“I am still asking you to reconsider. Going on a trip alone with three boys whom you didn’t know until last week is a bit risky,” Riya’s mom said to Riya.

“Mom, you don’t need to worry about it. I know how to take care of myself. Besides, they’re not strangers — I’ve been watching their haunted house vlogs for many days now, they are very well mannered.  When they want to collaborate with a small content creator like me, how can I refuse?”

Riya is a beautiful and sweet girl who hasn’t seen much of the world yet. She only used to go outside when her mom or dad accompanied her somewhere. But after turning 18 last year, she started demanding a bit more freedom. Now, she is a content creator on YouTube and Instagram. She makes content and vlogs about her daily life. Although she doesn’t get many views, she believes she can reach the top one day.

Everything changed when she received an email from “VloggerBrothers,” a channel run by three brothers Gaurav, Rahul and Priyansh. They also post vlogs, but their content mostly revolves around exploring abandoned houses with haunting rumors and eerie stories. They are known for their good manners and family-friendly content.

“Mom, please tell Dad that I’m going out with Shreya and Anamika. Please, please, please! My sweeeeet moooom!” Riya said excitedly. “Alright, I’m getting late. See you soon, Mommy. I’ll miss you sooo much!”

“Go safely! And please pick up my call when I ring you,” her mom replied.

“May Goddess Durga protect her,” her mother prayed.

Riya left her home to go to Howrah Junction, where she will meet Gaurav, Priyanshu, and Rahul, who are coming from Delhi on the Rajdhani Express.

Riya was a bit late due to traffic. When she reached the station, she saw that the three brothers were already there.

“Sorry I’m late, the traffic was insane,” Riya said.

“Yeah, we kind of expected that. Girls do tend to run a little late,” Gaurav teased. “But honestly, you’re earlier than we thought—better late than never.”

“Don’t worry, Ri. We’ve still got about half an hour before the train. Oh, and I hope it’s okay if I call you ‘Ri’?” Priyansh added.

“No, that’s totally fine,” Riya smiled.

“Let’s grab something to eat before we get on the train. Who knows what the train food’s gonna be like,” Rahul suggested.

“Yeah, sounds good,” Riya agreed.

The other two brothers nodded along, happy with the plan.

They went into a café and had some pizza before heading off to catch their train. They had seat reservations on the Hazarduari Express from Howrah to Murshidabad at 10.30 P.m.

Their plan was to visit the Roy Bahadur Mansion, which is located in the rural outskirts of Murshidabad. They’d stay there for one night, record some content at night, and continue shooting the next day before heading back to the station in the afternoon.

Riya boarded the train with unmatchable energy and excitement, mixed with a hint of anxiety. It was her first trip alone—and that too with a group of boys she had only seen on screen before.

Gaurav noticed her nervousness and said, “Hey, don’t worry. We’re like your brothers. If you face any issues during the trip or even later after our collaboration, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.”

“Yeah, there’s nothing to worry about. Let’s plan how we’re going to shoot our video before we reach Murshidabad,” Priyansh added.

“Yeah, let’s start!” Rahul agreed excitedly.

Riya nods.

“First of all, we need to find a good actor once we reach Murshidabad—someone who can pretend to be a ghost during our stay,” Gaurav said.

“What?! Aren’t we going to film real-life experiences if we have any?” Riya asked, confused.

“How naïve you are, Riya. Do you really think ghosts exist in the real world?” Gaurav teased.

“Ri, there’s no such thing as ghosts in our lives. We just create a spooky atmosphere ourselves and cash in on people’s curiosity,” Priyansh explained.

“Exactly. And don’t worry, Riya—we chose you because you can help us communicate with the locals. Plus, viewers from Bengal will connect more if they see a Bengali girl in the video. It’ll really boost our engagement,” Rahul added.

Riya’ excitement falls off the cliff.

Rahul notices it and say “look riya , sorry to blast your bubble but this is how the world works people often earn by making fool of others, this is the reality we need to accept and learn to live that way.”

“yeah and beside you are also gonna get a lot of boost in subscriber growth so it’s a win win situation for us” Gaurav added.

A native from Murshidabad overheard their conversation and stepped in.

“Hi, I’m Kallol Dey. I live near Murshidabad Junction and run a travel agency. If you guys are interested in exploring Murshidabad, here—take my card.”

“Well, we’re not really planning to explore all of Murshidabad,” Priyansh said. “But there’s a particular place we need to visit. Can you rent a car for us to get there?”

“Yeah, we do rent cars,” Mr. Dey replied. “But where exactly are you planning to go?”

“It’s a haunted mansion. We’re planning to shoot a video there,” Rahul said calmly.

“There are a number of haunted mansions in Murshidabad,” Mr. Dey said, now clearly intrigued. “Can you be more specific?”

“The one at Roy Bahadur Mansion,” Priyansh answered.

CRANKKKKKKKKK!!!

The train screeched to a sudden halt in the middle of nowhere.

Rumors began to spread within the train—that it had collided with an elephant, and it wouldn’t move for the next two to three hours.

Curious and slightly alarmed, all of them got down to check if it was true.

And yes… unfortunately, the rumors were real.

They returned to their cabin—only to find that Kallol Babu was no longer there.

Just then, Riya noticed a small piece of paper, folded and left on her seat.

She slowly picked it up, unfolded it, and read aloud:

“GO BACK WHILE YOU STILL CAN.”

A chill shivered through her spine.

Rahul took the paper, tore it into pieces, and flung it out the window.

“Bullshit,” Rahul muttered.

“Maybe Mr. Kallol didn’t have cars available for that area… or maybe his rival operates there. That’s why he doesn’t want us to go,” Priyansh speculated.

“Exactly. It’s a planned conspiracy,” Gaurav agreed, his voice low and sharp.

“But what if we’re getting signs not to go? First the elephant… then this letter. Should we reconsider?” Riya asked hesitantly.

“Are you out of your mind, Riya?” Gaurav snapped. “We’ve spent thousands just to get here. How can we go back without creating any content? It may sound selfish, but you won’t need more than 200 rupees to return home from here. So please, cut the crap.”

“I get it… sorry,” Riya said quietly, visibly upset.

“Look, the situation is tense. We have to stay calm. We need to get there before morning—without drawing attention. Let’s stop fighting and start thinking of a real solution,” Priyansh said firmly, trying to steady the mood.

“Look, Murshidabad is only 90 kilometers from here. If we book a car from the nearest station—which is about a 30-minute walk—we can reach the mansion before sunrise,” Gaurav said.

“Yeah, and today is **Durgashtami**. People will be up early too,” Riya added.

“Then let’s not waste time. Let’s get moving,” Rahul urged.

They climbed off the train and began walking along the railway tracks toward the nearest station.

“Ri, how are you holding up?” Priyansh asked with concern.

“Just fine. It’s my first time experiencing something like this,” Riya replied.

“Like they say, there’s always a first time,” Rahul joked lightly.

“Guys, we should record this whole adventure. It’ll pull in a lot more viewers,” Gaurav suggested.

As they recorded and walked along the tracks, suddenly—a homeless man stumbled out of the darkness and began shouting in a raspy voice, “Go back! If you want to live, GO BACK!”

Before they could react, he ran off into the jungle beside the tracks—disappearing as quickly as he appeared.

“No more talk. Just keep moving,” Gaurav said sharply. “He seemed like he had some mental issues—don’t take him seriously.”

They continued walking in silence.

Up ahead, the faint lights of the station began to appear through the mist.

Upon reaching the station, they quickly booked a car to take them as close to the mansion as possible.

Once inside and seated comfortably, Rahul leaned forward and said,

“Hey Gaurav, can you check if that clip of the homeless guy was recorded? If it’s there, he just gave us the perfect intro for the video.”

“Yeah, let’s check it,” Gaurav replied, pulling out his camera with curiosity.

Priyansh turned to Riya with a playful grin,

“And Ri, that’s how we turn fear into business.”

Just then—

“What?!” Gaurav’s voice cracked in shock as he stared at the screen.

“What happened?” they all asked, almost in disbelief, their expressions turning serious.

Gaurav looked up slowly.

“The clip… it’s there. I can see him. But…” he paused, swallowing hard.

“The sound—his voice—it’s completely missing. There’s background noise, but his shouting… it’s just not there.”

A tense silence fell over the car.

“How’s that even possible?” Priyansh asked, his voice quieter now.

Rahul exhaled sharply, a trace of unease creeping into his usually steady tone.

Riya opened her mouth to speak…

But stopped—remembering Gaurav’s last outburst.

She stayed quiet, although a cold shiver ran down her spine.

Outside, the darkness seemed to press harder against the windows.

The road ahead twisted deeper into silence.

They reached their destination in almost complete silence.

As they got out of the car, Gaurav stretched and said,

“Alright guys, gear up—we’ll be inside the mansion in five minutes.”

To be continued....

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