Chapter 19: Died By Window's Grill...

Three days later…

The Highland Leaf – Restaurant & Inn...

The inn was unusually lively that day, its quiet corridors now echoing with footsteps and murmurs.

Today was the day Rudra had scheduled interviews for the vacant positions—

and the front porch was already buzzing with eager faces.

Dressed in a neat button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled up, Rudra stood behind the reception desk, his arms crossed, eyes scanning the gathered crowd.

Amirtha, clipboard in hand, stood beside him, maintaining a calm yet professional demeanour.

Junoo, now with her hair tied in a proper bun, sat at a smaller table just beside the entrance with a sign-in sheet.

"Name?"

she asked a young man standing in front of her.

"Satish, ma'am."

"Position?"

"Kitchen assistant."

"Alright, go take a seat. You'll be called shortly."

One by one, the applicants were called in—

cooks, housekeepers, waiters, dishwashers, and even a wiry, sharp-eyed man who had come in for the security position.

Rudra interviewed each of them personally, asking them a mix of standard and unexpected questions.

He wasn't just looking for skill—

People who could handle unexpected situations.

People he could trust with the hotel.

By early afternoon, the interviews were done.

Rudra sat at a small round table in the dining area with Amirtha and Junoo as the three of them went through the shortlists.

"This one seems solid for the kitchen lead,"

Amirtha said, pointing to an older woman named Mala who had decades of experience running a South Indian food stall.

Junoo nodded.

Nod~ 

"And this guy—Ravi K—he's quiet, but he knows plumbing and electricals. Perfect for maintenance."

Rudra circled ten names on the final list.

"Alright then. These ten will be our team. Let's call them in tomorrow morning for orientation. We open in a week."

Amirtha smiled.

"Finally feels real now."

Junoo stretched with a yawn.

"Yeah, now the real chaos begins."

Rudra chuckled and leaned back in his chair quite satisfied.

Later That Evening…

With the new staff selected and roles assigned, a sense of movement filled The Highland Leaf – Restaurant & Inn.

Rudra stood with his hands resting on the polished front counter, staring at the calendar pinned to the reception wall.

His gaze settled on the approaching Saturday and marked it with a pen.

"We'll open on Saturday,"

he announced, turning toward Amirtha and Junoo who had just finished briefing the newly hired housekeeping crew.

"That gives us four more days to get everything in place."

Junoo blinked.

"This week?"

Rudra nodded.

Nod~ 

"We've got the team. The kitchen's functional, rooms are almost ready. No reason to delay."

Amirtha stepped forward, wiping her hands.

"And marketing?"

"That's next,"

Rudra replied.

"I'm planning a soft launch. We'll open with a 50% discount on both rooms and food for the first two weeks. Let the locals get a taste, build word of mouth."

He walked over to a dusty photo frame resting on a shelf in the corner—

an old black-and-white picture of the hotel when it was once running.

Faded.

"Guru Arvind told me this place used to be popular with tourists and locals both,"

Rudra continued.

"It was shut down two years ago after the previous owner passed away. But its name still carries weight. We just have to bring back the spark."

Junoo snorted, arms crossed.

"With that kind of discount, we'll have a full house on opening day."

"That's the plan,"

Rudra grinned.

Grin~ 

"Let's overwhelm them with good service and food."

Together, they began preparations.

Amirtha took charge of the kitchen, coordinating with Mala, the new lead cook, to prepare a menu that fused local flavours with a few creative twists.

Junoo worked in the reception area, putting up colorful banners and digital notices to announce the grand reopening.

Rudra himself oversaw the maintenance and helped clean up the outer garden, which had become overgrown over the years.

As the sun dipped behind the misty hills and the streetlamps outside began to glow, the inn slowly transformed from a forgotten relic into something alive again.

Out on the front gate, Rudra hammered in a freshly printed board:

Grand Reopening: The Highland Leaf – Restaurant & Inn.

Saturday.

50% off on rooms and food for the first two weeks.

Experience comfort, peace, and taste, high up in the hills.

He took a step back, wiping sweat from his brow.

Behind him, Junoo leaned out the window and called,

"Hey! If you're done playing handyman, dinner's ready!"

Rudra turned around and got back in.

Three Days Before the Opening...

The Highland Leaf buzzed with motion from dawn till dusk.

The sound of hammers and drills, brooms sweeping floors, and overlapping voices echoed through the once-silent halls.

Workers moved in and out—

carrying linens, installing light fixtures, polishing windows, testing kitchen equipment, and aligning furniture.

Rudra barely slept, his mind occupied with checklists and schedules.

He handled the logistics.

Every hour mattered.

Amirtha ran the kitchen with the help of Mala, the seasoned cook.

The two cooks who were fresher's were trained under her watchful eye, tasting sauces, perfecting spice levels until everything matched her high standards.

Junoo, now fully comfortable in her receptionist role, would manage the incoming calls and online queries.

But currently playing a criminal case on her mobile.

She even helped decorate the lobby with fresh flowers and local artwork to give it a warm, welcoming charm.

By the second day, the rooms gleamed with fresh bedsheets and scented candles.

A soft fragrance of lemongrass filled the air.

The restaurant tables were dressed in crisp white cloths, with menus placed neatly on top.

The generator backup was tested.

Fire safety inspections were cleared.

Security systems were synced.

And finally... the day arrived.

Saturday Morning –

Grand Opening Day!

Even before the official opening hour, curious visitors, tourists, and locals had begun trickling in.

Some had heard of the hotel's legacy, while others were drawn by the irresistible discount.

The aroma of fresh dosas, brewed coffee, and baked pastries drifted from the kitchen, luring in passersby.

Rudra stood at the entrance in a black mandarin-collared shirt, greeting guests with a calm smile, though his heart raced with anticipation.

He bowed slightly to an elderly couple entering and handed them a complimentary welcome drink.

Amirtha stood by the kitchen window, watching the tables fill up.

"We're going to need more help in the evening shift."

She muttered to herself, half-smiling at the crowd.

Junoo, handled the check-ins at the desk, giving each guest a warm welcome and making sure they received their room keys smoothly.

By mid-morning, the hotel was nearly at capacity.

Guests chatted over breakfast on the open terrace.

Children played in the small garden.

Locals praised the food.

The old hotel, once lifeless, now breathed again, filled with laughter, footsteps, and the clinking of plates.

Rudra watched it all quietly from the second-floor balcony.

While enjoying a cup of tea in his hand.

"This… feels right,"

He said softly.

He was lucky because it was a season when tourists would visit Ooty. 

And he had taken full advantage of it.

When this particular season arrives, there will be a huge demand for rooms to stay for tourists since the number of them visiting will increase.

And now he has put forth a 50% offer on both meals and room rent.

Currently already 10 rooms have already been booked by the visiting tourists.

From up here, he could see everything—

the bustle, the joy, the nervous excitement of the staff and guests.

His eyes roamed idly over the garden below, past a group of laughing children, past the couple taking selfies by the stone fountain…

And then they stopped.

At the front steps, near the edge of the walkway, stood a frail old woman.

Her back was slightly hunched, her silver hair neatly tied in a bun.

She wore a soft cream-colored saree with a faded blue border.

Her wrinkled hands gripped a wooden walking stick tightly.

She wasn't moving.

By her side stood a middle-aged man—

her son.

His wife stood next to him with their young son clinging to her hand.

The man gently pleaded, his hand on the old woman's shoulder.

"Ma(Mother)… please, it's just a hotel. There's nothing wrong here. The new management is good."

The old woman's lips trembled, her eyes wide as she stared at the building.

"No,"

She said shakily.

Rudra paid close attention to her.

From her tone, from her presence—it was clear.

She was very hesitant to get in.

"I can't go in."

She whispered.

"I can't."

The child looked up at his grandmother, confused and sad.

"But Dadi(Grandma)… It's pretty inside."

Rudra straightened, his expression thoughtful.

He didn't hesitate.

He set down his tea, adjusted his collar, and began walking down the stairs.

Rudra stepped out through the grand wooden doors, 

He approached the small family at the gate.

His eyes were calm, his tone warm.

"Is everything alright?"

he asked gently.

"Do you need any help?"

The old woman looked up, her eyes filled not just with age, but something else—fear.

Not just sorrow or grief… but genuine dread.

She gripped her cane tightly and said in a raspy voice,

"This place… you don't know, do you?"

Rudra raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Know what?"

The woman's son shifted uncomfortably but said nothing.

"____"

Her daughter-in-law lowered her eyes.

But the old woman pressed on.

"This inn is cursed,"

She said.

"Haunted by something old… something wicked. Every owner who's tried to run it since the land changed hands… they all died. Always on the night of the new moon. Horribly. Their closest companions, too."

Rudra blinked, caught off guard by the calm way she said it.

"____"

"You're saying there's an evil spirit here?"

She nodded.

"They said it lives under the building. It doesn't like being disturbed. You've painted the walls and changed the furniture, but it still remembers. It always remembers."

He opened his mouth, about to chuckle or shrug it off.

His first instinct was to dismiss it as small-town superstition or an urban legend wrapped in grief.

But then… he paused.

'Wait.'

He had seen gods.

He had met the Trimurti—the literal embodiments of cosmic creation, preservation, and destruction.

He had been reincarnated into a world straight out of a movie, where celestial weapons held the power to warp reality.

He had a glowing fragment of Brahmastra fused to his soul.

'Why not ghosts?'

His smirk faded.

A chill slipped up his spine, more from the thought than the air.

"I see…"

he said finally, with a measured nod.

Nod~ 

"Thank you for telling me."

"You seem like a good boy,

" the woman said, softer now.

"Maybe this time will be different. But be careful on the next new moon. If you hear footsteps in the walls… don't follow them."

Rudra looked at her quietly.

Then, with his usual charm returning, he offered her a hand.

"Still, would you do me the honour of stepping in? Just once."

The old woman hesitated…

"____"

then slowly nodded.

As she took his hand, her son and daughter-in-law exchanged surprised looks.

Together, they walked inside.

As Rudra stepped back into the cool reception area.

Before he could even make it past the front desk, Junoo popped up from behind it, arms crossed and with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Well, what was that about?"

She asked, tilting her head.

"You looked like you were consoling someone at a funeral out there."

Rudra sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his expression still thoughtful.

"The old woman out front… she said this place is haunted. Claims that every new moon, the owner of this hotel and their closest companions die under mysterious circumstances."

"____"

Junoo blinked… then burst out laughing.

Hahahaha~ 

"Wait, wait, wait! You—you actually listened to that?"

She leaned against the counter, snickering.

"What's next, boss? Are we hanging garlic by the windows and calling the priest?"

Rudra raised an eyebrow at her, unfazed.

"Junoo."

She looked up, still grinning.

"This is a world,"

Rudra began, his voice calm and sharp,

"where people can awaken divine weapons. Where astras can turn regular humans into powerhouses. If that is real…"

He stepped closer, locking eyes with her.

"...then why not ghosts?"

Her laughter faltered.

"____"

The amusement in her face melted away, replaced with a slow realisation.

Her eyes widened, and she unconsciously straightened her posture.

"…oh,"

She whispered.

"Exactly,"

Rudra muttered, stepping past her.

"So, until we know for sure, we treat everything seriously. Especially the stuff people laugh off."

Junoo nodded silently, still staring at him as he disappeared down the hall.

"…Okay then,"

She mumbled to herself.

"Guess I won't be staying alone in the lobby during the next new moon."

Dining Area –

Night...

The restaurant was closed for the night.

The dining hall, once bustling with guests, now stood quiet with only a few lights casting a golden hue across the clean tables.

At one corner table near the windows, Rudra, Amirtha, and Junoo sat with warm plates before them, the aroma of Malla's cooking filling the room.

Rudra took a slow bite of his rice and curry, his expression thoughtful.

Junoo noticed his silence first, nudging him with her elbow.

"You've been quiet since the ghost story, ghostbuster."

She teased with a smirk.

Rudra didn't rise to the bait this time.

Instead, he put his spoon down and looked up.

"I've decided something,"

He said calmly.

Amirtha glanced at him.

"What is it?"

"I want to investigate this place."

Rudra said.

"Not just the rumours. The history. Something about that old woman's words... It's sticking with me. And, I'm not brushing it off."

Junoo leaned forward, suddenly serious.

"You think it's real?"

"I don't know,"

Rudra admitted.

"But I'd rather know for sure than assume."

As they returned to their food, Rudra pulled out his phone and stepped away for a moment.

He dialed Guru Arvind.

The call connected quickly.

"Rudra,"

came Guru Arvind's warm voice.

"How's the first day of business?"

"Busy and good,"

Rudra replied.

"But something odd came up."

He briefly explained the old woman's claim—that every new moon, someone tied to this place dies in strange ways.

"So I wanted to ask… do you know anything about the background of this property?"

Guru Arvind went silent for a moment.

"I bought that property because it was a good investment."

He finally said.

"It was selling dirt cheap for its location and structure. Too good to pass up."

"But what about the previous owner?"

"…Ah. Yes. I do recall something unusual,"

Arvind said slowly.

"The man died in an accident. Apparently, the third-floor window grill came loose and struck him right in the neck. While he tried to pull it off… the grill collapsed fully, and his neck snapped. He died on the spot."

Rudra blinked, eyebrows furrowing.

"____"

"That's what the report said,"

Arvind added, voice grave.

"But locals whispered something else… that the window grill hadn't been loose at all. It was fine just the day before."

"Thanks, Guruji."

Rudra said, his tone quieter.

The call ended.

Rudra stood still for a moment before returning to the table.

"Well?"

Junoo asked, her curiosity piqued.

He sat down slowly.

"The last owner died. A window grill crushed his neck. Guru Arvind said it was a freak accident… but the rumours say otherwise."

Amirtha frowned, stirring her food.

"____"

Rudra picked up his spoon again, eyes glinting with focus.

"Which means it's time to dig deeper."

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

(Author's POV)

(A/N): 

Thanks for reading the chapter!

Please give a review!!! And power stone!!!

Which will motivate me more.