Headofsecurity Stories

IN BANARAS, EVERYONE KNOWS THE RULE. NEVER GO OUT AFTER THREE. BECAUSE WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES THREE, THE MOONERS AWAKEN. THEY AREN'T HUMAN. THEY AREN'T VAMPIRES. AND THEY DON'T HUNT FOR BLOOD. THEY HUNT FOR SOULS. VAANI ARORA HAS HEARD THE STORIES HER ENTIRE LIFE. AS THE YOUNGEST PRINCESS OF BANARAS, SHE'S BEEN RAISED ON ROYAL DUTIES, PALACE RULES, AND BORING LESSONS ABOUT CREATURES SHE'S NEVER BELIEVED EXISTED. SO WHEN HER FATHER FINALLY ALLOWS HER TO ATTEND A SUMMER MUSIC CAMP NEAR THE FOREST, VAANI SEES IT AS HER CHANCE TO ESCAPE THE PALACE. NEW FRIENDS. MUSIC. FREEDOM. AND SIDDHARTH - THE TALENTED, CONFIDENT, IMPOSSIBLY CHARISMATIC CONTESTANT SHE CAN'T STOP CRUSHING ON. THERE'S JUST ONE PROBLEM. HE DOESN'T SEEM TO NOTICE HER. SO VAANI COMES UP WITH A PLAN: MAKE HIM JEALOUS. AND FOR THAT, SHE NEEDS THE PERFECT PARTNER. KAUSHIK RATHORE. HER STRICT, INFURIATING HEAD OF SECURITY WHO HAS KNOWN HER FOR YEARS. THE MAN WHO NEVER BREAKS RULES. THE MAN WHO KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT LIVES BEYOND THE FOREST. AND THE MAN VAANI DEFINITELY, ABSOLUTELY, DOES NOT HAVE FEELINGS FOR. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SIMPLE. MAKE SIDDHARTH NOTICE. MAKE KAUSHIK PLAY ALONG. FALL FOR THE BOY SHE ACTUALLY WANTS. BUT THE CLOSER VAANI GETS TO SIDDHARTH, THE MORE SHE BEGINS TO NOTICE THE ONE PERSON SHE WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO FALL FOR. AND THEN THE CAMP STARTS TO CHANGE. STRANGE FOOTSTEPS IN THE FOREST. LOCKED DOORS THAT OPEN ON THEIR OWN. WHISPERS AFTER MIDNIGHT. AND A RULE EVERYONE SEEMS TO KNOW- NEVER BE OUTSIDE WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES THREE. VAANI THOUGHT THE MOONERS WERE A STORY. KAUSHIK KNOWS BETTER. BECAUSE AT 2:59 A.M., THE CAMP FALLS SILENT. AND AT 3:00 A.M.- THE FOREST WAKES. THE MOONERS WERE NEVER A THEORY. THEY WERE WAITING. AND AFTER THREE- EVERYTHING CHANGES.