, Surbhi. I am scared of ghosts."

Irked and irritated with the way the boys were making fun of her, Surbhi twisted her lips and rolled her eyes. "Do whatever the hell you want."

Siya looked up from her phone's screen. She had been utilizing the time others spent squabbling with each other to gather more information about the place they wished to visit. "Listen to me now. We can actually go there. It's an exotic place close to Alwar. Nestled between hills, pristine nature surrounding the fort from all sides, situated on a gradient, lying in ruins. It's beautiful."

A fortress. War. Blood. The girl. A serpent tattoo. A sword. A horse. The blue sky. The dying breath.

Rudra let out a sharp breath as the images floated through his mind yet again. The inexplicable and unprecedented pull he experienced because of the description Siya gave and the scenes he had witnessed in his dreams were sufficient for him to perceptibly nod his head in approval. "Yes, we should go," he mumbled.