The Night Watchman of the Lonely House

An ancient, abandoned mansion was located on the outskirts of the busy town of Ranipur. Known just as "Nirjon Bari"—the Lonely House—it was secluded from the rest of the town and surrounded by dense woods.

The estate had been abandoned for years and had degraded, with its once-grand halls now obscured by dust and darkness. Though few of the townspeople dared to discuss it in public, they whispered that the house was haunted.

The lone occupant of the mansion was Kunal, an elderly night watchman. He had started working there years ago, back when a wealthy family still lived in the mansion. However, following the family's abrupt and enigmatic departure, Kunal was the only person left in the empty house.

He was motivated to defend the mansion despite the warnings and the unsettling tales, maybe more than just a sense of duty—a secret that only he knew.

Every evening, Kunal would start his rounds as the town fell asleep. His footsteps resounded in the quiet as he examined the closed doors and strolled down the creaking hallways while carrying a lantern.

Though the house was now a silent tomb instead of a vibrant place full of laughter, Kunal had become used to the solitude. He thought that the house would be peaceful as long as he stayed there, dispelling the spirits.

However, Kunal never went inside the mansion's old library, which was located on the second story. Since the night the family vanished, the library door had been shut, and Kunal was under strong orders not to open it.

The villagers claimed that the room was cursed and that the darkness within the mansion originated there. Although Kunal never questioned these directives, he felt as though the door was silently beckoning him to investigate.

As Kunal went around one stormy night, he had an odd feeling of anxiety.

The sound of quiet within the home unsettled him more than the wind howling through the trees and the rain beating against the windows. The mansion appeared to be holding its breath, anticipating something to happen.

Kunal saw something strange as he got closer to the library: the door, which was normally secured, was slightly ajar. The thought that something or someone had opened it sent a shiver down his spine.

As he moved closer, his lantern's shifting shadows on the walls made his heart race.

Kunal inhaled deeply before pushing the door open and entering.

The library was dimly lit, and the air was heavy with the smell of dust and old books. Previously brimming with volumes of information, the shelves were now deserted, their contents long since vanished. But there was just one book open on a table in the middle of the space, lit just by a flicker of moonlight.

Though his instincts told him to go, Kunal paused, his curiosity winning out. He walked up to the table and looked down at the book. He could not understand the weird symbols and old script that covered its pages.

The room abruptly turned colder as he stretched out to touch it, and the door slammed behind him.

The room's shadows appeared to come to life as the lantern flickered and swirled around him like a gloomy mist. When Kunal discovered he was not alone, panic broke out.

A faint whisper that was becoming louder by the second permeated the room as the air grew heavy with an oppressive presence.

Although the terms were unfamiliar, it was obvious what they meant—he had entered an area he shouldn't have.

When Kunal attempted to move, his feet seemed immobile. The murmurs intensified into an overwhelming boom, and the shadows encircled him like twisted vines of blackness.

The book on the table snapped shut, and all was silence, just as he was about to be overcome by the darkness.

The icy presence withdrew as the door creaked open. Sweat-soaked and trembling, Kunal staggered out the library, the door slamming shut behind him again. He ran out of the house and down the stairs, not pausing until he was well out of the mansion's grasp.

The villagers discovered Kunal seated on the town hall steps the following morning, his eyes wide with fright and his face pallid. That same day, he resigned from his position as the Lonely House's night watchman despite his refusal to discuss what had happened. The library's secret was once again kept hidden, and the mansion was left to its stillness.

Nobody ventured to succeed Kunal, and the mansion stayed deserted, its doors gradually crumbling with the passage of time.

Some secrets are best kept buried in the shadows of the Lonely House, as evidenced by the legend of the night watchman and the cursed library, which became another ghost story in Ranipur.