Book Excerpt: Enter At Your Own Risk by Anirban Bhattacharyya

Read an exclusive excerpt from true-crime and thriller genre writers of India Anirban Bhattacharyya’s latest book, Enter at Your Own Risk (Published by Fingerprint! Publishing, 2024).

STORY: THE MYSTERIOUS SUICIDES

The voice called out her name again. This time it came from inside the bathroom. Shamita slowly pushed open the door of the bathroom and gasped. The entire bathroom was enveloped in an eerie blue glow. The walls were alive with undulating patterns of reflection of water shimmering. The now familiar warm, comforting gurgle accompanied this strange spectacle. She felt compelled to see it. She had to see it. It was as if her feet were getting pulled inside. As soon as she stepped in, the door shut on its own. Shamita panicked; she tried to open the door—but it was jammed. Her heart was beating fast. She could feel her thumping heart try to push itself out from her aged, frail ribcage.

* If you want to read along the following portion that’s marked in bold with its own background music, then scan the QR Code to access the music and get ready to immerse yourself in the story.

And then a drop of water fell on her face. She wiped it. And another drop just hit her on the cheek. It was dripping from above. She looked up to the ceiling from where the water was dripping. She stumbled back in fear at what she saw. A woman was stuck to the ceiling . . . the water was dripping off the long strands of her undone wet hair. The woman had an ashen face. The woman’s feet and hands were glued to the ceiling. The woman now slightly leaned forward to take a closer look at Shamita. This sudden movement took Shamita by surprise, and she tried to scream but only a gurgle came out of her throat. The same gurgle, which had haunted her.

The woman on the ceiling laughed. Shamita tried to undo the door once again. The door was still stuck! She felt an icy sensation on her shoulder. Shamita turned around to come face-to-face with the woman with the ashen face. The woman was now inches away from her face. There was a distinct smell of fungus and mildew that emerged from this woman . . . or was she a creature . . .

Shamita’s brain froze. Shamita’s body began to go into spasms of fright—and the ashen woman laughed, and as she did, more water emerged from her mouth. The water dribbled down her chin and joined the pool of water already on the floor. The woman now spoke to Shamita—“Come to me.”

The sinewy hands of the woman emerged from under her saree. They had moss all over them. Shamita tried to scream as her arm was now in the icy, wet grip of this woman. She tried to resist, but it seemed futile. Shamita found herself being led by this woman toward the tap. “Go on . . . don’t be scared!” The woman said as she suddenly melted into a puddle of water. Shamita tried to fight the urge. But she couldn’t. She felt herself going to the tap and turning it on.

The water started filling up in the bucket. And when the bucket was filled, Shamita mechanically turned off the tap. It was as if an external force was guiding her hands and actions. Her mind tried to resist. She was wondering why she was doing all of this. Her thoughts tried to take control of her body but failed. She heard the woman’s warm, inviting voice again—“Come to me.”

Shamita felt her knees go under, and before she could resist, she found herself slowly bending her knees and kneeling beside the overflowing bucket. It looked like she was praying to an invisible deity. Though she tried her best to resist, she found herself lowering her head into the bucket. She could feel the strangely warm water caress her face, and then consume her head. Her mind was racing—urging her to snap out of this reverie—to resist whatever was controlling her actions. Her open eyes were now staring at the stained bottom of the bucket. The water was warm and clear. She wanted to pull her head out of the water. But the force held her there. And then suddenly the clear water turned black. Shamita could no longer see, and she couldn’t breathe. She struggled as water started filling up her lungs. She desperately wanted air. And then Shamita just gave in to the power that held her there. She stopped fighting it. She allowed the warm water to fill her lungs and replace every little bit of air that was there. The last thing she heard before life ebbed out of her was the ashen woman’s voice saying, “Welcome home!”

Available worldwide on Amazon

India | Singapore | International

About the Book

Get ready for an adrenaline-pumping ride through six spine-chilling tales in Enter At Your Own Risk . As you flip through the pages, you’ll encounter vengeful spirits, malevolent entities, and ancient curses lurking around every corner. Once you step into this world of fear, there’s no going back. Brace yourself for a heart-pounding adventure into the unknown, where terror reigns supreme and reality blurs before your eyes.

Thrills Await: Enter With Caution

A collection of six gripping stories, each crafted to keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end.
Encounter a host of sinister beings, from vengeful apparitions to malevolent forces, ready to haunt your nightmares.
Feel the tension rise as you are drawn into a world where fear lurks around every corner.
Vividly depicted settings that enhance the sense of dread and suspense.
An adrenaline-pumping journey where every moment is filled with suspense and excitement.

About the Author

Anirban Bhattacharyya is one of the foremost true-crime and thriller genre writers of India. His bestselling true crime books include ‘The Deadly Dozen: India’s Most Notorious Serial Killers,’ ‘India’s Money Heist: The Chelembra Bank Robbery,’ ‘The Hills Are Burning’ and ‘Swipe Right To Kill: The Jaipur Tinder Murder Case.’

He is a television producer by day having created and produced one of India’s favourite crime shows Savdhaan India, and having produced and written Crime Patrol and Fear Files.

He is an actor, standup comedian and a motivational speaker when he is not deep diving into the world of crime and thrills!

You can get to know more at www.linktr.ee/anirbanb