As soon as they stepped out of Bhadrakal's terrifying ruins, a strange shiver ran through the bodies of Vikas, Arya, and Ishan. Even the cold night air couldn't dry the sweat on their foreheads. Ishan, who was mad with rage moments ago, was now completely broken. As Vikas started the car, his hands were trembling. The headlights pierced through the dense forest trees, but the darkness in their hearts was growing even deeper.
That night, the three went to their respective homes, but sleep was nowhere to be found. Vikas lay in bed, but Ivan's face kept appearing before him. He felt as if Ivan was standing in the corner of his room, watching him. Ishan and Arya were in the same state. All three knew they had made a deal with death.
The Next Day's Plan
It was around 2 PM the next day. The sunlight was bright, but silence filled Vikas's house. Vikas, Arya, and Ishan sat together once more. Ishan's face was pale, and the dark circles under his eyes clearly showed he hadn't slept all night.
Ishan asked in a low, trembling voice, "Brother, Atharv must be suffering, tied to that pillar. The sorcerer said he won't start the ritual until all three sacrifices are ready. But who will be the second victim? We have to hurry, or Ivan won't spare us tonight."
Vikas put his head in his hands, trying to think of a way. Then Arya broke the silence. There was a strange coldness in her voice. She said, "Look friends, we need someone whom the world has already forgotten. Someone whose disappearance won't trigger a police case, and no one will come looking for them."
Vikas asked, "Do you have someone in mind?"
Arya nodded and said, "Yes. Whenever I return home from the office at night, I see an orphan boy under the big bridge near the old bus stand. His name is 'Lucky.' He is hardly 11 or 12 years old. He sleeps under the bridge and spends the day picking trash to fill his stomach. He has an old, sick dog that stays with him all the time. This boy has no one in this world. If we take him, no one will ever know."
Vikas and Ishan looked at each other. They knew they were about to take the life of an innocent child, but the fear for their own lives had turned their hearts to stone. They decided to lure Lucky away with the promise of 'work.'
Meeting Lucky and the Betrayal
It was around 7 PM when Vikas's car reached the old bridge. There was filth, stench, and darkness everywhere. The movement under the bridge was starkly different from the city's glamour. Lucky was sitting in a corner, stroking his dog's head and feeding him a piece of his roti.
Vikas parked the car a little distance away. Arya got out and approached Lucky with a soft, fake smile.
"Son, your name is Lucky, right?" Arya asked, sitting near him.
Lucky got a little scared. He hugged his dog and said, "Yes, sir. How do you know?"
Arya stroked Lucky's head and said, "Son, why do you sleep here in this filth and cold? Do you want a job? We have a big farmhouse a little outside the city. We need a boy who can water the plants and look after the place. In return, you'll get a proper room to live in, three good meals a day, and plenty of money every month."
Lucky's eyes lit up. He had never dreamed of having a real room and good food. He asked innocently, "Sir, can my dog come too? I won't go anywhere without him."
From the car, Vikas shouted, "Yes, yes, take him too. Get in quickly, we're getting late!"
Lucky picked up his small, torn bundle, took his dog in his arms, and sat in the back seat of the car. Vikas immediately sped away.
The Terrifying Journey through the Forest
The car left the city crowds and was now racing through deserted paths. Lucky looked out of the window. As the road became denser and darker, Lucky's heart began to race. His dog also started howling strangely, as if trying to warn Lucky.
Lucky asked Vikas fearfully, "Sir, how much further is the farmhouse? It's so dark here and I don't see any houses."
Ishan, sitting next to Lucky in the back, pulled a handkerchief soaked in a sedative from his pocket. Vikas, looking in the mirror, said, "We're almost there, son."
Suddenly, Ishan pressed the cloth over Lucky's mouth. Lucky struggled hard; he thrashed his small limbs and bit Ishan's hand hard. When the dog tried to attack Ishan, Vikas slammed the brakes. Vikas opened the door and kicked the dog hard, throwing him into the bushes by the roadside. The dog whimpered in pain, but the car drove off again. Lucky was unconscious.
Inside the Ruins
When they brought Lucky to the ruins of the sorcerer Bhadrakal, the atmosphere had become even more gruesome. The torches on the walls were flickering dimly. In a corner of the room, the blogger (Atharv) was still tied to the pillar. Atharv's condition was terrible. His hair was disheveled, his face had turned pale, and his eyes were sunken. Hunger and thirst had left him half-dead.
As soon as Atharv saw the three of them, he began to cry and scream, "Hey! You're back? Get me out of here! I'll die! What have I ever done to you?"
Vikas and Ishan didn't listen to him. They picked up the unconscious Lucky and took him to the pillar next to Atharv. Ishan pulled Lucky's hands behind the pillar and tied them with thick jute rope so tightly that marks appeared on Lucky's tender skin. Then they bound his legs firmly to the pillar.
Sorcerer Bhadrakal slowly emerged from the dark corner. His white eyes glared at Lucky. He took water from a pot and splashed it on Lucky's face.
As Lucky regained consciousness, he saw skulls and bloodstains before his eyes. He began to tremble violently. Seeing Atharv tied up and finding himself bound in ropes, he started screaming hysterically.
"Sir! What is this place? You said you'd give me work! Get me out of here! I'm scared!" Lucky pleaded, sobbing.
Atharv whispered through his sobs, "Son, these people will kill us. They are monsters."
Lucky's innocent screams echoed through the old ruins. He struggled so hard to free himself from the ropes that blood began to seep from his wrists. Vikas, Arya, and Ishan watched all of this in silence. Their faces showed no emotion except the fear of death.
The Sorcerer's Final Command
Bhadrakal placed his hand on Lucky's head and said in his heavy voice, "Now two sacrifices are ready! A young man and an orphan child. But Ivan contains three souls, so I need a third sacrifice!"
The sorcerer looked Vikas straight in the eye and said, "Go! Before the sun sets tomorrow, I need a third person. Until they arrive, the ritual will not begin. And remember, if you are late, Ivan's souls will tear the three of you apart!"
Vikas, Arya, and Ishan shook with fear. They immediately ran out of the ruins. The sounds of Lucky and Atharv's crying still echoed inside. They now had only 24 hours. Only one question remained in their minds—who would be the third unfortunate victim?