CHAPTER 2
Arjun frowned. What nonsense she was talking about?
Arjun: Yeh kaisa majag hai Riya?
Riya looked at her pleadingly. Her eyes were begging him to trust her.
Riya: Please Arjun believe me. Tumhe mere bato pe viswas nehi aa raha hai? Thik hai. Yehi paas mein ek gao hai. Main peechle bar akar wahi gyi thi. Chalo aab chalte hai.
Arjun: Par Riya haam bakioko chodke kaise jyenge? Unlogoko wapas ane do. Phir chalte hai.
Riya thought for a while then spoke up again.
Riya: Arjun unlogoko ane mein ek ya do ghanta lag jyega. Tabtak haam enquary karke ate hai. Jyada time nehi lagega.
Arjun sighed in irritation. How on earth he will make this stubborn female understand that he was arguing just for her own sake. She was injured and on top of that sick. She wouldn't be able to bear this amount of stress. He felt like banging his head on the brick wall. But he composed himself. Riya was giving him puppy dog eyes which were not helping a bit. He gave up.
Arjun: All right. Chalo.
Riya sighed in relief. Arjun helped him getting up. She was about to turn when she felt Arjun's hand on her. She froze on her tracks. Arjun noticed but stayed quite. He dusted the dead leaves and dirt from her and then from himself.
After finished dusting Arjun took the backpack at his shoulder and start walking. After few minutes Arjun frowned. He checked the watch and again started walking. After few minutes he stopped walking again.
Riya: Kya hua Arjun?
Arjun: Riya haam pechle adhe ghante se haam chal rahe hai. Aabtak hame road tak pouch jana chahye tha. Likin road to dur ki baad mujeh to tracks bhi nehi mil raha.
Riya face paled. She moved closer to Arjun.
Riya: Isska matlab haam galat raste pe aye hai?
Arjun's frowned deepened.
Arjun: Nehi Riya. Rasta wahi hai. But for some weird reason the tracks and the road disappeared.
Riya: Aisa kaise ho sakta hai Arjun?
Arjun was about to answer when Riya's eyes fall on the dark figure a few feet distance
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Whole team was on their way back. They were walking and looking here and there hoping that they might find Soha somewhere. After a few minutes Shree stopped walking. Sameer frowned.
Sameer: Kya hua Shree?
Shree scratched his head.
Shree: Sir yeh compass kuch ajeeb sa behave kar raha hai.
Sameer: What do you mean?
Without answering Shree just show him the compass. The rest of the team lean in to see the problem. True the compass was behaving weirdly. They should point towards the west. Instead hand of the compass was moving clockwise in an unbelievable speed. All looked at each other. They were clearly puzzled. Sameer composed himself soon. After all he is the chief. He will have to be strong for the sake of his team.
Sameer hold himself up and cleared his throat. Everybody looked at him.
Sameer: Guys hame hamara walk resume karna chahye. Haam yaha ruk bhi nehi sakte. Kisi bhi karke haame Rawte aur Riya ko dhundna padega and yaha se nikalna padega.
All nodded in a grim face. They discussed which way to go. Then choose a way and start walking.
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Riya hugged Arjun tightly and hide her face in his broad chest. Even Arjun got scared but soon he gathered his courage and spoke up in a brave tone.
Arjun: Who is there?
That dark figure didn't answer. It was eight feet tall. It was not moving either. Arjun started towards it to inspect but Riya didn't budge.
Arjun: Riya main bas issse dekhna chahta hoom. Dekho it is not moving at all.Let's go.
Reluctantly Riya let him go and started walking. When they reached Arjun focused the flashlight on it. It was a scarecrow. Though a creepy one if you ask. It was hanging in a eight feet long old bamboo. It totally looked like a human. Anybody would mistake it as human from far. But if you look closely you will noticed the odds. It's eyes were hollow. It was made of sacks. But how the hell they gave it a human like shape was still a mystery. In his hands there was a scythe. And for some unknown the blade had dried blood in it.
Even Arjun had to suppress a shudder. Though he never believes in such things but the scarecrow was creeping him out.
Arjun was moving the torch here and there when he noticed an old man sitting in the root of a tree. Arjun gestured Riya towards him. Both went to him. Riya let out a surprised gasp.
Riya: Sarpanch ji aap?
That man looked up. He narrowed his eyes.
Sarpanch: Kya main aapko janta hoom?
Riya crouched down.
Riya: Main hoom Riya Mukharjee. Main ayi thi yaha do saal pehle. Aapko yaad nehi? Vishnu aur Soha ko dhundne.
Sarpanch's eyes became more clear and focused. He trembled.
Sarpanch: Yaad aya. Aap aapne dost aur usski biwi ko dhundne aye the. Par aab yaha wapas kiyu aye? Maine aapse mana kya tha na ki yaha kabhi mat ana?
Now Arjun hold up a hand to stop him.
Arjun: Ek minute. Yeh kaise ho sakta hai? Soha haame raste pe mili. Ussnehi hi hame yaha lyi usski pati ko dhundne.
That sarpanch's pale face became paler.
Sarpanch: Aaplo jye yaha se. Rat ko 12 bajne se aaplog yaha se chale jye. Warna Banshi aaplogoko nehi chodega.
Arjun crouched down and looked straight at the old man's eyes.
Arjun: Hame janna hai ki yeh sab kya ho raha hai. Itna sara ajeeb ghatnaye kiyu ho raha hai. Batye hame.
Sarpanch: Thik hai. to suno. Ek bat yaad rakhna main jo bhi keh raha hoom sab sach hai. Bhagwan kasam.
Sarpanch leaned in the tree and satrted his story.
Sarpanch: Hajaro barso pehle iss elake mein log do para shaktio ka puja karte the. Acchai, shanti, prem, ahingsa ki devi Vannir aur burai, hingsa, krodh aur papachar ka devta Banshee. Vannir kumari devi thi. Isslye Banshee ke anusari Banshee ke shaqti badane ke lye usske naam pe kumar ladkio ki bali chadate the. Dhere dhere Banshee ka atyachar badta gya. Gaowalo ne Vannir ke paas aar kya ki woh Banshee ke khelaaf kuch kare. But Banshee was a God. And you can not kill a God. So, Vannir ne Banshee ko yaha issi jungle mein kyed kar lya. Aur sabko chetavni di ki koi bhi Banshee ka naam bhi na le. Gods fed on believe. Dhere dhere log Banshee ko bhol gye aur Banshee yaha kyad raha. Par log dhere dhere Vannir ko bhi bhool gye. Logone usska upasana chod dya. Banshee pe Vannir ki jaduo ki asar kaam hota gya. Do saal pehle gao mein se ek admi ne Banshee ka naam lya. Usse jagana chahta tha woh. Banshee iss dunya mein ana chahta tha. Woh admi to sirf ek jarya tha. Banshee ka iss dunya mein punaragaman hua. Ussi din woh teen gadi se yaha ja rahe the. Badkismati se unlogoki gadi bhi yehi kharab ho gya.
Riya couldn't help but speak up.
Riya: But wohlog teen nehi do the.
Sarpanch stared at him with sad eyes.
Sarpanch: Nehi. Maine aapse jhoot kaha tha. Woh teen the. Admi, usski patni aur usski choti behen. Wohlog uss admi ke ghar pe ruke jissne Banshee ko jagya tha. Uss admi ne dhoke se un teeno ko jungle bhej dya. Uss choti si masum kumari hone ke wajase bali chad gyi. Woh admi Banshee ka khana ban gya aur woh ladki. Soha. Usske jarye Banshee aab apna shikar pakadta hai.
Arjun was having a nagging suspicious that all the things the old man said is true. But still he couldn't believe it.
Arjun: Yehsab bakwas hai. Aisa kuch nehi hota.
Sarpanch let out a sarcastic laugh.
Sarpanch: Maine aaplogose kaha tha waqt rehte bhag jye. Aap nehi mane. Banshee jag gya hai. Dekhye Banshee jag gya hai.
Arjun and Riya turned to the scarecrow. It was looking straight at them. The suddenly to their utter horror it disappeared in front of their eyes.
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