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Ruhi got scared and was not willing to come. She fearfully said that we should go back. Angad, being her boyfriend supported her. Kabir and Misha started teasing them and said that instead of getting scared, they should face ghost and kill them. But, Ruhi was not ready to listen.

 

Even, I tried to convince her. But she was so much in fear that all my attempts went in vain.

 

Kabir got angry and said if Angad and Ruhi have no guts then they shouldn’t have come. We were extremely disappointed with Angad and Ruhi.

 

The old man was smiling looking at us, as if he thought that now we would not go to the hotel. But there is no chance to back out now. Even, I wanted to find the truth about this haunted hotel.

 

It took thirty minutes for us to convince Ruhi and Angad. Even though, they agreed to come with us, but I could still see fear in Ruhi’s face. Misha and I have told her that we will not leave her even for a second. That was the only reason why she agreed to come with us.

 

The old man showed us the way to Rosegad hotel, but I could feel guilt in his voice while showing us the road.

 

Kabir told him not to worry and we will surely be back as human and not as ghost. The old man laughed at Kabir’s words and wished us good luck.

 

Ruhi and Angad were holding each other’s hands tightly while walking. Kabir and Misha too were walking closer with each other. I was in the centre of both the couples but I was walking alone. We were getting wet, though not Angad and Ruhi, as they shared same umbrella. But Misha, Kabir and me were wearing windcheater, due to which we were completely wet, but not our backpacks. As we hided our backpacks inside our windcheater.

 

It took twenty minutes to reach Rosegad by walking. Kabir had parked his jeep earlier, under the tree at the corner of footpath.

 

As we reached the hotel, it looked so huge and beautiful sculpture from outside. “THE ROSEGAD” was the name of the hotel, decorated in red color with red rose in the middle of Rose gad. The alphabets written in block letters and bold. The hotel painted in red color. Everything from outside was red, the color of blood. Still it looked so beautiful. The hotel is made of eight storeyed.

 

We all were so excited that without thinking much, we stepped inside the gate. A beautiful lawn with green soft grasses, those were wet and dirty now due to rain. Palm trees at the corner of concrete sidewalls were looking like a beautiful showpiece. The garden had several different kinds of flowers, but mostly I saw different roses decorated in the garden.

 

Suddenly, in front of us one old man appeared. His left cheek had a long and thick scar, it made him look ugly. He had put sweater on his body and muffler on his head.

                                                                  

He was standing inside black gent’s umbrella and raised his big eyes towards us without smiling.

 

“Namaste!” He said in a sharp voice by joining his one hand while holding another hand on the stick of his umbrella.

 

I shook my body, as his volume was high for my ear. He looked bit scary.

 

Ruhi was nervous and holds Angad’s arm tightly. We all looked at him fearfully.

 

He didn’t even smiled for once. He introduced himself in a deadly voice, “Main Rehmat Ali. Iss bagiche ka maali. Aap?” He came closer towards my side and his eyes were not moving at all. It looked like a statue.

 

Misha was the only girl who pretended to be brave. Even if she was scared and her body language and voice actually proved that she was scared of this Gardener, but she forcefully voiced softly, “Hum tourist hain. Yaha ghumne aaye hain.”

 

“Oh!” His voice turned more powerful and continued his talk, “Aap yaha rehne aaye hai? Chaliye andar leke chalta hoon.” This time he was talking slowly, but his voice was as strong as earlier.

 

“Misha…” Ruhi shivered while holding Angad’s arm.

Angad too was scared. Infact, we all were frightened, but it was Kabir who cheered us, even if he was scared too, but he smiled and said, “Come on yaar… yeh sirf ek maali hain. Tum log inn se kyun daar rahe ho?”

 

“Aayiye sahab ji.” Rehmat Ali said slowly in his strong and possessed voice. He was walking like any ordinary old man, but there was something different about this old man. His voice too was strange and scary. His body was shaking slowly while walking and he took us inside. There were three staircases down towards the entrance of the hotel door.

 

The gatekeeper who opened the hotel door for us. He looked very weird. A very thin moustache and a heavy build muscle. His face was wheatish dark and rough hair. He was wearing red uniform, but this uniform was old-fashioned. I don’t think such kind-of uniform nowadays anyone wears it. His uniform had triangle design on black strips and flowery embroidery towards the bottom of his shirt. His pant was black and decorated with red roses. It was a kind of ugly uniform. The gun was hanging on his right shoulder. He saluted us without smiling and bowed to welcome us.

 

At that moment, I smiled at him and I saw a nameplate on his uniform, “Vishambhar Rana” I could only make a guess that it would be his name.

 

Rehmat Ali took us inside near the receptionist counter. The lobby area was huge, which usually you see in any five-star hotels. That much big lobby area this hotel has. I was staring everywhere on the wall that beautifully designed with three different Picasso paintings hanged on the walls.

 

I heard a female voice, “Welcome to Rosegad Hotel.” This female too had strong and possessed voice. She too was talking slowly after every word.

I titled my head on her side, to see her face. Her fair face symbol a beauty of glories. Her face had my immediate attention, as it looked bit proudy. Her soft silky dark hair tied in bun style.

 

Her plain uniform was a color of blood with a golden strip at the neck sleeves and near her wrist. There was a nameplate on her uniform, “Tanushree Ambolkar” This should be her name.

 

But the thing that clicked my mind was her eyes which was not moving at all. Her eyes were as statue as Rehmat Ali and Vishambhar Rana.

 

This really poked my chest; something inside my heart warned me that there is something wrong in this hotel. I wasn’t feeling good here. I felt negative vibration in my body.

 

Kabir: Mere dad ne yaha 2 kamra book kia tha.

Tanushree Ambolkar: 1 minute sir (She again spoke words slowly) Kabir Singh Rathod.

Kabir: That’s my name.

 

Tanushree Ambolkar without smiling spoke in a possessed voice: Angad Ahluwalia.

She looked up, after seeing in the registrar and waited for Angad’s response.

Angad raised his hand and said: That’s me. (He smiled shyly)

 

Tanushree Ambolkar without smiling nods her head and talked slowly: Ruhi Juneja.

Ruhi: Main. Main.

She excitedly raised her finger up and talked sugary.

 

Tanushree Ambolkar: Misha Walia.

Misha: Dude. That’s me.

She pointed finger on her chest and responded.

 

Tanushree Ambolkar: Piya Dobriyal.

Me: It’s me.

I pointed finger on my chest and responded smiling. But Tanushree didn’t smiled, just nodded her head and hinted something with her eyes to Rehmat Ali.

 

Rehmat Ali went from lobby area.

 

Kabir: So, hamara kamra?

Tanushree slowly said in a possessed voice: Please wait sir, Rehmat Ali gaya hai bellboy ko laane ke liye. Aap thoda intezar ki jiye.

 

Kabir whispered in Misha’s ear: Tumhe yeh ladki thodi ajeeb nahi lagti?

 

I heard Kabir whispering. So, I thought I should tell him that not just this girl, but Rehmat Ali and Vishambhar Rana too behave strangely. But, before I could speak anything, phone started ringing.

 

The phone that was on the counter, Tanushree picked the call, giving a serious look. Don’t know where she was looking, but her eyes were possessed and looked statue. She was looking somewhere straight.

 

Tanushree Ambolkar: Hello! Rosegad Hotel. How may I help you?

She paused when caller on another line was talking.

Tanushree Ambolkar: Sorry sir. There is no room available. The whole hotel is booked.

 

Kabir, Misha, Ruhi, Angad and I, we all shockingly stared at Tanushree.

 

Why did she lied?

 

Tanushree Ambolkar: Sir, you can book tomorrow.

She paused again.

 

Tanushree Ambolkar: Yes sir. Tomorrow surely, at night sir.

Again paused.

 

Tanushree Ambolkar: Good night sir.

She hanged the receiver down.

 

Kabir voiced giving a strange look, “Aap ne jhut kyun bola uss aadmi ko?”

Tanushree Ambolkar said slowly yet possessed voice, “Sir, jhut nahi kaha. Yeh sach hain ke pura hotel full hain. Ek bhi kamra khali nahi hai.”

 

Kabir: Lekin, aap ne humko toh kamra dia.

Tanushree Ambolkar: Sir, wahi toh main aap ko kehne ki koshish kar rahi hoon. Sirf aap ko hi humne kamra dia hain.

 

Kabir shockingly stared giving a confused look. We too didn’t understand what that Tanushree was trying to say.

 

She cleared our doubts by giving serious look, no smile on her face. She said slowly, “Sir, aap ke dad ne hi pura hotel book kia tha. Taki sirf aap log yaha reh sake.”

 

Kabir: Aise kaise ho sakta hai? Dad ne toh kuch bhi nahi bataya iss bare main.

Tanushree Ambolkar: Ho sakta hain woh aap ko surprise dena chahte ho.

 

Kabir agreed and remained mum.