TANGLED IN THE SHADOWS

Part -8

When Ishan and Krunal returned to the dorm room, they found Hardik and Rahul sleeping peacefully, a rare sight considering the turmoil they had been through. Ishan gently shook Hardik's shoulder, waking him up.

"Hardik, we need to go. Now," Ishan whispered urgently.

Hardik blinked sleepily, his mind slowly processing the urgency in Ishan's voice. "What's going on?"

Krunal chimed in, his tone serious. "No time to explain everything right now. We just need to get out of here."

Rahul stirred awake, looking around groggily. "Is everything okay?"

"Not really," Ishan said. "But we'll be safe if we leave now. Come on, get up."

As they quickly gathered their things, Shubman stood by the door, hesitating for a moment. Ishan noticed and asked, "What's wrong, Shubman?"

Shubman frowned, a thought crossing his mind. "We should leave letters for the institute, explaining why we're gone. It’s only practical."

Ishan groaned in frustration. "Really? Now’s not the time for that."

Shubman shrugged apologetically. "We need to cover our bases, Ishan."

Reluctantly, they scribbled quick notes and left them on their desks, explaining their sudden departure as a family emergency. With that out of the way, they hurried out of the dormitory and piled into Krunal's car.

As they drove away from the campus, Hardik snuggled closer to Rahul, seeking comfort in his presence. "Rahul," he whispered, "did you hear that? Someone was calling my name."

Rahul wrapped an arm around Hardik, trying to soothe him. "It's okay, Hardik. We're leaving that place behind. Just try to relax."

In the rush of the moment, none of them noticed that Shubman's kalava, the sacred red thread meant to protect him, was loosening around his wrist. As the car sped away, the faint whispers of laughter echoed from the distant haunted palace, growing louder and more menacing.

From the backseat, Ishan noticed Shubman staring out the window, his face pale. "Shubman, are you alright?" he asked.

Shubman nodded absently, his eyes distant. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just... thinking about everything."

Krunal glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "We'll get through this, Shubman. Just stay strong."

Shubman managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Krunal."

As they drove further away, Hardik's unease grew. "I can't shake this feeling," he said softly. "Like we're not really safe yet."

Rahul kissed Hardik's forehead, trying to calm him. "We’ll be okay, Hardik. We just need to stay together."

Unknown to them, the kalava loosened around Shubman's wrist silently. The malevolent presence from the palace had already found its way back into their lives, weaving its dark influence unnoticed.

The laughter from the castle grew louder, a chilling reminder that the entity had not given up on them. Shubman, once again, was being drawn into a nightmare he thought he had escaped. The ominous sense of impending doom lingered, promising that their ordeal was far from over.

💞💞💞

By morning, the group reached the outskirts of Ranchi, exhausted but relieved to have put some distance between themselves and the haunted palace. They pulled into a small hotel, the only one they could find open for breakfast.

As they entered, the rustic charm of the place was undeniable, but Shubman hesitated, eyeing the surroundings skeptically. "Guys, are we sure about this place? It doesn’t look very... hygienic," he muttered.

Krunal glanced around and shrugged. "It's the best we’ve got for now. We need to eat something and figure out our next move."

Hardik, trying to lighten the mood, nudged Shubman playfully. "Come on, Shubman. We've faced ghosts. How bad can the food be?"

Reluctantly, Shubman sat down with the others, still feeling uneasy. As they were handed menus, a new figure approached and sat down near Shubman. He was a rugged-looking man, with grease-stained clothes and an air of quiet confidence.

"You won't find better food around here," the man said, without looking up from his menu. "If you don’t like it here, you won't like it anywhere."

Shubman frowned, about to voice another protest, but something in the man’s tone silenced him. He reluctantly picked up the menu and chose something simple.

Throughout the meal, Shubman ate in silence, still feeling uneasy. When the mysterious man finished his meal and got up to leave, Shubman couldn’t suppress his curiosity.

"Excuse me, what's your name?" he asked.

The man paused, staring at Shubman with an inscrutable expression. Without a word, he turned and walked out of the hotel.

Confused, Shubman turned to the hotel cook who had been watching the exchange with mild interest. "Who was that guy?"

The cook, a middle-aged man with a friendly demeanor, chuckled. "That's Jadeja. He’s a mechanic around here. Doesn’t talk much, but he knows this place better than anyone."

"Why did he sit with us?" Rahul asked, intrigued.

The cook shrugged. "He does what he wants. Maybe he sensed you guys needed some advice. Or maybe he just wanted company for breakfast."

Ishan, trying to piece things together, leaned forward. "Does he always act so mysterious?"

The cook nodded. "Yep, that’s Jadeja for you. Keeps to himself mostly. If he took an interest in you, consider yourselves lucky."

Hardik, feeling a strange sense of relief, laughed softly. "Well, at least we know we're eating at the best place around here."

As they finished their meal, they couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Jadeja than met the eye. Whether he was just a mechanic or something more, his presence had added another layer of mystery to their already complicated situation.

They paid for their breakfast and got back in the car, the encounter with Jadeja lingering in their minds. As they drove away from the small hotel, Shubman tried to feel the kalava, hoping it would hold against the unseen forces still haunting them.

"Where to next?" Krunal asked, looking at the others.

"Let's find a safe place to stay for a while," Ishan suggested. "We need time to think and figure out our next steps."

The group nodded in agreement, the uncertainty of their situation weighing heavily on them. As they drove further into Ranchi, they couldn't shake the feeling that their encounter with Jadeja was a sign—whether of hope or further trouble, only time would tell.