Venkatesh stepped forward and said politely,
"Excuse me, sir. Could you help us? Our car has broken down."
Aarav watched as the protagonist stepped out of the car.
He was around twenty-four years old—fit, tall, and undeniably handsome. After getting out, he walked straight to Venkatesh's car and asked,
"What happened?"
Venkatesh replied, "I'm not sure. A raven suddenly crashed into our windshield, and right after that the engine shut down and started smoking."
The young man bent down to inspect the engine. After a moment, he adjusted a few wires, reconnected one of them, and wrapped it tightly with black tape that he pulled from another cable.
Then he looked up and said, "Try starting it now."
Venkatesh returned to the driver's seat and turned the key.
The car started on the very first try.
Everyone's faces lit up with relief and happiness.
Venkatesh got out immediately, shook the man's hand, and said warmly,
"Thank you. Thank you so much. My name is Venkatesh."
The man smiled and shook his hand back.
"I'm Vikram. And these are my friends—Nikhil and Aliya."
"Nice to meet you, Vikram," Venkatesh said. "Why don't we have lunch together? I insist."
Vikram hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."
---
After driving for a while, they stopped at a roadside dhaba and sat together, talking.
Vikram said in surprise, "Really? You're also going to that village? And you're from Mumbai too?"
Venkatesh asked, equally surprised, "You mean you are going there as well?"
Vikram nodded. "Yes. We just finished our studies and decided to go on a holiday. We thought—why not spend it in Nikhil's village? He's from there. Aliya and I live in Mumbai with him."
Venkatesh smiled.
"Wow, that's amazing. My wife is also from the same village. We're going back there after a long time. What a coincidence—going to the same village, our car breaks down, and we meet kind people like you who help us. These days, people like this are hard to find."
Aliya, who had been quietly listening, suddenly turned to Shakshi with excitement.
"Sister, I've heard there are some haunted stories about that village."
At those words, both Aarav and Venkatesh became alert.
Aarav asked sharply, "Haunted… you mean ghosts?"
Vikram waved it off.
"Come on, those are just stories meant to scare kids. Every village has silly rumors like that."
Aliya laughed.
"True or not, they're exciting. That's why we came. Otherwise, why would I spend my holidays in a boring village?"
Shakshi replied calmly,
"It's not boring at all. There are beautiful places—waterfalls, rivers, hills, gardens, ponds, even caves."
Aarav blinked in shock.
"All that… in one village?"
"Yes," Shakshi said proudly. "My village is like that. If people stopped spreading ghost stories, it would be even better."
Aliya smiled mischievously.
"But stories are what make life interesting."
Aarav nodded eagerly.
"Yes. Yes, I agree with you."
Aliya turned to him, eyes shining.
"Do you like horror stories?"
"Of course," Aarav replied. "I'm so inspired by them that I want to become a tantrik."
Vikram looked at Venkatesh, confused.
"Does your son always talk like this, or is he joking?"
Kirti replied immediately,
"Believe me, the doctor has officially certified him as crazy."
Aarav protested,
"Hey! According to the doctor, I'm perfectly fine."
Kirti smirked.
"Physically, yes. Mentally, even the doctor agrees your brain is a bit… twisted."
Vikram laughed.
"We have one like that in our group too."
He pointed at Aliya.
Aliya puffed her cheeks in mock anger.
Everyone burst out laughing.
---
As evening approached, they left the dhaba and continued toward the village.
Soon, they reached a large board where a road branched off to the left. A massive gate stood there, and a signboard read:
JAMNIPALI
The moment Aarav read the village's name, his expression changed.
He remembered.
Now he understood which story this was.
By now, Aarav had guessed it completely.
This was a horror story—one filled with many characters, many powers, a demon and its worshippers, and the one who stood against them all.
The protagonist was Vikram.
A city boy who didn't believe in superstition even by one percent.
But after coming to this village, both his vision and his personality would change.
The things he once dismissed as blind faith would force themselves upon him as reality.
This was a story of love, revenge…
and the Devil itself.
For a while, both cars continued along the same road. Then, near a house, Venkatesh slowed down and brought his car to a stop.
Almost at the same time, Vikram parked his car in front of the neighboring house.
One by one, everyone stepped out of their vehicles.
Vikram and Venkatesh exchanged a brief nod—no words, just a quiet acknowledgment—before turning toward their respective houses.
At that moment, the gate of Venkatesh's house opened.
Shakshi's mother stepped out. She was an elderly woman, her body frail with age, but the moment her eyes fell on Shakshi, her face lit up with joy.
"Oh, you've finally arrived!" she said happily. "Wait here for a moment."
She went back inside and soon returned with an aarti plate in her hands. She performed their aarti and only then allowed them to enter the house.
The house was two stories tall—slightly larger than most village homes, but still simple.
On the other hand, the house where Vikram and his friends stayed was a single-story structure. Since no one was home at Nikhil's place, they had to manage everything themselves.
Back at Shakshi's house, Venkatesh was being welcomed warmly. After all, it was the first time their son-in-law had come to their home. In celebration, special dishes had been prepared.
Seeing all this, Kirti said in amazement,
"Wow, Dad! You never told us you're so respected here."
Venkatesh replied calmly,
"Focus on your food, beta."
Shakshi's family consisted of her parents and a younger brother. But her brother was nowhere to be seen.
Noticing this, Shakshi asked,
"Maa, where is Kishor?"
Her mother replied,
"He works at the haveli. He'll come later."
"What's a haveli?" Kirti asked curiously.
Venkatesh sighed.
"Now we'll have to explain even that. It means a mansion."
Kirti's curiosity didn't stop.
"Whose mansion?"
Shakshi's father answered,
"The Badi Maalkin's haveli."
"And who is the Badi Maalkin?" Kirti asked again.
This time, Aarav answered,
"Basically, the richest family in this area. The owner is a woman."
Shakshi's father nodded.
"Yes, but the Badi Maalkin has been missing for a long time. No one knows where she is. For now, her son—Vijay Pratap, the Chhote Malik—handles everything. These days, he's thinking of contesting elections. Kishor works with him, organizing rallies and such."
After some time, they were taken to the room prepared for them.
Kirti looked around and asked,
"Where's my bed? Where am I supposed to sleep?"
Shakshi replied clearly,
"There's only one bed—for everyone."
"What?" Kirti exclaimed.
Before anyone could react, Aarav jumped onto the bed, closed his eyes, and pretended to fall asleep instantly. Seeing this, Kirti quickly lay down beside him.
Venkatesh and Shakshi sighed, exchanged a look, and smiled faintly.
---
The next morning, sunlight streamed into the room.
Venkatesh woke up and noticed Aarav was missing. He stepped outside and saw Shakshi's mother sweeping the courtyard.
"Maa, have you seen Aarav?" he asked.
She replied casually,
"He went to the temple."
"The temple?" Venkatesh asked in surprise.
"Yes," she said. "With the new girl who moved in next door. Very well-mannered girl."
Inside his head, Venkatesh muttered,
"Yeah… just one screw loose."
---
At the temple, Aarav stood before the Shivling, his hands folded. Beside him, Aliya was offering water, then flowers. She lit a diya, incense sticks, performed aarti for all the deities, offered bhog, and finally handed prasad to Aarav.
Aarav was confused.
According to the plot he remembered, Aliya was supposed to be one of the evil entities—someone with dark powers. And yet, here she was, entering a temple, worshipping God without any difficulty.
Was it because she was the heroine?
Or because she hadn't remembered her past yet and was currently in a normal human body?
Aarav knew one thing for sure—
Even after remembering everything, she wouldn't change much. She was kind at heart. That was why the demon had killed her in the first place.
But who knew she would be reborn?
Maybe only the writer… or the plot itself.
Aliya noticed Aarav staring at her for a long time.
Blushing slightly, she asked,
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Nothing," Aarav replied. "I was just thinking. Do you go to the temple every day?"
"No," Aliya said. "Only on Mondays."
Aarav nodded, and the two of them started walking back toward their homes, chatting along the way.
Aliya asked,
"Do you really want to become a tantrik?"
Aarav laughed lightly.
"That was just a joke."
Then he told her about a prank he once played on his father, which ended with his parents taking him to a doctor.
Aliya burst into laughter after hearing everything.
Soon, they reached Aarav's house.
Aarav noticed his father, Venkatesh, standing near the gate with his arms crossed, clearly waiting—and watching.
Aliya greeted him politely, handed him prasad, and said with a smile,
"Aarav is very cute."
Aarav immediately replied,
"You're very cute too."
Aliya blushed, waved goodbye, and said,
"Okay, see you later," before walking away.
Venkatesh watched as Aarav waved back at her, smiling brightly.
Then he said firmly,
"She's six years older than you."
Aarav looked at him, confused.
"So what? Friendship isn't decided by age."
Saying that, Aarav walked inside.
Watching him go, Venkatesh muttered to himself,
"It would be better if it really is just friendship."
It was evening.
Aarav sat cross-legged on the terrace, his eyes closed, his breathing slow and controlled. Whenever he found time these days, he searched for places where he could be alone—places where no one would disturb him while he practiced sadhna.
He was trying to create a new cultivation technique.
Again.
And once again, it failed.
Every time he reached a crucial point, the flow scattered, his focus shattered, as if something invisible refused to let the technique take shape.
Today was no different.
Just as he settled into practice, a familiar voice echoed from below.
"Aarav!"
Aliya's voice.
Aarav let out a slow breath. His sadhna broke apart instantly.
He opened his eyes.
"…Again," he muttered.
Standing up, he made his way downstairs. As he reached the bottom, he saw Aliya and Kirti standing together.
Kirti spoke first.
"We're going out for a walk. Are you coming?"
Aarav nodded immediately.
"Of course. With cute Aliya, I'd go anywhere."
Aliya instantly blushed.
Kirti shot him an irritated look.
"Go flirt with girls your own age."
Aarav tilted his head, pretending to be confused.
"Flirting? What does flirting mean?"
Kirti glared at him like she might actually eat him alive.
Meanwhile, Aliya answered innocently, genuinely trying to help.
"Flirting means—"
"You don't need to explain," Kirti interrupted quickly.
Aarav smiled brightly and turned to Aliya.
"Shall we go, dear Aliya?"
Aliya smiled back.
"Of course, cute Aarav."
Kirti froze.
Her brain completely hung.
Aliya… was actually responding to his flirting?
What exactly was going on here?
Shaking her head, Kirti decided not to overthink it. Soon, the three of them stepped outside, where Vikram and Nikhil were already waiting.
Another boy stood with them.
Nikhil introduced him.
"This is Aditya. My childhood friend."
The moment Aarav saw him, his expression stiffened.
So this is where the plot truly begins…
Aditya—just like Aliya—was an evil being who believed himself to be human. In this life, he had been born from an evil witch. In his previous life, however, he had been the protagonist's brother.
And Aliya?
She had been the twin sister of that same evil witch.
In a single glance, Aarav understood the tangled web of relationships between these three.
Aliya had once been Aditya's aunt.
Aditya had once been Vikram's brother.
Logically, Aliya and Vikram should have shared a connection.
But in their previous lives… they didn't.
Aarav's head began to hurt.
"…Forget it," he decided. "Thinking about this will drive me insane."
The truth was simple.
Aliya was a tragic heroine.
Because she carried fragments of both an evil being and the Demon King, she would one day sacrifice herself to save the world. Later, she would be reborn as the protagonist's daughter.
Yes—this was a horror story.
There was no romance between the hero and heroine.
They felt for each other, but never confessed.
In the end, Aliya sacrificed herself again. Aditya followed, sealing the Demon Realm forever. All demonic entities were destroyed, their life forces dragged back to hell.
Only Vikram survived.
He lived on with a tragic story—one he would later tell his daughter.
Her name would be Aliya.
And in the post-credit scene, it would be revealed that she still carried the same powers.
Nothing more would be explained.
---
Aditya led the group around the village, acting as their guide. He knew every corner—taking them to temples, then to a waterfall, where they enjoyed a small picnic.
As evening approached, they began heading back, nearing Aditya's house.
That's when they saw it.
A well.
The moment Aliya noticed it, her curiosity ignited.
She pointed toward it and asked,
"What's that? And why is it covered like this?"
Before anyone could stop her, she began walking toward the well.
Aditya spoke sharply.
"Don't go near it. An evil witch is sealed inside."
That only made Aliya more excited.
She stood beside the well and noticed a circular formation carved into the ground—symbols and patterns forming an eerie design.
She asked,
"And these markings?"
Aditya replied in a mysterious tone,
"These aren't drawings. They're tantric seals."
He continued,
"A long time ago, this village was cursed by an evil witch. People died almost every day. Everyone knew the cause. Before dying, the witch cursed the village—she swore she would return, kill everyone, and turn the entire place into a cremation ground."
"Finally," he said, "with the help of a powerful tantrik, the villagers sealed her inside this well."
Kirti shivered.
"That's… very spooky."
Vikram scoffed.
"Stop scaring them with fake stories."
Aditya replied calmly,
"It's not fake. She's really sealed here."
Vikram asked,
"Have you seen her?"
Aditya shook his head.
"No. But that's what the villagers say."
Vikram snorted.
"Villagers say a lot of things. That doesn't make them true. This is just a made-up story. No one can survive inside a well for that long."
Aarav watched Vikram silently.
Just like the story.
A complete non-believer.
But not for long.
Suddenly, Aliya touched the lid of the well—and instantly pulled her hand back.
Everyone saw it.
A cut had appeared on her finger. Blood dripped slowly… and a few drops fell onto the sealed lid.
Aarav's heart sank.
According to the story… this was all the witch's doing.
Even their arrival in this village had been her scheme.
No—more than a scheme.
It was fate.
Without Aliya, Vikram would never have come here. Without coming here, none of them would have survived.
Vikram grabbed Aliya's hand anxiously.
"Are you okay?"
Before anyone else could react, Aarav pulled out a bandage.
"I thought injuries like this might happen in the village, so I bought some beforehand."
Aliya smiled softly.
"Thank you."
Aarav gently wrapped the bandage around her finger.
Nikhil laughed.
"Bro, if you don't do something soon, this little kid will steal Aliya from you."
Vikram brushed it off.
"Shut up. Nothing like that will happen."
And then—
The wind roared.
Darkness spread unnaturally fast.
Smoke rose from the ground.
With a violent blast, the lid of the well flew into the air and crashed far away.
Everyone froze in terror.
Aditya screamed,
"We're done for! The evil witch is free—RUN!"
They ran.
Aarav turned back.
From the well, a woman emerged—floating in midair. She wore a bride's dress. Her face was hidden behind a veil.
Aarav didn't need to see her face.
He already knew.
She looked just like Aliya.
According to the seal, only someone carrying her fragment could free her.
And Aliya had just done that.
Aarav had known this would happen.
Yet he hadn't stopped it.
Because beyond this witch… far more dangerous entities were sealed.
And this evil witch would be crucial in fighting them.
Aarav wanted her free.
Now the only question was—
Had Aarav made the right choice?