Neel's Stories
Again
came the New Year eve for which we longed from the very first day of January
each year. That year I was hosting our New Year Party. I vividly remembered
our last year’s rendezvous. Asim hosted the party and he called us at his
apartment in Delhi. It was a wonderful night – the night sky was clear and
from the balcony we could see many constellations up there, with the winter
chill adding a magnificent dazzle to the stars. As usual, we waited for Rohit,
emptying our coffee mugs. He was the ‘latecomer’; he had been so since the
school days. He had grown up to become a reputed eye surgeon based in Los
Angeles. But the latecomer had not changed at all. Asim practised law in
Delhi. He was a criminal lawyer. Karan was in Bombay. He had become a
freelance architect. Nikhil was still in Calcutta, taking good care of his
father’s publishing firm. As for me, my unpredictability turned me into a
writer. In spite of the difference in our professions, we all had one thing in
common. We esteemed our friendship and we all preferred to spend one evening
together to sing an ode to all those bygone days. Every year one of us would
host the New Year party at his preferred location and we would get together.
I
was comfortably seated upon a corner chair of the table at the small but
lively restaurant along the river Ganges. While I looked at the placard placed
upon the table saying ‘Reserved’, I could hear the waves beating close to
the walls. The sky was clear and with the same old constellations giving me
company. I was just going to order my first cup of coffee when Asim entered
the restaurant. A smile lit up his face when he saw me waving at him.
“How’s
life?” he said settling down upon the chair just opposite to me.
“As
good as it gets.”
We
exchanged another smile.
“It’s
not so cold over here as it is in Delhi. I barely need my half-sweater over
here.”
“Oh
yes! I can understand from our last year’s experience. Remember Nikhil’s
winter-costume.”
We
laughed our hearts out over how Nikhil covered himself to keep himself warm at
Asim’s place last year. He had put on a full shirt, a half sweater over it
and finally, a shawl over it. Then he had put on a monkey-cap on his head that
covered his ears, a pair of gloves in his hands and a pair of strange long
socks in his feet. He looked like a snowman.
While
we were sipping coffee, Karan stepped in. He was wearing the usual trendy
clothes. He was the icon of Modernism, always in pace with time.
“I
don’t need to tell you how anxiously I waited to see your faces again,” he
said settling down by Asim.
We
all shook hands with him.
“Well
I don’t think I could wait for others to come before I could break the
news.”
We
raised our eyebrows expectantly.
“Guess
what? I got even with Ruby. And we are getting married in February.”
“That’s
great!” we both exclaimed. Ruby was Karan’s second girlfriend. They broke
up few years back. He had three more affairs after that! And we still had
doubts if they really would settle down. We knew Karan perhaps more than what
Ruby did. His indecisiveness was not new to us.
“Well
you can never wish for a better new year,” Asim said with a smile.
“So
how you guys are doing?” he said lighting a cigarette.
“Pretty
fine. Same old song of life.”
“I
have a copy of your new book. I read the review in some newspaper. It sounded
good.”
“Thanks,
buddy.”
“But
you see, I couldn’t actually get myself to sit down and read it”, he said
taking a long puff.
Asim
looked at me and smiled.
“I
do hope Ruby brings the best out of you”, Asim said smiling at him.
“Whoa!
Look who’s here,” Karan said looking at the door.
Nikhil
walked in and looked around for us. Karan rose and went to receive him.
In
all groups, there are few who have to bear little leg pulling time and again.
It is just because they are very naïve in spite of their age. Nikhil was one
such specimen in our group. But he was quite intimate with Karan. But even
Nikhil did not get much excited over Ruby’s news.
“Well,
there is one good news”, I said smiling.
“Tell
me you are getting married,” Karan said rubbing his hands.
“Hold
on,” I chuckled, “It is not about me.”
“Then
what?” he said making a silly face.
“I
think Nikhil should tell you.”
Nikhil
looked up at me from his cup of coffee.
“What
is that?”
“Oh!
You have not given them the good news.”
“What?”
I
looked from face to face blankly.
“It
seems I need to break it to you all. Nikhil is the proud father of a pretty
baby girl!”
Instead
of congratulating him, Asim and Karan laughed out aloud.
Nikhil
tried to hide his embarrassment by concentrating in finishing the coffee.
“Well,
you see I was waiting for Rohit.”
“Ok,
ok. Well, you should have called us up. It is really a great news,” Karan
said.
“How’s
Mr. Latecomer anyway?” Asim asked.
“I
spoke to him over phone last week,” I said, “He was doing fine but always
had a hectic schedule. Madeline takes good care of him. And you know what?”
They
all looked attentively.
“She’s
expecting too!”
“That’s
great.”
“She
wanted to join us here too. But you know Rohit doesn’t want to bring her in
this condition. Perhaps we get to meet both the mother and the child next
year.”
“We
had a shower of great news this time.”
“Oh
yeah! But I expected some from you two,” Karan said looking at Asim and me.
“Do
something, guys. Don’t waste life like that,” preached Karan.
“Don’t
worry, buddy, we will… soon.”
When
we finished out third cup of coffee it was quarter to ten.
“Hey,
I need to put something in my stomach. I can’t wait for eternity,” Karan
said.
“He
should be here by now. We can order the starters at least,” Asim said.
The
starters came but there was no sign of Rohit. It was nothing new of him and we
all were too hungry.
“I
am still wondering how you find this place in Calcutta. I never knew such a
fine place exists,” Nikhil said as he was having the sumptuous kababs.
“Am
I late?”
We
all looked up from our plates. Rohit was standing there.
“No,
sir. Rather before time because I was just going to eat up your portion
too,” Karan said.
We
all laughed as he settled down beside Nikhil.
“Congrats
in advance for the baby,” Nikhil said.
He
smiled at us. In spite of the tiring journey, he was in the best of his moods.
He laughed like a child as we exchanged news about each one of us.
After
Rohit’s arrival, various dishes started passing our table. We ordered the
main course around 11:00PM. Through the window, I could see the bright moon
reflecting upon the waves, throwing a shimmer in black and white over the
irregularities of water.
While
having desserts, we chose Karan to be the next host. And we all expressed our
desire that he should have married Ruby by that time. At least, someone
reliable would be there to choose a place for our rendezvous!
I
just finished my ice cream, when I found Rohit drawing my attention to him. I
leaned my head to listen.
“I
am not staying for the night this time. Have my flight in an hour. Can you
drop me at the Airport?”
“Sure,”
I smiled back.
He
relaxed back in his chair.
Soon
it struck midnight. We wished each other another memorable new year. Karan
insisted on staying for some more time but we had to part as Rohit had to
catch his flight.
“Don’t
expect me to listen to your garbage next year. You’ve got to stay at my
place for few days.”
Rohit
smiled back at Karan and said, “Will try my best.”
All
of us went our own way one by one, back to the old humdrum of city life.
I
drove through the dark night with Rohit. There was hardly any traffic at that
time of the night. Occasionally some revellers would pass by.
“How’s
Madeline?”
“Pretty
fine. She’s more radiant after getting pregnant. I wish I could spend more
time with her.”
“I
can understand. But it does become hard at times to strike a balance between
your work and family.”
Rohit
was silent.
“I
think you should take some days off after she delivers the baby.”
I
pulled up at the main entrance of the Airport.
“You
better go home. It’s pretty late.”
In
spite of my insisting to see him off, he would not let me stay.
We
hugged each other and parted for another year. He kept waving at me as he
walked inside.
The
heavy meal and the excitement of the day had worn me out and after reaching
home, I could barely change my clothes before falling dead sleep.
I
was shaken up in my bed by the ring of the telephone. I glanced at the clock.
It was 3:30AM. I picked up the receiver.
“Hallo!”
There
was no answer at the other end.
I
repeated the sleepy ‘Hallo’.
The
line disconnected.
I
put the receiver down cursing the tipsy reveller.
I
barely closed my eyes when it rang again.
I
picked up the receiver again and before I could utter a word, there was a
feminine voice on the other end.
“Hallo!”
“Hallo!”
I replied, shaking my sleepy mind in order to match the voice with the
familiar ones.
“I’m
sorry the line went dead last time.”
“Hi
Madeline! How you doing?” I interrupted as I identified the voice.
“I
am sorry I should have called you up earlier. But it took me sometime to
recover.”
“What’s
wrong?”
“Rohit
had an accident last night on the way to the Airport. He was in coma ever
since,” she said with a faltering voice, “he passed away this morning.”
“I
hope you folks didn’t cursed your latecomer friend much for his absence,”
she burst into tears.
I
got up with a start. I felt I heard a whimper. It was faint and might be the
remanence of a dream. Though I hardly ever dream when I am tired. Slowly I
pulled myself up and walked to the window. There was a thick fog outside and I
could barely make out the outline of the hut opposite. Obscurity invites
curiosity. In few minutes I was ready to head out and have a walk into the
welcoming synergy of the twilight and the fog.
I
almost overate out of the adventure of the forenoon but was very satiated. I
spread the map drawn by Suraj upon the table and concentrated upon it.
I stepped
to the counter and bought a pack of biscuits. It was pretty calm outside with
the afternoon bright and warm. I slowly took the way to the huts, feeling the
leaps of my heart in anticipation of the adventure before me. I took a glance
around as I stepped away from the way to the huts and went down the path to
the right. For a kilometre or so, the wilderness was not much thick. The trees
stood silent and grim in the afternoon sun. Slowly the bushes and trees got
thicker and the green canopy hid the sun. It was a pleasant walk under the
tender shade of the nature. There was a carpet of leaves and the footsteps
barely made a sound while treading over it. There was not much lichen in this
part of the forest. The symphony of the birds was subdued at this time of the
day. I saw some squirrels busy searching the heaves of leaves around. Even the
light tread of my feet over the leaves was enough to set them at alert. One of
them paused from his work and raised his paws standing upright to get a better
look at me. He turned his head side to side and then resumed his search. I
walked on, without any sign of the plateau. I would have walked for another
hour or two. The excitement of the adventure subdued the weariness of the
walk. I kept treading upon the high and low paths through the woods. The air
was fresh in spite of the strong sun of the afternoon. Moreover, the pristine
verdure sieved the sunlight into a soft and cool brilliance among the woods. I
had already finished half the film roll I had loaded before I started. I
paused upon a large root of an old tree. Taking a draught of water, I stared
around.
The truth of life laid bare before me. It was the return to my origin. The harmony of the universe was summarized in the virgin forests. It was simply life. There was no fear of death. Death is the simple process of returning to the innocence of the unborn. It was simply the ultimate goal to fuse with the omnipresent force of nature. It is neither the beginning nor the end. It is just a transitory phase between the known and unknown. It was above religion and belief. There life needed no new faith apart from that upon life itself. The continuum of life brightened the road ahead. I was surprised to see that there was no commotion over the truth of life, unlike the life in cities. The trees and animals lived in a symphony of life and never bother about the tomorrow. Their present is the definition of their life and they endeavour to get the most of out it. Why is so much difference in our lives? What makes happiness so difficult for a human to get? Was this life we pondered ever when the ‘intelligence’ detached itself from the simple wilds? I could never find a breathing thing there in the wilds, unlike men, which is so miserably captivated by its own desires. I pitied myself. I pitied my existence. I was just basking in the ephemeral delight of freedom and will soon be back to my golden cage. And soon, I will forget this truth amidst the torments of the city life. Ignorance is bliss?
My
thoughts were interrupted by a movement close to my feet. I looked down. About
a foot away, a snake swiftly made its way across. Its skin glistened in the
sunlight and the diamond patterns over it could be seen vividly. I had no idea
whether it was poisonous or not but by impulse, I got frozen by its sight. It
would have been over 6 feet long, with a mossy green skin that was adorned by
a crisscross diamond pattern in black and pale yellow. It swiftly crawled
towards a bush close to the tree I was mounted upon and disappeared out of
sight. As soon as it was out of sight, I shook myself up and ran away from the
tree. After a dozen yards, I paused and looked back to get a glimpse of the
serpent, but in vain.
I went
ahead on my way and after some time, I could feel the elevation of the ground
I treaded upon. That meant I was already over the plateau. There were lesser
trees up there, mostly small plants and bushes. I was stepping carefully lest
I should meet another serpent that might be less generous to the intruder. The
afternoon sun was not strong and it had a crimson orange reflection upon the
tender grasses. There were scattered clouds over the crystal blue sky like
some cotton balls thrown up recklessly by some wizard. The gentle breeze was
quite refreshing and it helped a lot with my adventure, coping with sweating
walk.
A smile
brightened my face when a distant gurgle reached my ears. It sounded like a
high waterfall getting closer with each step I took. My treads broke into a
run. The sound guided me to the edge of the plateau and the green dreamland
lay before me.
The
plateau was shaped like an E, the arms dropping down in great precipices, the
exception being the upper arm. It sloped down slowly down into the valley and
that was the way indicated in the map to climb down into the valley. The
valley was a beautiful stretch of verdure with dark green patches over it,
where the shadows of the clouds dropped upon it. The great plateau guarded the
pristine valley like an eternal sentry of nature. From the junction of the
body of the plateau and the origin of the inner arm, emerged a great waterfall
– roaring in its fury as it dropped down the heights, right into the heart
of the valley. There was thick foam around the place it touched the earth, and
the water drops lay over it like a heavy fog. Little ahead, where the water
got pacified after its great fall, in the lap of the valley, there laid the
lake, with its water reflecting the sky above- the purest blue.
I stood
spellbound looking at the beauty of nature’s creation. The light of the
setting sun shimmered upon the waterfall and every drop sparkled like gold as
it went down. I was not the least prepared to face something like this. I
never could have imagined such a place to exist in the heart of the ordinary
looking woods. But now it looks more natural. That disclosed the reason why I
had not encountered any wild animals on my way except the reptile. The valley,
guarded by the plateau, provided a safe haven to the fauna. It was the real
sanctuary.
I must
have already taken a dozen photographs right there. But then a new commotion
besieged my mind. My destination was before me but I did not know how to reach
it. How am I supposed to reach down into the valley? I had initially made up
my mind to climb down along the waterfall but at that time, I did not have the
slightest notion that the waterfall would be so great.
Moreover, it was already close to dusk. With many plans hovering in my
mind, I started to walk along the edge, moving closer to the waterfall. The
dusk painted a divine picture in indigo and vermilion upon the evening sky.
Often families of birds would stir upon the trees around and fly around
together for sometime, chirping in delight and again settle down.
I soon
reached the bank of the stream. It was not deep but the water was swift. I
cupped little water in my palm and tasted it. It was cold and fresh. I drank
some and then sprinkled upon my face. It was very rejuvenating. Yet I
abandoned my plan to climb down the fall. After taking some more shots, I
started my walk back. As I moved back into the woods, it got dark and I soon
had to put all my trust for a safe return to the torch I was carrying. But the
remnants of the evening painted the clouds a bright vermilion and left some
illumination in the woods. I started a sprint to reach the hut before
nightfall, running down the plateau, jumping over the small bushes that came
in my way. I could feel the trails of sweat running down my spine.
“Run faster, since if you get lost you still have time to make your way home.”
The voice
kept reverberating inside my mind, encouraging me to run even faster. But that
did not save me from my fate.
After
almost running for an hour, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, the fear
besieged me that I am not heading the right way. The trees and bushes around
me seemed quite unfamiliar. I felt I have not seen them while my journey to
the waterfall. I kept turning round and round, trying hard to find a way or
trodden path where I could resume my way. Moreover the darkness was making my
visibility lesser with each passing moment. Gradually the nightlife of the
jungle stirred; I could hear howls and cries of different pitches. I felt
uneasy.
Punctuating
the darkness, suddenly, I saw a shimmering speck of light in the darkness in
the front. The bright yellowish speck looked like that of an electric bulb but
I was not sure. With renewed hope, I sprinted ahead towards the light. All the
time I hoped not to meet the serpents of the forest again. It was quite dark
by that time and I could barely see where my steps fell. Slowly the forest
grew thin and I found myself reaching a clearing. To my surprise, the light
took the form of a window.
In the
darkness I could make out the silhouette of a cottage. I must have wandered to
some village. Still, it would be a haven for the night. I could make out a
path coming towards the forest. I slowed my pace, breathing heavily. As I
walked towards the cottage, I saw some more silhouettes close to the cottage.
It was a group of cottages. The path took me around a longer route to the
cottage, from one end of the settlement.
As I
walked closer, through the darkness, I could see my own cottage to the right,
facing the lighted cottage.
Instead
of walking into my cottage, I stepped closer to the other cottage, trying to
get a glimpse of movement inside. I just wanted to make sure there is
someone in. I went close
to the window, looking for a slit to peep. Through the edge of the curtain, I
saw inside. The furnished room looked untouched. There was nobody inside. The
electric bulb was alight. The occasional fluctuations in the power supply made
the glow flicker at times. But the light always returned to its normal
incandescence. I walked around the cottage, hoping to hear some noise inside.
But there was none. Somebody must have left the light on. I walked to the door
and checked the lock. It was dark near the door. Somehow the light from inside
could not reach out through the little slits around the door. I felt the door
with my hands and clasped the lock to make sure it was firmly secured.
“Do you
need the keys, sir?” a voice close to my back startled me up.
I turned
back to see Suraj standing right behind me.
“Has
somebody checked in here?”
“No,
why?”
“I saw
light inside. Maybe one of you guys left it on.”
“Light!”
he looked at me in surprise, “there is no light inside, sir”.
I rushed
out of the doorway. I stood spellbound in the lawn, looking blankly at the
window. It was dark now. No lights at all.
“That’s
strange. I saw light inside a while ago”.
Suraj
shrugged his shoulder. He could plainly see my bewilderment. It seemed not a
good idea to argue more with him. I was myself at my wit’s end.
I waved
him to join me out of the lawn.
“Can
you get me some coffee?”
“Sure.
Would you like to have something else?”
“Sandwiches.”
He went
out of the settlement to the pantry, sometimes turning back to see if I am
alright.
As he
left, I walked into my cottage and dropped upon the bed. The images from my
day shimmered before me, like the discrete frames of a film. The snake
crawling close to my feet. The canopy of tall trees closing upon me in the
deep forest. The sound of the waterfall. The touch of the clear water of the
stream.
Then
piercing through the frames came the glitter of the light – my guiding
light. I was gliding towards it, involuntarily. I passed through the trees and
bushes, moving with great speed. But when I got close to the light, it all
burst into a blinding fume. I was wading through it, moving great difficulty.
Then it started to clear up. And out of the fumes, I saw a pair of eyes –
black as coal. The lids didn’t blink - just kept staring at me - trying to
fathom me. I was enchanted by them and was apparently standing still. They
moved closer, amidst the fumes making various forms.
To my
surprise and awe, suddenly the eyes got covered by long hair, tossing in the
fumes.
The knock
at the door shook me up. I pulled myself up and opened it.
Suraj was
back with the snacks.
He came
in and quietly laid them upon the table. As he turned back to the door, he
gave a quick glance at my dazed face and left.
I stepped
into the bath and splashed some water on my face. The coffee was quite
refreshing. I devoured the sandwiches quickly, dreaming of a sumptuous dinner.
I must have been pretty hungry. After finishing the short lunch, I arranged my
camera and rolls. Then headed for a bath.
It was
close to dinnertime when I stepped out of my cottage and walked towards the
restaurant. I couldn’t help glancing at the weird cottage. Already I had two
strange episodes with it. There it stood innocently in the dark.
The night
breeze carried the symphony of various insects performing their usual chores.
It was occasionally punctuated by the cries and howls of some distant animals.
The path ahead was illuminated by a circle of light thrown by my torch. There
were no street lamps lest it should attract animals. I went inside the
restaurant quietly and took a seat near a window. There were not many tourists
at that time. An elderly couple was sitting next to my table, eating. They had
taken an elephant ride into the forest and were talking about it. They also
seemed to be upset about not being able to reach their son over phone. Towards
the entrance to the restaurant, sat a group of men and women, talking loudly.
The restaurant was roaring occasionally with their laughter. They stayed in
the dormitory, just next to the restaurant.
After
having my dinner, I decided to walk for some time before retiring to bed. It
got very quiet outside when the group went back to the dorm and fall asleep.
The couple came out in a while and started walked. They talked softly and
mostly from what I overheard were about family matters.
After
sometime they took the same path as mine and we came face to face.
“How
are you liking the place?” I started a conversation with a smile.
“Oh it
is very nice,” the gentleman beamed back.
“Did
you see any tigers today?”
“No but
we saw a leopard. Hope we are luckier tomorrow.”
“Actually
we didn’t go far today. I couldn’t take a long elephant ride,” the lady
said.
“Maybe
you try the jeep tomorrow. It is more comfortable and safe.”
They
smiled affirmatively.
“Where
are you staying?” the man asked.
“The
last cottage in the left wing.”
“We are
in the first one from the right wing.”
“Let us
keep walking or the mosquitoes will get us dry,” the lady smiled.
We slowly
started walking towards the settlement.
“Did
you notice anything strange in the last cottage of your wing?” I couldn’t
help asking them.
They
looked at each other and then stared at me.
“No,”
the man said, “nothing at all.”
They
entered their cottage and walked towards mine.
Before I
closed the door, I glanced at the haunted cottage. There was nothing unusual
about it. Maybe I am working up my mind too much. Might be some sort of
hallucination. Hoped the stream-water was not contaminated.
I went to
bed and fall asleep quickly.
My sleep
was broken by a soft knock at my door. I pulled myself up. It was again a
misty morning outside.
I opened
the door and quite unexpectedly saw the elderly lady with whom I talked last
night. She looked at me gravely.
“Sorry
to disturb you. Was coming back from a walk. I thought maybe you should know
this.”
I kept
staring at her, being quite dazed with the pace of events happening around me.
“The
cottage is haunted.”
She
glanced behind her shoulders, trying to make sure there is nobody around.
“My
husband doesn’t want us to discuss this with anyone. But I felt you are
troubled. Just like we are. If you see anything more, just ignore it. Don’t
let it weigh upon your heart or you will go mad.”
She
turned to leave in haste.
“How do
you know it is haunted?” I uttered the first question that hit me at that
instant.
“We
stayed there!”
She was
gone.
I slammed
the door behind me, recovering from the shock.
After
ordering the morning coffee, I kept pacing up and down the room.
It seemed
a very unlikely place for ghosts. The cottages were not older than few
decades, rather less time for the making of a ghost. Besides, the ghost kept
‘herself’ within the house. As if she is afraid. There was something very
unusual about the whole affair.
The hot
coffee freshened me up a lot. I made my mind to talk to the lady. Maybe there
is more in store for me to learn.
After
breakfast, I went out for an elephant ride.
“I
wanted to talk to you.”
“I
thought so. You would ask for more details. Well, it would be better if we
walk a bit. My husband has headache and I have to get some medicines.”
I nodded
and joined her.
We walked
quietly for a long time. The chemist shop was on the other end of the
settlement, to the northeast of the check post. There were the quarters for
the park staff along with it.
“Then?”
I couldn’t help my curiosity.
On my
way, I stopped at the store and bought a film roll of 400 ISO for taking
photographs in dark. As the dusk got darker, it ushered the chill of the
night. I hurried to my cottage and started preparing for my inquest. I shoved
the Swiss-knife, the pencil-torch and the camera into my backpack. Then
ordered the dinner.
After
around twenty minutes, Suraj came in with the dinner. As he entered, he looked
around with keen eyes. The backpack was lying, innocently, right on the bed
but I was sure he couldn’t guess what was inside.
He
quietly left the food upon the table and turned around, holding the empty
tray.
“Will
you be leaving tomorrow?”
“Or you
plan to stay longer?” he added after a short pause.
I looked
right in his eyes.
“Will
leave tomorrow.”
“Hope
you enjoyed your stay.”
“I
did.”
I slowly
added, “Except the intriguing episode of that cottage. I don’t like
mystery.”
He smiled
pathetically, an expression I couldn’t decipher.
Then he
left.
I heard
his heavy and slow footsteps fading gradually.
I started
having the dinner. As I pulled the plate off the tray, something dropped on
the floor with a clang.
I bent
down and picked it up. It was a key. It looked innocent except that the edges
were unusually dirty as if nobody has used it for a long time.
A half
smile escaped the corner of my lips and I silently thanked Suraj.
It was
past midnight when I shut my cottage from inside and turned off the lights. I
gently pulled up the window and slid out. It was pitch dark outside and I
could barely make out the silhouettes of the bushes and the plants across the
lawn. Gradually my eyes got accustomed to the darkness. I slowly stepped out
on the path and stood facing the cottage opposite. It stood silent and
innocent, but in its heart kept the mystery buried. The stretch of the path
leading out of the settlement lay bare before me. There was no soul around.
The unceasing symphony of insects gave company to my slow breaths in the lone
of the night. Slowly striding across I reached the doorstep of the cottage and
paused to fetch out the key. It slipped smoothly inside the lock and unlocked
it with a soft click. A strong smell of damp carpet hit me. It must have not
been opened for sometime. I shut the door behind me and waited for my eyes to
get used to the dark indoor.
The
moonlight through the openings in the curtain bathed the room in a soft bluish
gleam. There was a pungent odour of the damp carpet. The room appeared similar
to the one I stayed in. The bed sheet had no crumples. The bathroom door was
left half opened to reveal a dark inside. I strode slowly towards the window
and parted the curtains to check if the windows were locked. A cold wind swept
inside through the slits in the windows. They didn’t move and were locked
well. I stepped back and laid my bag on the carpet. Then I straightened up the
tripod and fixed the camera over it. Keeping in mind the lady’s story, I
headed it towards the window. I settled myself upon the floor close to the
tripod and waited for something to happen. I could hear the usual unceasing
calls of the wilds from the deep woods. They gave me company over the hours.
My patient watch bore no fruit till dawn. My eyes were too heavy to keep them
opened. All I could see were some blue and grey silhouettes across the room. I
wrapped my hands around me and tried to make myself warmer. The calls started
fading from my ears. All I heard were some rustles around me.
In my
subconscious, I felt these rustles chilling me to the bones. Slowly the
silhouettes across the room started taking different shapes. They started to
form a strange cover and tried to float over me. I sensed complacency around
me as those covers draped over me. My eyelids half-opened to say farewell to
my conscious; I felt an apparition at the corner of my eye. I put on an effort
to open them wide and sat awake with disbelief.
Close to
the edge of the bed, where I sat leaning on it upon the floor, clasping a
pillow between her hands and her chest, a little girl sat upon the bed. Her
body was ethereal, as her form kept changing. It seemed someone is try to put
the ether together to form her but it kept moving apart. Her eyes were like
two dark pearls embedded in a foamy cloud, with forms of bright hair floating
gracefully around her head. She looked sadly towards me without a word. The
lips were parted lightly as if she wished to speak but had immense pain.
I slowly stretched my hand towards her. But my hand felt a strange
shiver deep inside. Suddenly the whole apparition burst apart and struck me
like a strong gust of wind. I felt like falling down the deep waterfall with
immense speed. My body turned and twisted through the never-ending fall
through the water, finally dropping amidst a great roar. Then it all went
silent.
The first
rays of the morning sun shook me awake. It was around 6 o’clock. There was a
heavy mist outside and the sunshine lasted for few moments inside the room.
Pulling myself up, I glanced around. The tripod laid flat upon the carpet,
with the camera still affixed atop. I didn’t remember when it dropped down.
Consciousness gradually deluged my mind and I hastily gathered the tripod and
the camera, arranged them back into the bag. As I took a final look inside
from the door, it all looked pristine. The pillow was at the normal place and
the sheet still laid without any crumples. I ran out without any pause.
A loud
knock woke me up. I must have been sleeping very deep. I dragged myself to the
door and opened it. Suraj was standing there with a cup of tea.
“When
are you leaving?”
“Around
3 pm”
He nodded
and left.
The tea
was hot and refreshing. I dropped on the bed and sat pondering over the last
night’s episode. It had thrown my mind in great turmoil. After reaching my
cottage last night, I threw open the window to catch any further glimpse of
the girl and readied my camera this time. A thick mist laid outside and I
could barely outline the cottage opposite. I tried to gather my nerves and be
firm. I had seen something that I could have neither expected nor believed. But
it somehow fulfilled my purpose.
I sat there by the window waiting. I kept recalling the apparition and the
strange vision I had when it besieged me. The more I thought about it, the
more vividly it shadowed my mind. The strange dissolving form of the little
girl, so angelic it appeared. The deep expressive eyes, glistening like
morning dews. I could feel the chilling fall down the waterfall, the strong
wind beating on my face and I could barely keep my eyes open as I went deeper
below. But my eyes were wide open when I started to fall. And I could remember
the edge of the cliff. The green bushes as they rustled and waved.
A grasshopper hopped across the shrubs. A small group of unknown
insects hovering, with a soft buzz, among the bushes and plants. The crystal
blue sky above, punctuated by scattered white clouds.
And close
to the edge of the cliff, stood a figure, with arms stretched out towards me.
His expressions were dismal and his lips were parted in utter grief. As I
recalled the image again and again, it got so clear that I could touch and
feel the drops of tears that run down the cheeks of my face. Yes,
there I was, standing right on the edge of the cliff, watching myself go down
into the deep. So true.
I slowly
started to feel the chill around me and turned back.
The
apparition was looking at me.
Slowly
she stretched out her hand and touched me. The chill was too much to bear and
I shut my eyes close.
‘I knew
you suffered.’ The voice echoed. I had been missing this voice for ages. And
there it was back to me, just like it was all a bad dream.
I was
shivering.
‘I
waited for you over the year.’
I stood
with my lips sealed. I felt my throat choked. I couldn’t utter a word.
Though I miserably wished to.
‘You
did just right.’
With all
my strength, I opened my eyes. The apparition was more vivid. And slowly, she
came closer.
‘Thank
you, dad.’ She embraced me tightly and sent million sparkles around my eyes.
I felt immensely relieved. I slowly put my arms around the cold form. My
throat cleared and I cried out aloud.
“Oh I
miss you so much, my child.”
Epilogue
Following are some extracts from the diary of the narrator that will give some more insights to the tale.
‘My
little daughter is diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukaemia today….spent some time
looking at my wife’s photo. I don’t know if I should be glad since she is
not alive to see this day or sad that she is not with me today. I felt very
lonely.’
‘I
was wake all night long…the pain again started…she cried all night.’
‘Started
the chemo today…am just hoping it cures her. I cant bear watching her.’
‘I
read all resources upon the disease that I could lay my hands upon in the
net.’
‘Just
before going to bed, she asked me when she would get her normal hair back. The
strong medications have thinned them. She look so different in a month.’
‘I
have made up my mind. I shall set my angel free. I must take up this immense
trail upon me.’
‘She
is so happy today when I told her about our trip. She loves the forests so
much…just like me. We shall be leaving this weekend. I want her to enjoy
this week as much as she can…every moment goes so hard on me…I fall short
of words when she asks me when she can join back her friends at school. But
she is determined she wont go to school without her hair back in proper
shape.’
‘I
returned today. I have killed myself and there moves my corpse around my
house. It was my beloved home once. The keepers at the woods were bit
surprised when I told them about the sudden illness of my daughter and that I
had taken her to the city early morning. But they didn’t doubt it.’
‘I
caught up with writing again. Also travelling. I can’t feel better when I am
a rolling stone, running away from home…running away from myself. But I
can’t sleep. The nights are too heavy on me. I am culpable and every moment
punishes me.’
‘It’s
her birthday next month. There is a strange call around me, compelling me to
go there…again.’
The people never saw the apparition in the haunted cottage again. Suraj still remembers the narrator as the brave man who solved the mystery. But he could never know the reason why the narrator turns up around the same time every year there and asks for the once haunted cottage. Once he had seen him quietly standing at the edge of the cliff, looking at the great waterfall. Like a ritual, he would slowly lean forward, looking down at the deep, and drop a beautifully wrapped gift-pack.