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1. THE FOREST NEVER SLEEPS
Forests are quiet only to those who listen poorly.
To the forest near the old fort, silence is movement. Memory. Hunger.
It had taken Ajay.
It had balanced Rita’s pain.
But balance never lasts.
2. A NEW BARAAT
Years passed.
The fort became a warning whispered in villages.
The hotel remained invisible—except on certain nights.
Another Baraat arrived.
New faces. New laughter. New promises.
Rita watched from a distance.
She was older now. Calmer. Surrounded by her perfect husband—the replacement who never questioned her, never strayed.
For the first time in her life, Rita felt safe.
And that was her mistake.
3. THE CRACK IN THE PATTERN
On the bus was a young groom named Karan.
Faithful. Nervous. In love.
No betrayal in his heart.
When the bus stopped near the fort, the air changed.
The forest whispered.
But this time, it did not whisper to the groom.
It whispered to Rita.
You remember us…
Rita’s fingers trembled.
She had never been chosen after surviving.
4. THE OLD WOMAN RETURNS
The same old woman appeared by the roadside, lantern glowing.
“You stayed too long,” she told Rita.
“I followed the rules,” Rita said.
The woman shook her head.
“You misunderstood them.”
The forest does not punish betrayal alone.
It punishes those who believe they are exempt.
5. THE MIRROR BREAKS
That night, Rita looked into the mirror.
Her reflections were gone.
No silent men.
No loyal shadows.
Just her.
Alone.
Behind her reflection stood the forest—inside the glass.
Branches cracked through the mirror.
6. THE REAL CHOICE
The forest did not want Karan.
It wanted payment.
A survivor must eventually become an offering.
Rita ran.
But the forest does not chase.
It waits.
7. THE REPLACEMENT SPEAKS
For the first time, the thing that wore Ajay’s face spoke freely.
“You were never meant to win,” it said calmly.
“I was meant to end.”
Rita realized the truth too late.
The replacements were temporary.
She was permanent.
8. THE FINAL STOP
The bus halted.
Fog rolled in.
Passengers froze—unable to move.
Rita stepped down alone.
Barefoot again.
Just like the first time.
The old woman extinguished her lantern.
“You taught the forest how to listen,” she said.
“Now it listens to you.”
Roots emerged from the ground—not violent, not angry.
Patient.
9. THE FOREST CHOOSES
Rita felt no fear.
Only understanding.
She whispered:
“I only wanted love.”
The forest answered by pulling her gently into the earth.
Not screaming.
Not resisting.
Accepting.
10. EPILOGUE – BALANCE RESTORED
The bus restarted.
Passengers blinked.
They remembered nothing.
Far away, the jungle grew thicker.
Deeper.
Somewhere within it, a woman’s face appeared in the bark of a tree.
Eyes open.
Watching.
Waiting.
FINAL QUESTION
If the forest punishes betrayal…
And consumes survivors…
Who is left to warn the living?
THE END
Or perhaps—
The beginning of the forest’s story.
