“Let’s drive to the forbidden lake. It will be an amazing after party”

“No, Adnan. Don’t you know the place is haunted? There is a reason why it is called the forbidden lake.”

“Come on Vishal, we aren’t kids anymore. It will be a nice drive and plus it will ease out my hangover. You aren’t drinking so you’ll have to drive us there.”

 

“Whatchya discussin maaaan?” enters Shrey

“Hey Shrey, Adnan wants the 3 of us to drive down to the lake tonight after everybody leaves.”

“So… let’s.”

“You are equally mad; you all can go, I shall hang with the girls,” says Vishal throwing his arms in the air as he rested himself on the sofa.

“Who said the girls aren’t coming. Adnan and I have already asked both of them. They are as psyched as we are,” Shrey says with a smug look on his face.

 

“Hey my 3 idiots!” enters Myra with a chicken wing in one hand and a beer pint in the other.

“Myra relax, will you? Atleast don’t mix your drinks. Vishal, help her sit on the couch please.”

“Mihika, I think she’ll be fine. Why don’t you guys drop the idea of driving to the lake instead?”

“Not Poss, baby. I really want to go. Don’t even try. I have sobered up and you haven’t drunk. It’s set. Here are my car keys. Please take it out of the parking and meet us at the main entrance.” yelled Mihika.

Vishal takes Mihika’s keys and reaches the parking lot. He puts his car in the reverse gear and the parking sensors start blaring instantly. He looks into his rear view mirror but he is unable to see any object obstructing his way. He takes the car ahead and puts the car in the reverse gear again the car starts blaring.

“Damn it! What is it?” He comes out of the car to check if there’s anything he can’t see in the mirror. “WTF man! The creepiness has started even before we reach the lake. Gosh!”

He ignores the signal and reverses the car enough to drive it along the driveway.

“What took you so long Drama Queen”, Mihika rests next to Vishal. The other 3 sit at the back and Vishal speeds the car as they shut the doors.

 

“Under my umberala eh eh eh eh….. under my umberella….”

“Myra, stop ya. We are driving there for some calm.” Mihika turns and hits Myra on her bare knees.

“Hey stop the cat fight you two. We’ll reach in about 10 minutes and both of you can split. Mihika can have her calm and Myra, you can have your umberalaa eh eh eh.. your umberella  eh eh…..”

“Oh god Adnan, now you please don’t join this idiot.”

“This is spookier than I thought it would be, man,” exclaims Shrey. “We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

“Guys, I think we are here…. Get off the car let me park it and join you guys.”

“Okie dokie” Mihika is followed by Adnan, Shrey and Myra towards the lake.

Vishal puts the car in reverse gear and the sensors blast again. “Mihika, hey listen.. there’s some problem with your reverse sensors man.”

Mihika gestures from a distance but Vishal doesn’t understand. He ignores the noise and parks the car and leaves for the lake.

“What are you guys up to?” Vishal is bewildered to see all his friends undressing.

“Not skinny dipping you nut. We still have our costumes inside. Remember we had a pool party 4 hours back? Eh?, retorts Mihika.

“You guys have lost it, driving down here was fine but swimming is taking it too far.”

“You wuss! Come here, let me get your pants off.” Myra starts running after Vishal.

Both of them catch their breath as they run past a pole.

“I wonder what this pole is doing here.” Mihika comes and stands where Myra and Vishal are. Adnan and Shrey join them.

“Anyway, time for a swim. What a night man. Thank god no one frequents here. The lake is so clean. I am off guys” Mihika walks towards the water and is followed by the rest of the group except for Vishal.

“Hey wait I have my selfie stick in my bag. Here, let’s use my go pro for pictures. Vishal, at least take your clothes off and come in for pictures.” says Myra.

“OK fine but 1 picture and I am out of there,” says Vishal as he walks inside the waters and joins the rest of the group.

“2-3 bursts and you are out hon. Oops my camera” shrieks Myra.

“You clumsy women, where is it pick it up. Oh my, can you see it. Vishal quickly, you are the best swimmer. Just dive in and check fast before it is lost.”

Vishal dives in, “hey can’t see, shall I go farther to check?”

“Of course, please I haven’t backed up pictures from my shoot. I need it,” cries Myra.

“Ok ok relax.”

They see Vishal swim away from them. “Why is he going this far?” consults Adnan.

“Holy cow! What? Is he up to some stunt?” Shery points in a direction and everyone see two feet going straight down in the water.

It is dark no one hears a sound. “VISHAL, VISHAL”

 

“Vishal” “Vishal”

 

Shrey and Adnan swim around the area but do not find Vishal. “Is this some kind of a joke? Vishal we agree it was a mistake coming here. Please, I am scared now. Come back here right now,” says Mihika with a shrill voice

.

.

Nothing, the lake is calm and there is no sound but the sounds of heavy breathing.

“Let’s call the cops,” suggests Myra

“Are you out of your mind, you are drunk AF and want to drag the cops into this?”

“It’s been 20 minutes already, Adnan. Myra is right, we have to get help. Let me call my cousin,” says Shrey

 

In 15 more minutes, the group dries up and wears their clothes and hear a police siren and an ambulance.

Shrey explains the whole incident to the cops and they begin the search for Vishal.

 

“Nothing here Sir.”

.

.

“Clear”

.

.

“Clear”

.

.

“No body found”

 

“Shrey, are you sure your friend is not playing a prank on you. Is there a chance he is hiding in the bushes?” asks Shrey’s cousin Dhruv.

 

“Sir, let’s look again ahead of this pole,” suggests a cop

The divers dive in and start looking,

.

.

“Found a body” someone yells out of the water.

 

“Body?” Myra starts crying. “Has he drowned? He was the best swimmer I knew. This is not possible.”

 

The divers lay the body. The cop comes near the dead body to examine it and faints looking at it instantly.

.

.

With a lot of efforts, he is brought back to his senses.

“What happened? Is this the first time you’ve seen a corpse?” asks Dhruv

“Sir… Sir no… But…but,,,, my…. My….”

 

“What happened?”

 

“This is the same boy who asked me to look for the body ahead of the poll,” he says pointing at Vishal’s dead body.

 

 

 

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