*Set your line spacing 'Small' Font size 20points. And use Night mode.

This is for you, to make your reading experience more comfortable.*

(Beginning)

-

-

-

He slightly opened the big glass  window and went into his balcony. Every moment of his life was just passing through his eyes like a cinema reel. He was scared, he was reluctant but last he was a slave. He went to end of the glass border of the balcony. He looked down, he studied that he was around 60 feet high, he thought for a second that if he jumped, it would be a serious head injury, or even no chances to be alive. But there was no option.. He slowly took out his phone, he started typing a huge message, a message for his friend but before he could complete the message writing. A quick wave of air blow onto him from behind and like pushing him down, he just felt down from that place SCREAMING.

That night, was the last night of Ravi’s life...

***

WAY TO HELL 

***

             With a huge amount of anxiety Vikrant shut the door. Vikrant was just arrived home from his office. He seemed tensed.

Took a bath, and wore up some cozy and came in the living room.

         He turned on the T.V, brought some cup noodle to eat, and turned on the A.C. Now he was feeling relaxed as he was all set, watching his favourite NETFLIX’s show.

          Vikrant forgots everything when he surrounded himself with his favourite things. Vikrant had setup a 5.1 Dolby at his home... He was possessed by the things which trigger entertainment. And now Vikrant was trying to engage in the show and forget whatever happened today.

        Vikrant being a good software designer was rebuke by his boss as not making the work more efficient. Vikrant was started getting more and more offended day by day by his boss.  Vikrant just thought up to quit the job, but without money, he was nothing. Vikrant can't afford to lose the job as he was not having any other source of income.

Vikrant was just thinking of money, money and money. He thought about the expenditure he made this month and thought how much he is left with now RS.5, 766.

Vikrant took a deep breath. He had a half month ahead for the next Payment... But before that, He has to look for the EMI of his newly brought bike.

“Seriously I am such a bullshit...I brought the bike just to show off and now regretting.”

“She don’t even look at you then still why don’t you understand!!”

Vikrant frowned at himself...

Vikrant was having a crush on a lady in his office. And Vikrant always tries to impress her by showing off with his branded things.

But Naina was a simple girl, she just dislikes those who show off’s. So she never looked at Vikrant with that angle. She just thought him as Boring, and a pathetic idiot.

***

                   Vikrant calmed himself and concentrated on the show to forget his problems. And after some time he got totally engage in the program.

*pop up*

His phone made a sound alerting him that he has a message, but Vikrant ignored the message. He was just getting absorbed by the show.

               After an hour when the show ended, Vikrant look at the local news channel for checking the updates. And suddenly he saw something familiar.

’28 YEAR OLD GUY SUCIDED FROM 4TH FLOOR OF TRIVEDI HEGHITS’

“What Trivedi Heights! This is the place where Ravi lives.” Vikrant thought.

‘RAVI NARAYAN, A 28 YEAR OLD GUY SUCIDED FROM 4TH FLOOR OF TRIVEDI HEGHITS’

“WHAT!!!!!” Vikrant was not able to believe, his heart sank. He ran closer to the T.V and started looking at the news more detailed...

Ravi was one of Vikrant’s best friend, they had a lot of memories together.

“NO, NO! I can’t believe I just need to check it out..” Vikrant decided to go to Ravi’s place.

Vikrant stood up and quickly, took his phone and there saw that he was having a message from Ravi.

“Oh god, He last texted me but while that time I was watching the program and just ignore, he might wanted to tell me something.” Thinking this Vikrant check out the message...

‘HELLO BROTHER, I AM SORRY FOR WHATEVER I DID WRONG TO YOU, AT THIS MOMENT I AM FEELING EXTREME SADNESS.. I AM SORRY FOR EVERYTHING. I WANT TO SAY SORRY WITH MY WHOLE AND SOUL.

WE HAD A GREAT TIME TOGETHER, WE SHARE GREAT IDEA'S,

MEMORIES.

        I DONT WANT ANY THING BETWEEN US UNTOLD.

ONE THING I WANTED TO TELL YOU FROM VERY LONG...

A BIG SECRET, A SECRET OF MY PAST. ITS A WAY, WHICH CAN END ALL YOUR FINANCIAL PROBLEMS.

THAT CAN MAKE YOUR LIFE. YOU DONT NEED TO WORK HARD FOR YOU LIFETIME THEN. IT IS THAT,

I HAVE AN OLD ANCESSTROL TREASURE...

SOMEHOW I WAS UNABLE TO ACHIEVE IT. BUT I WANT YOU TO GET IT ALL, FOR YOURSELF.

YOU KNOW ABOUT THE VILLA I HAVE IN LONAVLA... IT WAS A VERY OLD PLACE FROM MY GREAT GRAND FATHER’S-FATHER GENERATION... SEE I HAVE VERY LESS TIME WITH ME... I DONT KNOW BUT SOMETHING IS BEHIND ME... I GUESS IT’S STARING ME... THE ONLY THING I CAN TELL YOU NOW IS THAT... JUST ONCE COME AT MY HOUSE AND JUST GO THROUGH MY CUPBOARD DRA....’

“Wait what dra!!!” while reading Vikrant end up with a confused look.

Whatever had happened. It was terrible... Vikrant took his bike keys and went to the Trivedi heights...

  He found a huge crowd there... crossing them somehow he made a way to the 4th floor. And when he reached at 4th floor he found Police has sealed the place and bordered it with “Do not cross this line”

Vikrant thought it that it was harder job to talk to police to get inside,

because the answer must be NO from them... They won’t let me in unless they complete their investigation.

Vikrant wandered for long and decided that he will return here at 2am. During the mid-night hour when police will complete their investigation and they will back to their place, Vikrant will secretly get into the house.

                So as he did,perfect 2’o clock, Vikrant arrived at Ravi’s place. He looked at the ‘DO NOT CROSS THE LINE’ and slowly put his foot forward. Both of them were having the keys of each other’s house so that when they need, they can come and go. Ravi blindly trusted Vikrant as a good friend. And so Vikrant maintained that image. Ravi as having the room keys, he unlocked the door quietly and entered the place.

It was dark inside, Vikrant turn on the lights, there was some blood dropped on the floor and a knife too, seems like before dying, someone has tried to harm Ravi with the knife and Ravi might have jumped or pushed by the person down.

“Who the fucking killer might be... I don’t remember any enemy Ravi had. Instead Ravi was a gentle guy.”

Vikrant was thinking as he was moving towards Ravi’s bedroom.

Vikrant silently went in the bedroom, everything was messed up, as the investigators might have done this. Vikrant looked at the cupboards and opened it. The investigators were also gone through this as these were too messy. Vikrant tried to think what ‘dra’ means, if we thing about ‘cupboard dra’ he thought. For a second he thought does he want to tell about bra and it might his keyboard make it dra...

“No no... Why would he have a bra in his home...? Dra also resembles to... DRAWERS!!

Yeah it might be DRAWERS.” Vikrant was talking to himself..

And as he came to a conclusion that the dra was for DRAWERS.

He opened the cupboard drawer. The first one was full of different designs and texture and gradient TIE’s. Then he opened another one and surprisingly found something odd... he took it out... it was a big, quite burned old Cloth... he unfolded it and saw that there was a certain kind of a map.

         Vikrant got amazed by the texture it has and a feel of historical period.

Just to make sure if he is missing, he checked out the last drawer, but it was carrying nothing, just some Ravi’s stuff.

Vikrant closed the drawers and so the cupboard.

And quickly came in the living room and as he arrived in the living room he was just STUNNED... HE SAW A HUGE FIGURE CREATURE IN FRONT OF HIS AND VIKRANT JUST FALL BACKED AFTER LOOKING AT IT...

But the next movement Vikrant closed his eyes and when he opened back... the creature was gone. Nothing was there.

“WHAT WAS THAT!!!!?” Vikrant thought. Vikrant's heart was pounding.

Vikrant slowly hold the wooden table and stood up. And then quickly moved out from the house. And locked it back...

Vikrant returned home at 3’o clock. He was totally mixed up with lot many feelings at a time.. he was sad as his one of the good friend died, he was happy because he will be financially great because of the treasure map he got, he was also scared and confused 'who the hell he saw at Ravi’s home.' And was totally tired by the tough work he had done...

He took out the map from his bag to check it what it is actually.

It was a old style painted map on cloth. It was showing some rooms and the names to those were indicated with something that was written in Sanskrit..  The treasure was at lonavla at Ravi’s farmhouse.

“I need to go there...” Vikrant mummered.

“AND YEAH!! I’LL BE RICH SOON!”

***

-

-

-

Some noises made Vikrant look around.. When he observed, he found himself in his room. Not in the room where he was living now. He found himself in room where he was while 9yr old.

knock...knock...knock

Someone was knocking his room door hard. Vikrant slowly moved to the door. who might have knocking so loud.

Vikrant put his hand on the ball to unlock and opened the door and all at a sudden a man like figure appeared infront of him..

It was his dad.

"Vikrant, we have to leave this house... " his dad snapped off loud. "Be quick.. we are in hurry..!! "

Vikrant looked at his dad, it was puzzling him He was frozen at his place without  understanding the situation.

While his dad holded his hand and pulled him out from the room and so from the house.. Following them his mom too came out from the house.. She was holding a big bag which they mostly use while travelling.

Vikrant asked, "Are we going somewhere?? "

But no one was going to answer him anything.

There was a intense speed in every action, before Vikrant could understand what's happening " Get in the cab!!" his dad shouted.

There was a cab ready for them.

Vikrant looked up at his mom.. she was the same confused as he was.

Vikrant and his mom got inside the cab and his dad told the cab driver an address and the cab driver gave an 'understood' sign and started the car.

Vikrant wasn't understanding what was actually happening. Vikrant found it strange why his dad didn't got into the cab.

Vikrant looked back from the back glass of the cab and saw his dad waving at them.. He observed his dad's expressions. He was waving at them and crying, Vikrant to waved a little, he was scared and worried for his dad.

Vikrant was sure that something terrible was happeneing, his dad was hiding something and before Vikrant could think about the reason he saw some people behind his dad.

It was a gang, running towards his dad, they were like devil's, Vikrant was feeling something odd, he kept staring at the view, those people got closer to Vikrant's dad and in a very next second one of them took out a gun and shot a bullet on his dad's head..

Vikrant eyes got wide and his face turned white and he screamed aloud.

Everything stopped for a second AND....

(silence)

***

Vikrant woke up and realized that it was a dream..

But whatever it was..

It was true....

12 years before his dad was killed by those Gang members.

I still don't know the reason, my dad had never talked to us about his business, neither he told my mom anything!

This kinds of dreams always kept Vikrant disturbed for days. His evil nightmares.

Vikrant looked up at his clock. It was 8:22.

What the hell, I am late today.. oh god, that bastard will literally fired me out today..

Vikrant got a shiver, he jumped off the bed and directly went in shower🚿, quickly brushed his teeth and simultaneously took a bath.

Wait a minute, why I am so worried about that bloody job. Atlast I have a treasure now.

Vikrant stopped brushing.. and started thinking in the rain shower.

I can go at Ravi's farmhouse and take all the treasure, none one going to stop me as nobody knows this secret. I will be rich for lifetime. Vikrant smikred.

But then a sign of worry appeared on his face.

What if this all proved fake!? I will lose my job.. Vikrant stopped. He quickly got ready and went for work.

***

The day spent as usual with the damn fucking remarks of his boss and watching Naina all the day. While in evening all of them were leaving Vikrant came in the parking, for his bike. Abhishek patted on his back.

"Hey Man" Abhishek.

"Yeah, Abhishek, how's going on!?" Vikrant casually asked.

"All fine yaar, I am working on the new website, they gave me the templates

it's one of the shity work. What they think about me I literally don't understand, I was appointed as a web developer not a web designer. But still, they just want to work us out at any point. They don't consider us a employees, they consider us as labours..!"

"Yeah bro, real hectic work." Vikrant supported the conversation.

"haha, I know how hectic for you, I observered you, always found you staring the girl." Abhishek said pointing out Vikrant's crush.

"what..wh.who.." like he don't know anything, Vikrants reacted.

"I know everything, Naina na!!? " Abhishek.

"What.. no!!"  *blushes*

Abhishek laughed out. "yeah it's okay. I can understand."

"Hey what you understand... no dude it's not like that!" Vikrant blushed again.

"oh.. okay.. by the way I want to tell you that.. we guys have decided to go for a trip.  You know the news that our office will be closed for next 2 weeks as its going under some major mantainance."

"Hmm.. I know" Vikrant had already planned for the treasure hunt during these holidays. Cause this was the perfect time.

"Yeah so we have thought for a trip somewhere, location not decided yet. but we'll decide it soon." Abhishek continued.

"What? You planned for a trip?" Vikrant thought that he could go with them, by suggesting them the Farmhouse as a holiday place.

"So you haven't decided the location right?" Vikrant asked purposely.

"Yeah, but we will find a good place soon." Abhishek said.

"Then I have a good news for you!  I have a farmhouse at lonavla"

"What are you saying, really..!!?"  surprisingly Abhishek asked.

"Yess, I was supposed to go there during these holiday's, So now I will take you'll too with me there..We will all have fun!!"

"Ohhh yeahhh.. So I will tell you next plannings but now, I need to go, I have to take some fish for tonight dinner. Okay.. I'll message you tonight" Abhishek moved from there as he was getting late.

Vikrant wore up his helmet and with a accel he moved on..

while on his bike he was thinking. Whether he did right or wrong about taking them at the farmhouse.

Whatever it maybe, in the night hour when all of them will sleep I will begin my treasure hunt there.. The only thing which I was in need of was a car and some people.. Now these people will arrange a car to that farmhouse and also be with me...if any risk comes in my way we all will face.

Because going there alone was much creepier than going with a group.

***

-

-

-

-

Vikrant was at home now. Resting on his sofa.

*Pop up*

Vikrant slightly took his phone and saw, he was having a message. It was Abhishek's message.

"Hey buddy!"

Vikrant replied "Hey"

And continued typing message.

"So what you up to. Tell me how many of our colleagues are gonna come for the trip?"

"Umm, not decided but around 3/4 they are... Like Manish is there, Gautam also there, Vrushika, Aisha and ha Naina too!"

Vikrant blushes after reading Naina's name.

He types back, "Oh😁"

Abhishek again types, “And we have a Chevrolet for our trip."

Vikrant replied "okay great, so we are all set to go, just tell everyone about the location and fix the date when to move"

Abhishek "I prefer to begin the travel on 12th March, Sunday. It will be the best time as perfectly we would have the next 2 free weeks."

"Awesome, so Sunday final! " Vikrant answered.

"Okay, I report them and report you back their views."

"Yay, okay"

"Bye"

"Bye"

Vikrant put his phone aside, and moved

his body to get more comfortable at his place. Slowly closed his eyes,

In the brilliant silence, Vikrant surfed into a flow state. His vivid visualization made him go through his beautiful memories.

The second when he saw Naina for the first time.

Her charm, her soft voice, the spark of her eyes... Everything was just mesmerizing.

Vikrant had never been in love. But this was for the first time.  The beautiful feeling of love was chilling him with fairly goose bumps and a smile on his face.

Vikrant slowly opened his eyes and thought as Naina is too coming on the trip, it would be a perfect time to get to know her and start a friendship,

Cause friendship is the first step to relationship.

I think I should work on this, means along with treasure hunt; I will try to win her heart. So that this trip will prove a double advantageous trip.

Vikrant smiled again at his place.

He looked at the time. It was 11:45.

"I guess I should sleep now."

Vikrant stood up and went in his bedroom. His bed was already waiting for him. Vikrant opened his cupboard, he opened the safe, here was the old map. He took it out and murmered, "Sunday, I will reveal your treasure."

Saying this Vikrant smirked and kept the map back, closed the cupboard and retired over the bed and in a minute he catched the forty winks.

***

It seemed Vikrant had thought that finding the treasure was such easy as drawing out water from well. But nothing in this realm is as easy as it sounds. Vikrant was unaware by everything... Everything which was going to come in his way.

Prompt decision can kill.

***

The night was gone dark, duskiness was all over. In that gloom, a secret activity took place. The map which was resting in the safe started moving; it slithered through the place. It came out from the cupboard. In that collab of dark & silence, when Vikrant was in deep stage of sleep, this map travelled through his bed to him. The map slowly adjusted himself beside Vikrant's arm. And lulled there...

Felt like the old cloth map was living for a moment.

***

NEXT DAY

SATURDAY MORNING.

Taking a long yawn, Vikrant woke up, he look at watch, it was 8:55. It was weekend the 'No office day'.  Through a window, the sunlight was falling on Vikrant's body making him charged for the day. Vikrant stretched on his bed and while stretching his hand stuck over something, it was soft, Vikrant put his eyes on that thing and got aghast to see the map lying on his bed. Vikrant tried to put some light on yesterday's night to remember whether he had kept this map inside the safe or not, he was sure that he kept this back in safe then how could it can come out.  Vikrant took that map, rolled it and kept it back in the safe, thinking that he might have forgot to put it back. "Atlast maps don't walk"

***

Here, on the other side officer Azad Srivastava was appointed as the chief of the investigation department, Mumbai.

And so onwards the suicidal case of RAVI NARAYAN was going to handled by him.

Azad was 32 year old, an intelligent, bold officer, recently got promoted. And now was to handle the Ravi narayan's case.

By the first day he started his investigation, with his 2 trusted policemens under him, Salunke and Patil.

He went at Trivedi heights, the suicide place. To check what was the reason of the suicidal, or whether it was just a suicidal or something else.

Patil and Salunke quickly took their positions and started their search.

Azad was trying to visualize how the suicide could have happened. He looked at the blood drops, Azad started to look for more proof, like suicidal note, fingerprints, belongings of others.

Suddenly Salunke found something; he called Azad closer to have a look. Inside the house, on a table, there was someone's fingerprint, visible under the magnifying glass.

Azad took a closer look. "Now this is something new, Salunke somewhere inside me. I was having an intuition that this case is not just a suicidal but a planned murder...  And I feel now we would find the murderer soon... You send these fingerprints to forensics, and just take out the fingerprint traces of Ravi's friends and family...  This work is done by someone closer to him..."

The matter was looking serious, Officer Azad was seemed to find out the murderer very soon...

***

"Yeah,

la la la, oh, la la la humming his favorite song Vikrant was cooking. And suddenly he heard an irritating sound of his door bell.

Vikrant washed his hands and went to open the door.

The moment Vikrant opened the door, Vikrant got freeze for a while. 

A policeman was standing outside.

"Hello, you are Ravi's friend?"

He asked.

Vikrant was in a freeze state and couldn't able to respond for few seconds.

"Hello!" the police man exclaimed in little high tone.

And this made Vikrant come back to normal.

And he replied.

"Ahh... Yes yes... I... I am Ravi's friend."

"I dont have much time, I just need your finger prints, keep your hands here on this device."

He opened a tab in front of Vikrant and told him to put his hand to get his fingerprints.

Vikrant was confused, he asked.

"Why do you need my fingerprints?"

On his question the policeman got uptight saying,

"Do what I say; I have a list of people to visit ahead. We are collecting a data to find out Ravi's murderer. Now just keep your hands on this and free Me.!"

Doubtful Vikrant quickly put his hand on the tab and let that policeman move ahead.

Vikrant closed the door and came inside...

Vikrant gasp something burning around, he realised that he kept the stove burning; he ran towards the stove and turned it off. But till now, the dish was burned, Vikrant reluctantly started making something different for his meal.

And was just thinking about tomorrow's trip. "It is going to be Awesome", he said.

***