Sarah 
Part 2: Arrival at Bhargaon
The narrow and bumpy road to Bhargaon, which had been obscured by dense pine trees and cliffs, was now out of sight. Once the jeep had come to its final stop, where they would have to disembark and leave it, the sun was already dipping behind the hills.
They had come from Delhi, four young journalists working for a newly founded online news service. Tired of and disenchanted with boring headlines, they were looking for real stories to tell. And this one? This was the story of a lifetime.
A village where thirty people disappeared, without a trace, overnight fifty years ago? They had to see it for themselves.
As they walked up the muddy track, their gear seemed heavier. However, as they walked, the air to me felt heavier. Not cold, just silent. Unnaturally silent. Birds even seemed to be watching.
A clearing eventually opened after two hours of exploring the forest. Old wooden homes stood in rows, like forgotten toys on a dusty shelf. Ivy climbed up some of the doors. One house had an old, broken window. A curtain still fluttered in the breeze.
They stood for a moment without saying anything. The area didn’t feel abandoned. It felt… paused. Like someone might walk out and ask them who they were at any second.
The two entered the first house together. Inside the hollow space, everything remained in its place. A metal plate was lying on the floor, and the rice inside turned to powder. A pair of children’s shoes sat near the door. The bed was neatly made.
Every house conveyed the same story. Nothing had been taken. Nothing had been broken. In one house, there was an old radio covered in a spider web. In another, an earthenware pot was cracked, but still full of lentils, which had dried up.
There were no animals. There were no hoofprints. There was also no indication of violence or struggle. There was only silence.
The team stood still.
They opted to make camp in the biggest house in the middle of the village. It had a fireplace and space for sleeping bags. They didn’t know it yet, but Bhargaon had been expecting them. And it had a story of its own.
To be continued….
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