Saturday, 7 February 2026.
At 8:00 AM, a car left the quiet town of Pallahara—a Maruti Suzuki Fronx.
Driving was Jay, a lecturer. Sitting beside him was his wife Silu, who was pregnant.
There was some worry in their minds, but more hope—because they were going to see a doctor.
This was their second visit to Dr. Sarita Hota at Srusti Nursing Home in Sambalpur.
They reached by 11:30 AM.
The check-up went well. The reports were normal. Both felt relieved.
To celebrate the good news, they went to City Centre Mall.
They watched the movie “Border 2” from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, and later bought household items from Reliance Mart.
Without realizing it, time passed quickly.
It was already 7:30 PM.
“Let’s leave,” Jay said.
The road was good. Buses and trucks were moving normally.
They thought they would reach Pallahara by 10:00 PM.
Inside the car, they were laughing, talking about the future, and feeling relaxed.
But this is where the story changed.
The stretch of NH-49, between Tileibani and Tainsar, is usually very lonely.
Jay knew one thing: if you don’t stop, there is no problem.
But Silu often felt nauseous during car travel.
They had to stop the car on the side of the road.
At that moment, 2–3 trucks were passing, so it did not feel dangerous.
Only the car door was opened.
On the side where they stopped, dense forest began just one meter away.
Silu was vomiting while sitting in the front seat.
Jay needed to urinate, so he went behind the car.
And then…
All the trucks passed and went away.
Suddenly…
There was complete darkness.
The road, the forest, the air—everything became silent.
Then…
“Chham… chham… chham…”
From very close by.
The sound of anklets.
And with every second, the sound became louder.
Jay did not feel scared at first.
He was a lecturer—he had a scientific mindset.
“Maybe it’s an insect, or some metallic sound in the wind,” he told himself.
Haun
But when he listened carefully—
It was not the sound of an insect.
It was clearly the sound of anklets.
Clear. Rhythmic. Alive.
It was so dark that the outside lights of the car were off.
Only the inside light was on.
Nothing could be seen.
Meanwhile, Silu’s vomiting did not stop.
Jay’s heart started beating fast.
More than fear, he felt concern for his wife and unborn child.
“Please… let this end quickly,” he prayed silently.
As soon as Silu felt better, Jay did not waste a second.
“Close the door—now,” he said, his voice shaking.
He started the car
and drove away at full speed.
He did not look back, not even once.
After driving some distance, Jay told Silu what he had heard.
Silu was shocked.
She said,
“I also heard the sound… but I ignored it.”
For a long time, there were no houses on the road.
Only forest… forest… and more forest.
Jay kept telling himself and Silu,
“It was nothing… just an insect.”
But the truth?
Jay was shaking inside.
Even his mind knew—
It was not an insect.
At 10:10 PM, they finally reached Pallahara.
Before sleeping that night, they talked again.
One thing was clear:
👉 Both of them heard the sound.
👉 And the sound was not normal.
That night…
was not just a night.
It was a warning.
⚠️ Lesson:
Never stop your car on a lonely highway at night.
Because some sounds…
are not just heard—they are felt.