Hebatnaak Ghar by Nazia Shazia

About this novel

Haibatnaak Ghar by Nazia Shazia is a short Urdu horror novel about five friends whose car runs out of petrol at night. The only shelter nearby is a lonely haveli they should never have entered, and the title means the terrifying house.

Sara is cheerful and kind, and she has four close friends: Urwah, Iqra, Naila and Saima. Their friendship is pure and selfless. One day they all plan a trip, and Sara prefers places where there are fewer people. Nazia Shazia shows their easy, teasing friendship, with jokes about Sara’s love of maths and gentle digs at one another, before everything changes.

In the middle of nowhere, their car suddenly stops. Saima, at the wheel, announces that the petrol has run out. In a place that looks like a jungle, where on earth will they find petrol? They get out and look around, and in the distance they spot what looks like a haveli. Maybe someone there can give them petrol, or at least let them stay the night. Sara is against it: what if there is no one inside, or worse, what if there are churails? The others laugh at her for being a coward, so the group walks towards the house.

They knock, but no one answers. When they push, the door opens with a creak. Inside, the lights flicker on and off, and Sara begs them to leave, but Saima says it is probably just a power problem. They split up. Saima and Naila go to look for petrol, while Urwah and Iqra look for water. In the fridge they find a single bottle, but when Iqra pours it into a glass, the water turns into blood. Before they can run, both of them faint.

When Iqra wakes up, she is alone in a dark room, and what she finds there is truly terrifying: blood dripping down the walls, a terrifying figure and her friend Urwah in danger. Nazia Shazia builds the fear quickly and does not let go.

کچھ دروازے کھلنے کے بعد واپسی کا راستہ بند کر دیتے ہیں۔

Read more horror by Nazia Shazia: Qabarstan and Agli Bari Tumhari Hai, see all Nazia Shazia novels, or browse more horror Urdu novels.