Chapter 8

Madhav furrowed his brows and asked, "Sir, do you know about the golden coin? What is it, and how do you know about it?"

Raj interjected, "Yes, the first time I saw it was in your jacket pocket on the bus."

The old man sighed deeply and began, "In 1975, I was a professor at your college in Bhopal. My close friend, Suryanath Anand, had just become a father. His wife gave birth to twins, and I traveled to Itarsi to visit him."

Madhav's heart skipped a beat. He interrupted, "Sir, my grandfather's name is Suryanath Anand."

The old man's eyes widened. "Really? What a coincidence."

Raj leaned forward eagerly. "Please, sir, continue your story."

The old man nodded. "I visited Suryanath at his home and met his newborn son and daughter. We talked about many things, but then Suryanath told me he had something special to show me. He brought out a small, intricate box and handed it to me."

"What kind of box?" Madhav asked, his curiosity piqued.

"It was ancient-looking, with carvings all over it," the old man replied. "I tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. I asked him where he got it, and he said, 'My father brought this box. He told me it would help our family.'"

"What kind of help?" Raj asked.

Before the old man could answer, he continued, "Just then, Suryanath's father asked for water. I glanced at the clock and realized it was late. I had to leave, but before I did, I gave Suryanath some money, hoping it would help him in some way."

The old man paused, his face shadowed with memories. "The next time I saw Suryanath was in 2000, again at his house in Itarsi. He looked deeply troubled. I asked him what was wrong, and he told me, 'My daughter Jaya married for love last year, and now she's had a child.'"

Madhav frowned. "That sounds like good news."

"That's what I said," the old man agreed. "But Suryanath shook his head. He told me, 'It's not good news. My father's health is failing. He has tuberculosis and kidney stones.'"

The room fell silent as the weight of the story settled on them.

The old man took a deep breath and continued his story. "I asked Suryanath, 'So, what did you do next?'"

Suryanath's voice was heavy with regret as he replied, 'Yesterday, I opened the box with my own hands.'

"What did you find inside?" I asked him.

Suryanath's hands trembled as he spoke. 'There was a golden coin inside. The moment I touched it, all the lights in the room went out. A chilling silence filled the air. Suddenly, a shadow appeared in front of me.'

"A shadow?" I repeated, leaning in closer.

Suryanath nodded, his face pale. 'Yes, and I felt a fear I'd never known. The shadow spoke to me. It asked, "What wish do you desire?"'

"A wish?" I echoed in disbelief.

'Yes,' Suryanath confirmed, his voice barely above a whisper. 'The shadow told me it could grant any wish I wanted, but there was a price. It said, "In return, you must give me something."'

"What did it want?" I asked, dread pooling in my stomach.

'I asked the same question,' Suryanath said, his eyes distant. 'The shadow replied, "You can offer me a body part or the life of someone close to you."'

My blood ran cold as I asked, "And what did you wish for? What did you give?"

Suryanath's voice broke as he admitted, 'I wished to become the richest man. And in return... I gave the shadow my daughter's life.'

The room fell into a suffocating silence, the weight of his confession settling like a dark cloud. Raj and Madhav sat frozen, the horrifying truth sinking in.

Raj glanced at Madhav, his face a mix of confusion and disbelief. Madhav sighed. "I… I didn't really know my grandfather well," he said quietly.

Raj turned back to the old man. "Sir, please… what happened next?"

The old man nodded, his voice grave as he resumed. "I asked Suryanath, 'What do you mean you gave your daughter's life?'"

Suryanath lowered his head. 'Yes, I did,' he admitted, his voice trembling. 'Today morning, I received the news… my daughter had passed away in the hospital.'

I stared at him, shocked. "What? And your wife? Did she know what you had done? What about the news of your daughter's death?"

Suryanath shook his head. 'No, she was at the hospital with my son and his wife. She didn't know.'

I felt my anger rising, my voice shaking as I said, "How could you? You sacrificed your own daughter for wealth!"

Suryanath stood up abruptly, his eyes pleading. 'Please, don't be angry. You're my friend… I had no choice!'

"No choice?" I shot back, my fists clenching. "You chose greed over your own family. What kind of father does that?"

Suryanath looked away, silent, as the weight of his actions pressed down on him. The room was heavy with unspoken judgment.

The old man paused, his eyes dark as he delved deeper into the harrowing tale.

"Suryanath's father suddenly entered the room while we were talking," Mr. Gaurav began. "When he saw us, he didn't say a word and quietly moved to another room."

Suryanath walked over to the window to shut it against the strong wind, but before he could latch it, the glass shattered, and a strange creature leapt into the room.

"I froze," Old man Mr. Gaurav continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I had never seen anything like it. This creature had four ears, cat-like eyes, and its body was a blend of grey and blue. It looked otherworldly, something no one had ever described before."

The sound of shattering glass brought Suryanath's father running back into the room. His face turned pale as he saw the beast. "That creature," he said urgently, "and its master have come for the box. Both of you, run!"

Before we could react, the animal began to grow, doubling in size. It now loomed over us, tiger-like in its stance but monstrous in form, with rows of razor-sharp teeth. Its eyes gleamed menacingly as it padded toward us.

Suryanath's father grabbed an iron rod from the corner and stepped forward. "Go!" he shouted. "Get out of here!"

We hesitated, but the beast lunged. It bit through the iron rod with ease, snapping it in half like a twig. Suryanath's father turned to us, his voice desperate. "Run now!"

The beast roared, its monstrous sound echoing through the house, and then pounced. In one swift motion, it tore Suryanath's father apart, its claws slicing through him with terrifying strength. Blood splattered everywhere as the creature's power shattered the front wall of the house.

"We stood there, frozen in fear," Old man Mr. Gaurav said, his voice shaking.

Suryanath stood frozen, his face pale with fear. "Father!" he screamed, his voice breaking as he witnessed the horrifying scene.

Mr. Gaurav took a deep breath, his hands trembling slightly as he continued the story. "I saw the beast crouch, ready to pounce on Suryanath. Without thinking, I lunged toward him and shoved him aside just as the creature attacked. Its massive jaws clamped down—" he paused, his voice faltering, "—and it took my legs."

Raj gasped, while Madhav's face turned pale. "Your legs…" Madhav whispered.

Mr. Gaurav nodded grimly. "The creature roared and slammed into the wall, breaking it with ease. The whole house began to collapse. I thought it was the end."

Madhav leaned forward. "Then what happened?"

The old man sighed heavily. "When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the ground, my legs gone. Suryanath was next to me, pulling me away from the rubble. 'Don't worry, my friend,' he kept saying. 'We're safe now. I'll get you to a hospital.'"

Raj and Madhav exchanged a glance, their faces filled with dread.

"As we moved further away, we looked back at the house. It was completely destroyed," Mr. Gaurav said, his voice low. "And amidst the ruins stood a figure, searching for something. The beast had returned to its original small size, calmly sitting beside the figure, waiting."

"Who was the figure?" Raj asked, his voice barely audible.

Mr. Gaurav's eyes darkened. "I don't know," he said. "But whoever it was, they were after that cursed box."

In the quiet hospital room, the old man, Mr. Gaurav, leaned back against his pillow, his voice heavy with the weight of memory. "When I opened my eyes, Suryanath was sitting next to my bed. He looked… broken, yet oddly calm."

Mr. Gaurav paused, his gaze distant. "I asked him, 'So, you've seen what happens when you meddle with that demon coin?' Suryanath didn't meet my eyes. He just muttered, 'I didn't know it would go this far. I made the wish because… I didn't care for my daughter, and I couldn't afford my father's treatment.'"

Raj clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing. "What a terrible excuse," he murmured under his breath.

The old man's face hardened. "I asked him, 'Do you still have that cursed box?' And do you know what he said?"

Raj and Madhav leaned in. "What?" Madhav asked.

"He said, 'Yes, I still have it.'"

Raj's eyes widened in disbelief. "Even after everything that happened?"

Mr. Gaurav nodded, his tone filled with anger. "I couldn't believe it. After all the death and destruction, he kept that wretched thing. I was so furious that I stopped speaking to him. I wanted nothing more to do with him."

Raj hesitated. "What did you do after that, sir?"

Mr. Gaurav gave a bitter laugh. "I poured my pain and anger into writing. I wrote a book titled Two Choices. It was inspired by that cursed coin and the shadows it brought into our lives."

Madhav's eyes lit up in recognition. "That book's in our library, isn't it?"

"Yes," Mr. Gaurav said, his voice softening. "I placed it there as a warning to anyone who might encounter something similar." He glanced at the clock and waved them off. "Enough stories for now. It's already lunchtime. Go, both of you. Eat and think about what I've told you."

Raj and Madhav stood, their minds racing. "Thank you, sir," Madhav said, bowing slightly.

"Thank you," Raj echoed as they left the room.

As they stepped into the hallway, . Meera stood near the door, her eyes fixed on them, her expression unreadable.