The Beast

It was 1850... India. Some far away part of Punjab. There was a big jungle and near that, some green farms. And there, like touching the sky, stood Ratan Singh’s palace. From far it looked royal—big golden towers shining in sunlight. But when you go near, those walls... they was hiding some dark stuff. Pain. Cruelty.

All around the palace was lands that once had shepherds and farmers, people laughing and living. But now... that laughter gone. Now only Ratan Singh’s evil lived there. Even the nice smell of wet soil—now replaced with blood. And smoke. Gunpowder.

Ratan Singh was cruel. Like really cruel. Only thing he cared about was money and power. Nothing else. If something even small got in his way, he destroy it. Like he hate poor people. Near his palace, there was one little village. Poor shepherds, goats, and few small huts. That village made him angry.

“These filthy shepherds! They’re ruining how my palace looks!” he shouted in his court one day. His voice... full of hate. And his people? They just stood there quiet, used to his evil.

Then, one morning before sun fully came up, his soldiers went to that poor village. They had fire torches. Burned the huts. Killed goats. And anyone who tried to run—they chopped them. The smoke covered the sky. The screams… they were everywhere. Like the whole village was crying and dying.

One guy, Gopal, he was a shepherd too. He ran away with his wife, Meera. Gopal was simple man. Loved his goats, his hut, and Meera. She was 7 months pregnant. She could hardly walk. Gopal held her hand tight. “Come on Meera. We hide in the jungle. They won’t find us there.”

They ran, fast as they could. Behind them, the whole village was fire now. Smoke rising high. And screams still echoing. Meera had tears and fire in her eyes. “That devil Ratan Singh,” she whispered, “God will not leave him.”

But soldiers didn’t give up. Their horses were loud in the forest. Gopal and Meera kept hiding behind trees. But night came, and jungle got darker. Still, soldiers found them. At one place where moonlight barely touched the ground, they was surrounded.

Gopal stood in front of Meera. Found a stick from the ground. “Run, Meera!” he screamed.

But she didn’t. She stayed with him. Scared, yes, but brave.

One soldier pulled out his sword and attacked. Gopal tried to block with the stick. But come on... he was no soldier. The sword cut him deep in chest. He fell on the ground. Bleeding. Meera screamed. She dropped to her knees, held his face in her hands, crying.

Soldiers came close to kill her too. But before they touched her, Meera raised her hands to the sky. Her voice... wasn’t normal. It was full of pain. Full of anger. Full of... something else. Power maybe.

“Oh God! My husband will come back like a beast! He will destroy your bloodline, Ratan Singh! You and your children will never sleep in peace! This jungle will see your end!”

Those words echoed in trees. Like forest was listening. Even soldiers felt weird. One of them said, “This woman’s a witch. Leave her. Or we all gonna die.” They left her there. Alone. And ran away.

That night... the moon looked bloody red. And from jungle... came a sound. Like a wolf. But not just wolf... like human scream inside it. It was scary. Real scary. Even Ratan Singh, sitting on his golden throne drinking wine, heard that sound. He froze. “What was that?” he asked. No one could answer.

In daytime, his palace looked rich. But at night, it got weird. The lights in torches got dim like something was eating the light. Ratan Singh started seeing dreams. Nightmares. A wolf chasing him. But the wolf had human eyes... Gopal’s eyes. He woke up in sweat, shaking.

He tried to act tough. Told his men, “Nonsense! No beast or curse can scare me!” But his voice… was not so strong now. He sent his top soldier, Sardar Ram, to check the jungle. “Find that sound. End this.”

Ram was strong. Brave. He took five men with him. All had swords and torches. But once they entered jungle, it got silent. No birds. Just that smell. Like death.

They walked slowly. “This ain’t no normal animal,” Ram said. “Be ready.”

Then suddenly… that same scary sound came again. Closer now. They saw something move. Fast. Way too fast.

Then scream. One soldier. His throat was cut. Blood pouring. Ram pulled sword. “Show yourself!” he shouted.

But no answer. Just that voice again. Closer.

More attacks. Another soldier ripped apart. They all ran. Except Ram. He stood. “Come! I’ll kill you!” he yelled.

But shadow attacked. Ram tried to fight. Missed. He felt something cut deep in his arm. Fell to the ground. But before the shadow could kill him, strange light filled the jungle. The shadow stepped back. Ram ran. Escaped.

Meanwhile, Meera was hiding in a cave. Her body hurt. Her heart broken. She held her belly. Her baby was all she had now. That night, she heard that sound. But this time... it felt peaceful. Like her curse became real.

She remembered grandma’s story. A jungle spirit. Old one. It wakes up when evil comes. It don’t forgive. It becomes something not human. Not beast either. Meera whispered, “Is it my curse that woke it up?”

She said, “If yes... then Ratan Singh will get what he deserves.”

But she was scared too. What if it don’t stop at Ratan Singh? What if it kills everyone?

Back in the palace, Ram came back. Bleeding. Face pale. “It’s no animal,” he said. “It’s something else. Ghost maybe.”

Ratan Singh got mad. “You cowards! I’ll kill it myself!”

But that night... he heard footsteps outside his room. He opened the door. No one. Just that sound again. Inside the palace. He screamed for guards. They came, saw his face white with fear. “This sound... it’s driving me mad!” he said.

In jungle, Meera decided something. She had to find the spirit. Maybe stop it. Or guide it. She walked deeper in the woods. Found an old temple. Broken, dark. On the door—was a symbol. A wolf. With red eyes.

Inside, she saw a statue. Not man. Not animal. Eyes made of red stones. Glowing. She sat in front. Said, “Oh spirit of the jungle… if you came because of me, then punish Ratan Singh. Just him. Not others.”

The statue lit up. That sound came again. But now it didn’t scare her. It felt... like it was talking to her.

In palace, Ratan Singh was losing it. Dreams every night. That same scream. He called a priest. The priest looked around and said, “Raja… this is no normal creature. You spilled blood. Now jungle takes revenge.”

Ratan Singh yelled, “Lies! I fear nothing!” But he was scared inside. He ordered, “Burn the jungle! Kill whatever’s inside!”

His men went with fire. But strange wind came. Torches blew off. That sound came again. Louder. Shadows moved in trees. Something watching them. Not man. Not beast.

Meera heard it too. She walked toward it. In the darkest part of the woods... she saw something. A wolf-shape. With human eyes. It saw her. Stopped. She whispered, “Gopal… is that you?”

But it vanished.

Back at palace, Ratan Singh tried to escape. With his men. But before they left, that voice came again. In the palace yard. Ratan Singh lifted sword. “Show yourself!” he screamed.

Shadow came. Fast. Cut his arm. He fell. Screamed. Guards came with fire. Shadow disappeared. They took him back inside. Shaking. Whispering, “What was that? What was that?”

Meera... she still searching. She sat in temple again. Prayed, “Let this spirit only punish the guilty. Not innocents.”

But forest didn’t answer. Only that sound. Louder now. Wilder.

This story… ain’t over yet.

Ratan Singh still alive. But the jungle? The jungle just woke up.

(To be continued…)

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