"Ohhh yeah! The train just crossed another station!" shouted Priyadarshini excitedly.
"How much time will it take to reach Phek, Papa?" asked Padmini.
"There's no direct train to Phek," Mr. Ashwin replied. "First, we'll reach Dimapur by train. Then we'll take a taxi or bus to Phek—it's about 120 km from there."
"When will we reach Dimapur, dear?" asked Mrs. Ashwin.
"It'll take 1 day and 4 hours," he said.
"Whaaaat?!" exclaimed Mrs. Ashwin, Padmini, and Priyadarshini in unison.
"What the hell are we going to do in this train for a whole day?" grumbled Padmini.
"Just relax and scroll through your social media until your battery drains," joked Mr. Ashwin.
"Nanana... ek din bik jayega, maati ke mol... jag mein reh jaayenge pyaare tere bol..." 🎶
"Enjoy the journey, my kids," he added, smiling.
"I don't think this journey is going to be enjoyable," said Padmini quietly.
"Why are you saying that, Padmini?"
"Forget it. Do you think there will be any cute guys in Phek?" she asked suddenly.
"I don't know. And why do you even care?" replied Priyadarshini, annoyed.
"Oh, you're so immature."
"How dare you call me stupid?!" Priyadarshini shouted, pulling Padmini's hair.
"Oww!" Padmini screamed and slapped Priyadarshini in anger.
Priya burst into loud tears, disturbing the passengers around them.
Padmini, now feeling guilty, tried to calm her down. "Look! What a beautiful view outside!"
Priya slowly turned to the window and wiped her tears, distracted by the scenery.
Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Ashwin were seated a bit farther down the coach, quietly discussing the arrangements they would have to make upon reaching Phek.
"First, we'll buy all the household things for daily use," said Mrs. Ashwin.
"Then we'll get groceries for the whole month and—"
"Shhh…" Mr. Ashwin gently put a finger on her lips and moved closer, but just then his phone rang.
It was a call from the Military Headquarters of Nagaland. He was ordered to report to the base camp immediately upon arrival, before settling in.
A few compartments down, a strange man appeared—wearing an old cowboy hat, thick spectacles, and sporting a long moustache. He slowly approached the three girls who were now chatting and playing.
He sat near them and asked in a friendly tone, "So, when will you reach Phek?"
"We'll be there in one and a half days," replied Priya cheerfully.
"But… wait. How did you know we're going to Phek?" asked Padmini, narrowing her eyes.
"Just look into my eyes. You'll understand," the man said with a chilling grin.
As they looked into his eyes, their expressions went blank—they were hypnotized.
He pulled out a small pouch and dabbed a glowing blue powder onto their foreheads, one by one.
Just then, Mr. and Mrs. Ashwin returned from their seats. Seeing the strange man leaning over their children, they shouted in alarm.
The man immediately turned, leapt toward the open coach door, and jumped off the moving train, vanishing into the darkness.
Horrified, they ran to their daughters, who had collapsed unconscious.
"Girls! Wake up!" shouted Mrs. Ashwin.
They tried shaking them, but nothing worked. Mr. Ashwin quickly splashed water on their faces.
The girls slowly opened their eyes.
"What happened?" Mr. Ashwin asked anxiously.
Padmini explained the entire situation.
"That man… he hypnotized us and put some blue powder on our foreheads."
Mr. Ashwin wiped the powder off their skin with a cloth.
"I don't know who that man was," he said, trying to stay calm. "Maybe he was just a psycho. Don't worry. Try to rest now."
But deep down… something still didn't feel right.
"Thanks for reading! New chapters every 2–3 days. Follow me for more creepy stuff "