The Midnight Bus

It was a cold winter night, and a thick fog blanketed the deserted forest. A narrow road cut through the silence, stretching into the darkness. The only sound was the hum of an approaching bus, its headlights slicing through the mist as it made its way down the empty road.

Inside the bus, several passengers sat quietly. Some were dozing off to the soft tunes playing on the radio, while others stared out of the window at the ghostly landscape. Among them was a man traveling with his young son, both heading towards their home. The bus driver and conductor sat at the front, focused on the road ahead.

As the bus moved deeper into the forest, the driver suddenly noticed two figures standing by the roadside—an elderly man and a young, beautiful daughter. The old man raised his hand, signaling for the bus to stop. Seeing them alone on such a deserted stretch at this hour, the driver felt a pang of sympathy and decided to pull over.

The two boarded the bus, taking seats toward the back. A few moments passed in silence before the elderly man suddenly stood up. To the shock of the other passengers, he began walking down the aisle, hands outstretched, pleading for alms.

"Please, if anyone can spare some money... my daughter and I are in desperate need," he said, his voice trembling. “My daughter and I have nothing. If anyone can spare even a little, I will be forever grateful.”

The sight of an old man begging inside a bus unsettled the passengers, but some still gave him a few coins out of pity. After collecting what he could, he returned to his seat. Soon, the passengers drifted back into a light sleep as the bus continued its journey.

However, the peace was short-lived. A strange noise woke everyone up, and they turned to see the old man standing again, begging for money a second time. This time, the passengers grew irritated.

"You just begged a moment ago! Sit down!" one of them snapped.

Among the passengers was the father traveling with his son. He stood up, visibly angered. "You have your daughter with you, and yet you are begging in front of her? Don't you feel ashamed? A father should protect his child, not humiliate himself like this!”

The elderly man’s eyes welled with tears. "I have no choice," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "We are poor, homeless, and starving. I have no money to feed my daughter or arrange her marriage. I beg only because I must."

But the father remained unconvinced. "I don’t believe you. There must be another reason behind this." His harsh words humiliated the old man in front of everyone.

"If what you're saying is true, then let me make you an offer," the father continued. "I have my son with me, and your daughter is of marriageable age. If you’re truly that desperate, why not marry your daughter to my son right now?"

The bus fell into stunned silence. The old man’s face paled, and he hesitated. His hands trembled as he looked at his daughter. He knew he had no real choice—if he refused, the passengers might turn against him, even throw him off the bus. Under the weight of everyone's stares, he finally nodded.

The passengers exchanged shocked glances, unsure whether to take the situation seriously. Some thought it was a cruel joke, while others watched in disbelief.

The boy's father turned to the driver. "Stop at the next temple we find. We'll arrange the wedding there."

True to his word, the driver soon spotted a small temple by the roadside. He brought the bus to a halt, and one by one, the passengers disembarked, still bewildered by the turn of events.

Inside the temple, they found a priest, who was informed of everything that had transpired on the bus. Though skeptical, he performed the ceremony, and the young man and woman were declared husband and wife.

The boy's father beamed with joy, handing out sweets to every passenger in celebration. The atmosphere lightened as people accepted the sweets, believing they had just witnessed an extraordinary event.

The bus resumed its journey, now carrying a newlywed couple. As the passengers dozed off once more, the driver, too, began feeling sleepy. He pulled over briefly to rest. The bus sat still in the quiet of the night, everyone lost in slumber.

When the passengers finally woke up, they were met with a horrifying realization—all their belongings were gone. Jewelry, wallets, bags—everything had been stolen. Worse yet, the young couple, the old man, and even the boy’s father had vanished without a trace.

A cold chill ran down their spines as the truth dawned on them—they had all been deceived.