Geeta’s Growing Influence
Naresh’s days felt heavier after Geeta’s visit. His dogs, Gappi, Sandy, and Coco, refused to go near the outhouse, sticking close to the main house instead. Even coaxing and cajoling failed to calm them. Their sudden fear gnawed at him. They paced nervously, tails tucked and ears pinned back, occasionally letting out low growls as if warding off something unseen. Their anxious whimpers lingered, echoing in Naresh’s mind long after the silence returned.
Geeta, on the other hand, became a recurring presence. She called often, her voice warm yet oddly persistent—too persistent. Naresh couldn’t decide whether her interest in him felt comforting or vaguely manipulative. One morning, she joined Naresh unannounced during his walk in the university campus, her sudden appearance leaving him momentarily off-balance.
“Didn’t expect to see you here,” he said, surprised.
“I like early walks too. Clears my head,” she replied, falling into step beside him.
She wore jogging shoes and a sleek tracksuit, her athletic figure perfectly accentuated. Her long, lustrous hair was swept into a high ponytail, baring the smooth, graceful curve of her neck—a line so striking it seemed to invite both admiration and longing. The expensive pair of sunglasses perched atop her hair only added to her allure, framing her face with a touch of effortless sensuality. Naresh couldn’t help but stare, something deep and instinctive stirring within him as her striking beauty seemed to awaken a raw, unspoken desire.
Catching Naresh’s lingering gaze, she met his eyes and winked, a silent, playful question about her appearance in the gesture. Naresh nodded an awkward appreciation, though unease lingered beneath his admiration. How had she transformed so completely from the awkward, skinny girl he remembered from their school days?
Naresh glanced at her again. Her eyes gleamed with a sharp, almost predatory focus, and her movements carried an unnerving fluidity, as though she glided rather than walked. He couldn’t shake the thought that the Geeta he once knew had vanished, replaced by someone entirely different, someone he wasn’t sure he could trust.
They continued their walk, lost in conversation, when Naresh stopped abruptly. His breath caught as he realized where they were—the infamous Gulladmath bungalow. A chill ran down his spine. How had they ended up here? This wasn’t on his usual route. He racked his brain, but the last stretch of their walk felt like a blur. Had their conversation led them here without thinking? Or had something unseen guided their steps to this haunted place? The thought gripped him as he stared at the towering structure, its dark windows seeming to watch him back. It felt as if some unseen force had transported them here, and the realization left him both awed and unnerved.
“You remember the Gulladmath bungalow?” she asked, stopping deliberately in front of it. Geeta lingered, her gaze fixed on the towering structure with a focus that made Naresh uneasy. She closed her eyes and deeply inhaled, as if drawing in something from the air around them, a strange satisfaction washing over her face. Naresh shifted uncomfortably, irritated by the pause in their walk and her fascination with the bungalow. He didn’t understand her interest in the place he preferred to avoid. This wasn’t just idle curiosity—it felt like a connection he couldn’t quite grasp, and it left him more puzzled than afraid.
Naresh nodded. The Gulladmath bungalow loomed large in local lore, its name spoken in hushed tones. Stories of eerie whispers and shadowy figures glimpsed through its windows sent shivers down spines. Locals swore they’d heard strange noises—low moans, sudden thuds—emanating from within its walls on moonless nights. Even now, as a museum, it bore the weight of its haunted history, its dark past etched into every creak and shadow. Generations had grown up fearing the place, its sinister aura unshaken by time.
“Hard to forget. Even now, it feels like it’s hiding secrets no one dares uncover,” Naresh muttered.
Geeta stopped, her gaze fixed on the bungalow. “Ever feel like places hold energy? Memories of things that happened there?”
He chuckled nervously. “I try not to think too much about that.”
“Maybe you should.” Her voice was soft, but something about it sent a chill through him.
A Growing Bond—and Unease
In the following days, Geeta began to occupy more of Naresh’s time. She joined him for morning walks and dropped by in the evenings, always calling in advance, yet somehow ensuring he could never say no for evening chats over chai and samosas. She even coaxed him into drinks at the hotel bar where she was staying. Though he found her charming, her intensity unsettled him. It felt deliberate, as if every word and gesture was carefully chosen. He couldn’t decide if it was curiosity or calculation driving her attention, but it left him restless, like prey sensing a predator nearby.
One night, they sat in the dimly lit bar, Geeta swirling her wine glass lazily.
“You’ve changed,” she said, studying him. “Less guarded than in school.”
“Time does that.” Naresh smiled. “And you? You’re completely different.”
She leaned closer. “Sometimes, starting over isn’t a choice—it’s survival. You shed the skin of who you were, piece by piece, until no one recognizes you. Not even yourself.”
Naresh met her dark, unwavering gaze. For a moment, he felt laid bare, as though she could see right through him. A chill ran down his spine, and his fingers gripped the edge of the table instinctively, as if to steady himself against an invisible force. He diverted the conversation quickly, but the unease lingered, a quiet tension gnawing at the edges of his thoughts.
Signs and Shadows
The unease deepened at home. One evening, Naresh’s father, a devout old man, paused mid-pooja, his hands trembling as he held the diya. The heavy scent of burning incense mixed with the faint crackle of the flame. Shadows flickered on the walls, shifting unnaturally in the dim light. His father’s lips moved in prayer, the words barely audible, his voice faltering as the diya’s flame flickered wildly in the still air.
“Something’s not right,” he muttered under his breath.
Naresh brushed it off as his father’s age catching up with him, though a small voice in his mind wondered if something more—something unseen—had been sensed. He dismissed the thought, blaming it on fatigue. Meanwhile, the dogs’ behavior worsened. They avoided the outhouse entirely, barking at seemingly nothing. Naresh himself began to feel an oppressive weight in the air when alone, pressing against his chest like the room was closing in. Occasionally, he caught faint whispers at the edge of his hearing, but whenever he strained to listen, the sounds vanished into an eerie silence.
And then there were the shadows. Twice, he thought he saw something shift near the compound wall, a fleeting motion that vanished before he could focus. Once, he swore he saw Geeta’s son—silent, unnervingly still—standing at a distance, watching him. His heart raced as he called out, but the figure dissolved into the darkness, leaving only an oppressive silence in its wake.
Sleep became elusive. Naresh dreamed of footsteps echoing through empty halls, disembodied whispers speaking words just beyond comprehension. Each time he woke, drenched in sweat, the sharp barking of dogs echoed in the distance, their cries laced with an urgency he couldn’t ignore.
An Invitation
Geeta’s calls became more frequent. She wanted to meet again, this time for a private dinner in her suite.
“It’s my 40th birthday, Naresh. I want you to come,” she said, her voice softer than usual.
Naresh hesitated. Her tone carried an urgency—almost desperation—that tugged at something deep within him. It felt as though she needed him there for more than just company, an unspoken plea he couldn’t quite decipher. Yet, curiosity and habit overpowered the flicker of doubt. After all, what harm could a birthday dinner do?
As he hung up, the shadows outside seemed alive, stretching and
twisting like silent watchers biding their time. The dogs’ howls
shattered the stillness, sharp and frantic, their cries warning of
something unseen lurking in the growing darkness.
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