Ridhima didn’t waste even a second.

A terrified scream tore out of her lungs as she turned and ran as if her life depended on it. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, and her breath came out in short, panicked gasps. She kept screaming while running, not even knowing where she was going.

All she wanted was to get away.

Away from the darkness.

Away from whatever—or whoever—was standing there.

Her loud screams echoed through the quiet night, breaking the silence of the campsite.

Within moments, lights turned on in different tents. Students rushed out, confused and worried. Her professor also stepped outside his tent, looking alarmed.

Ridhima finally reached the campsite and almost stumbled forward. Her friend Nidhi quickly ran toward her and caught her before she could fall.

“Ridhima! What happened?” Nidhi asked anxiously, holding her shoulders. “Why are you screaming?”

Ridhima clutched Nidhi’s hand tightly, almost painfully, as if she was afraid to let go.

She looked around at everyone gathered there. Her eyes were wide with fear, her breathing still uneven.

Her professor stepped forward with a serious expression.

“Ridhima,” he said firmly, “what happened? Why were you screaming? And where are you coming from in the middle of the night?”

Ridhima swallowed hard.

She looked nervous and guilty at the same time.

“S-sir… I was just… just…”

“What just, Ridhima?” the professor asked sternly. “Tell me properly. Why were you screaming like that?”

Her voice trembled as she spoke.

“I… I saw someone there…”

The moment those words left her mouth, the students around them started whispering among themselves.

“Did you hear that?”

“Maybe it’s a ghost…”

“I heard the villagers saying this place is haunted.”

“Yes! They said spirits live around these ruins.”

The whispers quickly turned into frightened murmurs.

One student stepped forward and asked nervously, “Ridhima… did you really see a ghost?”

Ridhima’s grip on Nidhi’s hand tightened even more. She didn’t answer. Her mind was still replaying the shadow she had seen in the ruins.

Seeing the panic spreading among the students, the professor raised his voice.

“Enough!”

Everyone fell silent.

“There are no ghosts here,” he said firmly. “You are archaeology students. You study history and science, yet you believe in such nonsense?”

The students looked embarrassed and slowly stopped talking.

“Now everyone go back to your tents and get some sleep,” the professor ordered. “We have work tomorrow.”

One by one, the students started returning to their rooms and tents, though some of them still looked nervous.

Soon the campsite became quiet again.

The professor then turned back to Ridhima.

His expression softened slightly, but his voice remained serious.

“And you, Ridhima… what were you doing out there?” he asked. “We will talk about this tomorrow. But for now, go and rest.”

He paused before adding firmly,

“It is not safe to wander around alone at night, especially in a place like this. I know you are curious, but that doesn’t mean you should take such risks. I didn’t expect this from you.”

Ridhima lowered her head.

“I’m sorry, sir,” she said quietly.

The professor sighed.

“Alright. Go to sleep now.”

Ridhima nodded silently and walked back toward her tent with Nidhi, but her mind was still disturbed.

Because deep inside… she knew one thing.

What she saw in the ruins was not her imagination.

Someone really was there.

When Ridhima finally reached her tent, she quickly went inside and sat down on her bedroll, still trying to calm her racing heart.

Before she could even take a proper breath, Nidhi suddenly pinched her hard on the shoulder.

“Ouch!” Ridhima hissed, instantly rubbing the spot. “What was that for?!”

Nidhi crossed her arms and stared at her suspiciously.

“What is this, Ridhima? And what were you really doing there alone at that time of the night? Are you serious right now?”

Ridhima looked at her with an awkward smile and scratched the back of her neck.

“Hehe… arey, I was just wandering around… you know… curious,” she said nervously.

Then her expression changed, becoming serious.

“But Nidhi… I swear… I saw someone there.”

Nidhi sat down on the bed beside her and burst into laughter.

“Hahaaa… ja akele itne raat me koi bhoot vhoot pad gaya hoga tere pyar me,” Nidhi said jokingly and chuckled.

Ridhima made an annoyed face and lightly pushed her arm.

“Tu pagal hai,” she muttered.

Then she leaned closer and spoke in a low, serious voice.

“Maine sach me dekha udher. And you won’t believe this, Nidhi… there is a tunnel there.”

Nidhi’s laughter instantly stopped.

“What?! A tunnel?” she asked with surprise.

Then she shook her head dramatically.

“Chal juthi… kaha se tunnel aa jayega. Udhar kuch nahi tha. Tu sapne dekh rahi hogi.”

Ridhima frowned and folded her arms.

“I’m not lying,” she insisted. “I saw it with my own eyes. The wall moved and there was a hidden passage going underground.”

Nidhi looked at her carefully this time.

The fear in Ridhima’s eyes didn’t look fake.

Still, she sighed and lay back on her pillow.

“Even if it’s true,” Nidhi said lazily, “we are not going there again in the middle of the night. Samjhi?”

Ridhima didn’t answer.

Instead, she stared quietly at the roof of the tent.

Because deep inside, one thought kept repeating in her mind.

If there really was a tunnel…

Then who was the person she saw standing in the darkness?

The next morning, the students were gathered near the ruins. The soft sunlight spread across the ancient stones while the professor stood in front of them, explaining the historical importance of the site.

“Pay attention to the carvings on these pillars,” the professor said. “They belong to a very old architectural style. Structures like these help us understand how ancient civilizations lived and built their cities.”

Most of the students listened carefully, some writing notes while others clicked pictures.

But Ridhima was not paying attention at all.

Her mind was still stuck on what she had seen the previous night.

She quietly moved closer to Nidhi and suddenly grabbed her hand.

Before Nidhi could react, Ridhima started pulling her away from the group.

“Arre… where are you dragging me?” Nidhi whispered.

Ridhima kept walking quickly.

“Chal na… main juthi nh hu. Vaha sach me h,” she said insistently.

Nidhi rolled her eyes but followed her anyway.

“Haha… chal. Agar nh hua to tu gai beta,” Nidhi teased while making a dramatic face.

“Ha ha… dekh lena,” Ridhima replied confidently, still walking ahead.

Within a few minutes, they reached the exact spot where Ridhima had seen the hidden tunnel the night before.

Ridhima stopped there and crossed her arms proudly, still not looking directly at the wall.

“See… hairan ho gai na,” she said confidently.

Nidhi looked straight ahead at the wall.

Then she slowly turned toward Ridhima.

Without saying anything, she lightly smacked the back of Ridhima’s head.

“Tu hi dekh, idiot. Kuch nh h vaha.”

“Ahhh!” Ridhima rubbed the back of her head and frowned.

Confused, she turned her head and looked straight at the wall.

And then she froze.

Her jaw slowly dropped.

There was nothing there.

No tunnel.

No underground passage.

Just a plain ancient stone wall, exactly like the rest of the ruins.

“Whatt…?” she whispered in shock.

Her eyes searched the wall desperately, as if hoping the entrance would suddenly appear again.

“But… I’m not lying, Nidhi,” she said nervously. “I really saw it here. Even… even I went inside.”

Her voice slowly faded.

Everything felt strange now.

It was as if the tunnel had completely disappeared… like it had never existed at all.

For a moment, Ridhima wondered if it had all been a dream.

Nidhi sighed and shook her head.

Then she gently grabbed Ridhima’s hand.

“Tu jyada soch rahi h,” she said softly. “Chal relax kar… varna pagal ho jayegi.”

Before Ridhima could say anything more, Nidhi dragged her back toward the group where the other students and the professor were still standing.

But as Ridhima walked back, she couldn’t stop thinking about one thing.

If the tunnel really wasn’t there…

Then where had she gone last night?

And more importantly—

Who was the person she saw in the darkness?

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