The group cautiously entered the pitch-black room, their breaths shallow and hearts pounding. The door creaked as it shut behind them, sealing them inside. Their flashlights flickered, casting eerie shadows on the damp stone walls. The room was vast, empty, and suffocatingly silent, as if the darkness itself was alive, watching their every move.
"Mahi bhai?" Jaddu called out, his voice trembling and echoing into the void. "Are you in here?"
A faint, strained voice answered from the darkness. "Help… me…"
The sound was haunting yet familiar, tugging at their hope. Without thinking, they ventured further into the room, the sound of their footsteps reverberating like a drumbeat of dread. The air grew colder, sharp as needles against their skin, and with every step, the whispers around them grew louder, sinister and mocking. They seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once.
"Sonu bhaiya, does it sound like him?" Rutu asked, his voice barely audible.
Sonu, pale with fear, whispered back, "It does… but something feels off. It doesn’t feel… real."
"Shh!" Jinks snapped, his eyes scanning the darkness. "Stay close. We can’t risk splitting up."
Ahead, a large, ancient door loomed, its surface carved with strange symbols that seemed to writhe in the faint flashlight beams. The air around it felt heavier, pressing against their chests like an invisible weight.
"Mahi bhai could be behind that door" Tushar said, his voice cracking with uncertainty.
Rutu hesitated but stepped forward, his hand reaching for the rusty handle. As his fingers touched the cold metal, a loud voice boomed through the room.
"ARE YOU'LL HERE??"
All froze.
"It’s Mahi bhai! He’s downstairs!" Sonu suddenly exclaimed, his voice trembling.
"Then… who was that?" Rutu stammered, jerking his hand away from the door and stumbling back.
"It’s another trap" Jinks whispered, his face pale as death. "We have to leave. Now."
Without another moment’s hesitation, they turned and bolted towards the staircase, their breaths ragged and panic clawing at their minds. The house seemed to pulse around them, its walls closing in as if alive. The whispers followed them, now more like screams, blending with an inhuman growl that echoed through the halls.
As they descended the stairs, their flashlights caught a familiar figure at the bottom..Mahi, standing alongside the driver. Relief washed over them like a flood, and they nearly collapsed at the sight.
"It’s him. It’s Mahi bhai!' Jaddu said, gasping for air.
But just as they began to rush down to him, a figure materialized on the staircase above them. It was a woman, impossibly beautiful, yet terrifyingly otherworldly.
Her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders, her piercing eyes glowing faintly, and her crimson saree seemed to shimmer in the dim light. Her lips curled into a smile, and her voice, soft yet commanding, froze them in their tracks.
"Don’t go!" she pleaded, her voice tinged with sorrow. "Please… don’t leave. Go back to the room… it’s safer there."
The team stared at her, entranced. Her beauty was hypnotic, and her words felt like a lullaby, lulling their fear. Their bodies refused to move, their minds clouded with a strange, heavy fog.
Mahi, standing below, immediately noticed their unnatural stillness. He didn’t need to look to know who it was. His hand tightened around the vial of holy water in his pocket, and with a swift motion, he flung a few drops toward the stairs.
