The soft morning sunlight had spread across the mud lanes of the village. The dampness of the night still lingered in the soil. The air was cool, yet an unspoken uneasiness was mixed within the calm.
Deepak was still asleep.
Inside the house, his mother was cooking on the clay stove. The smell of burning wood filled the courtyard. His father had already left for his morning walk.
But the village morning was not normal.
At the far end of the village, a woman's scream suddenly shattered the silence—
"Where is my child? Someone please find my child!"
There was such pain in her voice that it could shake anyone to the core.
She stumbled out of her house and collapsed onto the ground. Her hair was disheveled, her face soaked in tears. Her husband rushed outside. His eyes were red, yet he tried to stay strong.
He tried to lift his wife.
"Nothing will happen… we will find him… our child will be found."
But his voice carried more fear than hope.
Within minutes, villagers began gathering.
Someone whispered,
"Another child has gone missing."
Another said,
"What… again?"
A third murmured,
"Maybe someone kidnapped him."
But an elderly man slowly shook his head.
"No… this is not that kind of matter."
Silence spread through the crowd.
The woman continued crying as her husband held her tightly. Their tears refused to stop.
Just then, Deepak's father arrived. Seeing the crowd, he stepped closer. After asking around, he learned that the couple's small child had been missing since morning.
His heart skipped a beat.
Suddenly, Deepak came to his mind.
He immediately rushed home.
As soon as he reached, he told Deepak's mother everything.
"Don't let Deepak go anywhere alone," he said in a serious tone.
At that moment, a voice came from behind—
"What happened, Papa?"
Deepak was awake.
His father quickly tried to sound normal.
"Nothing, son. You are still small. Wherever you go, ask your mother first."
Deepak nodded, but confusion was clear on his face.
At the same time, Grandmother, who was sitting on the cot, trembled slightly after hearing this. Her hands began to shake. Fear suddenly appeared in her eyes.
But she said nothing.
After some time, Deepak asked permission to go outside.
His mother agreed.
As he stepped out, the morning sunlight fell on his face. He covered his eyes for a moment. Slowly, they adjusted to the brightness.
Now he could clearly see the village.
The places that looked frightening in the night appeared lively in the morning.
Someone was selling vegetables.
Someone was selling fruit.
A bullock cart passed by.
Women were drawing water from the well.
The village was full of life and sound.
But Deepak noticed something strange.
People were staring at him.
As if he didn't belong here.
As if he was about to do something wrong.
It felt strange, but he ignored it and kept walking.
At the edge of the village, he saw five children. They weren't playing; instead, they stood in a circle having a serious discussion.
Deepak wanted to make new friends.
He walked slowly toward them.
"Hello."
All of them turned to look at him at once.
So many eyes staring together made him uncomfortable.
After a moment, they began talking.
Where are you from?
Which class do you study in?
How long will you stay here?
Deepak realized they were discussing an incident.
He asked,
"What were you talking about?"
A boy named Vivek said,
"You don't know? You weren't there this morning?"
Deepak shook his head.
Then Sameer stepped forward.
"I'll tell you."
He explained the morning incident — a child had gone missing.
Deepak said,
"Someone must have kidnapped him."
Sameer slowly shook his head.
"No. No one took him. He caught him."
Deepak was startled.
"Who?"
Sameer's voice grew quieter.
"You don't need to know that. Just understand… the people of the Puppet House took him."
The air suddenly felt colder.
Deepak asked,
"What is the Puppet House?"
Looking straight into his eyes, Sameer said:
"Whatever happens at night… never step outside your house."
The other children nodded seriously.
Deepak agreed, but a storm of questions had begun rising in his mind.
After some time, they played together.
Slowly, afternoon arrived.
Tired, Deepak began walking home.
One question kept echoing in his mind:
What is the Puppet House?
Why are people so afraid of it?
Why is going outside at night forbidden?
He had no answers.
But now, his curiosity had grown bigger than his fear.
He decided—
He would uncover the truth of the Puppet House.
But there was a problem.
He didn't even know where it was.
He returned to the children.
After hearing him, they looked at each other in fear.
"Have you gone mad?"
"No one goes there."
"Whoever went… never returned."
Suddenly, Vivek stepped forward.
"We will go."
Everyone was shocked.
After some argument, they all agreed.
The plan was set:
• Sneaking out of their homes at night
• Meeting near the old Peepal tree at the edge of the village
• Everyone would bring a torch
• If danger appeared, they would run back immediately
It was very difficult for Deepak to convince them.
But finally, everyone was ready.
Evening began to fall.
The sky changed from blue… to purple… and then to black.
Night slowly descended over the village.
And the time had come…
when they had to leave.
Would they really reach the Puppet House?
Is the truth about the missing children hidden there?
Will they return alive?
Or…
will the Puppet House claim them too? 👁️🌑