Episode 1: The Mansion on the Mountain
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Episode 1: The Mansion on the Mountain
Part 1 – The Journey Begins
The bus groaned and rattled as it climbed higher into the mountains, winding around narrow curves that revealed breathtaking drops to the valleys below. From the window, Lilly pressed her cheek to the cool glass and stared at the world outside. Mist clung to the peaks like silver scarves, drifting lazily in the breeze. The late afternoon sun filtered through pine trees, painting their needles gold. The air, though sealed out by the bus windows, looked crisp and clean—so unlike the crowded, dusty city they had left behind that morning.
“This road is never-ending,” Gargi muttered beside her, adjusting the scarf around her neck. Her dark eyes flicked nervously toward the sharp turns, where the mountain dropped steeply into nothingness. “And these drivers—do they even know what brakes are?”
Lilly grinned. “Relax, Gargi. Look at that view! Don’t think about the road, think about the adventure.”
“Adventure, yes. Or the end of my life in some remote cliff accident.” Gargi hugged her backpack closer, scowling as the bus lurched around another corner.
Lilly laughed. Her best friend had always been cautious, careful, the worrier in every situation. But that was part of what made their friendship work—Lilly was the reckless dreamer, the one who dragged them into plans, while Gargi was the grounding force, pulling her back from the edge when things got too wild. And now, they were on one of Lilly’s ideas: visiting the old mountain mansion her uncle had bought.
She thought of Uncle Rajesh and felt a spark of excitement. He wasn’t like most grown-ups she knew. Where her parents were practical and cautious, Rajesh was bold, ambitious, always chasing opportunities. He had traveled, run businesses, invested in wild ideas. And now, he had bought a mansion in the mountains—an abandoned one, at that—and planned to turn it into a hotel.
Lilly had practically begged him to let her visit. “A whole mansion in the mountains? That sounds like something from a storybook,” she had said. To her surprise, he had agreed, even encouraging her to bring Gargi along.
Now, as the bus wound higher, Lilly could barely sit still.
Gargi, on the other hand, was groaning. “Why couldn’t your uncle buy a flat in the city? Or a beach resort? Mountains are… cold. And lonely. And—”
“—mysterious,” Lilly cut in with a grin. “That’s the fun.”
Gargi rolled her eyes. “Mysterious usually means creepy. Creepy means I don’t sleep. And if I don’t sleep, I blame you.”
Lilly leaned her head against her friend’s shoulder, smirking. “Fine. When the mountain monsters come for us, I’ll let them eat me first. You’ll be safe.”
“Monsters are not funny.” Gargi pulled her scarf tighter, glaring at the fog thickening outside the bus.
For a moment, silence settled between them, filled only by the engine’s roar and the rhythmic thump of wheels against uneven road. Outside, the scenery shifted—the pines grew denser, the sky dimmed, and shadows stretched long over the winding path. Villages appeared now and then, clusters of wooden houses with slanted roofs, smoke curling from chimneys. Children played in narrow lanes, their laughter carried on the cold wind. Old women, wrapped in shawls, watched the bus pass with unreadable expressions.
Something about those stares made Gargi uneasy. “They look at us like we don’t belong,” she whispered.
Lilly shrugged. “Maybe we don’t. But soon, when Uncle’s hotel opens, people from all over will come here. It’ll be amazing.”
Gargi said nothing. She pressed closer to the window, watching the mist swirl.
After another hour, the bus screeched to a halt at a lonely stop. The driver barked, “Last stop!” The girls grabbed their bags and stepped down onto the cracked stone platform. The chill hit them instantly, biting at their cheeks and noses.
“Brrr!” Gargi shivered. “This is freezing. How do people even live here?”
Lilly inhaled deeply, loving the crisp air. “This is perfect. Come on, Uncle said he’d send a jeep.”
And indeed, a black jeep waited by the side of the road. A tall man leaned against it, dressed in a neat coat despite the rugged setting. His posture was relaxed, but his sharp gaze scanned the area as if calculating everything around him. When he spotted them, his face lit with a wide smile.
“Girls!”
“Uncle Rajesh!” Lilly dropped her bag and ran into his arms. He hugged her warmly before patting Gargi’s shoulder in greeting.
“You’ve both grown so much since I last saw you,” he said, his voice smooth and confident. He looked younger than his years, his hair neatly combed, his features sharp. There was an effortless charm about him, the kind that made people instantly trust and like him.
“You look like a movie star,” Gargi blurted before she could stop herself.
Rajesh laughed, a deep, hearty sound. “Well, I’ll take that as a compliment. Come, the mansion is waiting.”
They loaded their bags and climbed into the jeep. As the engine roared to life, Rajesh steered onto a narrow mountain road that snaked into the forest. The trees closed in, tall pines casting dark shadows even though it wasn’t yet night. The air grew colder, and the silence of the forest pressed around them.
“So, Uncle,” Lilly asked eagerly, “how did you even manage to buy a mansion up here? It must’ve cost a fortune.”
Rajesh smirked, his eyes on the road. “Not at all. I bought it cheap.”
“Cheap? A whole mansion?” Gargi leaned forward, suspicious. “What’s the catch?”
He chuckled. “The catch is… superstition. The villagers think the mansion is cursed. They believe monsters roam the forest, that bad energy lingers in the walls. The old owner didn’t want it anymore—said it was ruining his life. So, he sold it. And I bought it.”
Gargi’s eyes widened. “Monsters? Cursed? And you still bought it?”
“Of course.” Rajesh’s smile grew. “Stories don’t scare me. I saw opportunity. Imagine—a grand hotel in these mountains, with views no city can offer. People will flock here for peace, beauty, and adventure. For me, this mansion is not a curse—it’s a blessing.”
Lilly clapped her hands. “Exactly! See, Gargi? Monsters are just stories.”
“Stories usually come from somewhere,” Gargi muttered, shrinking back into her seat.
The jeep bumped along the uneven road until, finally, the trees parted and the mansion came into view.
It was enormous—three stories of weathered stone, with tall arched windows and a roof covered in moss. Ivy crawled across the walls, and the iron gates, half-rusted, creaked as they pushed open. The mansion stood against the backdrop of the misty forest, towering and imposing, its shadow stretching across the clearing.
Gargi whispered, “It looks… haunted.”
Lilly’s eyes shone with excitement. “It looks perfect.”
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