(#1 in hauntedmantion)
Ruhi's life has always been overshadowed by something dark. A haunting presence, a cursed bungalow, and the lingering ghost of her twin sister, threaten to destroy everything she holds dear. But when a mysterious figure from t...
The doorbell rang, startling me out of my thoughts. I hurried to the door, still reeling from my earlier conversation with Ruhan. The unease in his voice had lingered with me, though I couldn't quite put my finger on why.
As I opened the door, Esha stood there, her face pale and drawn, her usual vibrant energy replaced by a somber stillness.
"Esha?" I said, surprised. "What are you doing here at this hour?"
She hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line before she spoke. "I... have bad news."
Her voice was unusually low, almost hesitant, and it sent a chill down my spine.
Before I could ask more, Ruhan came down the stairs. His footsteps were heavy, and when his eyes landed on Esha, his expression darkened. Esha's gaze flicked to him, lingering in a way that made the tension in the room almost unbearable.
"What happened, Esha?" I asked, stepping between them. "What's the bad news?"
Esha turned to me, her face etched with something between sorrow and unease. "It's Sounak... He's in the hospital. There was an accident."
Her words felt like a physical blow. My breath hitched, and the room spun around me.
"No... no, that can't be true."
Tears welled up in my eyes, and my chest tightened with grief so intense it felt like I couldn't breathe.
Without thinking, I brushed past Ruhan, who called after me in alarm, and followed Esha to her car. The cold night air bit at my skin, but I barely noticed.
I jumped into the passenger seat, my hands trembling as Esha started the engine. The silence in the car was thick, broken only by the sound of my sobs.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"How can this be?" I choked out, wiping my tears with shaky hands. "When did it happen?"
"In the evening," Esha replied, her voice quiet and measured.
I turned to her, desperation clawing at my chest. "How do you know? Did someone call you?"
"Yes," she said simply, her face half-hidden in the dim glow of the dashboard.
Her tone was calm-too calm. Something about it made unease creep into my mind.
"It's all my fault," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Sounak's accident... it must be because of me. I'm the reason."
To my shock, Esha's lips curled into a faint, unsettling smile. "You're right," she said softly, almost mockingly.
I turned to her, my tear-streaked face twisting in confusion. "What? What do you mean?"
"It's your fault," she repeated, her tone sharper now, the smile on her face morphing into something dark and unnatural.
My stomach dropped. "Esha, are you okay? What's wrong with you?"
Her eyes flicked to me, and for the first time, I noticed something in them that made my blood run cold. It wasn't Esha-not really.
"Yes, I'm fine," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "But you... you won't be okay now."
My breath caught in my throat. "What are you talking about?"
Without warning, Esha pressed harder on the accelerator, the car lurching forward. The world outside blurred as the vehicle sped up, faster and faster.
"Esha, stop! What are you doing?" I screamed, gripping the seat in terror. "Are you mad? Stop the car!"
But she only laughed-a sound that sent shivers down my spine. It was cold, eerie, and filled with something far more sinister than anger.
"I will take from you all whom you love," she said, her voice loud and twisted.
The realization hit me like a thunderclap. This wasn't Esha. This was something-or someone-else. My mind raced as I pieced it together.
"Who are you?" I shouted, my voice trembling but firm.
She turned to me, her eyes glinting with malevolence. "Hina," she said, her voice low and venomous.
The name sent a jolt of shock through me. Hina! It all made sense now-the strange behavior, the malice, the smile that didn't belong to Esha.
I refused to succumb to fear. My tears dried, and my panic transformed into something fierce and resolute. Meeting her cold gaze, I whispered, "Nice to meet you."
Before she could react, I reached for the steering wheel and yanked it hard to the right.
The car swerved violently off the road, crashing into a tree with a deafening screech of metal.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
---
Ruhan's POV...
I paced the room, unease gnawing at my chest. Something was wrong-terribly wrong. The moment Esha had walked in, I had felt it. Her gaze lingered too long, her demeanor too strange. This wasn't Esha, or at least not entirely.
Grabbing my keys, I rushed out the door. The pendant, the strange events, the heavy tension-it all pointed to one thing. Ruhi was in danger, and Esha-or whatever had taken over her-was the cause.
I sped down the dark streets, my mind racing. One name kept echoing in my thoughts: Hina.
She had haunted Ruhi's past, tormented her dreams, and now, she was back-stronger and more dangerous. The spirit's grip on Esha was undeniable, and her target was clear: Ruhi.
I couldn't let it happen. Not again.
I pressed harder on the accelerator, desperate to reach Ruhi before Hina could do any more damage.
