Chapter 3

1. There was a Dark Secret of Haunted House. Some years back this house used to be a rich heritage in its era. It used to have a lavish garden with all imported cars. Mr. Samuel who was the owner was a kind man who was a philanthropist. He used to help the needy. In the 1890s his son David was born was cruel and a playboy. He always had an eye on ladies. He used to use and throw them. Once he had gone for a party where he met Mary who was a sweet innocent girl. Mary was attracted to Davids charm. David who was a playboy started dating Mary. Mary started loving David. They used to meet every day. Then came Sue in Davids life he was attracted to her beauty he stopped meeting Mary. Sue was a beauty with brains. Mary used to call David but he started ignoring Marys calls and when she used to come to his house he used to ask his servants to tell her he is not there. Mary's love was true. She was pregnant with Davids child. She decided she will anyhow tell him so she waited at his house the whole day. David had gone with Sue for a night out he came in the night drunk holding Sues hand. Mary interrogated David even told him that she is expecting his child. David insulted her and misbehaved with her. He even pushed her outside his house, Outraged with this incident, she went into depression. After 9 months she gave birth to a beautiful girl.

She once again went to meet David to show him the baby, he was in his terrace drinking. He again misbehaved with her, he called her prostitute. She was shattered as her love is been insulted. She was heartbroken she cursed him that today you have ditched me and betrayed me one day a girl will come who will play with your sentiments and will betray you. David just stared at her. With tears in her eyes and true love in her heart, she jumped with her baby girl from Davids terrace. This incident had shaken David totally. He had found love in Sue. But Sue was a greedy lady who used to track rich playboys and take money from them. David proposed Sue for marriage and Sue rejected it. David was never rejected by any woman in his life. He was deeply hurt. He tried convincing Sue but she ignored he remembered the last words of Mary. He went into depression. Days passed by his friends started teasing him that your charm has gone which hurt him so badly that he also jumped from the terrace.

Sue played a masterstroke she started spreading rumors so that she gets the house that late in the night in the garden a small girl in white clothes swings and Mary sings the songs. She used to wear white clothes in the night and dress her illegitimate girl sit in the swing. Trespassers started believing her fake story. This myth of the Haunted ghost didn't allow people to buy the house.

Days passed by that rich heritage became a haunted house. Sue at the back end had converted this house for her illegal work like smuggling of illegal drugs and gold. She had become a rich lady.

Joan who is Sue's sister creates a master plan with her friend Tim who is a cop, They meet Sue as a gold miner asking her to buy gold from them. She falls into traps and they make her confess the truth which no one knew that she was Mary and the little girl who stayed with her was her daughter and the lady who dies was the real Sue. She had killed her because she was deeply hurt when David rejected her love. She even confessed that she had pushed David from the terrace when he came to know the truth. She was making stories so that she and her daughter would get shelter and she was doing this illegal business on Sues name. As no one had seen Sue she took the advantage and had put all the blame on her. This way Dark Secret was revealed of the haunted house.

2. Aisha was going to a place, which she had only heard about. It was a lost town near Dandeli in Karnataka. Among the rumours, one was that it was haunted. Her parents had resisted but she convinced them. She took a train till Londa. When she reached at the railway station many autos and rikshaw drivers approached her. 

"Where do you want to go mam? I will take you." Every auto guy was asking the same and the situation was chaotic. Aisha replied, almost shouted, "Waghanpalli". Something froze the guys for a moment and without uttering a word they moved aside. Aisha was surprised but relieved. She found her way outside the station and was looking for a public transport that could take her there. She observed that one taxi driver was taking passengers on sharing basis and he was shouting, "Dandeli, Dandeli". Waghanpalli was on the way of Dandeli from Londa. Aisha went to him and asked, "Bhaiyya, will you drop me to Waghanpalli?" He gave her glance, then moved face and cleared his ears with a key in his hands. Then turned back to Aisha and asked in a Kannada accent, "Where?"

"Waghanpalli."

"It's a lost town in middle of the Jungle. No one goes there."

"Ok, then drop me on the road near by the town." Aisha pleaded.

"I won't" He replied as if he would slap her, if she kept insisting.

Aisha was disappointed and irritated because of this behaviour. She knew no one would give her ride because of the rumours about the town.

'Let it be, I will go on my own. After all its 6 to 7 kms and I am a frequent Marathon runner.' She thought to herself. She walked for 1 to 2 kms and someone shouted from back, "Hey, hey." Aisha turned and saw a girl coming on a scooty. Aisha waited, and the girl stopped by her.

"Where do you want to go?" the girl asked.

"Waghanpalli." Aisha answered presuming the reaction.

"Ok, I am going to Dandeli. I will drop you off."

Aisha was surprised to hear that. "Are you sure because no one was ready to take me there."

She moved her hands in dismissal and said, "Oh, they are all illiterate, superstitious people. Don't take them seriously. Come sit."

"That's great! by the way, I am Aisha." She said by moving her hands forward to shake.

"I am Tanya." The girl replied with utter simplicity. 

Aisha sat on the scooty behind her and the journey started. It was around 10 in the morning and weather was cloudy. As they were getting closer to Waghanpalli, the weather started to change. The cold breeze was calming down her heart. The moisture in the air was soothing her skin. Nature was playing its music through bird's chirping, breeze and movement of leaves. Aisha was relaxed, happy, light as a feather. She did not realise when her eyes got shut and she fell asleep.

An odour of a rotten meat snatched her out of a sleep. She looked around devastatingly, it was a droughted land. A dead camel was rotting near her. She crawled away from it. The heat was burning her inside out. She was thirsty, tired and full of the dust. It was hard for her to stand up. No one was around except the bushes and cactus. Gradually, she started walking.

Aisha was soaked in sweat completely; she could not believe that she had just walked few steps. The silence was much more dreadful than screams. She thought her legs are drifting apart from her body.

'keep walking, keep walking.' She was telling herself. Every inch of movement required a strength of lifetime. She realised that there was a road and a dense jungle few meters away across the road. It was hard to believe but worth taking a chance. She accumulated her strength and started walking.

A few minutes later, a sound of vehicle fall on her ears. She looked everywhere but no vehicle was present although the sound was becoming clearer. Aisha turned back again and this time the white Bolero was right behind her. She was confused, the Bolero was no where a moment ago. It was still a relief; she could ask for a help now. Aisha dragged herself a bit towards the car only to realise that the wheels were covered with blood. The red, fresh blood drops were drenching the cactus below it. A shiver ran down her spine, she started running towards the road. Her body was heavier, the vultures were crying and roaming in the sky. The Bolero was coming closer, faster.

Aisha had increased her speed too. The vultures disappeared as she reached the road. She saw back, the Bolero came faster, took a round turn and stood in front of her. Until then she could only see the bloody wheels but now the Bolero was close enough to see through the glasses and much to her horror the car was vacant. She got froze, drenched in sweat, her body was immobile. Though there was no one in the car, she could sense someone's presence. She felt a hand on her left shoulder, turned back and screamed her heart out.

1 month later

Neha was surprised to hear that. "Are you sure because no one was ready to take me there."

She moved her hands in dismissal and said, "Oh, they are all illiterate, superstitious people. Don't take them seriously. Come sit."

"That's great! by the way, I am Neha." She said by moving her hands forward to shake.

"I am Aisha." The girl replied with utter simplicity.