• Crime - English

    Ghats of Blood

    Nilavo Mukherjee Chapter 1 – The Floating Corpse The story begins on a humid, early morning along the Hooghly River, where the tranquility of the water is shattered by the appearance of a lifeless body drifting near the base of the Howrah Bridge. Early commuters and street vendors are the first to spot the corpse, their casual chatter giving way to murmurs of fear and curiosity as they approach the ghats. The scene quickly draws a crowd, and within minutes, news crews arrive, cameras rolling and microphones thrust forward to capture the unfolding spectacle. Panic ripples through onlookers, some recoiling…

  • English - Romance

    Desert Heat

    Nisha Bhatt 1 The heat hit Meera the moment she stepped out of the small taxi, a dry, almost physical force that wrapped around her like an unwelcome embrace. The sun above Jaisalmer was merciless, turning the very air into a wavering haze. Yet, through the shimmer, she saw it—the great fort, its honey-gold sandstone walls rising above the old city, glowing like a mirage against the pale blue sky. The streets leading up to it were a winding tangle of ochre walls, brightly painted doorways, and the occasional splash of bougainvillea spilling over balconies. Cows wandered lazily in the…

  • English - Suspense

    The Secret of Sindhudurg Fort

    Saurabh Kulkarni Chapter 1: Arrival at the Coastal Shadows The Konkan sky was a silver sheet of clouds when Sharvani Patil stepped off the rickety ferry onto the moss-lined jetty of Sindhudurg Fort. The Arabian Sea, though unusually calm that day, still carried a scent of restless secrets. From a distance, the fort rose out of the water like a battered crown—its laterite walls darkened by centuries of salt and time, guarding stories the world had forgotten. Sharvani adjusted her backpack, narrowed her eyes against the gusts of sea spray, and turned to her assistant. “You okay, Kabir?” she asked.…

  • English - Suspense - Travel

    Echoes of the Deccan

    Devendra Joshi Chapter 1: The Call of the Deccan Vikram Roy had spent the last five years of his life chasing fleeting successes in the dusty archives and half-excavated ruins of India, always just one breakthrough away from recognition. An ambitious archaeologist from Kolkata, he had always dreamed of discovering something monumental, something that would put him on the map. But the years had not been kind to his career. Vikram had slowly become disillusioned with the field, his excitement replaced by a mechanical pursuit of academic accolades and citations. The phone call from his superior was unexpected, yet not…

  • Crime - English

    The Killer’s Masquerade

    Shalini Deshmukh 1 The streets of Goa were a riot of color, music, and laughter. It was the height of Carnival, and the city was alive with exuberance. Masked revelers danced through the streets, their faces hidden behind glittering masks, their costumes a kaleidoscope of feathers, beads, and sequins. The scent of street food filled the air, mixing with the faint, salty breeze from the sea. Goa, known for its beaches and laid-back charm, had a different pulse during Carnival—a pulse that beat with frenetic energy and reckless abandon. To most, it was a time of celebration, of letting go…

  • Crime - English

    The Ganges Secret

    Devendra Joshi Chapter 1: The Sacred Murder The early morning mist had yet to clear when the news reached Inspector Rajiv Rawat. A body had been found floating in the Ganges, just below the ancient Har Ki Pauri ghat in Haridwar. The scene was a familiar one, yet there was something distinctly unsettling about it. Rajiv had grown up here, and the ghats, with their crowds of pilgrims seeking salvation and the sacred waters of the Ganges, had always been a backdrop to his life. But today, as he rushed to the site, he sensed that this would be no…

  • English - Horror

    The Forgotten Village

    Amit Joshi Chapter 1: The Legend Ravi, a historian with a passion for uncovering forgotten histories, sat in his cluttered study, surrounded by piles of old manuscripts, faded maps, and ancient scrolls. His eyes glimmered with excitement as he uncovered a fragment of a long-forgotten legend, buried deep within the annals of history. It spoke of a village, lost to time, hidden in the rugged hills of Himachal Pradesh. The village, once home to a thriving community, was cursed and abandoned after a series of unexplained deaths and disappearances over a century ago. According to the legend, the villagers had…