The Haunting of Erum and Yaqoob

In a small Village near Sindh, there lived a girl named Erum, the daughter of a poor farmer. Erum was a cheerful girl who took her goats to graze in the forest every day. While her goats grazed, she would sit by the dark, murky riverbank, gazing at her reflection and dreaming about which prince would come for the daughter of a poor farmer.

One foggy evening, as she was by the river, lost in her thoughts, a chilling whisper echoed through the trees. Startled, Erum ran back to her goats, sensing someone or something was following her. Frightened, she hurried home, thinking about the eerie event all night. The next morning, she told her father about her fear, but he dismissed it as her imagination. Reluctantly, Erum went to the forest alone.

When she reached the riverbank, she saw another shadowy reflection beside her own. Looking up, she found a pale, ghostly boy standing next to her. Panicking, she tried to run, but the boy calmed her, saying, "Don't be afraid. Talk to me. I see you here every day." Erum, still wary, asked why he lived in the forest. The boy replied he had no family or home. Erum decided to name him Yaqoob, as he had no name.

From then on, Erum and Yaqoob met daily, sharing eerie stories and strange experiences. Erum felt she finally had a friend, though a peculiar one. But one day, Yaqoob was not at their meeting spot. Heartbroken, Erum returned home, missing her only friend deeply. She continued her routine, hoping to see Yaqoob again.

One day, while fetching water, Erum saw a sinister-looking prince on a black horse passing by. She called out, thinking it was Yaqoob. A soldier approached, mocking her, saying the prince was named Maroob, not Yaqoob. Erum felt foolish but couldn't shake the feeling that Maroob was indeed her Yaqoob.

Erum's father then told her about a kind king who had been betrayed and killed by his trusted soldier. The king's wife was taken captive, and their son was left to fend for himself in the wilderness. This story gave Erum hope, believing that Maroob was Yaqoob, the lost prince.

Determined, Erum continued calling out for Yaqoob whenever the prince's convoy passed. Eventually, Maroob approached her, asking why she called him Yaqoob. Erum recounted their time together by the river. Maroob remembered and, though now a prince, struggled with their friendship due to their different statuses.

Hearing their story, the queen intervened, recognizing Erum's loyalty and friendship. She proposed that Maroob marry Erum, who had always cared for him. Maroob and Erum's marriage was celebrated across the kingdom, bringing joy and prosperity back to their land.

But as night fell on their wedding day, the forest grew darker than ever. The whispers returned, louder and more menacing. The villagers whispered of a curse. Yaqoob, the ghostly boy, was never meant to leave the forest. His spirit, bound to the dark woods, now sought revenge for his betrayal.

The once-happy kingdom was plunged into terror as shadows loomed, and the haunting whispers filled the air. Erum and Maroob realized they could never escape the grip of the forest's curse. They were forever bound to the eerie woods, haunted by the spirit of Yaqoob.

And so, the tale of Erum and Yaqoob ended in chilling despair, with the kingdom forever haunted by their tragic love. The dark woods became a place of fear, where the villagers dared not venture after sunset, whispering tales of the ghostly prince and the girl who loved him, both doomed to wander the shadows for eternity.