Chapter 1
Let me take you into a different world today, a world where I will show you things that cannot be seen by ordinary eyes. Some people believe in such things, while others dismiss them as nothing more than imagination and superstition.
There was a mysterious girl named Aashiyana, though everyone called her Aashi.
She was different from ordinary people in every possible way. She could see ghosts and wandering spirits. She could sense and witness things that remained invisible to most human beings. Some people could feel such presences, but very few could actually see them.
Aashi loved exploring mysterious places. She enjoyed wandering through forgotten locations and reading old books filled with secrets from the past.
One day, while joking around with her friends, she decided to visit a forest near her village.
Behind the village stood a vast forest, a place wrapped in mystery. It was surrounded by a high brick wall with two large gates. When they arrived, they found both gates locked.
However, one of the gates was broken at the bottom, leaving a gap large enough for a person to crawl through.
A mischievous idea instantly struck them.
One by one, they squeezed through the opening and entered the forest.
It was evening.
Silence covered the entire place.
Only the occasional chirping of a few birds disturbed the stillness.
Aashi walked deeper into the forest with her friends. Some were busy taking pictures beside trees, while others climbed branches to capture the perfect photograph.
Suddenly, one of her friends screamed.
Everyone froze.
"What happened?" someone shouted nervously.
"Did you see a ghost or something?"
Aashi quickly walked over while scanning the surroundings.
"What happened?" she asked. "I don't see anything here."
Her friend pointed toward a tree.
"Look! Someone carved the letter A on the trunk... and blood is coming out of it!"
Aashi looked carefully.
A beautifully carved letter A was indeed etched into the bark.
And around it, fresh red blood seemed to be flowing.
Her friends exchanged uneasy glances.
"Aashi..." one of them whispered, "you're the only one here whose name starts with A. What does this mean? Do you know something?"
For a moment, Aashi remained silent.
Then she forced a casual smile.
"It's nothing," she said. "Someone probably carved it. And that's not blood. It's tree sap. Sometimes it looks red. Don't overthink it."
She pointed ahead.
"Come on. There's a pond nearby. We'll see it and then head back."
The group continued walking.
Soon, they reached the pond.
The sight before them looked like something straight out of a horror film.
Huge jamun trees surrounded the water from all sides, their thick branches stretching like dark hands over the pond.
The water itself was invisible beneath a blanket of green plants.
Stone steps descended into the pond.
And scattered across those steps were razor blades.
Several of them were stained with blood.
A strange silence fell over the group.
Everyone was frightened.
But nobody wanted to admit it.
No one wanted to become the target of jokes.
They simply exchanged nervous glances and stayed quiet.
Their courage came from Aashi.
Everyone knew she could see things others couldn't.
If something was wrong, she would tell them.
At least, that was what they believed.
But now, even Aashi felt uneasy.
An invisible danger seemed to be lurking nearby.
Her heartbeat grew louder.
Goosebumps crawled across her skin.
She stared at the pond.
Then she felt it.
Someone was standing behind her.
Slowly...Very slowly...
She turned around.
And her blood ran cold.
Several terrifying spirits stood there, staring directly at her.
Their clothes were torn and filthy.
Their bodies were unnaturally tall.
Among them were women too.
Their hollow eyes remained fixed on her.
Watching.....Waiting......
Aashi immediately looked away.
Without wasting another second, she turned to her friends.
"We need to leave."
Her voice was low.
But the fear inside it was enough.
The moment they heard her, everyone started running.
They ran so fast it felt as if they had suddenly gained superhuman speed.
Within minutes they reached the forest gate.
Aashi had fallen behind, but she quickly caught up.
One by one, they crawled through the opening and escaped.
Only after reaching home did they finally breathe properly.
Then the questions began.
"What did you see?"
"Tell us!"
"What was it?"
Aashi shook her head.
"If I tell you," she said quietly, "none of you will sleep tonight."
A silence followed.
Then she added,
"Forget it. The less you think about it, the better."
That night, however, Aashi found herself lost in thought. "Who am I? Why am I like this? Why can I see things no one else can? Why am I not normal? Will anyone ever tell me the truth about my existence?
The questions circled endlessly inside her mind. Yet strangely enough, Aashi slept peacefully that night.
Her friends weren't so lucky.
It felt as though they had left their sleep behind in that forest.
