-Chapter 1-
23rd mansion
"14... 15... 16... 17..." I kept on counting, moving through the darkest alley I have ever gone through. I didn't even know that the kind of place exist in the peaceful small township area situated at a high altitude of Himalaya. The place was the part of the old township and i doubt that no one ever visited in that place in decade. There was a dead silence everywhere and i couldn't see a single life around, not even a buzz of night insect. The chilling coldness of the night and the mist evaporating from the air was making the place more and more scary. My teeth was rattling hard and making an weird sound within the silence which was scaring me more. Each and every reluctant step seemed heavier than before. My nerve was shaking like hell as i was going more inside the pitch black darkness of that lonely old alley. My heart was thudding so hard that the sound seemed like drum within the dead silence. My mind was warning me again and again to go back to the locality, warning me not to be foolish anymore but it seemed like some unknown force was leading me to the destination.
I was scared, hell scared from the very time i stepped into the old forbidden area of the town and found the particular alley, my mouth was getting dry more and more with every forwarding steps. I knew that i was being a great fool! The place i was searching might not even exist but that place was my last hope. I was fed up with the taunts and teasing on each and everyday.
"here goes ugly duckling..."
"gosh... she looks like directly coming out from some old 17's novel!!...who does were such granny type dresses now days..."
"And look at her glasses man!!... those huge black frames... She looks like an amphibian... T gave her perfect name... Ugly duckling!!..."
There sarcastic tones and laughs hit hard in my ear each and everyday and i couldn't do anything but shed my tears at a corners. Yes, i was a little bit old fashion and used to prefer wearing long skirts and full sleeve dresses. I used to study a lot from the childhood days so i had a thick frame glasses on my nose always. I couldn't use contacts cause i had some elasticity problem in eyes and i didn't had money to spend on clothing and other things. I didn't belong to reach-wealthy family like them. True to say i didn't have any family either. I was brought up in orphanage and continuing my higher studies depending on the scholarships which were provided to me every year for my excellent result in exams. My only friend Ruhi used to tell me that those reach spoiled brats were jealous with me because of my excellent academic record that's why they used to taunt me always. Truly i didn't even care what they thought of me but still I just wanted to look beautiful for a single day. I still remembered the promise he made me two years back when I was in first year of the college.
Kabir Singh Rathode, the ultimate dream man of every college girl!! I had crush on him from the very day I saw him doing perfect slam dunk in the basketball match. He used to throw his smile to me whenever we came face to face accidentally and with his every smile my heart fluttered more and more. His smile was increasing my impossible hope day by day, giving fuel to my dream to go to prom night with my prince charming. I was a naive and quite girl and famous for being ugly duckling all over the college. i was afraid that he would reject me immediately. But it is said that sometimes people gains courage to do impossible things. One day i met him in library while no one was around. I didn't know from where i gained the courage and asked him if he was willing to go to prom with me. When he listened to my offer i was sure that he would laugh out at the spot. But to my surprised he just smiled so charmingly and said, "Pia I appreciate your honesty. You seems to have more guts than I thought... U know what?!... I know that you are not such ugly duckling people claimed you to be. And i think if you try and give yourself a complete makeover everything would be fine." His words were making me confused more and more. Then he cleared up in his next statement.
" I know if you try you would look more beautiful... I know you can... change yourself for better pia. I want to go to the prom night with the most beautiful girl of the college..."
His words continued to reflect inside my heart making it thud everyday. He promised that if I make myself look beautiful he would go to prom with me. From the very day I was cherishing the dream and trying different way to make myself beautiful. I knew that somehow i was being desperate and a turning out to be a big fool for believing his single promise he made years ago but each and every person had some dream that they wanted to fulfill. Going prom with Kabir was like that dream to me. I was so overwhelmed that he didn't rejected me. He was so kind that he gave me a chance and seriously I understood that why he wanted me to change. He was after all the most popular guy of our college and what would people say if he accompanies a ugly duckling like me. His reputation would be damaged so much and i didn't want him to be embarrassed for me and wanted myself to prove worthy of him.
But actually my efforts to become beautiful were not at all working ultimately. The only problem was that i didn't have any fashion sense and I was totally unknown of fashion trends and beauty products. Applying some rare beauty tricks, dresses, cosmetics and creams I appeared on the college and people were not getting tired of laughing on my weird get up and i still remembered how badly i cried on that night. I was tired of their humiliation. Ruhi advised me to consult some makeover specialist so that they could give me a new look. i contacted one of the best make over specialist of the town but her fees was in lakhs which was not possible for me to provide at that time. So within these two years time span I collected the money bit by bit saving from my scholarships, working on different places like coffee shop, super mall and doing tuition on different places finally i gathered up the money. The prom night was only one week away and I was happy that finally i would be able to get a makeover and go to prom night with Kabir. But at the very moment i heard about Kuhu, Ramu kaka's daughter being admitted to hospital due to brain tumor. Ramu Kaka was sweeper of our college building and he belonged to a very poor family. Ramu Kaka couldn't arrange the money for Kuhu's treatment and he begged all of us to help him. Kuhu was an angel and we all used to adore her but no one came forward to help her in need. I decided to spend all my saved money for Kuhu. Giving the money to Ramu Kaka while i was coming out back from his house with heavy heart, I was happy that my savings got into some good work and Kuhu's life would be saved but the thought shattered my heart that i couldn't keep my promise to Kabir. I wouldn't be able to arrange money again. However I decided not to quit and try another way out. I thought to consult the make over specialist again and if she agreed to get the payment in installment. I went to her place and talked but she didn't agreed. I understood that i didn't have any hope left. With heavy heart I decided to come back to hostel. The road was quite lonely at that mid afternoon time when suddenly that very old parchment paper flew onto my face. Curiously i checked that and it seemed like a very old paper cutting. The statement on the paper caught into my eyes.
"If you want to get the eternal enthralling beauty, then you have got that in your hand. Come to the 23rd building of the old city alley on 12 am night. You are guaranteed to have the best version of yourself. Come and try your luck..."
That old paper cutting brought me in that place. Ruhi felt that i was being insane but i didn't know why some unknown force haunted me to the place. As i came out of the wave of flashback I found myself standing in front of the 22nd house. All the house in that alley was nothing but ruins with bundle of bricks and it was sure that no one lived there for at least a century. I was still holding that old paper cutting in my hand. I fixed my glasses and looked everywhere to find the building no 23. But i could find only the dense mist and blackness around. The cold was getting hard with the night going darker. It seemed like it was the last building on that alley and there was nothing like 23rd building exist in that place. I sighed in disappointment. Ruhi was right!! Someone might have played pranks on me knowing about my situation. i turned back to go then suddenly i heard a huge sound of clock indicating the midnight time. I was shocked that it was already 12 am!! I didn't know why but my heart started to thud in some unknown fear with the every sound of bell. I didn't actually understood that from where the heck the sound of bell coming from on the lonely century old town. The sound seemed exactly like those old grandfather clock. My feet didn't move a single bit as if i was rooted to the spot. As soon as the last bell of clock vanished keeping its vibratory effect on my ear a chill wind hit me shaking all over, as if some cold hand touched me and caressed my back. Someone was telling me hard in my mind to run away from the place but my feet seemed heavy like stone. I could sense that something was going behind my back but i didn't have courage to look back. But some unknown force made me look back. With wide eyes i could find the dense mist wall was removing from my eye sight and i could find a huge mansion appearing there. The mansion seemed belong to some other world and it was huge in true sense. It seemed empty of people and i could feel a tremendous unknown fear standing in front of that huge mansion. My heart was almost hammering inside my chest. So the building no 23 really exist!! But just before some moment it seemed like there was nothing and the mansion suddenly appeared from no where.
I was thinking what to do next, to go inside or go back. Suddenly the surrounding seemed different and a fear cribbing me with the chillness around. It seemed like i had reached to the world of death all of a sudden. I decided to go back finally. I had done enough foolishness. I was supposed to meet some makeover artist there but there was no way that i could get any1 in that horrible huge mansion.
I sighed and turned back again to move forward and at the moment a thunderstorm hit the ground making my ear almost deaf. I clamped my ear making a fearful sound and soon i felt the several tender hit of raindrops upon me.
"Damn!!..." I said in irritation. It seemed like someone was prohibiting me to go away from the place. I decided to go forward not caring about rain. I would prefer the thunderstorm though i was hell scared of thunders. But no way i would go to that creepy mansion. And that mansion was the only place around where i could get shelter. All the other houses were totally ruined with no roofs. I stepped forward with quick pace so that i could go far away as soon as possible. But to my bad luck i slipped and fell hard on the spot.
"Ouch!!!" i winced in pain as i tried to stand up. Thank god, my glasses were intact to my eyes. I was totally blind without that. I could feel the burn near my knee and it felt like i got hurt there. Again thunderstorm hit the ground and the rain got heavier almost blaring my view making impossible to go further. I sighed guessing that i didn't have other choice rather than going inside that creepy mansion.
"Its all right!!.. Its just an old building!!... May be no one lives there now!!" i kept on mumbling as i moved forward towards the mansion which was looking even more creepier in thunder lights. Gaining all my existing courage i stood near the huge collapsible gate. In the thunder light i got to see the name plate carrying only two words followed by a number.
"23rd Mansion"
I opened the gate with a little push and went through the grass covered pathway. There was some statues standing at the side which were looking like ghost in the darkness. holding around my chest to calm down my thumping heart i finally came and stood in front of the gloomy door of the mansion. The door was huge also. I hesitated for a moment and then pushed to open that. The door got opened with a crackling sound revealing something unexpected to me.
"Welcome to the 23rd mansion!!!" the husky deep charming voice hit my ear and i stood at the doorstep all frozen with wide eyes.
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Waiting for your reviews. Please tell me if i should go on with the concept.
Index
Chapters:
1. 23rd Mansion:
above.
2. Contract By Blood:
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