Introduction
In a dense jungle was a secretive, deserted town. Nobody lived there overnight since it was claimed that anyone living there after darkness would never leave. Arjun, however, was a valiant explorer who chose to neglect the rumor and spend the night there. What he found out was a worst-case scenario fact that carried an enormous lesson.
The Traveler’s Arrival
Arjun, a traveling merchant, had heard stories about the village but wrote them off as superstition. He required shelter for the night, and the village was the ideal place to spend it. As he entered the deserted streets, he felt the chilling silence. The wind sighed through shattered windows, and the atmosphere felt abnormally cold.
He came across an old house that appeared to be strong enough and resolved to take it as shelter. While arranging his campfire, he observed queer shadows darting on the walls. He assured himself it was all a creation of his imagination—until he heard the whisper.
The Haunting Begins
There was a mysterious voice that echoed in the room, "Leave before it's too late." Arjun had turned down the wrong path, but there was no one. The door closed in a fraction of a second as the atmosphere grew heavy. Panic gripped him, but he did not want to let fear get the better of him.
He was determined to find out the truth and so searched the house and discovered an old diary. The dark secret of the village was revealed in its pages: years before, the villagers had reneged on their promise to help a kind sage. The anger of the sage cursed the village forever. The ghosts of the cursed villagers stole the souls of guests and never spoke to them again.
Facing the Spirits
Suddenly, ghostly figures surrounded Arjun, their hollow eyes filled with sorrow. They mumbled, "You must leave." "Or else you will also be trapped." Arjun made a promise because he was aware that the spirits were in pain. “If breaking a promise brought this curse, then keeping one must break it,” he said. He said he would do the rituals to get their souls out. At dawn, Arjun carried out the sacred rites as described in the diary. The spirits let out a final sigh of relief before disappearing into the morning light as he finished the final chant. A gust of wind howled through the village. The village, which had been cursed, was now peaceful.
Moral of the Story
Promises should never be broken. Betrayal and dishonesty can bring great misfortune while keeping one’s word leads to redemption and peace.
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Stories