There was pin-drop silence after Raman finished narrating his painful story.
After a while, Suyanshi broke the silence by starting to weep — her stomach growling in hunger.
"Venkat, can't we stop somewhere to get food?" Mrs. Ashwin asked.
"Can you see any open shop around here?" Mr. Ashwin replied dryly.
"Sir, I have a few packets of biscuits," Raman offered.
"Thank you, Raman, for your kind generosity," said Mrs. Ashwin gratefully.
Venkat, patting Raman on the shoulder, said softly,"Life fades slowly with time, but strong bonds grow stronger. Whether our loved ones are with us or not, time heals and makes a man patient."
Venkat took out a cigarette and lit it.
"At least open your side mirror before doing these filthy things," Mrs. Ashwin scolded, clearly frustrated with his addiction.
"Deep, are you alright, boy?" Mr. Ashwin asked.
"Yea...ah sir! Might be alright. This is a very comfortable place for sitting," Deep shouted sarcastically from the car's dikki so that Mr. Ashwin could hear.
"It's only 10 o'clock. Why is every shop still closed?" Venkat asked Raman.
"Robbery and theft rates are high on this road. It passes through the forest, and there are creepy rumors too. That's probably why," Raman replied.
"Creepy rumors?" Padmini asked, intrigued.
"Yeah, some say there's a Narbakshi — a man-eater," said Raman.
"You always take this route. Have you ever seen anything strange?" Padmini asked playfully.
"Never. Not even once."
"Forget it. Just tell us how far the bus stand is," Venkat asked.
"Only around 7 km. So maybe 7 to 8 minutes."
"Okay, Suyanshi, we'll have a nice meal in 10 minutes!" Mr. Ashwin smiled.
"Yay, Papa!" she shouted excitedly.
Suddenly, the car came to a halt on the forest road.
"Oh damn it... what now?" Raman grumbled.
He turned the key again and again — the engine roared for two seconds and then died.
"So, what now?" Mr. Ashwin asked, concerned.
"We may need to push the car. Sometimes the engine freezes up in cold weather," Raman explained.
"Alright." Venkat stepped out.
Hearing the door open, Deep asked,"Now what happened?"
"The car's not starting. We need to push it. Come out from the dikki." Venkat instructed.
"You and the children can stay in the car," Mr. Ashwin said to his wife.
"No. I won't feel safe without you. I'm coming too," she insisted.
"As you wish."
"I'll start the car, sir. You all push it," Raman said.
"Okay, Deep, come here," Mr. Ashwin called.
As they got out, fog began to rise around them — thick and fast.
It grew so dense that none of them could see each other.
Suddenly, Raman shouted,"I think it's a trap! Run, Mr. Ashwin! Run!"
Panic spread like fire, and they all began to run blindly through the fog.
While running, Deep saw a little girl standing silently on the roadside. Her clothes were torn, her eyes filled with silent tears.
"Hey... are you lost?" Deep asked, approaching her slowly.
As he got close, her expression changed. The tears turned into a devilish smile. Suddenly, she grabbed his hand and bit him hard on the palm.
"Aaaahhh!" Deep screamed, shoving her away.
She licked the blood from her lips and growled,"Smells good..."
Then, from the forest's shadow, a long, bony hand emerged and violently dragged the girl by her hair into the darkness.
Terrified, Deep ran to catch up with the others.
They didn't stop running for 10 minutes, adrenaline fueling every step.
Finally, they halted near the road, gasping for air.
"Don't worry, sir. We're only 200–250 meters from the bus stand," Raman assured.
"You rest here. I'll go with some people and come back with help — and the car," he added.
"Okay. Be careful with our luggage," Mr. Ashwin said, breathing heavily.
"Yes, sir."
Deep, still pale, murmured,"What was that?"
"God knows," Mr. Ashwin and Padmini replied together.