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Abhishek Bhattacharjee

Abhishek Bhattacharjee

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THE CURSE OF PIPALKHERI

Chapter 1 — The Village of Shadows

9 min readMay 17, 2026

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Deep inside the dense forests of Odisha stood the mysterious village of Pipalkheri. Surrounded by ancient banyan trees, waterfalls, and fog-covered hills, the village was known for its spirituality. Every house had a small temple. Bells echoed every morning. Villagers believed that gods walked among them.

But behind the chants and prayers hid a terrifying darkness.

For years, children between the ages of two and six had been disappearing without a trace.

Fear had slowly become a part of everyday life.

Inside the old police station of Pipalkheri, Inspector Aditya Chauhan sat silently on a wooden chair, staring at the missing reports spread across his table. His tired eyes reflected sleepless nights and frustration.

Rain poured outside.

His colleague entered the room carrying another file.

“Sir… another complaint.”

Aditya clenched his jaw.

“How many now?”

“Hundred and three children missing, sir.”

The room fell silent.

Aditya stood up and walked toward the window.

“It has been more than ten days since Anant disappeared,” he said in anger. “A four-year-old child cannot vanish into thin air.”

He turned toward his team.

“Parents come here every day hoping we’ll bring their children back. If we fail this time, the case will go to the CBI.”

One constable hesitated before speaking.

“Sir… everyone in the village already knows who is behind this.”

Aditya’s eyes narrowed.

“Nalini Devi.”

The room suddenly felt colder.

Even the constables avoided taking her name loudly.

Nalini Devi was feared throughout Pipalkheri. Some called her a spiritual guru. Others called her a demon in human form.

She lived alone in an abandoned mansion near the forest edge. Rarely seen during daytime, people whispered that she was allergic to sunlight. Her room remained covered in darkness.

Villagers who claimed to have seen her described horrifying details — blood-red eyes, long tangled hair, pale skin, and a smile that could freeze a man’s soul.

Black magic symbols covered her walls. Animal bones, ash circles, candles, and strange ritual objects surrounded her.

Rumors said she sacrificed children to gain supernatural powers.

Inspector Aditya slammed his fist on the table.

“We all know she’s involved,” he growled. “But without evidence, we cannot touch her.”

His colleague slowly asked:

“Sir… what exactly is her past?”

Aditya looked down at an old dusty file.

Then he opened it.

And the nightmare began.

Chapter 2 — The Woman Who Drank Blood

Twenty-five years earlier…

Nalini Devi was once an ordinary woman married to a man named Raghu.

At least that’s what everyone believed.

One full moon night changed everything forever.

Raghu returned home after midnight during a thunderstorm. The house was unusually silent. As he entered the bedroom, he heard strange chanting sounds.

He slowly opened the door.

And froze in terror.

Nalini sat on the floor beside their dead child.

Blood covered her mouth.

Her eyes were completely red.

She was drinking the blood of her own son.

Raghu screamed.

The villagers gathered outside the house within minutes. Nalini was arrested the next morning.

During interrogation, she showed no remorse.

Instead, she smiled.

She claimed she had discovered an ancient forbidden book that revealed the secrets of immortality and supernatural powers.

Doctors later declared her mentally unstable.

Nalini was shifted to a mental asylum where, surprisingly, she slowly began behaving normally. She spoke politely. She prayed. She even helped staff members.

After three years, authorities decided to transfer her to jail.

But something inside her had awakened.

Within months, Nalini brutally murdered three inmates inside prison. Their bodies were found mutilated.

She was declared highly dangerous.

Chains were tied around her hands and legs. She was isolated in a dark cell.

Authorities finally decided to transfer her to another high-security prison.

But during the transit journey, the impossible happened.

The prison van crossed a bridge during heavy rain.

Suddenly, Nalini escaped her chains, attacked the guards, and jumped into the raging river below.

Her body was never found.

She disappeared.

But after her disappearance, children across nearby villages slowly began going missing.

The pattern continued for twenty-five years.

Inspector Aditya closed the old file.

“I studied every old case,” he told his colleague. “The ritual patterns… the age group… everything matches.”

“But why don’t we arrest her, sir?”

Aditya looked uneasy.

“Because people worship her.”

He continued softly:

“She presents herself as a spiritual guru. Villagers blindly follow her. And honestly…”

He paused.

“Even my officers are scared of her black magic.”

Outside the station, thunder roared again.

As if the darkness itself was listening.

Chapter 3 — The Child Chosen by Darkness

A new family arrived in Pipalkheri.

Naresh Verma, a sincere forest officer, had recently been transferred there with his wife Nisha and their five-year-old son, Advay.

Their bungalow stood beautifully in the middle of the forest, surrounded by tall trees and mountain winds.

For the first time in years, the house felt alive.

Advay was cheerful, innocent, and full of curiosity.

The next morning, Nisha took Advay to a famous temple situated on top of a mountain. The peaceful chants and cool breeze gave her comfort.

After the puja, while walking back toward the car, Nisha suddenly noticed something disturbing.

A man was secretly taking photographs of them.

Every time she looked toward him, he hid behind pillars or trees.

Fear crept into her heart.

She quickly grabbed Advay’s hand, sat inside the car, and rushed home.

That evening, she told Naresh everything.

Naresh became serious.

“I’ll look into this,” he assured her.

Meanwhile, the mysterious photographer traveled deep into the forest… toward Nalini Devi’s mansion.

He handed over the photographs.

Nalini casually paid him money and placed the photographs on her desk before leaving for evening prayers with villagers.

Later that night, after completing horrifying rituals in her dark chamber, Nalini returned to the desk.

She picked up the photographs.

The moment she saw Advay’s face…

Her expression changed.

Shock.

Then excitement.

Her trembling hands grabbed the picture tightly.

“Find his birth date and exact birth time,” she ordered immediately.

Within hours, the details were arranged.

Nalini performed calculations using ancient scripts and astrological charts.

Then she began laughing like a madwoman.

Advay was born under Rohini Nakshatra.

The perfect child.

The sacrifice she had waited years for.

According to her dark rituals, a boy born between 2021 and 2025 under Rohini Nakshatra could give her unimaginable power and near immortality.

But there was a problem.

Nalini noticed something unusual in Advay’s birth chart.

A powerful protective bond surrounded him.

His mother.

Nisha was spiritually connected to Advay.

As long as she stood beside her son…

The sacrifice would never succeed.

Nalini slowly smiled in the darkness.

“Then the mother must suffer first.”

Chapter 4 — The Mountain of Skeletons

Inspector Aditya received an urgent phone call at dawn.

A nearby village police station from Habibpur had discovered something horrifying.

Around seventy to eighty children’s skeletons had been found dumped near a forest pit.

Every skull was separated from the body.

Aditya immediately rushed to the location with his team and forensic officers.

The scene was unbearable.

Even experienced officers vomited after witnessing it.

Tiny skeletons.

Broken bones.

Ritual markings.

The media exploded with the news.

Fear spread throughout Pipalkheri like wildfire.

Crowds gathered outside Nalini Devi’s mansion demanding answers while her followers protected her fanatically.

When police arrived to question her, villagers blocked the entrance.

“She is our goddess!” they shouted.

Inspector Aditya somehow convinced them.

“We are not arresting her. I only want to talk.”

His gun, phone, and belongings were kept outside before entering.

The mansion door slowly opened.

Darkness swallowed him.

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Inside, the smell of burnt flesh and rotten blood filled the air.

Only one dim candle burned in the room.

In its faint light, Aditya saw Nalini’s silhouette sitting silently.

Her red eyes slowly appeared from the darkness.

Aditya controlled his fear.

“Are you aware of the murdered children found near Habibpur?”

Nalini smiled.

“Yes.”

Aditya’s heartbeat stopped.

Then she spoke calmly:

“They were sacrificed for the betterment of Pipalkheri.”

Silence.

“I killed them.”

A horrifying demonic laugh echoed through the room.

Aditya was stunned.

Even after a confession, he still lacked legal proof.

He took a deep breath.

“One more question.”

Nalini stared at him.

“Are you the same woman who escaped during prison transit twenty-five years ago?”

Suddenly Nalini screamed violently and lunged toward him.

Her nails scratched across Aditya’s face.

Blood spilled instantly.

Officers rushed inside and pulled him away.

Even while being dragged back, Nalini continued laughing hysterically.

“You cannot stop destiny, Inspector.”

Outside the mansion, Aditya wiped blood from his face.

And silently made a promise.

He would end this nightmare.

No matter the cost.

Chapter 5 — The Full Moon Warning

The horrifying news shook everyone.

A few days later, Naresh visited the police station to report the suspicious photographer who had been following Nisha and Advay.

The moment Aditya heard this, his expression changed completely.

Everything connected instantly.

The missing children.

The rituals.

The astrology.

The full moon approaching tomorrow night.

Aditya grabbed Naresh’s shoulder urgently.

“Listen carefully,” he said. “Take your family somewhere safe immediately.”

Naresh looked confused.

“What happened?”

Aditya lowered his voice.

“Nalini Devi wants your son.”

Fear spread across Naresh’s face.

“She will try to kidnap Advay tomorrow night for sacrifice.”

At the same time, police managed to capture the photographer.

Under interrogation, he finally confessed everything.

Meanwhile, Naresh rushed home in panic.

“Nisha! Where’s Advay?”

“He’s playing cricket outside with other kids,” she replied casually.

Naresh’s face turned pale.

He immediately ran outside.

But Advay was gone.

The cricket bat lay abandoned on the ground.

Nisha panicked.

“What happened? Tell me!”

Naresh quickly called Aditya.

His hands trembled.

Aditya answered instantly.

“Don’t panic. I know where they’ve taken him.”

Outside…

The full moon slowly rose into the sky.

Chapter 6 — The Ritual of Blood

Inspector Aditya and his entire team stormed Nalini Devi’s mansion.

But she was gone.

The captured photographer revealed the location.

“She performs sacrifices near Pipalkheri Mountain… close to the waterfall.”

Everyone rushed toward the dense forest.

But the terrain was dangerous and confusing.

Naresh used his forest knowledge to guide the officers.

Suddenly —

Arrows flew from the darkness.

One officer screamed and collapsed.

Then another.

Nalini had armed followers hidden across the hills.

Chaos erupted.

Gunshots echoed through the jungle.

Several officers died while trying to move forward.

Naresh fought bravely beside the team.

But during the confusion, one of Nalini’s men attacked him from behind.

A knife stabbed repeatedly into his back.

Naresh collapsed onto the wet ground.

Dead.

Far away from the battle, Nisha ignored all warnings and climbed toward the sound of the waterfall alone.

The moonlight illuminated the forest.

Dark chants echoed through the mountains.

As she reached the top…

Her world shattered.

Advay lay unconscious on a stone altar.

Nalini Devi stood beside him performing horrific rituals.

Fire circles burned around them.

Human bones hung from trees.

Nisha screamed and charged toward her son.

Nalini instantly grabbed her throat and threw her violently to the ground.

She punched her stomach repeatedly, kicked her brutally, and pulled her hair with monstrous strength.

Holding strands of Nisha’s hair, Nalini began chanting black magic mantras.

Nisha’s body twisted in unbearable pain.

But even while suffering…

She crawled toward Advay.

A mother’s love refused to die.

Then suddenly…

Nisha noticed a shadow approaching Nalini from behind.

A man stepped into the moonlight.

Raghu.

Nalini’s husband.

The truth finally emerged.

Raghu had been the mastermind from the beginning.

He was the one who introduced Nalini to black magic.

He manipulated her into killing their own child.

Even during Nalini’s imprisonment, Raghu secretly continued sacrificing children to keep the rituals alive.

In his hand was a massive ritual execution blade known as a Khopesh-style sacrificial cleaver.

He slowly raised it toward unconscious Advay.

Just then —

BANG!

Inspector Aditya fired his revolver.

The bullet struck Raghu’s leg.

He fell screaming.

Nisha used that moment to attack Nalini with all her remaining strength.

She punched her face repeatedly and grabbed her hair violently.

Suddenly —

A large iron ritual pin hidden inside Nalini’s hair came loose and pierced deep into her skull.

Nalini froze.

Blood rolled down her forehead.

Her eyes widened unnaturally.

Then her lifeless body collapsed onto the rocks.

Dead.

But before officers could capture Raghu…

He disappeared into the darkness.

Gone.

The nightmare was over.

But victory came with pain.

Nisha later learned about Naresh’s death.

Her world broke apart.

Yet Advay survived.

Three months later…

Far away in another village named Nandanpuram…

A child disappeared mysteriously during a full moon night.

And somewhere in the darkness…

A man watched silently.

Raghu had returned.

The ritual was not over yet.

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