The Mysterious Ride

When I got off the train at this station, it was exactly one o’clock at night. After dropping off the passengers, the train started moving again.I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked toward the station master's room. As I entered, I saw a man sitting inside.He was probably the station master.

I went up to him and asked, How far is Rasulpur from here?He replied, Rasulpur is 6 kilometers from here. But at this hour, you won’t find any van to take you there. You’ll have to spend the night here somehow.After finishing the conversation, I stepped out of the room.As I stepped outside, I noticed the surroundings felt eerily empty—there was no one around.Nearby,I saw the waiting room for passengers. I went inside and sat on a chair. Then, I thought to myself, I’ll somehow spend the night here and leave for Rasulpur in the morning.Glancing at the clock hanging on the wall, I saw that it was already 1:30 AM.I started feeling a bit drowsy, so I closed my eyes and sat there quietly.

Suddenly, at that moment, a man appeared.He asked,Sir, where are you going? I replied,I’m going to Rasulpur. But who are you? He said, My name is Moti. I drive a van in this area.Oh, really? Are you going to Rasulpur?Yes, sir. Let’s go.

I thought to myself, Instead of struggling through the night at the station, it’s better to reach my destination.So, I picked up my bag and said, Let’s go, Moti.Walking alongside him, I reached his van. There, I noticed that someone was already sitting on the van.The man was completely wrapped in a shawl, covering his entire body—even his face wasn’t clearly visible.Without saying a word, I sat down next to him.Then, Moti started driving the van. After covering some distance, we entered a dirt road.On both sides of the road stretched vast paddy fields. As far as the eye could see, there were golden, ripened rice plants swaying gently.Occasionally, a few scattered trees appeared along the roadside. On one side, a canal had been dug for irrigation during the dry season.The moonlight was faint, yet the surroundings were clearly visible.There were no signs of human habitation nearby—only the continuous chirping of crickets echoed through the silent night.Every now and then, the distant howl of a jackal echoed through the night.Since it was the end of November, the air carried a slight chill.Occasionally, a cold breeze sent shivers through my body, so I took out my jacket from the bag and wrapped it around myself.

After a while, Moti asked, Sir, who do you have in Rasulpur? I'm going to Rasulpur to visit a friend's house. His elder brother is getting married in a few days,I replied.Oh, I see, Moti said.After traveling for a while, Moti suddenly said, Sir, you both sit here. I’ll be back in a moment.I immediately understood that he was answering nature’s call.He walked a little way behind us and stepped down from the road into the darkness. Soon, he was out of sight.After sitting for a long time, my lower back started aching. So, I got off the van and began pacing along the road.

A long time passed, but Moti still hadn't returned.I called out his name, but there was no response. A strange sense of unease began creeping over me.Meanwhile, the man sitting beside me remained completely silent—motionless, as if he hadn’t noticed anything.Feeling increasingly anxious, I took out my flashlight from my bag and cautiously walked toward the direction where Moti had gone.But when I reached there, I saw nothing.I stepped forward a little more, scanning the area carefully.

Suddenly, my eyes caught something near the canal—a body lying motionless.I hurried closer and, to my horror, saw that it was Moti’s lifeless body.Someone had slit his throat. His blood had flowed into the canal, turning the water red.At that moment, I heard a sound coming from the middle of the paddy field.The rustling grew louder and louder.I realized that something was moving through the field—coming toward me.Terrified, I ran back to the van as fast as I could.But when I got there, the man wrapped in the shawl was gone.I looked around carefully, scanning the darkness—but he was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, I noticed a pack of dogs rushing toward me from a distance, barking wildly.Seeing them, I quickly climbed onto the van.The dogs reached the front of the van and began howling in a mournful tone. It seemed as if they had seen something terrifying.Their behavior sent a chill down my spine, and I fixed my gaze in the direction they were looking.At that moment, I noticed someone slowly rising from below the roadside.I immediately pointed my flashlight in that direction.To my shock, I saw a middle-aged man standing in the middle of the road.His face and clothes were stained with blood.His eyes glowed eerily as he stared straight at me, unblinking.The moment the dogs saw him, they yelped in fear and bolted away into the darkness.I stood frozen, unsure of what to do.Then, a single thought crossed my mind—Whatever happens, I must run!Grabbing my bag tightly, I turned and sprinted forward as fast as I could.

After running for some distance, I noticed a man walking ahead of me.I quickly rushed toward him.As I got closer, I realized—it was the same man from the van, the one wrapped in the shawl.Seeing him gave me a slight sense of relief.I said, Brother, you walked all the way here? Someone back there has murdered Moti, the van driver!The man responded in a deep, serious voice, Is that so?This was the first time I had heard his voice.But something felt strange—his voice sounded eerily familiar.A strange uneasiness crept into my mind.Something felt off.So, I asked him, Brother, why have you been keeping your face hidden under that shawl? Can you show me your face?As soon as I finished speaking, the man slowly pulled the shawl away from his face.And the moment I saw it, my entire body froze.How is this possible?!How could a dead man come back to life?!I couldn't utter a single word. My body felt weak, my vision blurred, and a wave of dizziness washed over me.Everything around me started fading into darkness.

After that, I remembered nothing.When I finally regained consciousness, I found myself surrounded by my friend and his family. Someone was pouring water over my head.