The House Prologue

  It was the 1800s; the East India Company was on a streak of increasing its dominance over India and other countries. During that period, in the southern part of India, there was a small village called Araiyur near Tiruchirapalli. The village was under the rule of the local Zamindar, ‘Rajadhipathi,’ at that time. Nestled between dense forests and the serene banks of the Cauvery River, the village was quite prosperous. In that same village, there was a grand mansion on the outskirts belonging to Amrithavalli.

  Amrithavalli was a 57-year-old widow who practiced black magic. People avoided her, but would still contact her when they needed to curse someone.

  As the East India Company conquered India, most Zamindars surrendered to the British Government out of fear, becoming puppets of the East India Company. During this process, the British also stationed their ranked officers across India.

  The British officer assigned to Araiyur was Captain James Thompson, a stern and ambitious man determined to establish British authority in the region. For this purpose, Captain James Thompson ordered Rajadhipathi to vacate Amirthavalli's house, as it was near the river.

  Initially, Rajadhipathi requested the house from Amirthavalli, but she denied him. Captain James was determined to acquire the house. Fearing the British Empire and concerned about losing respect in front of the villagers, Rajadhipathi made a plan.

  Rajadhipathi spread a rumor that the village was suffering from a mysterious curse, hinting heavily that Amrithavalli was responsible for this curse due to her practice of black magic and isolation from the community.

  The villagers, already superstitious and fearful of Amrithavalli, began to panic, believing that their crops would fail, their livestock would die, and their children would fall ill unless the curse was lifted. As fear and hysteria spread, the villagers turned against Amrithavalli, knowing that she would be dangerous to drive away from the village.

  On a new moon day, the villagers decided to kill Amrithavalli, and Rajadhipathi joined them. They gathered around the house, dragged her out, and tied her beside a tree.

  The villagers cursed her for cursing the village. While this was happening, Amrithavalli remained silent. The villagers decided to burn her along with the tree.

  As they were about to burn her, Amrithavalli broke her silence by giving an evil laugh. The villagers were stunned by this. With that laugh, she said, “How foolish could you be to fall for such a trick! I know that today is my last day. But the one who created this plan and all of you will not escape from my curse. I curse that the village will face a terrible fate. The people of this village will vacate within 2 years. Those behind all this will face death within 2 weeks. Whoever tries to enter the house will be trapped in illusion and will never leave the house. They will guard this house.”

  The villagers recoiled in terror as Amrithavalli's curse echoed through the night. Her words hung heavily in the air, instilling a deep sense of dread. Despite their fear, they proceeded with their grim task, setting the tree ablaze and watching as the flames consumed her. Amrithavalli's laughter turned into anguished cries, then silence. The villagers, their faces illuminated by the fire's glow, stood in somber silence, their minds haunted by her final words.

  Days turned into weeks, and the village of Araiyur seemed to return to its routine. However, an undercurrent of fear lingered. True to Amrithavalli’s curse, strange and terrible events began to unfold. Crops withered unexpectedly, livestock perished without cause, and several villagers fell ill with mysterious ailments.

  After two weeks of Amrithavalli's death, Rajadhipathi and his family were found dead in his mansion under mysterious circumstances. The villagers whispered that it was the curse taking its toll. Captain James Thompson, despite his stern exterior, could not shake off the feeling of impending doom. Shortly after Rajadhipathi's demise, he and his family too met a tragic end, found lifeless in their quarters. The exact cause of their deaths remained unknown, and rumors of the curse solidified.

  After witnessing such devastation, the villagers vacated the village one by one. Within two weeks, the village became a ghost village.

  The once-prosperous village of Araiyur, now abandoned and shrouded in eerie silence, stood as a testament to the power of fear and superstition. The grand mansion on the outskirts, which once belonged to Amrithavalli, remained untouched. The villagers, too terrified to return, believed her curse had ensnared the house in a web of illusions, ensuring that no one would dare to set foot inside.

  Yet, some people still enter or buy the house despite the curse. All of them either go missing or die in mysterious ways.