Heyy😃!! thnx sooo much everyone for da amazing response 🤗!!Enjoy Reading!!!!
Chapter 2
Khushi looked out of the window as they passed the green mountains, it was a beautiful landscape, however, the atmosphere in the car was quite awkward. Lavanya and NK had dozed off on each other in the backseat. They had been driving since two hours now so it was getting quite boring with no one to talk to but Arnav's presence had made Khushi sit stiffly for the whole journey but he had been talking to probably Akash for most of the time, Khushi concluded. She didn't dare to look at him all this while and was just waiting for the journey to end when he spoke up.
"What happened to you? Aren't you getting bored or something?" Arnav tried to break the ice as he took of his Bluetooth from his ear and chucked it on the dashboard.
"No...I'm alright" Khushi fidgeted a little with her seat belt.
"Okay...then. You know, you can talk" Arnav said as a matter of factly.
"I know" Khushi replied and for the first time turned towards him and smiled at his attempt to make her comfortable.
"How much more time is it gonna take?" Khushi asked as this question had been bugging her since quite some time now.
"Umm...dunno...maybe another half an hour or so" Arnav replied a little unsure. Khushi again looked out of the window at the lush green grass of the hills passing by, it was a beautiful view but there wasn't much people there...maybe, some shepherds and other domestic animals. Otherwise, the area looked quite isolated. Another twenty minutes passed, but this Khushi was more relaxed than before. It was almost night by now when Arnav spoke up.
"Oh...I think we are there!" Arnav exclaimed as he saw his phone beep with a message from Akash. "Yep" He confirmed as he read the message. Both the cars entered a huge metal gate which looked like the entrance to the lake side place. In all their excitement and the darkness of the night, they all missed a dirty, wooden board on the side of the gate saying, "Lake side and Guest house now closed for all visitors. Any person must ensure to NOT stay here after dark". There was dense forest around the narrow road that led to the guesthouse, the guesthouse was a medium sized, wooden house. The much-talked-about lake was quite a wide lake right in front of the guest house and there was some rocks around the lake and withered trees. There was also a cabin on the other side of the lake, looked like it was used to store in all the equipment.
"Wake up!! You sleepy heads!!" Akash shouted right in between NK and Lavanya's head as Arnav switched off the engine after parking the car right next to the guest house, on the muddy ground. Lavanya and NK jumped up, startled. "Oh...I didn't know we were already here" Lavanya said groggily as she got out of the car and stretched. All noticed how the air here was quite dead and chilled. It didn't have the warm, comfortable environment.
"Let's move in, shall we?" Payal said as she started walking towards the guest house as the others followed. They all climbed the steps leading to corridor outside when a voice startled them. They all whipped around to notice an old man with a lantern in his hand and he was covered in a ragged shawl.
"Who are you people?" The old man asked with a straight face and a piercing gaze. NK pushed everyone aside as he came forward, "Excuse me! Who are you? By the way, we have booked this guest house for two weeks".
"I'm the caretaker of this guest house" He spoke with a straight voice. "Follow me inside" saying that, he started walking inside the house followed by the gang.
Everyone looked around the house as they entered it. It was a fully wooden house, the furniture was covered in white sheets and the walls were painted brownish golden, there were wooden stairs at the corner leading up to the corridor which had three maroon doors there. There was also an open kitchen on the ground floor.
"There's three rooms on the first floor, divide it amongst yourselves. I'll be staying in the room on the first floor" After informing them, the care taker tightened his shawl around himself and walked up to his room before banging the door shut.
"Me, Khushi and Payal will share a room, NK and Shyaam can share the other one and Arnav and Akash can share the last one" Lavanya said that, hugged NK, went up to the front door and got her suit case before walking up the stairs. Gradually, everyone walked up except Arnav and Khushi. Khushi was in the kitchen searching for something to eat, she had even skipped lunch. She started fidgeting with her ring on her finger as she looked around all the cabinets, not knowing where to start from. She didn't wanna ask for any help from the care taker, honestly, she felt something strange about the care taker, she just didn't get a good vibe from him.
"What are you looking for?" She looked around startled as Arnav walked in the kitchen. He leaned on the kitchen counter and raised his eyebrows.
"Uhh...nothing just looking for something to eat..." Khushi said as she resumed her search, opening one of the cabinets to find nothing.
"I think there are some snacks in the car...you can come with me if you want to" He said as he started walking towards the main door.
"Oh...fine, I'll come" Khushi said and ran to catch up with Arnav. They both stepped out of the house, into the eerie silence of the dead night. Arnav took long strides towards the car with Khushi beside him, nervously fidgeting with her hands.
"Wait here; I'll just check the trunk" Arnav told Khushi to wait beside the car and then he pulled open trunk.
Khushi roamed her gaze around the place; the lake was a little too calm, the trees were totally still even though the wind was howling...that was weird. Suddenly, Khushi's eyes stopped and widened as she saw the light of the cabin on and what she saw next made her mouth widen in fear and eyes pop out, she saw a shadow standing at the blurred window and all she could make out were two red eyes staring at her direction...
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Sooo?? Hehe...leave a comment and I'll be updating a teaser next so u can check da title for da update...probally in 3-4 days cuz i hav school starting...urgh
Veggie
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