The Secret Expedition - 01

Once upon a time in Bangalore, there lived four friends Raj, Krish, Trisha and Disha. The quartet did not allow anyone to seep into their friend's circle and they shared a deep bond which seemed impenetrable. They always flocked together much to the surprise of others. Some of them deliberately tried to sow the seeds of hatred in their friendship but to no avail. They had to study hard two months in a row thanks to the examination demon. The results of the examination made them flash their high voltage smiles. All of them had passed the exams with flying colours which made them plan for an expedition. They convinced their parents stating they would visit a nearby place but in reality, they were on an expedition to a deserted location. Their motive was to decode the story of a place hitherto never visited before. Embarking on this perilous venture entails considerable risks and the quartet were ready to confront the risks.

All of them turned up for rendezvous to discuss the plan to navigate through the location. They looked excited to venture into an adventurous place to excavate the hidden story. They packed their bags and left their respective residences to arrive at a meeting point where the crimson red car was awaiting them. They did a high-five before slipping into the car. Raj and Trisha occupied the front seats whereas Disha and Krish reclined in the rear seat. Their smiles reflected the excitement and enthusiasm they harboured about the expedition. Raj put the engine in motion and slightly stomped his toe on the clutch to propel the car forward. They looked like the birds who escaped from the confined cage.

Trisha and Disha let their singing talent take the stage as they sang melodious songs in rhythm with the blowing cool breeze. They were so engrossed in their musical world, that they didn't realize how morning slipped into the evening. As their car covered the distance, even they inched closer to their destination and also the appearance of people diminished. The car with no roof on its top had allowed the four to breathe the fresh air hurled by the forest.

The blue sky was shrouded by dark clouds which rendered an ominous ambience. It started to drizzle and the four of them did not deter from getting drenched. In a sudden turn of events, a huge tree fell on the road to accelerate their heartbeats. They had just survived from the skin of their teeth which made them heave a sigh of relief. The silence in the dark place is always going to be perilous and they didn't want the deadly silence to breach their happiness. So they let the grave incident go by and revived their conversation in full swing. The car zoomed through the road which seemed to have taken a bath courtesy of rain. The perils hidden beneath the cloak were hatching a conspiracy to play a deception game against the four. Will they be able to break the deep bond between them? 

"It's simple to plan but difficult to implement," Disha said.

"Don't worry, Dish! We are on a pursuit to discover something peculiar which can then be shared with the entire world," Raj responded.

"As we are heading into the mouth of the night, it is getting scarier," Trisha said.

"These girls always behave like scary cats. You must start watching mystery thrillers to get rid of your fears and embrace the courage," Krish said.

Incessant rain refused to subside and the condition of the road on which their car travelled deteriorated. The tyre of the car punctured itself to render the vehicle useless. The slushy road was a misfit for travel and now these guys had no other option but to use their legs to move ahead. To add to their woes, there was no network in the area. Now they can't wallow in the comfort offered by the car.

"Ouch! This is ugly," Disha lamented.

"God has given us two beautiful wheels. Why are we compelling them to be docile? I know the place is not conducive enough for us to move ahead but we should not refrain from our goal," Raj said.

All of them jumped out of their car. The cold clung to their bones cajoling them to put on raincoats. Amidst the rain shower and deadly cold, they set their foot forward to decode the dangerous-looking place. They heard a whisper out of nowhere which made them apprehensively glance at each other. A creature jumped on back of Trisha to surge her fear to a crescendo. She closed her eyes and squelched in fear. Raj broke into laughter looking at the crazy expressions being manufactured on her face. The monkey had managed to surge her dread and the realization of the truth brought her heartbeats back to normalcy. 

All of them began climbing the mountain to reach the other end. They were so engrossed in their pursuit of climbing, that they just didn't have the patience to look at others. They did make it to the top of the mountain albeit draining all their energies. When they reached the summit of the mountain, they were in for a terrible shock. Disha was missing! 

"Where is Disha?" Trisha asked in paranoia.

They screamed Disha's name but couldn't get back the response. They now descended the mountain to trace her path. Once they reached the bottom of the mountain, a scary voice from the bush loomed largely. They controlled their senses and directed themselves towards the weird-looking bush. 

The sight of Disha's dead body covered in blood sent shock waves through their mind. Who murdered her? Is there any deadly energy hovering around or did any one of them turn rogue and killed Disha? Questions continued to mount but answers were buried under the carpet. 

Their minds reeled under the countless questions which had no answers. They came happily here for an adventure but have already lost a valuable member of their friend circle. After the unforgettable incident of Disha's murder, none of them had any interest to unravel the mystery that shrouded the place. The cloud of uncertainty hung around them and grim hopes of the future bled their hearts. Their panic-laden hearts refused to slow down and the silent bush remained motionless as if nothing materialized to claim Disha's life. Even before they could come out of the deadly shock, a rasping sound from behind put them into virtual paralysis. 

(To be continued..)