Next day...
Government Hospital,
A few kilometres from Ayenpuram…
The white-washed walls of the hospital room were eerily silent—
Except for the faint beeping of a monitor and the rhythmic squeak of a ceiling fan.
"____"
Satya was lying unconscious on the hospital bed, a bandage on his forehead, his hair slightly messy.
Despite being the only person injured by a ghost prank,
The poor man looked like he had survived a war.
On the side bench,
Mani was pacing like a man on trial, hands flailing as he ranted dramatically.
"We're finished! Jail is guaranteed! Attempted murder on a police officer… What were we thinking?! I'm going to die in prison with a ghost record!"
Viji sat nearby, resting her face on her palm, exhaling deeply.
Sigh~
"I told you he was jumpy! How would I know a man investigating ghosts would faint from one?"
Meanwhile,
On the other side of the room, Rudra, Ravi, Tarun, and Rohit sat casually around the hospital table,
Helping themselves to the fruit basket Viji had brought for the 'patient.'
Ravi was cutting apples,
While Tarun was peeling a banana with surgical focus.
Rohit had already claimed the grapes.
Rudra was operating the mixer, juicing oranges like it was his hotel kitchen.
He casually asked over the noise of the whirring blender,
"Didn't expect to see you here, Isha."
Isha, who had just walked in holding a water bottle, let out a soft chuckle.
Chuckle~
"Yeah, me neither. But Grandpa insisted. Told Dad to send me and my brother over for a 'nice, long bonding visit.' Translation: get spoiled and fattened with village food."
She rolled her eyes playfully and took a seat beside them.
Rohit, chewing a grape, looked over and added,
"Pretty sure this hospital visit wasn't part of your bonding plan, though."
Viji shot him a glare while Ravi held in a laugh.
Haha~
"____"
Suddenly, Mani peeked over Satya and muttered,
"What if he wakes up and files an FIR? Will I still get food in jail, or should I eat well now?"
Everyone burst into light laughter except Mani,
Who was genuinely sweating?
Just then, Satya twitched.
Everyone went silent.
"____"
"____"
"____"
Rudra looked up from the juicer.
Tarun froze with a peeled orange in his hand.
Satya groaned softly.
Mani gasped.
"He's waking up! Viji, change your face! No ghost-mode expressions!"
Viji smacked him.
Rudra placed the fresh glass of orange juice on the side table with a sly grin.
Grin~
"Let's see if our brave ghostbuster remembers the 'terrifying ghost' was just a teenage girl in face powder and eyeliner."
Everyone exchanged amused glances as they slowly surrounded the bed.
"____"
Satya slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the harsh white light.
"Ugh… Where am I?"
He squinted at the unfamiliar ceiling, then turned his head—
Only to lock eyes with Viji, who sat beside him with a worried expression.
"____"
His pupils widened.
His lips trembled.
His soul nearly left his body.
"GHOST!!! STAY AWAY FROM ME! DON'T POSSESS ME! I'M NOT TASTY!!"
Satya launched himself backwards—
Only to realise he was strapped to a hospital bed with a drip stuck to his hand.
Ravi, Rudra, Tarun, and Rohit burst into laughter.
HAHAHA! HAHAHA!
HAHAHA!
Even Isha was holding her stomach while giggling.
Mani stepped forward dramatically, holding his hand to his chest as if delivering a courtroom judgment.
"Relax, Inspector, sir. You've been ghost-pranked. Viji, here is a girl. Living. Breathing. Not floating. Not scary makeup. Just very much alive!"
Satya blinked like a man waking up from a coma.
"Pranked?"
Viji nodded apologetically, still suppressing a smile.
Nod~
"Sorry… I didn't think you'd actually faint. It was just a little scare…"
"Little scare?"
Satya's voice cracked,
"You tried to choke me!"
Rudra raised an eyebrow.
"To be fair, you were dramatically screaming and fainted. Pretty sure she just tried to scare you."
Satya looked around at everyone's amused faces.
"____"
Then he sat back, puffed his chest a little and tried to maintain whatever scraps of dignity he had left.
"Ha-ha, well of course… I knew it all along… was just, you know, testing everyone's reaction… part of my strategy… police training and all…"
Mani whispered loudly to Ravi.
"His face turned ghost-white faster than a power cut."
Satya's eye twitched.
Rudra, trying to suppress his smirk, handed him a glass of juice.
"Here. Drink this. It's for brave officers who single-handedly defeat... a teenage girl in makeup."
Satya took the glass slowly… and muttered under his breath,
"Even ghosts didn't embarrass me this much in training…"
Ayenpuram...
Guest house...
After Satya was discharged from the hospital—
Still a little pale, but full of bluster—
They all returned to the guest house in Ayenpuram.
Satya, rubbing the back of his neck, glanced at Viji.
"Okay, now that I'm not being choked to unconsciousness by a prank, can you please explain WHY you had to scare me half to death?"
Viji crossed her arms, looking unapologetically confident.
"Because I'm the one who filed the complaint at the DIG's office."
Everyone turned toward her, blinking.
"The whole village is caught in fear. There's this superstition that if you don't sleep before 9 PM, you'll die. People say Jackson's ghost roams the streets, punishes those who disobey… but I think it's nonsense."
She shrugged.
"So I thought, why not send in the police? You know… to prove there's no ghost."
Satya narrowed his eyes.
"So you called me here to play Ghostbusters... and then played Casper's evil cousin?"
Viji grinned.
"Basically."
Meanwhile, Rohit shifted uncomfortably in his chair, glancing at Rudra.
"Actually, I—"
But before he could finish, Rudra gave him a sharp signal with his eyes.
A silent warning.
'Don't.'
Rohit swallowed his words and sipped his tea quietly.
'That ghost in Ooty was very real…'
Satya, now leaning back confidently, declared.
"I still say there's no such thing as ghosts. I'm sure all this has a very human explanation."
To investigate further,
Satya reached out to the village chief, Nandan—
Who also happened to be Isha and Viji's grandfather.
With his help, they arranged a meeting with several villagers.
Each villager stepped forward, sharing chilling tales of strange whispers, gunshots in the dark, and the haunting cry of
"THEY MUST DIE! FIRE!!!"
But one story made Satya pause.
"____"
"The ghost,"
One man whispered,
"Held a rifle. I saw it. Shiny boots. British-style uniform. Then he raised his gun… and my cousin never came home after that."
Satya's eyes narrowed.
His eyebrow slowly rose.
"A ghost... using a rifle?"
He rubbed his chin, leaning forward.
"Hmm… Either this spirit's been to an arms dealer in the afterlife… or someone's pretending to be a ghost."
He scribbled notes quickly in his notepad, muttering to himself.
"Ghosts with guns… yeah right."
Ravi whispered to Rudra.
"Does that mean Casper went tactical now?"
Rudra smirked, but said nothing.
Smirk~
After the long day, Isha and Viji returned to their grandfather Nandan's house, chatting and giggling about Satya's ghost panic like it was the highlight of their week.
Mani, loyal as ever—
And still nursing the trauma of Satya's shriek—
Followed behind them, muttering to himself.
"That officer is more scared than a goat in a lion's den…"
Meanwhile, back at the guest house, Satya was busy sticking photos onto his investigation board like some overconfident detective in a crime drama.
On the board were:
The village map
Jackson Bungalow
Suspect photos
And then… a very poorly lit selfie of Satya himself, labelled 'Me (The Brave One)'
Also on the board:
Rudra, looking suspiciously calm
Ravi, mid-laugh
Mani, eating a banana
Tarun and Rohit, awkwardly blinking at the camera
Once his "ghost-hunting HQ" was set up, Satya stood proudly, hands on hips.
"Now… time to recruit the Ghostbusters."
He walked out of the guest house—
And found all five of them playing one-pitch cricket just a few meters away.
Ravi was arguing that he was not out.
Tarun was dramatically diving for a single run.
Rohit was busy calculating the angles like it were a math exam.
And Rudra? Calmly sipping soda as if this were his world.
Satya marched over.
"Gentlemen! Important update."
Everyone froze.
"____"
"____"
"____"
"Tonight, we're breaking the village rule. We are staying awake past 9 PM."
Ravi blinked.
"Eh?"
"To prove,"
Satya said, chest puffed,
"Once and for all, that this Jackson ghost is nothing but a hoax. A human trick."
Mani, who had just returned, slowly stepped away.
"I… uh… just remembered I have things to deliver."
Satya pointed a finger.
"You're coming too, Mani. You're on my suspect board already."
Ravi whispered to Rudra.
"He made a board? We're not even getting paid for this, bro."
Rudra shrugged.
"Welcome to Satya's Scooby Doo squad."
Satya grinned.
Grin~
"Tonight… the truth shall be revealed. Or at least… someone will wet their pants."
Night finally arrived...
The clock ticked dangerously close to 9 PM—
The time when villagers usually lock their doors, hide under blankets, and pretend they don't have bladders till morning.
Inside the guest house, the atmosphere was… surprisingly normal.
Rudra, Tarun, and Rohit were sprawled on the sofa, watching a comedy compilation on TV.
On-screen,
Vadivelu(Comedy actor) was running from an elephant.
Rohit burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.
Tarun was wiping tears from his eyes.
Rudra, with a smirk.
Smirk~
"Ghosts or not, Vadivelu will always be scarier."
In the corner of the room, Ravi and Mani were seated, deep in a whisper-fight.
Ravi nudged Mani.
"Bro, I'm telling you. Come back with me to Ooty. We'll open a mess together. 'Ravi & Mani Tiffin Centre'. Unlimited chutney."
Mani was fidgeting, hesitant about the idea.
"I can't. I'm still processing that I might have a twin brother. My brain needs some time."
Ravi, with a sigh, decided to give space to Mani.
"Don't worry, I'll wait."
Meanwhile, in his room, Satya sat in front of his laptop,
The glow of the screen highlighted his "detective face."
He typed with absolute confidence:
Satya's Report Draft:
"In conclusion, the so-called 'ghost sightings' are nothing but clever illusions or psychological fear-induced hysteria.
Most likely caused by leftover British soldiers who refused to leave in 1947 and somehow stayed hidden in Ayenpuram,
Trained in guerrilla ghost warfare, passed down through generations.
Possibly an underground legacy of... colonial commando ghosts."
He leaned back in his chair, proud like he had just solved an episode of CID without breaking any doors.
"Brilliant,"
He whispered to himself, glancing at his watch.
"8:57 PM. Time to bust some ghost myths."
He clicked save and cracked his knuckles like Sherlock Holmes on a mission.
Outside, the wind had picked up.
WHOOSH~
The guest house windows rattled faintly.
An owl let out a distant "Hoo…"
Hoot! Hoot!
And somewhere… a dog howled dramatically like it got rejected in love.
Satya stood up.
"Let the operation… begin."
Just then, Rudra's voice echoed from the other room:
"Guys, Vadivelu's doing the exorcism scene!"
The clock on the wall ticked… slowly… then hit 9:00 PM with a loud clack.
And just like that—
BZZZTTT!
The power cut out.
The guest house was swallowed in darkness.
"____"
"____"
"____"
From somewhere in the village, a dog howled—
Long and tragic, like it just found out its crush was already married with pups.
An owl gave a lazy "Hoo…" like it had seen this horror movie before.
Hoot~
Inside, chaos.
"W-what happened?!"
Ravi whispered.
Mani clutched his towel like it was a bulletproof vest.
"This is it. This is how I die. Why did I agree to stay awake past 9?!"
Rudra calmly stood up.
"Nobody move. I'll get the candles."
Of course, what no one knew—
His night vision skill is active; the system had already kicked in.
While the others stumbled like blindfolded chickens, he moved through the darkness like a ninja with a to-do list.
He reached the shelf quietly.
Just as he opened the drawer—
BUMP!
"AAAAAAAAAAH!"
Satya screamed.
Rudra sighed.
Sigh~
"It's me, dude."
"Oh… okay."
Satya's voice trembled.
"Just making sure it's not... the British ghost."
Rudra grabbed the candelabra.
A strange, old thing shaped like two open palms.
Very horror-movie-ish.
"____"
The kind of thing you find in a haunted castle or your grandma's attic—same vibe.
He placed the candle and lit it.
The warm flame flickered to life.
Shadows danced on the walls.
Satya exhaled in relief.
Sigh~
"See?"
He said.
"No ghosts. Just superstition—"
But behind them…
Something stirred.
A soft rustle.
A breathless hush.
Then, out of the flickering shadows—
A figure emerged.
A tall woman in a faded British gown.
Gloved hands. Pale face.
Hollow eyes. With dark circles under her eyes.
She didn't wait.
"GET. OUT."
She hissed.
And vanished.
"____"
"____"
The flame flickered violently.
Then steadied.
Ravi screamed from the hall,
"DAMN! WHO PLAYED SOUND EFFECT?!"
But Rudra just stood there, unmoving, eyes narrowed.
He had seen her.
Even if no one else had.
And just then—
The lights returned.
The fan creaked to life.
Creak~ Blink~
Blink~
The tube light blinked a few times, like it didn't really feel like working today.
Silence.
Everyone looked around.
Mani was on the floor, clinging to a tea flask like it was his life partner.
Satya blinked.
"...Tell me someone just blew wind and said 'get out.'"
Rudra didn't reply.
"____"
Because whatever that was…
It wasn't just wind.
Night passed...
Morning arrived.
Well… technically.
Because for Rudra and Ravi, it was a fresh new day.
Birds chirping, breeze blowing, morning tea brewing…
For everyone else?
It looked like the Walking Dead Reunion.
Satya, Tarun, Rohit, and Mani sat slumped on plastic chairs outside the guest house, looking like zombies who forgot to drink coffee.
Dark circles. Puffy eyes.
Haunted stares.
They hadn't slept a wink.
Rudra, fresh as a jasmine flower, stepped out, stretching.
"Beautiful morning, huh—?"
He froze.
"____"
Because right in front of him was a line of women—
Villagers of all age groups, dressed in their best sarees, stood in a perfect queue.
Satya sat like a school principal on a plastic chair with a stick in hand,
Next to a blackboard that had, in huge white chalk.
"GET OUT"
Rudra blinked.
"…What is happening?"
Mani, standing to the side, answered solemnly.
"Voice test. We're trying to find out who said 'Get Out' last night."
Ravi was already holding back his laughter.
Each woman stepped up, looked at the blackboard, and shouted,
"GET OUT!"
Satya listened carefully.
"Too nasal. Next."
Another shouted.
"GET OUT!"
"Too high-pitched. Next."
Mani added dramatic flair by mimicking a dog's howl between each attempt.
"Awoo…"
Rudra raised an eyebrow.
Then came Isha, Viji, and Isha's friend.
They all tried.
"GET OUT!"
"GEt Out—?"
"Gehhht OWWT!"
"Fail, fail, and… why are you adding an American accent?"
Satya shook his head.
Suddenly—
A chill ran through the air.
Everyone paused.
"____"
"____"
"____"
From behind them…
A loud scream.
"GET. OUT."
Everyone turned.
There she was.
The British ghost lady.
Eyes like frozen glass, dress fluttering, presence cold.
Satya's stick slipped from his hand.
But before anyone could see, she had vanished; only Mani was there.
Mani, without skipping a beat, added a dramatic...
"AwooOOOoo…"
Satya stood up with sudden confidence, pointing a dramatic finger at Mani.
"IT'S HIM! It was Mani all along! He's using the Jackson ghost legend to scare the village! He was the voice!"
Mani stared blankly.
"____"
"With what lungs, sir?"
Viji folded her arms.
"Exactly. Even a kid won't believe that guy is a British ghost."
She looked Satya up and down, her voice sharp.
"Only thing missing is a name tag that says 'World's Worst Detective.'"
Satya winced like someone just threw a hot dosa at his face.
Her words hit harder than the ghost ever could.
Rudra quietly sipped his tea.
"Rough morning, huh?"
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************
(Author's POV)
(A/N):
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review!!! And power stone!!!
Which will motivate me more?