The next day, Ayaan and Varun stood at the bus stand, restlessly glancing around. Ayaan kept checking the time on his phone, then, frustrated, quickly dialed Roshit's number.
As the phone rang, a tired, sleepy voice came from the other end— "Hello…?"
Ayaan put the call on speaker and spoke loudly, "Oye Roshit, where are you? How long are you going to take?"
A shy voice came from the other end, "Bro, I'm stuck in traffic… it'll take a little while."
Varun rolled his eyes, trying to hold back a laugh. "Liar! I don't hear a single vehicle in the background!"
For a moment, there was complete silence—
then suddenly, from the phone, came the sound of a toy car going "vroom-vroom."
"There you go, bro! Hear that?" Roshit said, doing his best to sound convincing.
Just then, another voice came from the background—sweet but slightly scolding. "Arey, Roshit beta, go take a bath! I've heated the water!"
Ayaan immediately called him out, "You idiot! You're still at home, aren't you?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by a sheepish chuckle. "Bro… I accidentally fell asleep. But I'm coming now, give me 30 minutes!"
Varun folded his hands in mock prayer and joked, "Forget him! Let's go check out some girls at the mall in the meantime!"
Roshit snapped to attention. "Girls? Bro, I'm coming too! Don't you dare go without me, please!"
Ayaan smirked slyly and said, "But won't it take you a while to get here?"
"No, no! I'll be there in ten minutes! Don't leave without me, seriously!"
Ayaan folded his hands playfully and said, "Alright, just hurry up." Then, laughing, he ended the call.
Fifteen Minutes Later
Roshit arrived at the bus stand, panting heavily, his shirt damp with sweat. His face showed exhaustion, but a mischievous glint still sparkled in his eyes.
As soon as Varun saw him, he folded his hands dramatically. "Wow, bro! You're faster than the wind!"
Roshit wiped his forehead and gasped, "Yeah man, I ran all the way—didn't even shower!"
Ayaan, holding back laughter, said, "Dude, your mom even heated water for you. Why didn't you just take the shower first?"
Roshit blushed and looked around awkwardly. Then, trying to change the subject, "Arey yaar, forget all that—let's go to the mall. Time to charm some girls!"
Varun raised his hand like a judge delivering a verdict. "We're not going to the mall. Shut up and finish the task first—unless you want them to kick you out of the company!"
Roshit's face fell. "Don't do this, man! I ran all the way here and now you're backing out? That's just cruel!"
Varun scrunched his nose. "Cruelty? Bro, breathe properly—you stink. No girl's falling for you like that. Now move!"
"You traitors!" Roshit groaned. "Lying to your own friend like this!"
Ayaan cut through the noise. "You coming or not? We're leaving either way."
A brief pause. Then Roshit sighed in defeat. "Alright, alright… let's go."
The three boys set off toward their destination by bus. The roads were unusually crowded today—long lines of vehicles everywhere, horns honking in bursts, and people caught in all kinds of small and loud arguments.
The bus was completely packed from the inside. Each seat had two people squeezed together, and those standing had barely enough space to jostle one another.
Roshit had squeezed himself into a corner, Varun was struggling to stay balanced while gripping a pole, and Ayaan kept staring at his phone—as if willing time to move faster.
After a while, the three of them got off at their stop. Ayaan immediately pulled out his phone, checked the location on the screen, and said, "It's just 400 meters from here—we'll have to walk the rest of the way."
The road was in terrible condition—potholes everywhere, broken pavements, and puddles scattered in between. The heat and pollution had only made things worse.
There was no escape from the constant noise—just beep-beep, honk-honk, and people yelling all around.
Varun tried to cover his ears. "This place is gonna fry my brain!"
Roshit grinned. "So what? If we're lucky, maybe we'll spot a cutie right here!"
Ayaan let out a quiet sigh. "Just keep walking."
Roshit glanced around in annoyance and said irritably, "Man, we should've just gone to the mall. I don't know what junkyard you guys have dragged me into—this place feels weird."
Varun rolled his eyes in frustration. "If you've got a problem, go back. No one's forcing you to be here."
"Uff! You're acting like you're actually enjoying this," Roshit said, pouting.
As they moved ahead, turning off the main road into a narrow lane, the atmosphere grew even more deserted. Torn, weathered posters hung limply from the walls, piles of garbage lined the edges of the path, and a strange, foul smell lingered in the air.
"Will you two just be quiet? We're here," Ayaan said, checking his phone.
In front of them stood an old, crumbling house. The concrete walls were riddled with cracks, as if they might collapse at any moment. Faded patches of yellow and blue paint clung weakly to the surface, and the door—half-worn red wood—gave off an unsettling, unfamiliar vibe.
Part of the upper floor looked ready to collapse, and the roof was completely missing. A dried-up lemon and chilli charm hung from the doorframe—withered and lifeless.
Roshit pinched his nose. "Man, it stinks here. Just grab that old man's hair and let's get out of this place."
Ayaan stepped forward and knocked firmly on the door—thud-thud. "Is anyone in there? Hello?"
Once… twice… even after the third knock, no one answered.
The air around them grew still—eerily still, as if even the wind had paused.
Roshit leaned closer to the door. "Hey, the gate's unlocked. Let's check inside."
Varun grabbed his arm. "Are you crazy? Don't enter someone's house without permission. This doesn't feel right."
"Ayaan, message the group. Ask what we should do," Varun added.
Ayaan pulled out his phone and typed:
'Sir, we're at the location but no one's opening the door. What should we do?'
The message was instantly marked as read. For a few moments, silence. Then, the typing indicator appeared.
'It's okay. The man inside just lies in one place all day. Just quietly go to him and cut a strand of his hair. He won't even notice.'
The three exchanged uneasy glances. Something about the message felt… off.
Ayaan cracked his fingers and typed again:
'But sir, is it really okay to sneak in like this? What if there's some danger?'
The reply came quickly:
'We've already explored the house—there hasn't been any danger so far. But if you don't want to go in, that's fine. We'll send someone else instead.'
Ayaan held up the screen. "They're saying if I can't do it, they'll send someone else."
Roshit stepped forward. "No way! We've come all this way—no chance I'm leaving without getting paid. If they say it's safe, it's safe."
Without waiting, he pushed the door open. Krrrrr-kiiiiii… The door creaked with a long, drawn-out groan, like it hadn't been touched in years.
Varun peeked inside and muttered, "Well… no turning back now."
Ayaan hesitated. His fingers were cold. A chill crept down his spine.
"Hey Ayaan, why'd you stop? Come inside, quick!" Roshit's voice echoed from within.
Ayaan took a deep breath—and stepped into the darkness.