A ghost city

Deep within the desolate and arid desert of Rajasthan, India, lies the ruins of a once-flourishing city called Bhangarh. The town was established by King Madho Singh in the 17th century, and it was home to thousands of people. However, today, it is nothing but a ghostly shadow of its former self. Legend has it that a curse descended upon the city, which drove the inhabitants away and condemned the place to eternal abandonment. Many believe that the spirits of the dead still haunt the remains of Bhangarh to this day, their cries and whispers echoing through the empty streets.

Sahil, a journalist, had long heard the rumors of the supernatural occurrences that took place in the ghost city. But being a skeptic, he never gave much thought to them. However, when his editor assigned him to investigate the truth behind the legends of Bhangarh, he could not refuse the opportunity to prove his doubts right.

Sahil embarked on a journey to Bhangarh, accompanied by his photographer, Avi. They reached the city at dusk, and as the sun set behind the sand dunes, the sky turned into a blood-red hue. The entrance to the city was barred by a gate, and a warning sign hung on it, stating that anyone who entered after sunset would not return. The message did not faze Sahil, and they pushed open the gate and ventured into the ruins.

The city was eerie, and the air was heavy with the silence of the dead. Sahil and Avi wandered the deserted streets, their footsteps echoing off the crumbling walls of the ancient buildings. As they explored deeper into the city, they began to hear strange noises - whispers, moans, and the occasional sound of footsteps. Sahil tried to rationalize the sounds, saying it was nothing but the wind or the creaking of old buildings. But the fear in Avi's eyes was undeniable.

As they walked through a deserted market, they saw a woman standing at the end of the alley. She was dressed in a red saree, and her long hair was draped over her face, hiding it from view. Sahil called out to her, but she did not answer. They took a few steps closer, and suddenly the woman turned towards them, revealing a face that was grotesque and disfigured beyond recognition. Sahil and Avi screamed in terror and ran out of the alley.

As they ran, they realized they were lost in the labyrinth of streets, and they could not find their way back to the entrance. The city had taken on a life of its own, and it seemed as though it was leading them to an unknown destination. The cries of the dead grew louder, and the wind began to pick up, as if trying to engulf them in its grip. Sahil and Avi were terrified, and they knew they had made a grave mistake coming to Bhangarh.

They turned a corner, and in front of them was a massive palace that seemed to have risen from the ashes of the past. It was magnificent and grand, but it was also ominous and foreboding. Sahil and Avi hesitated, but then they saw a light emanating from inside the palace. It was a flicker of hope, a chance for them to find their way out of the city.

They stepped inside the palace, and the door creaked shut behind them. The light was coming from a room at the end of the corridor, and they hurried towards it. As they entered, they saw a man sitting on a throne, his face hidden behind a veil. He beckoned them to come closer, and as they did, he lifted the veil to reveal a face that was ancient and wrinkled

The man spoke in a language that Sahil and Avi did not understand, but they could feel his voice reverberating in their bones. He gestured for them to sit on the floor before him, and they did so, compelled by a force that they could not resist.

The man began to recount the story of Bhangarh, how the king had fallen in love with a sorceress who lived in the city. The sorceress had agreed to marry the king on the condition that he build her a palace that was taller than any other building in the city. The king had agreed, and the palace was built, but the sorceress had used her powers to curse the city, dooming it to destruction and death.

Sahil and Avi listened in horror as the man continued to speak, describing how the spirits of the dead now roamed the city, seeking vengeance on anyone who dared to enter. The man told them that they were now trapped in the city, and that they would never leave unless they fulfilled the sorceress's conditions.

The conditions were simple: the sorceress demanded a sacrifice of blood, a sacrifice of love, and a sacrifice of bravery. Sahil and Avi were to choose one person to sacrifice for each of these conditions, or they would be doomed to remain in the city forever.

Sahil and Avi were paralyzed with fear. They did not want to sacrifice anyone, but they also did not want to remain in the city. As they pondered their fate, the air around them grew colder, and they could feel the presence of the spirits growing stronger.

Suddenly, they heard a voice calling out to them, and they turned to see the woman in the red saree standing before them. She spoke to them, telling them that she was the daughter of the sorceress, and that she had been cursed along with the city. She told them that the only way to break the curse was to find the source of the sorceress's power and destroy it.

Sahil and Avi were skeptical, but they had no other option. They followed the woman through the winding streets of the city, past ancient temples and crumbling houses, until they reached a cave at the foot of a mountain.

Inside the cave, they found a stone altar, and on it was a jewel that glowed with an unearthly light. The woman told them that the jewel was the source of the sorceress's power, and that they had to destroy it to break the curse.

Sahil and Avi hesitated, but they knew that they had no other choice. They took a hammer and smashed the jewel, and as they did, the city shook and trembled. The spirits wailed in anguish, but then they began to fade away, their cries growing fainter and fainter.

Sahil and Avi stumbled out of the cave and into the sunlight. They looked back at the city, and they saw that it was no longer a ghost town. People had begun to return, and the city was slowly being rebuilt.

Sahil and Avi knew that they had been lucky to escape, but they also knew that they would never forget the horror of Bhangarh, the city that had once been a thriving metropolis, but was now forever cursed.

As they walked away from the city, they turned to thank the woman who had led them to the source of the sorceress's power. But she was gone. They looked around, but there was no sign of her.

Sahil and Avi continued on their journey, their minds still reeling from the horrors they had witnessed. They knew that they had escaped the curse of Bhangarh, but they also knew that they would never forget the terror that they had experienced.

Years later, when they were old and gray, they would tell their grandchildren the story of Bhangarh, the ghost city. They would warn them never to enter the city, never to tempt fate by seeking out the secrets that lay hidden within its walls.

But their grandchildren would listen with fascination, their eyes wide with wonder as they imagined the ghosts and spirits that haunted the city. And perhaps, deep down, they would long to one day explore the cursed ruins of Bhangarh for themselves.

As for Sahil and Avi, they knew that they had been changed forever by their experience in the city. They had witnessed the power of dark magic and the terror of the afterlife. And they knew that they would never forget the lesson that they had learned in Bhangarh, the city that had once been alive, but was now forever a ghost town.