Highway Halt

                        Prologue

The grotesque sight filled my senses with fear. My heart started pondering fast. Its true... the legend is true.. How did this happen? When did it start?? When will it end?? 

            I came here unknowingly and do not even know whether will reach home safe. Travelling alone was not the right decision. I know .. it was a terrible mistake. I .. I .. The events of the past 5 hours flashed in front of me for the last time.

                        Chapter 1

The trickling raindrops on a frosty window pane always give a coffee ache. I finished my daily schedule of office work and was making a hot cup of the same. The smell of rain wet air and hot coffee combined was a feel good factor itself. Daily workload was ever increasing and pressure of work was unbearable.

                       Coffee time is a part of human s life when we take out some space to think the events of our day, week, year or life. Every person needs space and that space is given when we take out some time from work and sip caffaine with some array of memories flashing through our minds. Yes we all need that much time out for ourselves in the day.

                         Life is a hard teacher and my life too was a bed of thorns. I was born in a middle class family and was bought up with great difficulty. Me and my parents worked pretty hard to achieve what I am today. My love life sucked too since my first boyfriend left me when I left school. Since then never wanted or felt the necessity to fall in love.

                       I live with my sister who is a nurse working day and night for a living for her son. She is a single mother and I live with her and my family is kind of dependent on me for earning a living. However, we are a happy family and have never felt the need of anything better than this.

                       The door bell rang twice. I knew that the chain of thoughts need to break now since my sister will be home and il sit and chat with her. I ran to open the door and my sister all drenched in tge rain came inside cursing the weeping sky for the next 10 minutes. “ So, what you did all day Sandhya?”, she asked. I was about to reply when my cell phone started ringing.

                      I winked at her and stared at it only to find my boss calling. I knew again it was work. “ Hey Sandhya listen to me carefully. You have to deliver the papers now to the given address otherwise Mr. Shukla shall leave tomorrow. His wife is not well he has to go home so reach there now.” He kept the receiver before Sandhya could even react.

                     She looked at the clock hanging on the wall above the sofa. It was 8 o clock already. If she went now she would not be able to be back before 10 o clock. “ Now.. tell him you cant go”, said my angry sister. “It's ok .. don’t worry Il be fine.”

            “ What .. like seriously are you?? Do you even know that Highway 16 is not safe at night. How many people have gone missing since the last few months .. don’t you know”.

      “ Yes.. look if I don’t go today boss will not spare me.. Il be fired.. we need the job. Besides, Il take the car. Il not stop anywhere in between .. ok? .. Il keep you on call.”

               My sister was angry and went to the other room. Chintu was studying.. he looked at me and winked… I smiled at him and left in my car to finish my evening homework.