Paranormal Adventure Thriller Web Novel "The Forbidden Haunts: A Dare into the Darkness." Chapter 1: The Mystery of Rajasthan's Bhangarh Fort. Part A: No Turning Back Now

Part A: No Turning Back Now

Dallas, Texas – 11:47 PM

The room was dimly lit, the glow of the laptop screen flickering against the walls. Alan leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming against the desk. Across from him, Adib scrolled through his phone, a mischievous grin stretching across his face.

Adib: "Dude, you won't believe this. Bhangarh Fort is trending again. People are saying it's the most haunted place in India. Some even claim they saw… things."

Alan: "Things?" He smirked, taking a sip of his coffee. "Like what? Ghosts serving Tea?"

Adib: Rolling his eyes. "No, you idiot. Disappearing shadows, whispering voices, and—get this—some people never made it out after dark."

Alan: Leaning forward, intrigued. "Come on, man. That sounds like a scripted horror story. You really believe in this stuff?"

Adib tapped on a video link, pushing the phone in Alan’s direction. A vlogger with a trembling voice narrated his ‘near-death’ experience inside the ruins of Bhangarh Fort. Low whispers filled the background. A shadowy figure flickered across the screen. The video abruptly ended.

A long silence followed.

Alan exhaled sharply. “Alright. Let’s say, just for argument’s sake, that this place is haunted. What exactly are we gonna do about it?”

A slow smile crept across Adib’s face. “We go there. We check it out ourselves.”

Alan stared, waiting for the punchline. “You’re serious?”

Adib: "You always say you're up for an adventure. Harvard's winter break is coming up. What’s stopping us?"

Alan shook his head, laughing under his breath. “You’re crazy. You know that?”

Adib: Grinning. "And you love it. Come on, Alan. Let’s be the first Americans to document Bhangarh’s secrets without chickening out. We make it a mission—India’s 40 most haunted places and the U.S.’s 40 most haunted places. A whole damn expedition."

Alan’s fingers tapped against his mug, his mind spinning. A once-in-a-lifetime thrill. A deep dive into real horror.

Alan: Smirking. "Alright, let’s do it. But if I end up on some ghost’s hit list, you’re paying for my exorcism."

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport – Two Weeks Later

The airport bustled with travelers, hurried footsteps echoing across the polished floors. Alan adjusted his backpack strap, glancing at the flight details on his phone.

Alan: "So, a 16-hour flight to Delhi, then a domestic one to Jaipur. What’s the plan after that?"

Adib: "We meet Ava. My childhood friend. She’s gonna show us around Rajasthan before we head to Bhangarh."

Alan: "Wait—Ava? As in, a girl is tagging along on our ghost hunt?"

Adib: "Yes, genius. She’s brilliant and knows her way around Rajasthan. Trust me, we’ll need her."

Alan sighed. “Alright, but if she slows us down, I’m out.”

A flight announcement echoed through the terminal. Their adventure had officially begun.

Jaipur International Airport – Midnight

The air was thick with the scent of spices and something ancient. Alan and Adib stepped outside, the warm breeze hitting their faces.

A woman stood waiting, her yellow saree flowing under the dim airport lights. She smiled as they approached.

Ava: "So, you two ghost hunters finally made it?"

Alan blinked. “You didn’t mention she was stunning.”

Adib: Whispering to Alan. "You didn’t ask."

Ava smirked. “Come on. We have a long ride ahead.”

As they piled into a waiting cab, Alan stole another glance at Ava. Something about her felt… familiar. But before he could dwell on it, the cab sped off into the night, towards a fate none of them could have predicted.

The streets of Rajasthan were alive even at this hour. The aroma of sizzling kebabs and spicy chai wafted through the air as they passed small roadside stalls. The roads were chaotic—motorbikes weaving between honking cars, the occasional camel lazily strolling along.

Alan leaned forward. "So, Ava, what made you stay in India? You could’ve studied anywhere."

Ava chuckled. "Why does everyone assume I'd want to leave? Rajasthan is my home. It has a pull, you know? A mystery. Besides, I’m a Computer Science student. I don’t chase ghosts for a living like you two."

Adib laughed. "We’re not chasing ghosts. We’re just… confirming their existence."

The driver, a man with sun-weathered skin and piercing dark eyes, suddenly let out a low chuckle.

"You three are going to Bhangarh, aren’t you?" he asked in Hindi.

Ava responded before Alan or Adib could. "Yes, we are."

The driver’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. "You should turn back. Bhangarh is cursed."

Alan sighed. "Let me guess, another ‘ghost story’? Look, we’ve read all about it—princes, black magic, curses, people disappearing—"

"Not stories," the driver interrupted, his voice sharp. "People have gone missing. I have seen things there. Heard whispers when there was no one around. The fort does not want visitors after sunset."

The cab fell into an eerie silence. Even Adib, usually the skeptic, seemed unsettled.

Ava shifted in her seat. "Driver ji, we’ll be fine."

The man muttered something under his breath before shaking his head. "Mark my words, the shadows there are not empty. And some doors… once opened, can never be closed."

Alan felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He glanced at Ava, but she was staring out the window, deep in thought.

The night air outside grew heavier, pressing against the car like an unseen force. And for the first time since the trip began, Alan wondered—had they made a mistake coming here?

Alan felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He glanced at Ava, but she was staring out the window, deep in thought.

The night air outside grew heavier, pressing against the car like an unseen force. And for the first time since the trip began, Alan wondered—had they made a mistake coming here?

The road stretched ahead, winding through the arid Rajasthani landscape. The cab's headlights cut through the thickening darkness, revealing eerie silhouettes of ancient trees standing like silent sentinels. The occasional flicker of distant lanterns from roadside stalls was the only sign of life.

Alan shifted uncomfortably. "Adib, are we sure about this?"

Adib smirked, though his voice lacked its usual confidence. "Second thoughts, buddy?"

Alan exhaled sharply. "No, just… I don't know. Something feels off."

Ava turned from the window, her expression unreadable. "It’s natural to feel that way. Rajasthan is full of stories—some real, some imagined. But fear? That’s what keeps the legends alive."

The driver suddenly cleared his throat. "Fear also keeps people alive, madam."

A deep hush fell over the cab. Alan watched as the driver’s knuckles whitened around the steering wheel. His eyes kept darting towards the rearview mirror as if expecting something—or someone—to appear.

Then, it happened.

A faint whisper.

Soft, distant, like wind brushing through dry leaves.

Alan stiffened. "Did you hear that?"

Ava frowned. "Hear what?"

The whisper came again, this time clearer. A low, breathy voice, speaking in a language Alan didn't recognize.

The driver muttered a curse in Hindi and abruptly swerved to the side of the road, slamming the brakes.

"Out!" he barked, his voice trembling. "I am not going any further!"

Adib threw up his hands. "Whoa! What the hell, man? We paid you—"

"Money won’t save you from what waits ahead!" The driver’s face glistened with sweat. He refused to meet their eyes. "I won’t be responsible for what happens to you in that cursed place."

Alan and Adib exchanged glances. This wasn’t an act. The man was genuinely terrified.

Ava sighed, opening the door. "Fine. We’ll walk from here."

As they stepped out, a gust of wind blew through the open landscape, carrying a strange, distant echo—like a woman’s laughter, hollow and unnatural.

Alan turned towards the vast expanse ahead. In the distance, beyond the desolate stretch of road, he saw it.

Bhangarh Fort.

A silent ruin beneath the silver moonlight, its crumbling walls whispering secrets of the past.

Alan swallowed. "Well… no turning back now."

The night had only just begun.

Alan turned towards the vast expanse ahead. In the distance, beyond the desolate stretch of road, he saw it.

Bhangarh Fort.

A silent ruin beneath the silver moonlight, its crumbling walls whispering secrets of the past. The fort stood like a ghostly sentinel, its massive stone structure blending into the eerie darkness of the Aravalli Hills. The full moon cast long, jagged shadows across the ancient ruins, making the place look even more menacing.

Alan swallowed. "Well… no turning back now."

The driver, still gripping the steering wheel, muttered something under his breath. His hands trembled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, red cloth bundle. He quickly unwrapped it, revealing a tiny amulet made of rudraksha beads and tied with a sacred red thread.

"Take this," he said, holding it out to them. His voice was barely above a whisper. "It might protect you."

Adib raised an eyebrow. "You seriously believe in this stuff?"

The driver’s eyes darkened. "Believe? No, sir. I have seen."

Ava took the amulet from his hand and studied it. "Seen what?"

The driver hesitated before speaking again, his voice laced with fear. "Those who enter Bhangarh at night never come back the same… if they come back at all."

Alan felt a chill crawl up his spine. He turned to Adib and Ava, but neither of them looked fazed. Ava tucked the amulet into her pocket without another word.

"Come on," she said. "We have a long walk ahead."

The Road to Bhangarh

The driver wasted no time speeding off, leaving behind a cloud of dust that quickly dissolved into the night. The sudden silence was deafening.

Alan took a deep breath, his senses sharpening. The air was thick with the earthy scent of Rajasthan’s desert, mixed with a faint trace of something else—something metallic, like rusted iron.

The narrow, winding road leading to the fort was lined with dry, gnarled trees that twisted in strange angles. Their leafless branches stretched toward the sky like skeletal fingers, as if trying to warn them away. Crickets chirped in the distance, their rhythmic calls the only sign of life.

Ava walked ahead with confident strides, her long, dark hair catching the moonlight. Alan found himself watching her, captivated by the way she seemed unfazed by the ominous surroundings.

Adib nudged him with his elbow. "Dude, stop staring."

Alan rolled his eyes. "I wasn’t staring."

Ava smirked without looking back. "You totally were."

Alan opened his mouth to protest, but then—

Snap!

They all froze. The sound had come from somewhere to their left. It wasn’t a small twig breaking—it was louder, like something—or someone—had stepped on dry leaves.

Alan turned slowly. "Did you hear that?"

Adib nodded, his expression suddenly serious. Ava’s hand went to her pocket, where the amulet lay hidden.

The trees stood eerily still. The wind had died down. The silence stretched, unnatural, suffocating.

Alan’s pulse quickened. He scanned the darkness, half-expecting to see a pair of glowing eyes staring back at him. But there was nothing. Just the endless stretch of trees and shadows.

"Maybe it was an animal," Adib whispered.

Ava’s eyes narrowed. "Or maybe… it wasn’t."

Before Alan could respond, something moved—fast. A blur of white darted between the trees, vanishing into the shadows.

Alan’s breath caught in his throat. "Did you see that?!"

Ava’s face was pale, her jaw tight. "Yeah."

Adib let out a nervous chuckle. "Alright, we’re officially in a horror movie now."

Alan clenched his fists, trying to steady his nerves. "Come on. Let’s keep moving."

They continued forward, their footsteps crunching against the dirt road. Every sound seemed amplified in the silence.

The closer they got to the fort, the heavier the air became. It was as if the very atmosphere was pressing down on them, warning them to turn back.

Then, as they rounded the last bend, Bhangarh Fort loomed before them in its full, terrifying glory.

The Gates of Bhangarh

The entrance was massive—two towering pillars of ancient stone, standing like silent guardians. The archway bore intricate carvings, though time had worn them down. Strange symbols lined the top, words in Sanskrit that Alan didn’t recognize.

Adib pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. "For the memories," he muttered, though his hands weren’t as steady as before.

Ava walked up to the entrance and ran her fingers along the stone. "This place is over 400 years old."

Alan exhaled sharply. "And cursed, apparently."

Ava shot him a look. "Do you believe in curses now?"

Alan hesitated. "I don’t know. But I believe in instincts. And mine are telling me… something’s wrong here."

As if on cue, a sudden gust of wind blew past them, chilling them to the bone.

And then, from somewhere deep inside the fort—

A whisper.

Faint. Indistinct. But unmistakably real.

Alan’s blood ran cold.

Ava turned to him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Did you hear that?"

Alan nodded slowly. "Yeah… I did."

Adib swallowed hard. "I think we just got our first welcome."

The gates of Bhangarh had opened for them. And there was no turning back.

To be Continued............

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