The Forgotten Ritual - Chapter 1
As the rain grew heavier, a group of teenagers returning home from tuition hurried under their umbrellas, but the storm showed no signs of slowing. Water dripped from their clothes, and their shoes squelched against the wet pavement.
“We can’t walk home like this,” Rohit muttered, wiping water from his face.
“It’s already too late. I have to get home early today—Appa is home, and he wants to have an important discussion with me. And after that math test? I swear, I’d rather take my chances with the Chitkin than face him after seeing my marks,” Somy groaned.
“It’s raining heavily. We need to find some shelter,” Kamini said, glancing around. Her eyes landed on a familiar sight.
The old abandoned house.
The house was no mystery to them. Everyone in town knew about the old, creepy house—the whispers of shadowy figures, the eerie flickering of lights at night, and the way mothers used its legend to frighten disobedient children. “Don’t go near that house after dark,” they’d warn. “The Chitkin (witch) still roams inside, waiting for someone foolish enough to step in.” Some said she was a woman who died in agony, cursed to wander the house forever. Others believed she wasn’t dead at all—just waiting.
Kamini pointed at the house.
Somy groaned. “Seriously? This house? You actually want to stop here?”
He folded his arms and glanced at the others. “Did you forget about the Chitkin? Or do you just want us dead today? Honestly, after that brutal math test, I can’t decide which is worse—facing a witch or going home to show my marks. Either way, Appa won’t be happy.”
Abhishek smirked. “Oh? Weren’t you the one who said you’d rather face the Chitkin than your dad? What happened now?”
The group burst into laughter as Somy shot him a glare. “That was before we were actually standing in front of a haunted house.”
“Jokes apart,” Kamini said, shivering as the rain drenched her even more. “What do we do now?”
Abhishek sighed, looking around. “We don’t really have a choice. We’re too far from anywhere else, and this rain isn’t stopping anytime soon.”
Somy groaned, wiping his wet face. “Great. First, a killer math test, now a haunted house. This day just keeps getting better.”
“We’re not going inside,” Abhishek reassured, though even he wasn’t sure if he believed it. “Just the porch. We’ll wait until the rain slows down, then we leave.”
The group exchanged uneasy glances before finally running toward the shelter of the abandoned house’s porch. The wind howled, rain slamming against the broken windows. As they stepped under the creaking wooden shade, an eerie silence settled around them—like the house was listening.
Rohit, the most rebellious of the group, took a step forward, drawn by the mystery that clung to the abandoned house like an old, tattered veil. The others hesitated, but he didn’t. He moved toward a broken window, wiping away the grime from the glass with his sleeve. Inside, the dim light from the stormy sky barely illuminated the dust-laden furniture. The sitting area was a mess—sofas coated in thick layers of dust, a shattered TV lying face-down on the floor, and countless yellowed pages scattered across every surface, some torn, some crumpled, as if someone had left in a hurry.
His curiosity deepened. He shifted to the next window, peering into the darkened interior. Then—he saw it. A shadow, swift and fleeting, passed through the room. His breath hitched. Had something moved, or was it just a trick of the light?
Before he could lean in for a better look, a hand gripped his wrist, yanking him back.
“Rohit, stop,” Kia whispered, her voice tight with unease.
He turned to her, eyes gleaming with determination. “There’s someone inside,” he muttered.
Kia’s grip tightened. “I don’t care. Don’t be too curious, please. Just stay with everyone.”
But Rohit’s mind was already made up.
“What if it’s not a shadow, Kia? What if someone’s living here?” A chill, unrelated to the rain, ran down Rohit’s spine. The realization hit him—this wasn’t just a haunted house legend. It was worse. They weren’t alone. And whoever was inside? They didn’t want to be found.
Rohit huffed. “Look around! The rain isn’t stopping anytime soon, and we can’t just stand here all afternoon. It’ll be evening soon. The porch won’t cut it—we’ll get drenched.”
Rohit’s jaw tightened. “You’re all acting like scared kids. If someone’s in there, we should at least find out who it is.”
“Or, you know, not walk into a potential crime scene?” Abhishek shot back.
The wind howled through the trees, making the old wooden porch creak beneath their feet. A chill ran down Kamini’s spine as she peered through the cracked doorway. “Are we… really doing this?” Kia whispered, hugging herself.
“I think we should go back. We saw the house. That counts, right?” Somy suggested, her voice tinged with hope.
“Oh yeah? And tell everyone we chickened out?” Rohit scoffed. “Come on. It’s just an empty house.”
“An empty haunted house,” Abhishek muttered, barely above a whisper.
Another gust of wind sent a loose shutter banging against the wall. The group jumped. Rohit rolled his eyes and stepped forward. “Just shut up and go in. Nothing’s going to happen.”
He crossed the threshold first. The others exchanged uneasy glances before, one by one, they followed. As soon as they stepped inside, the musty air wrapped around them like a damp blanket. The wooden floor groaned beneath their weight.
Then, from the kitchen—deep inside the house—came a sound.
A soft, slow humming.
A man’s voice, but trying to impersonate a woman’s.
It was faint, almost like a lullaby, drifting through the darkness. The kind of tune a mother might sing to a child.
Kamini’s breath hitched. She reached for Kia’s hand, gripping it tightly. “Did you hear that?”
“Tell me that was the wind,” Somy whispered, taking a cautious step back.
Rohit’s confidence wavered, but he forced a chuckle. “Old houses make weird noises, guys. Relax.”
The humming grew clearer. Closer.
Then—it stopped.
Silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.
Rohit turned to the others with a smirk, but this time, no one was smiling.
They weren’t alone.
Rohit moved toward the kitchen—and then—
AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!
The group screamed in unison.
For a few chaotic seconds, the kitchen was filled with overlapping shrieks—Rohit, Kamini, Abhishek, Kia... and the hunched old man standing in the middle of the room.
Rohit’s heart pounded as the adrenaline hit him like a truck. The old man flailed his arms, knocking over a rusted pot with a loud clang!
“WHAT—WHO—WHY—?” the man stammered, his voice hoarse.
Rohit blinked. “You’re screaming?”
“YOU’RE SCREAMING!” the old man shot back.
Abhishek, still clutching Kia’s arm, managed to sputter, “Why are we all screaming?!”
Silence fell. Heavy breathing. Wide eyes.
Then, Rohit finally took a proper look at the man’s face. His features were familiar—the unkempt hair, the torn, oversized coat.
“BILLU KAKA!” Rohit exclaimed, then paused. “Wait a sec… Guys, this is no ghost. He’s Billu Kaka, the beggar.”
Billu Kaka stopped panting, straightened his posture slightly, and wiped his nose on his sleeve.
“…Oh. It’s you kids.” He squinted at them. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be home? And aren’t you scared of this place?”
Billu Kaka, the town’s most well-known beggar, shot them a puzzled look. “And what are you lot doing barging into my house, scaring an old man half to death?!”
“Your house?” Kia asked, still catching her breath.
Kamini, still recovering, shot Rohit a glare. “You just made us scream like we were in a horror movie… FOR BILLU KAKA?!”
Billu Kaka huffed. “Been staying here for months now! And now look—my poor heart nearly jumped outta my chest!” He clutched his tattered shawl dramatically.
Abhishek exhaled, shaking his head. “Well, at least we know the Chitkin isn’t real.”
Billu Kaka’s expression shifted. He glanced at the dark corners of the house, lowering his voice. “Who said that?” he muttered.
The air in the room suddenly felt… heavier.
Billu Kaka scowled at them, waving his hand angrily. “Don’t shout, you stupid brats! Are you trying to kill me?”
Rohit, still catching his breath, wiped his face. “Kaka, you scared us more than any ghost ever could!”
“Oh, really?” Billu Kaka huffed. “And what are you doing here? Planning a ghost-hunting mission? Idiots!”
Kamini whispered to Kia, “Honestly, I’d rather face a ghost than Billu Kaka’s temper right now.”
Somy, still shaken, muttered, “I think I peed a little…”
Billu Kaka shot him a glare. “Then clean it up and GET OUT!”
Rohit doubled over, clutching his stomach. “Somy, bhai, seriously?!”
Kamini wiped a tear from her eye. “Of all the things to be scared of, you chose Billu Kaka!”
Even Kia, who had been tense the entire time, let out a chuckle.
Billu Kaka, however, was not amused. He glared at them, his wrinkled face twisted in frustration. “Hey! Enough of your nonsense! This isn’t a playground! Leave before I—” He picked up a rusty old stick, waving it at them.
Somy yelped and jumped back, making everyone laugh even harder.
“Alright, alright, we’re going!” Rohit grinned, still chuckling. “But Kaka, seriously—what are you even doing here?”
“What do you think I’m doing here? This is my home! And you all need to leave!” Billu Kaka narrowed his eyes, gripping his rusty stick tighter.
The laughter died down a little, but Rohit, ever the rebel, folded his arms. “Home? Since when?”
Billu Kaka scoffed. “Since before you were born, beta! Now, out! Shoo!” He waved his stick at them like they were stray dogs.
Kamini raised an eyebrow. “Wait… you actually live here? In this haunted house?”
Billu Kaka smirked. “Haunted? Hah! You kids believe too much in those old stories. Chitkin. The only thing scary here is you lot disturbing my peace!”
Somy, still shaken, whispered, “Then… then what about the lights people see at night?”
Billu Kaka’s expression darkened for just a second. Too quick for most of them to notice.
Billu Kaka groaned, rubbing his temples as if their presence alone was giving him a headache. “What do you kids not understand? This isn’t a police station, and we’re not playing cops and robbers here! I don’t owe you any answers. Leave at once!”
Rohit crossed his arms, unfazed. “Relax, Baba. We’re just trying to understand—”
Billu Kaka shot him a sharp glare. “Stop trying to understand and start walking out! This is my home, not your hangout spot!”
Kia folded her arms and smirked. “We’re not cops, Baba… but we can call them on you.”
Billu Kaka’s eyes narrowed, but there was something else in his gaze—defiance, yes, but also something deeper. A flicker of guilt.
“And tell them what?” he scoffed. “That an old beggar found shelter in a house no one wants? That’s not a crime, kid.”
Rohit tilted his head. “Then why all the scary Chitkin stories, huh? Why go through all that trouble?”
Billu Kaka exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. “Because I had no choice.”
The group exchanged glances.
“What do you mean?” Kamini asked cautiously.
Billu Kaka sighed, his voice quieter now. “Years ago, I had nowhere to go. This place was abandoned, and I needed a roof over my head. But people… they don’t like beggars. If they knew I was living here, they’d chase me out. So, I gave them something to fear instead.”
Kia’s smirk faded. “You started the rumour’s?”
Billu Kaka let out a dry chuckle. “Not all of them. Some were already there. I just… added a few touches. A flickering light here, a strange noise there. It worked, didn’t it?”
Somy, still shaken, mumbled, “So… no Chitkin? No witch?”
Billu Kaka shook his head. “No Chitkin, no ghost. Just an old man trying to survive.”
“Look, kids… you know the truth now. But please, don’t tell anyone.”
His voice wavered slightly, the rough edge replaced with something almost desperate. “If people find out, they’ll chase me away. This is the only place I have.”
Kia sighed, shaking her head. “But seriously, Baba… you could’ve just talked to people instead of pretending to be a ghost.”
Billu Kaka chuckled again. “Where’s the fun in that?”
Rohit smirked, crossing his arms. “Alright, Baba. We won’t tell anyone… but on one condition.”
Billu Kaka narrowed his eyes. “What condition?”
Rohit glanced at the others before turning back to him. “You let us use this place as our hangout spot.”
The group exchanged excited looks. A secret hideout—no parents, no nosy neighbors, just them and their own little world.
Rohit turned to his friends. “Guys, we always wanted a place to chill, right? Away from all the rules? This place is perfect! What do you think?”
Kamini raised an eyebrow. “You mean this creepy, dirty, possibly rat-infested place?”
Billu Kaka scoffed. “Really, kids? This house is a mess. No water, broken furniture, dust everywhere—”
Kia grinned, cutting him off. “Then clean it.”
Billu Kaka blinked. “What?”
Kia smirked. “You clean it for us. We’ll pay you from our pocket money.”
The others looked at each other, then nodded, getting on board with the idea.
Abhishek chuckled. “Think about it, Baba. We get a place to hang out, you get some money, and nobody comes looking around. Win-win, right?”
Billu Kaka stared at them, then sighed, shaking his head. “You kids are crazy.”
Somy grinned. “So, is it a deal, Billu Baba?”
Billu Kaka sighed again, shaking his head. “Fine. But if you brats bring trouble, I’m kicking you all out. And one more thing—” He crossed his arms. “I need your help cleaning. I can’t do everything alone.”
The group groaned, but before anyone could refuse, Kamini nodded. “That’s fair. We’ll help.”
Rohit immediately made a face. “Ugh, I hate cleaning. My room is already proof of that.”
Abhishek smirked. “Yeah, and your room smells worse than this haunted house.”
Rohit shot him a glare. “Shut up.”
Kia chuckled. “Come on, lazy ass. You wanted this place, didn’t you?”
Rohit sighed dramatically. “Fine. But I call dibs on supervising.”
Kamini rolled her eyes. “But we have to keep the outside dirty—cobwebs, broken furniture, everything—so no one gets suspicious.”
Billu Kaka nodded approvingly. “Smart girl. If this place starts looking too clean, people will poke around.”
The teens grinned at their plan coming together.
Billu Kaka casually reached for a piece of cloth, then tossed it to Somy. “But first, clean your own pee. I’m not doing that even if you pay me.”
Somy’s face turned red as the others burst into laughter. “W-what?! I—I didn’t—”
Billu Kaka raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? Then why are your pants still damp?”
Somy yelped, grabbing the cloth in horror and scrubbing the floor as the group laughed even harder.
Their haunted clubhouse was officially theirs—but Somy would never live this moment down.
Baba wanted the kids to leave soon, so he muttered a quiet prayer to God. As if in response, the rain gradually slowed, turning into a soft drizzle. Relieved, he gently nudged the children. “You should head home now. It’s getting late, and your parents will be worried.”
Understanding the concern, everyone agreed to meet the next day at 11 AM, since it was Sunday and there was no school. They decided to use Rohit’s house as an excuse, knowing his parents would be at work. Before leaving, they quickly discussed what cleaning supplies to bring, dividing up the tasks to make sure everything was ready for their next visit. With their plan set, they said their goodbyes and hurried home, eager to keep the secret of their new hangout spot.
The next day, as they all went back to their respective homes, they explained their delay by saying the heavy rain had forced them to seek shelter at the temple on their way. But as Somy reached home, he was met with the familiar scolding from his father about his poor marks in the math test. His father’s harsh words bounced off him, though, because it was the “important discussion” that followed which truly crushed him.
Somy’s father delivered the news without hesitation. “We’re getting transferred. To a new city.”
The words hit Somy like a punch to the gut. He couldn’t respond, couldn’t even process what he was hearing. His mind raced as he tried to grasp the reality of leaving everything behind—his friends, his home, the haunted house that had now become their secret hideout.
He nodded absently, the words fading away as his world felt like it was slipping out of focus. The sadness of the moment wrapped around him, heavier than any ghost story or scolding could ever be.
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