Like every other day, I was getting ready to go to my university. As an MBA student, my life was hectic, filled with assignments, projects, and endless plans for the future.
"Ruhi, beta! Come quickly and eat your food, or you'll be late!" My mom's voice echoed from downstairs, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I took one last glance at myself in the mirror, adjusting a stray lock of hair. "Is there something different today? I look extra beautiful!" I mused to myself with a chuckle.
Laughing softly at my own vanity, I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs. As I reached the dining table, my father looked up and immediately voiced his daily concern.
"Beta, you should eat more. You're looking very weak these days," he said with a gentle frown. This was a common exchange, one that usually came from my mother, but my father had taken to saying it more often recently.
I chuckled, the warmth of the moment filling my heart. Leaning down, I hugged him from the side, and as my mother came in from the kitchen with food in hand, I pulled her into the hug as well.
"Good morning, my inspired love birds," I teased.
"Very good morning, beta," they responded in unison, making me smile even wider.
We all sat down together to eat, savoring the peaceful moments of family time. We chatted about our plans for the dayโmy upcoming classes, their work at the office. The conversation flowed easily, as it always did, until Papa brought up a topic that made me scoff.
"Beta, we are so proud that you're our daughter. But the thought of you getting married and leaving us soon... it makes us feel so sad," he said, his voice tinged with melancholy.
I rolled my eyes playfully. "Papa, I'm only 22! Please don't stress me out with marriage talk. Besides, I'm not going anywhere. If I do get married, the boy will have to move in here and live with us."
My mom, chewing thoughtfully, added, "Well, let's see who will agree to that. But today does feel odd... I have this uneasy feeling."
My dad placed a comforting hand on hers. "You're probably just overthinking it. Don't worry. Now, let's finish up and head to work. We have a lot to do."
She nodded, though I noticed the worry hadn't entirely left her eyes. Even I felt a bit uneasy, but I chose not to say anything. I didn't want to add to my mom's anxiety. Soon after, we all got up and went our separate waysโMom and Dad to their office, and I to my university.
Despite having a car, I preferred the simple pleasure of riding the bus. It gave me time to relax and observe the world around me. However, today was different. The weather had taken a turn, and rain began to pour down heavily, making it difficult to find a bus. I decided to head to the bus stand, hoping to catch my usual bus.
When I arrived at the bus stand, it was crowded with several buses, but I was in a hurry and boarded my regular one. Just as I was about to step on, a girl approached me from behind. She was a junior from my university.
"Hey, you're heading to the university too? Let's go together! By the way, my name is Shreya," she said cheerfully.
I nodded, smiling back at her. We found seats and sat down, but something felt off. Usually, this bus was filled with students from our university, but today, it was eerily empty. Just then, three or four boys boarded the bus and took the last seats. They looked strange, almost as if they were out of place.
"I'm Ruhi. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I've seen you around campus a few times," I said, trying to make conversation.
She smiled warmly. "It's okay! I know who you areโyou're pretty famous at the university, the beautiful girl everyone talks about."
I chuckled at her compliment, and she grinned even brighter. But as the bus started moving, I couldn't shake off the strange feeling. The driver was someone unfamiliar, not the regular one, and he had an unsettling aura about him.
As we were chatting, the bus suddenly stopped, and an old man boarded. He looked at us with a strange intensity, his gaze making my skin crawl. He walked closer, his eyes fixed on Shreya and me.
"Where are you two headed? Get off this bus quickly, or you'll be in trouble," he said in a voice that sent chills down my spine.
Both Shreya and I flinched, unnerved by his words. He seemed odd, almost deranged, and his face was contorted in a way that made him look menacing.
Shreya clutched my arm, whispering, "He must be mentally unstable. Let's just ignore him."
I nodded, but my eyes couldn't help but follow the man as he moved closer. His presence was unsettling, and when he laughed, it sent a shiver down my spine.
"Listen, girls. Don't say later that no one warned you. Get off now, I'm getting off too. You should come with me," he insisted.
The bus resumed its journey, and the old man got off, leaving Shreya and me in a state of unease. The rain outside intensified, blurring the world beyond the windows. I turned to check on the boys sitting at the back, but as I looked, they seemed to be disappearing, fading away as if they were never really there.
A knot of fear tightened in my chest as I watched them vanish entirely, leaving the back of the bus empty. The driver, seemingly oblivious, continued driving as if nothing was amiss.
"Stop the bus!" I shouted, my voice trembling with panic.
"Help!" Shreya echoed, her fear mirroring mine.
But no one responded. The bus kept moving at an alarming speed, the driver completely unresponsive. Shreya gripped my arm tighter, her voice quivering as she whispered, "Didi, I'm really scared. We should have listened to that old man."
I tried to calm her, though my own fear was mounting. "It's okay, Shreya. Maybe we're just overthinking. But... I don't know how those boys disappeared."
My words faltered as I noticed the driver looking back at us with a sinister smile. A wave of dread washed over me, and it felt as if my soul had left my body. Shreya looked like she might faint any moment, her fear and anxiety palpable.
Suddenly, white smoke began to fill the bus, blurring everything around us. The world seemed to distort, and just before everything went black, I managed to utter, "Someone help us!"
When I regained consciousness, I felt disoriented. My body was heavy with dread, and I hoped what had just happened was nothing more than a nightmare. But as I looked around, another wave of terror gripped me.
We were in a strange place, the bus parked in an unfamiliar, desolate location. There was no sign of the driver or anyone else. The bus was completely empty, except for Shreya, who lay unconscious with her head in my lap.
Fear surged through me, and I shook her as hard as I could. "Shreya, wake up! We don't know where we are!"
She stirred, her shoulders slumping as she came to. Her eyes darted around, wide with panic, and then she started to cry loudly, her tears mixing with mine as we both gave in to our fear and confusion.
" We are going to die soon. "
I was trying to be strong for her, but I was just as terrified. After what felt like an eternity, I wiped my tears and held her cheeks in my hands, trying to reassure her. "Don't talk like that! We're going to be okay. Weโll find a way out of here, just like we got here."
Shreya nodded, sniffling as she tried to calm down. We still had our university ID cards around our necks, a small piece of normalcy in this bizarre situation. We took them out of our bags and stepped off the bus.
But as soon as we stepped out, we froze. The place we were in was completely alien, nothing like where we lived. It was eerie and different in every possible way, and once again, fear gripped our hearts.
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