Kalpak returned home from college in the evening, utterly exhausted, depressed, and lost in his thoughts. He tossed his bag aside and went to freshen up. After half an hour, he sat down at his study desk and studied diligently for two and a half hours.
Suddenly, his mother called out to him.
"Kalpak, son!"
"Yes, Mom!" Kalpak responded, a hint of tiredness in his voice.
"Can you go to the store and buy some ingredients for me? I'm making a cake," his mother requested.
"Sure!" he replied, trying to sound enthusiastic.
Kalpak glanced out the window and whispered, "It's too quiet." The stillness reminded him of the night of August 19th, when he had come home completely soaked and had slammed the door shut.
Kalpak gathered all the marbles and placed them on the floor in a specific sequence.
Sitting in a corner, he stared at them intently, a sinister smile spreading across his face as his prediction proved correct.
Suddenly, his phone rang. Confused, worried, and terrified, he checked the caller ID; it was an unknown number. Numerous questions swirled in his mind: "Who could this be? Why is someone calling me so late? And how is my phone ringing when it was off?" He picked up the call and said, "Yes, who is this?" There was no reply. He asked again, "Who is this?" Still, no reply. Just as Kalpak was about to hang up, someone whispered,
"God Isn't Real."
Kalpak's eyes widened as he stared out the window, the mysterious words echoing in his mind. "Who could that unknown caller be?" The question nagged at him relentlessly: "Why is this happening to me?" He got up from his desk, trying to shake off the eerie feeling, and started cleaning his room before heading out. As he cleaned, he thought about the date—August 26th, Wednesday. He realized he hadn't received the sixth marble all day and recalled the strange dream he had that morning. This time, the figure approaching him in the dream was almost entirely human, except for it's head. Kalpak also noticed that the figure was holding something glowing in its hand. Lost in these thoughts, he arrived at the store.
It's been six days since he received the fifth marble
As he stood in a small convenience store, he called out, "Uncle, give me two packets of..."
After paying for his items, Kalpak left the store, walking down the road, lost in thought. He suddenly paused, realizing he might have forgotten something. Opening his bag to check, he noticed an unusual light flashing from one corner. Curious, he began removing items to investigate. There, nestled amidst his belongings, was a marble emitting a faint glow. He glanced at his watch—it was 8:10 PM.
Kalpak quickly grabbed his bag and hurried back to the store, hoping to find answers about the marble. But upon arrival, he found it closed. He remained calm, accustomed to such strange occurrences. He was confident he would eventually find the sixth marble.
Ensuring the light did not escape from his bag, Kalpak tightened his grip on it, started his bike, and sped home. Upon arriving, he handed the shopping bag to his mother and calmly walked to his room. Placing the glowing marble in his study desk drawer, he then returned downstairs for dinner. He ate, watched TV, spent time with his family, and finally retired to his room for the night. He pretended like nothing unusual had happened, acting as if everything was just part of his everyday routine.
However, deep inside, Kalpak had lost his happiness, joy, smile, and laughter.
Kalpak's days had blurred into a monotonous routine, haunted by marbles, strangers, a mysterious phone call, and unsettling dreams. His withdrawal into silence and depression worried his family and friends.
Five days after receiving the sixth marble, Kalpak's phone buzzed unexpectedly on September 1st. It was Amay, requesting a meeting. They agreed to meet at a street-side ice cream store.
"Why did you summon me here?" Kalpak, confusion evident on his face, asked.
"I feel a bit horny. Can you give me your ass?" Amay replied with a taunting smile.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Kalpak, with an attitude, shot back.
"Fucker, obviously, there's something I want to discuss with you." Amay's expression turned serious and aggressive.
"Fine, fine, just get to the point already." Kalpak, with a hint of irritation, retorted.
"Hey, watch your tone Mofo. Don't you dare give me that attitude again, or I might just turn your ass into scrap." Amay shot him a sharp glance, his voice edged with anger.
"Ah, no, no no no no, sorry my green ass. I'm just feeling down today, that's all. My bad." Kalpak recoiled, his expression turning sheepish.
"Fuck you, Thanos Dick, by the way What's been bothering you, Kalpak? I've noticed you've been distant lately, lost in your thoughts. If there's something troubling you, you can talk to me. I'm here to help." Amay softened his stance slightly.
"It's nothing major. I've been having trouble sleeping. I'm handling the preparations for the upcoming college event, and it's stressing me out. I've never done something like this before." Kalpak hesitated before admitting.
"I see. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything or if there are any other issues bothering you." Amay nodded understandingly.
Kalpak nodded gratefully. "Thanks, man. By the way, you called me here for something. Was there something you wanted to discuss?"
"Yeah, yeah, The Thing is Kalpak, have you heard the tale of the couple and the malevolent sorcerer?: Amay asked Curiously.
"No, I haven't. What's this story about? And why are you telling me?" Kalpak furrowed his brows.
"Because I thought a bookworm like you might know the whole story. You read tons, after all." Amay grinned mischievously.
"Well, I'm intrigued now. Go on, tell me." Kalpak shrugged.
Amay settled back, ready to narrate. "Once upon a time, in a quaint village nestled amidst rolling hills, there lived a man named Rohan and a woman named Riya. They were deeply in love and dreamt of marriage. But fate had woven a complex web around them. Their families, staunch rivals for generations, vehemently opposed their union.
Rohan and Riya faced a dilemma: to either confront their families and seek acceptance or elope if all else failed. Despite knowing the consequences, they chose honesty. They confessed their love, hoping for understanding.
But their families, blinded by prejudice and ancient grudges, reacted with fury. Rohan and Riya were met with harsh punishment—beaten and cast out, their love scorned.
A significant conflict erupted between the families, exacerbating their precarious situation. Ultimately, Rohan and Riya opted to elope and marry, leading their families to believe them deceased, while the villagers remained oblivious to their whereabouts.
Eleven years later, Rohan and Riya had a daughter named Riha, now ten years old, and they cherished a peaceful and contented life together. However, their tranquility shattered when a villager uncovered the truth that the village head's daughter had run away with the son of a rival village head.
The news spread swiftly, triggering concern among Riya's father about his standing in the community. In response, he dispatched men with orders to eliminate Rohan and Riya, intending to set a harsh example for the villagers.
While Rohan and Riya slept peacefully, twelve intruders infiltrated their home and executed them. Riha, who had been in the bathroom at the time, returned to discover her parents' lifeless bodies on the floor, drenched in blood. Overwhelmed with shock and devastation, she cried out loudly, her anguished wails heard by the assailants who proceeded with their plan to set fire to the house.
Amidst the growing blaze, Vyom, a man of around 36 years with a menacing aura dressed in black, approached the scene. As a practitioner of dark magic sent by Rohan's father to
carry out the grim task, Vyom entered the house and found Rohan and Riya dead. Upon noticing Riha, he fixed her with a chilling stare and uttered in a sinister tone and said,
"If you cry again, I'll kill you. However... if you never cry, I'll save you."
Riha"s breath caught in her throat as those cryptic words hung in the air. Fear gripped her heart, and she couldn't help but ask, her voice barely a whisper, "Who are you?:
"And that's where the story ends," Kalpak remarked, frustration evident in his voice.
Amay nodded solemnly, his brow furrowed with curiosity. "Who knows? That's why I came to you. I want to find out what happened after that. What happened to the girl? Where is she now? I have so many questions, but I don't know where to find the answers."
Kalpak leaned back in his chair, deep in thought and said. "I'll see what I can find out about the rest of the story. But where did you hear this story?"
"My grandmother told me. I asked her what happened next, but she doesn't know either." Amay's eyes clouded with memory.
Later that day, Kalpak returned home, his mind consumed by the enigmatic tale of Riha and the mysterious stranger. He scoured through books, delved into ancient legends, and even reached out to scholars, but his search yielded no results.
The story seemed to exist only in fragments, teasing him with its unanswered questions.
As night fell and the moon cast its silvery glow through his window, Kalpak sat at his desk, surrounded by scattered notes and unanswered queries. His curiosity burned brighter than ever, a relentless fire pushing him forward. "I really want to know what happened next," he whispered to himself, his determination unwavering. "Amay said he found the rest of the story. I hope he will find out."
The next morning, on September 2nd, Kalpak was getting ready for college when his mother's voice echoed through the house.
"Kalpakkkk!"
"Yessss?" Kalpak responded, his voice slightly muffled as he tugged on his shoes.
"A parcel came for you!" his mother announced.
"Okkkk," Kalpak replied, a hint of confusion creeping into his tone. "A parcel for me? I didn't order anything. Who could have sent this?" he muttered to himself as he made his way to the living room.
Kalpak retrieved the box, noting that there was no indication of the sender. Curiosity piqued, he opened the box to find a large book inside. The cover was ornate and intriguing, bearing the title "The Hidden Doors."
The book appeared to have around 200-250 pages. Instinctively, Kalpak thought of calling Amay, his go-to friend for such mysteries, but he decided against it.
Instead, he picked up his phone and dialed his friend Yash. "Hey Yash, I'm not coming to college today," Kalpak said abruptly.
"What? Why not?" Yash's voice crackled through the speaker, filled with surprise.
"I just... I need to take care of something," Kalpak replied vaguely, glancing at the mysterious book.
"Kalpak, don't forget you have that event to manage tomorrow. You can't just skip out!" Yash reminded him.
"I know, I know. But I really need to do this today. Trust me, it's important," Kalpak insisted, his mind already drifting back to the book. Before Yash could protest further, he ended the call and sat down with "The Hidden Doors" in his hands.