Nishchar ( Night Demon )

By Anup Singh

Chapter 1: Whispers from Bhangarh

The full moon hung low over the sleepy village of Chandanpur, its pale light casting long
shadows across the dusty streets. In a modest house on the outskirts, 14-year-old Arjun tossed
and turned in his sleep, sweat beading on his forehead.

In his dream, Arjun found himself standing before the ruins of Bhangarh Fort. The crumbling
walls loomed ominously in the moonlight, and a chill wind whispered through the ancient stones.
A voice, barely audible, called to him from the depths of the fort. "Arjun... come to us... you
belong here..."

Arjun bolt upright in bed, his heart pounding. It was the same dream that had plagued him for
weeks now. He glanced at the clock – 3:33 AM, the witching hour. A shiver ran down his spine.

"Beta? Are you alright?" His mother's concerned voice came from the doorway. Meera switched
on the light, her face etched with worry as she sat on the edge of Arjun's bed.

"It was that dream again, Maa," Arjun whispered, his dark eyes wide with fear. "The fort... it
keeps calling me."

Meera exchanged a troubled glance with her husband, Vikram, who had appeared in the
doorway. They had hoped these nightmares would pass, but Arjun's obsession with ghosts and
the supernatural only seemed to be growing stronger.

"Perhaps it's time we spoke to Pandit Sharma," Vikram said softly, his voice heavy with
resignation.

The next day, as the sun beat down mercilessly on the village, the family made their way to the
local temple. Pandit Sharma, a gaunt man with piercing eyes, listened intently as Arjun
recounted his dreams.

Leave the boy with me," the pandit said finally. "I must speak to you both in private."

Arjun's stomach knotted with anxiety as his parents followed the priest into an adjoining room.
Unable to quell his curiosity, he crept closer to the door, straining to hear.

"...a Nishachar," the pandit's voice drifted through the thin walls. "Born once in a thousand
years... must be dealt with on his 18th birthday... under the full moon..."

Arjun's blood ran cold. Nishachar – night demon. The stories he had read, the legends he had
always believed in... could they be true? And worse, could he himself be one of these creatures?
Without thinking, Arjun bolted from the temple. His feet carried him swiftly through the winding
streets of Chandanpur, his mind reeling. He had to get away, had to reach Bhangarh Fort. Maybe
there, he would find answers.

But as night fell, the villagers caught up with him. Torches flickered in the darkness as they
dragged him back, their faces twisted with fear and hatred. Arjun's parents pleaded for mercy,
but their voices were drowned out by the mob's angry roar.

"The demon child must be purified by fire!" someone shouted, and the crowd roared its approval.

Arjun's screams echoed through the night as the flames licked higher. In their final moments
together, Meera and Vikram clung to each other, their hearts breaking as they watched their son
burn.

Days later, as dawn broke over Chandanpur, a lone car wound its way out of the village. Meera
and Vikram sat in silence, their eyes hollow with grief as they left behind the ashes of their old
life. Ahead lay Delhi, and the promise of a fresh start. But the weight of that terrible night would
follow them, a shadow that could never be outrun.

In Chandanpur, whispers lingered. Had they truly vanquished a demon, or murdered an innocent
boy? And in the ruins of Bhangarh Fort, some swore they could hear a new voice joining the
chorus of the damned – young, confused, and very, very angry.

Chapter 2: Love in the Time of Demons

The bustling campus of Delhi University hummed with life under the warm spring sun of 2025.
Amidst the crowd of students, 21-year-old Akshay shuffled along, his shoulders hunched as if to
make himself invisible. His eyes darted nervously, scanning for potential threats - be it rowdy
seniors or the stray dogs that sometimes roamed the grounds.

"Oye, Fattu!" a voice called out, making Akshay flinch. He relaxed slightly when he saw it was
just Ranveer Singh Chole, his best friend, bounding towards him with a grin. Ranveer, or
'Rancho' as he liked to be called, was everything Akshay wasn't - confident, boisterous, and
perpetually optimistic.

"Bhai, kya haal hai?" Rancho slung an arm around Akshay's shoulders. "Still planning your
grand proposal to your Akshara?"

Akshay felt his cheeks burn. "Keep it down, yaar," he muttered, glancing around furtively. "You
know Karan could be anywhere."

At the mention of Karan, both boys instinctively straightened up. Karan was the self-proclaimed
'Sigma male' of their batch - all muscles, attitude, and a penchant for bullying that kept most
students, especially Akshay, in a constant state of anxiety.
"Arre, forget that gunda," Rancho waved dismissively. "Focus on the important stuff. Farewell's
in two months, and then your Juliet is off to phoren. You need to make your move, Romeo!"

As if on cue, Akshara Singh appeared at the end of the corridor. Tall, graceful, with a smile that
could light up the darkest night - Akshay felt his heart skip a beat. Their eyes met, and Akshara's
smile widened as she waved at him.

"A-Akshara," Akshay stammered, raising his hand in an awkward wave.

"Hi Akshay," she said warmly as she approached. "Are you coming to the library study group
this evening?"

Before Akshay could stammer out a response, Rancho jumped in. "Of course he is! In fact, he
was just saying how much he's looking forward to it. Right, Akshay?"

Akshay nodded mutely, shooting a grateful glance at his friend.

"Great!" Akshara beamed. "I'll see you there then. Bye, Akshay. Bye, Rancho!"

As she walked away, Akshay let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "She's just so...
perfect," he sighed.

"And you're just so... chicken," Rancho retorted, but his tone was affectionate. "Listen, bhai. I've
got a plan to help you confess your feelings. But first, we need to work on your confidence. No
more 'fattu Akshay', okay?"

Akshay nodded, a mix of excitement and terror churning in his stomach. Little did he know that
forces beyond his understanding were at play. For as the saying goes, when evil rises, the divine
takes form. And in the cosmic dance of good and evil, Akshay was about to play a role he could
never have imagined.

As the two friends headed to class, the spring breeze carried whispers of both hope and
foreboding. The stage was set for a tale of love, courage, and the eternal battle between light and
darkness.

Chapter 3: Crossroads

The aroma of spices and sizzling oil filled the air as Akshay stepped into his family's dhaba. The
small eatery, nestled in a busy corner of Delhi, had been their livelihood for generations. His
father, Ramesh, stood behind the counter, expertly handling orders with a practiced ease that
came from years of dedication.

"Namaste, beta," Ramesh called out, his weathered face breaking into a warm smile. "How was
college today?"
Akshay mumbled a non-committal response, his mind preoccupied with the conversation he was
about to initiate. He waited until the dinner rush subsided, then approached his father.

"Papa," he began hesitantly, "I've been thinking... about my future."

Ramesh looked up, curiosity in his eyes. "What about it, beta?"

Taking a deep breath, Akshay continued, "Many of my classmates are going abroad for higher
studies. I was wondering if... if I could too?"

A heavy silence fell over the dhaba. Ramesh's expression turned serious as he considered his
son's words.

"Akshay," he said finally, his voice gentle but firm, "look around you. This dhaba has been in
our family for three generations. It's not just a business; it's our heritage, our identity. Your
classmates... their families, their backgrounds - they're different from ours. We have our own
path."

Akshay felt his heart sink. He opened his mouth to argue, but his father continued.

"This dhaba is your future, beta. It's a stable, respectable business. Why chase uncertain dreams
in foreign lands when you have a golden opportunity right here?"

Just then, Akshay's mother, Sudha, entered the dhaba, still dressed in her school teacher's sari.
She sensed the tension immediately.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking between her husband and son.

As Ramesh explained, Akshay felt a familiar mixture of love and frustration. He knew his
parents wanted the best for him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to life than
the family dhaba.

Before the discussion could escalate, Akshay's phone buzzed. A message from Rancho popped
up: "Oye! Mission Thanda in action. Usual spot?"

Akshay recognized the code immediately. Rancho was proposing their usual stress-relief ritual -
a couple of beers at their favorite hangout spot.

"I... I need some air," Akshay muttered, already heading for the door. "I'm meeting Rancho for a
bit."

"But beta-" his mother started, but Akshay was already out the door, the weight of expectations
and unfulfilled dreams heavy on his shoulders.

As he navigated the busy Delhi streets towards his rendezvous with Rancho, Akshay's mind was
a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. The love for his family and their heritage warred with his
desire for something more, something different. And underneath it all, the constant undercurrent
of his feelings for Akshara and the looming farewell party.

Little did Akshay know that this ordinary evening was about to take an extraordinary turn. The
cosmic forces at play were converging, and the next few hours would set in motion events that
would change not just his life, but the very fabric of reality itself.