Invitation Of Death

Amazon E – Book Link :- https://amzn.in/d/6GXkqvr

 

English Horror Story Collection 

 

1 } Palkhi { GAJAR }
2 } Kaveri
3 } Inauspicious Turmeric
4 } Even A Wedding Like This
5 } The Revenge Of The Soul
6 } Invitation Of Death
7 } The Woods Whispers
8 } The Secret Waterfall
9 } The unseen Presence
10 } Scary Mom

Sample Story :- 

  Friends, this story has a Maharashtrian, Marathi background! It is about a place where, every year, Varkaris (pilgrims) undertake the Wari (pilgrimage) to Pandharpur, walking to meet and seek the blessings of their God.

     This is the story of one such group, with whom something happens that no one could have imagined. I dared to think about it, and this story is now before you! Although this is a fictional horror story, it is deeply infused with human nature, beliefs, and understanding.

So, come with me… let’s join this Wari!

“Dnyaneshwar Mauli, Dnyanraj Mauli Tukaram… say it… Pundalik Varde…”

   Chanting slogans, the palanquin moved forward. Everyone was lost in the rhythm of the cymbals and drum. The palanquin was moving fast. Those with strength rushed ahead, while some, due to sheer exhaustion, fell behind…

…Afternoon faded into evening, and it was essential to reach the halt as quickly as possible. Just across the ghat was a small village at the foot of the hill. The palanquin’s halt was planned in that village. But the Ghat (mountain pass) was quite large, surrounded by hills and valleys, with dense trees and bushes.

   Due to wild animals, the Ghat was rarely used at night. Therefore, many Varkaris felt they should have stopped at the previous halt. But the sun was overhead then—it was noon—and some enthusiastic Varkaris insisted that they would easily cross the Ghat and reach the next halt in a short time.

  So, without consulting everyone or asking anyone, they set off in their enthusiasm. Some people did not want to go, but they could not object. Many had started out from home with great     

       enthusiasm, but now their physical limits were exposed. Their legs began to cramp. Their spirit started to flag. But since this was God’s work, how could they refuse after joining? They struggled and dragged themselves forward, walking out of compulsion.

     Doing this, everyone got separated. They drifted away from each other. Only a select few Varkaris were going with the palanquin. They had to reach the halt. They were so engrossed in chanting the names of God that no one paid attention to who was with them and who was not.

    As the sun began to set, darkness grew in the Ghat. According to those who knew the route, the Ghat ended after two hours of continuous walking. Hearing this, some people became distressed and disappointed. Some genuinely gave up.

     Someone thought of staying behind, thinking that if a vehicle came, they would apologize to God, grovel, and leave by car. But a car needed to come! And it had to stop too!…

  …As time passed, the distance widened. Some people were on the verge of being alone. They couldn’t decide whether to move forward or wait for those behind them.

   Sakhoba, one such man, found himself alone. By nature, he was a coward. He was never used to wandering alone or mingling with others. Quiet, a loner. His mother, Rakhmabai, loved him dearly. She had forcibly sent her son on the Wari to help him socialize with people and build his courage.

   Sakhoba also loved his mother very much. He didn’t want to disappoint her, so he also set off.

   Well, there was no question of talking to anyone here. The goal was to move forward, chanting God’s name. Wherever the halt was, he would eat two morsels, and then move on. For two days, he felt nothing. But now…?

    We have thirty-three crore Gods and Goddesses. If one were to start remembering each name, life would end! But whether it’s because of generations of traditions, heredity, or simply in the blood—when a person is scared, usually only one name comes to the tongue… Sakhoba unknowingly started chanting Ram… Ram… Ram… Ram…

   A lump of fear formed in his stomach. He didn’t know what to do. His body, mind, and intellect were thoroughly exhausted. But stopping here?… No, absolutely not!

    The Ghat was winding. A high mountain on one side, a deep gorge on the other. But both were covered with dense jungle. Sakhoba stopped at a bend. He looked ahead and behind; nothing was visible. Not even a bird. This meant he was alone in this terrifying environment. What should he do now?

     He looked around. He saw a small place to sit on one side, so Sakhoba thought, I’ll sit for a while, and when the people behind me come, I’ll go forward. He was startled by his own thoughts. The people behind me? Did someone stay behind? Or am I the one who’s fallen behind? And he started trembling with fear…

    …The chant of Ram… Ram… began again. It was quite late. He remembered his mobile phone. He took it out of his pocket with trembling hands. He checked the time—8:30 PM? This meant it wasn’t too late yet. But still, 8:30 PM?

    Someone had said a while ago that the Ghat ends after one or two hours of continuous walking, but it didn’t feel that way. This meant either that person was lying, didn’t know, or had said it just to reassure people.

     …A long time passed… Not a single vehicle came in all that time. He stood near a tree, sometimes holding a branch and leaning out on both sides to see if a vehicle was coming.

      Then… He saw something like a bus approaching, and he was happy! Sakhoba, forgetting his surroundings, started chanting the name of God and swayed while holding the branch.

     As the bus got closer, he started making hand gestures. Seeing his strange gestures, a woman sitting in the bus screamed loudly! And pointing a finger at him, she started screaming, “Ghost… Ghost!”…

     The driver slammed the brakes. But the other passengers protested. Don’t stop! They had just experienced firsthand that inhuman forces reside in this Ghat! “Go, drive the bus forward!”…

     The driver was compelled, and he also got angry. If this fool wanted to get on, he should have stood on the left side and given a hand signal; the bus would have stopped! But no. Now die there, you idiot!

     And the bus roared past. Sakhoba ran after the bus. Someone saw him. There was a commotion in the bus. Sakhoba stopped, gasping for breath, and the bus stopped further ahead, but Sakhoba didn’t realize this. He went back to the tree. He waited there for another vehicle…

  …Meanwhile, some brave passengers in the bus got down. Two or three people got off. They searched for him everywhere. But he was nowhere to be seen, swear to God…

    But one man caught sight of him. And he ran back towards the bus. What happened? The other two didn’t understand, but if the bus left, they would have to walk the Ghat on foot, so they also started running…

…Seeing the three of them running, the people on the bus felt something was off. Their actions agitated the driver. He started the bus. Hearing the sound of the bus, the three of them ran for their lives and got onto the bus, panting. The conductor slammed the door shut and rang the bell.

    Then the passengers started asking them. The first two had nothing to say, but everyone started questioning the one who ran, “What happened, what happened?”

    Feeling his importance had grown, he exaggerated what he had seen, adding spice to the story.

   The description he gave was as follows: “Oh, what can I tell you. We thought the poor fellow might have been left alone in the Ghat, so we stopped the bus. We thought he would come, but no. His limit was only up to that tree. He ran a bit, and as soon as the limit ended, he disappeared.

  We searched but didn’t see him. And suddenly, I noticed—he was hanging upside down from that branch! And he was laughing, gesturing to me! But I’ve had many such experiences, so I ignored him and ran towards the bus. Because it was important to get out of his limit.”

Someone asked, “Hey, what did he look like?”

The question was so odd that he couldn’t speak. “What do you mean, ‘what did he look like’?”

“Hey, what did he look like?” The three of them started describing whatever they had seen and understood. Just then, someone rang the bell, “Hey, that’s our Sakhoba!

   He came on the Wari with us. It was his first time. He got accidentally separated, and the distance kept increasing. He went ahead, and I stayed behind. Wait, let’s take him with us, or else the poor fellow will truly become a ghost!”…

…The commotion started again in the bus…

   In a few moments, the bus stopped, and that person got down. He started walking quickly back. As soon as he got down, the passengers on the bus started blaming the driver, screaming, “Get out of here! We can’t risk the lives of so many people for one man!”

 He went a little further, and he heard the grinding sound of the bus starting. He turned around, but the bus had gone.

   Sakhoba, on the other hand, was tired from being scared. Now he felt languid (dizzy/sluggish). Just then, he heard someone calling out from a distance. And a figure was seen approaching him some distance away.

   Sakhoba’s courage broke. He started running in the opposite direction. Seeing Sakhoba run, the person started chasing Sakhoba while calling out to him.

   Then Sakhoba ran for his life.

  And… A truck came from the next bend. The truck and Sakhoba appeared in front of each other so unexpectedly that Sakhoba could not save himself.

  And the driver?

  It was firmly embedded in his mind that if someone like this comes in front, you should not stop. He didn’t stop; on the contrary, he increased his speed. And the driver’s belief was reinforced that his experiences were so true!

…Because a man who had just hit the car was still visible, running forward! He was trying to stop the car with hand gestures. But the driver was now alert. He was not going to stop. And the truck drove away, crushing one more person!…

…Solidifying one misconception and taking away a false experience to tell people—that this Ghat is inhabited by ghosts and demons who signal to vehicles, and if you don’t stop, they hit the vehicle and disappear…

    Two lives were lost in vain because of people’s foolishness and fear… The condition of the bodies found the next day only confirmed the notion that some inhuman forces are active here, and going here at night is an invitation to death!…

…Sakhoba’s mother is still waiting for Sakhoba today. And Sakhoba, in the illusion of who actually killed him, keeps wandering, should I go here or there?

  And the passengers who pass through the Ghat, whether they see anything or not, keep discussing how much of these stories are true or false, fueled by the news read in the papers.

  And the Varkaris who went ahead with the palanquin chant God’s praises even louder, thinking they were saved by their good deeds…

NOTE: (We hold certain beliefs in life, which sometimes put someone’s life in danger. Still, these beliefs have such a grip on us that we spend our lives trying to prove how we are right. How good or bad this is, everyone should decide for themselves. But if this continues, when will these beliefs change, and who will change them? This is a small effort to shed light on this through this fictional story.)

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