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The final hunting (chapter 1)
Chapter 1: Nightmares and Ghosts

Mahesh is driving his car back home after a long day of work, while on the phone with his friend Abhijeet, discussing their business strategies and plans. He notices that the road is leading him towards a mental asylum that had been closed for a few years due to some paranormal activities. Mahesh has heard rumors about the asylum being haunted by the spirits of the patients who had died there under mysterious circumstances. As he passes the asylum, Mahesh feels a sense of unease and notices the building looks desolate and abandoned, with broken windows and overgrown vegetation. Despite the unsettling feeling, he brushes off the rumors as mere superstitions.

Mahesh's heart was pounding against his chest as he drove through the dark, deserted road. The trees on both sides of the road seemed to reach out and grab at him as if trying to pull him towards the dreaded asylum. The headlights of his car flickered, casting eerie shadows on the desolate road. His friend Abhijeet's voice on the phone was the only thing keeping him company, but even that was not enough to dispel his unease.

As he passed the asylum, Mahesh couldn't shake off the feeling that something was watching him. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and a chill ran down his spine. The building loomed over him, casting an ominous shadow on the road. Mahesh tried to brush off his fear as mere superstition, but deep down, he knew that something was not right.

As his car engine stalled, Mahesh's heart rate increased, and he felt a sense of dread wash over him. He tried to restart the engine, but it wouldn't budge. He was stranded on the deserted road, alone and vulnerable. The silence was deafening, and the darkness seemed to be closing in on him.

Suddenly, he heard a faint whisper coming from the direction of the asylum. The woman's voice grew louder and more desperate, and Mahesh felt compelled to investigate. Despite his fear, he cautiously made his way towards the asylum. The creaking of the rusted metal gate sent shivers down his spine, and the crunching of leaves under his feet echoed through the deserted grounds.

As Mahesh got closer to the asylum, he saw a figure standing in front of the entrance. It was a woman, dressed in a tattered white gown, with long, tangled hair covering her face. Her eyes glowed in the darkness, and Mahesh felt a wave of terror wash over him. He tried to turn back and run, but his feet felt rooted to the ground. The woman started to walk towards him, her steps slow and deliberate. Mahesh felt a cold breeze blowing, and suddenly, the woman's face became visible.

Her eyes were bloodshot, and her mouth stretched unnaturally wide, as if it was trying to consume him whole. She reached out her bony, pale hand towards him, and Mahesh screamed in terror. The woman's fingers brushed against his face, and he felt a cold, clammy touch. Suddenly, everything went dark, and Mahesh felt himself being pulled towards the asylum.

The next morning, Vijay received a phone call from Abhijeet, Mahesh's friend and business partner. Abhijeet broke the news that Mahesh had passed away the previous night in a mysterious incident near a closed mental asylum. Shocked and saddened by the news, Vijay promised to attend Mahesh's funeral in Pune. He quickly packed his bags along with his wife Saniya and their daughter Shreya and headed to the funeral.

As they reached the funeral, Vijay was greeted by his two business partners and best friends, Abhijeet and Sameer. The three of them had started a successful business venture with Mahesh, and they were all devastated by his sudden and tragic death.

The funeral was held at a serene cemetery, surrounded by lush green trees and a tranquil pond. The atmosphere was somber, and the air was filled with grief and sorrow. The cemetery was well-maintained, with rows of graves and headstones marking the final resting places of loved ones. The grass was neatly trimmed, and flowers were placed on some of the graves, adding to the peacefulness of the surroundings.

After paying their respects to Mahesh and offering their condolences to his family, Vijay, Saniya, and Shreya stood by Abhijeet and Sameer, who were struggling to come to terms with their loss. As the ceremony came to an end, Vijay noticed that the mental asylum, which was visible from the cemetery, seemed to be beckoning him. He felt a strange pull towards the abandoned building, as if something was calling out to him.

But he brushed off the feeling as mere paranoia, caused by the tragic circumstances surrounding Mahesh's death. He hugged his friends and bid them goodbye, promising to stay in touch and offer support in any way he could.

Vijay, Saniya, and Shreya headed back to their old house, a small but cozy place that they had lived in for many years. The house had seen better days, with faded paint on the walls and creaky wooden floors. The furniture was old and worn out, but it had a certain charm that made it feel like home. The living room had a large sofa and a coffee table, with family photos and trinkets scattered around the room. The kitchen was small but functional, with a gas stove and a refrigerator.

As they entered the house, Saniya immediately started cleaning the house, while Shreya sat on the sofa playing on her phone. Vijay, on the other hand, couldn't stop thinking about the mental asylum and the mysterious circumstances surrounding Mahesh's death. As the night fell, they all went to bed, exhausted from the long day. But Vijay's mind was restless, and he kept tossing and turning, unable to shake off the feeling of unease.

In the middle of the night, his phone rang, and it was Sameer on the other end. Sameer delivered the shocking news that Mahesh's wife had committed suicide. Vijay was stunned, but he tried to rationalize the tragedy, thinking that she couldn't bear the loss of her husband. Vijay decided not to tell anything to his wife, as he didn't want to worry her unnecessarily.

Next day:

It was a sultry summer evening in Pune, and Vijay and Soniya had decided to go shopping for their new home. The vibrant market was bustling with people, and the aromas of spices and street food filled the air. As they walked, they noticed a quaint antique shop that caught their attention. They couldn't resist the urge to step inside and explore the intriguing collection of old artifacts.

As they ventured deeper into the shop, the shelves seemed to tower over them, packed with an assortment of antique objects that had survived the test of time. The room was filled with a musty scent, and dust motes floated in the air, illuminated by the beams of sunlight streaming in through the windows.

As they rummaged through the items, Vijay's eyes fell upon an ornate brass lamp that caught his fancy. He picked it up and examined it closely, marveling at the intricate etchings that adorned its surface. Soniya noticed a tattered book on a nearby shelf and began flipping through its yellowed pages, taking in the musty scent of ancient parchment.

Later that night, Vijay had a harrowing nightmare that left him drenched in sweat. In his dream, he saw a woman with wild hair and piercing eyes holding a knife to Soniya's throat. He was paralyzed with fear and unable to move as the woman spoke to him. "Your second wife is very beautiful," she said before vanishing into thin air. The dream left Vijay feeling uneasy and disturbed, his heart pounding in his chest.

As the night progressed, the doorbell rang, and Vijay went to answer it. It was his old college friend Sameer, covered in blood and trembling with fear. "She's back," Sameer said in a quivering voice. "She killed my family in front of me. She's back!" Vijay asked who's back "your first wife is back " sameer shouted Sameer kept repeating the same thing over and over again.

Suddenly, something grabbed Sameer, and he was yanked away into the darkness, leaving Vijay petrified with fear. His heart racing, he quickly woke up Soniya, explaining that they needed to leave for Bangalore immediately due to an urgent problem at his office. Soniya agreed, and they began to pack their belongings as quickly as possible, grabbing only what they could carry with them. Vijay's mind was racing with fear and uncertainty, unsure of what the future would hold.

As they drove away, Vijay couldn't shake the feeling that something was following them. The road was quiet, and the air was filled with a chilly mist as they drove away from Pune. Soniya and their daughter were chatting excitedly, completely unaware of Vijay's unease. He kept his eyes focused on the road ahead, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being followed. Every so often, he would glance in the rearview mirror, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary. And, he didn't want to worry his wife and daughter, so he kept quiet and tried to join in on their laughter and jokes.

As they passed through a dense jungle on a foggy night, Vijay's car suddenly stopped. He tried to start the car again, but it wouldn't budge. Suddenly, he saw a figure walking towards him, and his heart began to race with fear. It was his first wife, slowly walking towards him with a knife in her hand. Her hair was wild, and her eyes were filled with an unfathomable darkness that sent shivers down his spine.

Vijay was paralyzed with terror, unable to move or speak. He quickly turned the key, and the car roared to life. As he drove backward, the car hit a tree, and Vijay lost consciousness.

When he woke up, he found himself alone. His wife and daughter were nowhere to be seen. He noticed a note lying next to him that read, "If you want to see your wife and daughter, come to our old house, where we started our journey."

Vijay knew exactly where that was. It was their old house, where they had lived before moving to their new home. He got out of the car and made his way to the old house. To his surprise, the front door was wide open. Inside, he could hear the sound of footsteps and a woman's eerie laughter echoing through the halls.

@spring22 @Silly.Soul
© Anurag Tiwari