A day at the school

After a harrowing day's work at the office, when I was almost ready to depart, my cell phone rang. I was expecting it to be my driver, but when I opened it, I found it to be someone whom many married men fear, some admire and for many like me can't ignore. You guessed it right, it was wife calling from home. This is the time, she never calls. So, slightly worried, I asked,

"What's up?"

"What will you prefer for the dinner, luchi or fried rice? I will cook tonight."

We have a cook who prepares all the items for both lunch and dinner. Very rarely, that too on my persistent request, my wife goes to the kitchen. I wondered, what was special about this day! Was it our marriage anniversary, or was it someone's birthday that I had forgotten?

"I didn't let the children sleep in the noon time. They will sleep early tonight."

When she said this, I knew this was not normal. So, I asked curtly,

"Did you purchase something very costly?"

"Oh! What a unromantic husband I have got!" She was disappointed.

I knew something had to be amiss. While getting up in the car, I rephrased my question,

"Do you want something?"

"Nothing material, you duffer! I want you to be present at the parent teacher interaction session on Thursday."

Now, I understood. I don't like to take unnecessary leave. So, I enquired,

"But, you told me last time that after admission of our younger daughter in the same school, I don't have to go there. You will be able to manage yourself."

She hesitated a bit and replied, "You know there will be bookstalls in the school. Don't we need to buy few Scholastic books? I won't be able to carry them."

I laughed silently. I knew the real reason. She had nothing to fear about the performances of the daughters, or there had been any issue with their discipline. But, like many Bengalis, she, too, lacks confidence in speaking English.

My both daughters study in the same school: the elder one at class 1 and the younger one at nursery. First, we went to the first floor to meet the class teacher of class 1, section A. I had never seen this plump, bespectacled Christian lady clad in baby pink sari before. She handed me the report card, and enquired about the younger daughter, who was with us, from her pupil. I skimmed through the two-paged report card, and found everything satisfactory except one aspect. Before, I said anything, she said,

"Your daughter is very good. There are no issues with her."

"But she got C in discipline!" I wondered!

"She is very talkative. She finishes her work very quickly, and starts to gossip with her friends. But, I assure you that's very normal for her age. There is nothing to be worried about." She explained the matter to us.

Then we went downstairs to meet the Goanese class teacher of my younger daughter. She was a known face, as she taught my elder daughter, too. Her joy knew no bound when she saw her old student. I knew she loved to talk. She praised both my daughters profusely. My wife's face was glowing in satisfaction. But just when we thought it was over, she said,

"There is only one minor issue with her. She speaks more in Bengali than in English."

I looked at my wife again: the glow had vanished.

"But, your elder daughter can speak fluently. I think you need to talk to her in English at home more often."

She turned to my elder daughter, and said,

"Now, it's your responsibility to speak with her in English only. If she doesn't cooperate with you, you come to my class, and inform me."

"That is a great solution", I appreciated her.

My elder daughter was the happiest person on that day. In my opinion, my younger daughter is brilliant, and the elder daughter is just a good student. She got a great satisfaction in proving me wrong. Moreover, I had announced previously that whoever got better grades would get Rs 100 from me. She won that prize too. My younger daughter started to cry, and her mother consoled her by giving Rs 10.

Picture taken form the Internet 

 

Film Review War

Did you notice that if you reverse the word RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) you get WAR, and WAR was released on 2nd October, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, a champion of non-violence? The probable commercial success of a film can be guessed when you book tickets in advance. When my wife booked 4 tickets for the 3-35 PM show on the first day, she said that most of the seats had already been booked. That didn't happen in case of Saaho, which had a budget of Rs 350 crore. I had a lot of enthusiasm about the film as it had the famous Bahubali star Prabhas. But, I was frustrated, as the film could not meet the expectations. This time, naturally, I was a bit sceptical about this Rs 200 crore budgeted film.

But this action thriller, produced by Yash Raj Films and directed by Siddharth Anand does not disappoint the viewers. In fact, the film starred by Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Vaani Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana, and Anupriya Goenka was so engrossing that sometimes I forgot to munch the popcorn or take a sip at my cold drinks. I have seen a lot of action films in both Hindi and English, but have never seen such breathtaking actions in any Hindi film. Be it the Dhoom series films or the Race series films or Bang Bang or whatever, this had to be the best. The action directors of the film, Sea Young Oh, Parvez Shaikh, Franz Spilhaus and Paul Jennings, have to be given full credit for producing something which is almost at par with any top Hollywood action film. This film reminded me of the kind of actions that we have seen in the Fast and Furious series or the Mission Impossible series.

This is the first film of Tiger Shroff that I have seen. The nimble-footed guy with a 6-pacs abs seemed to have mastered the WWE signature moves of various superstars, like the Superman punches of Roman Reigns or the Sweet Chin Music of Shawn Michaels. Had it been only him, he would have stolen the show. Unfortunately, he had to match his every step with a guy who is taller, more muscular, more handsome and most importantly more experienced in acting than him. He is definitely not dwarfed by Hrithik, but surely fell short in every aspect throughout the movie.

The story is about liquidating a super spy agent Kabir (Hrithik), who went rogue for reason which no one seemed to know. The spy chief Col Luthra (Ashutosh Rana) after receiving a mouthful of denunciations from the Nirmala Sitharaman look-alike defence minister, handed the assignment of assassinating Kabir to one of Kabir's protege Khalid (Tiger). Kabir was like a demi-God for Khalid. Khalid was keen on knowing the reason which turned a bona fide patriot into a turncoat.

The story went backwards to show how Kabir trained Tiger, who was the son of a traitor whom Kabir himself had killed in a shootout. It didn't take too long for Khalid to understand that Kabir was doing something just, which he couldn't have done remaining in the system. But, there are other players like Sanjeev Vasta as Rizwan Iiyasi, a major threat to India, a fellow RAW agent Saurabh for whom Rs 7 crore is good enough to sell his allegiance and Dipannita Sharma as Dr. Mallika Singhal, a plastic surgeon with magical abilities. These characters bring a lot of twists and turns in the film which keep the viewer glued to his chair.

There are some great action scenes from the war-torn Iraki city of Tikrit or the Moroccan city of Marrakesh. There are picturesque shots from Valetta in Malta, where for the first time but not for too long, we see the main female character of the film Vaani Kapoor who plays the role of Naina. I am not a movie buff: this was the first time I came to know that there is a heroine named Vani Kapoor. I tried very hard to adjust to the fact that she is a heroine, but, unfortunately, she never looked more than an ordinary-looking neighbourhood lady to me. She should have been treated only as a civilian asset, but our hero, up to a small extent, fell for her.

In his effort to make the film flab-free, the director has included only two songs. Hollywood action thrillers do not incorporate unnecessary songs, but Hindi movie without a song is unthinkable. The crowd wants it. Melodically, the songs might not have been of very high quality, but the choreography compensates that. You get to see the super performances from the two top dancers among the heroes in the Hindi film Industry. In the dance, Tiger has outperformed Hrithik, in my view. The climax of the movie, shot in the Arctic circle, is perhaps a cut above even Hollywood films.

The film deliverers a much needed social message that Muslims are no less patriot than Hindus, and there are traitors from both communities.

If you have to find a fault with the film, it has to be the story. Some of the scenes are not logical or practical. But who cares? When you go for entertainment, you don't mind it. So, if you have time, go and watch it. It's worth the money.

Pictures taken form the Internet 

Street Romeo song

Oh babe babe
Why are you so shy?
Whenever I come close
Why do you fly,
Straight into the sky?

Oh babe babe
You are the one
Who rings my bell
Ding ding dong!
Ding ding dong!

Oh babe babe
The twinkle in your eyes
Are so intoxicating
It melts my heart
And makes my blood boiling.

Oh babe babe
Why are you so shy?
Whenever I come close
Why do you fly,
Straight into the sky?

Oh babe babe
What did you say?
That you are married!
But, I don't care,
I am not afraid.

Oh babe babe
What did you say
Your hubby is a don?
How does it matter?
I am scared of none.

Oh babe babe
Why are you so shy?
Whenever I come close
Why do you fly,
Straight into the sky?

Picture taken form the Internet

The Monkey Song

What will the monkey pick,
A banana or a pearl?
Whom will the monkey choose,
A bear or a girl?

She will pick a banana
It's her basic instinct.
She will choose her jungly friend
The choice is so distinct!

The monkey sings, Hup Hup!
I am world's best judge.
My dealings are so perfect
Nobody never has a grudge!

What will the monkey pick,
A banana or a pearl?
Whom will the monkey choose,
A bear or a girl?

She will pick a banana
It's her basic instinct.
She will choose her jungly friend
The choice is so distinct!

The monkey sings, Hup Hup!
I am world's best judge.
My dealings are so perfect
Nobody never has a grudge!

Picture taken form the Internet 

Ghost story you killed me

Chapter 27
Formulating strategy
​

"How will you invoke them Baba? By planchette?" Tara was curious.

"The matter is very complicated Tara! Maroon is an extremely powerful Ifrit! Not only that, he is revengeful as well. We will have to be very careful about him. Regarding, Sabina's spirit, if we invoke her, she'll never come. We will have to do something so that we get them together like before." Dhuni Baba looked thoughtfully through the broken window.

I didn't have any idea what he was talking about. Looking at my agape mouth, Imam Saheb grew bit of compassion for my dumbness, and said, "Okay, I will try to explain the matter in detail. Before coming here, we had an inkling, but we were unsure about the creature. So was Maroon, he didn't know that we could come. When we heard your cry for help, my grandson broke the ramshackle door with kicks, and we saw you in a very difficult situation." He paused to take a big sip of tea. We were looking at him eagerly.

He restarted, "Perhaps, you don't know that Dhuni Baba has been doing hathayoga for more than five decades. He has attained some unbelievable feats, which your science won't be able to explain. He has been blessed by the Almighty, too! Among many other supernatural powers, he is able to produce an extremely strong electromagnetic field. He can turn any non-ferromagnetic material into a ferromagnetic one. That was why he was able to produce a precise pull to the creature to hold it back when it was going to jump on Akshar."

I would have laughed out loudly, had he said this even yesterday. But, today, after these supernatural experiences, I could not say anything. Perhaps, he is not good at explaining scientific stuff, but, at least, he is trying to make me understand.

"What was the water Imam Sahab that Dhuni Baba threw on the creature, and it made a hellish cry of anguish?" This time Tara asked.

"The water was holy water from Gangotri, but that was not all about it. Dhuni Baba, after decades of research, has made it into soul purifier with his yogic power."

"Soul purifier?" My mouth automatically became agape, again.

"It takes out vices such as anger, hatred, jealousy etc from the human mind, and turns it into a pious one." Dhuni Baba humbly submitted.

"If applied on a dreaded criminal, it will turn him into a saint within a couple of hours. But, ghosts are not humans, you know that! Ghosts, in general, are not made of material bodies. But, the resentful, vengeful souls, with a lot of practice, can take material bodies. Sabina learned to take 3D form because of her extreme rage against Akshar. Had the water fallen on Sabina, we are not absolutely sure though, her soul would have been purified. Unfortunately, it was Maroon, who can take any form, and whose shape you saw, who took the water." Imam Saheb stopped to take another sip of tea.

"Did it have the purifying effect on Maroon?" I could not curb my curiosity.

"Maroon is a descendant of Satan, it will have no effect on him." Dhuni Baba replied mournfully.

"Why is it so?" Tara, too, was extremely disappointed.

"Well, Ifrits are not ordinary ghosts. They have special powers. As far as Maroon is concerned, the water had only injured him, and nothing more than that. By now, he might have healed, and must be thinking of taking revenge against Dhuni Baba! But, he is extremely clever, and he cannot do anything without the help of Sabina. That's why he will wait for a suitable time. But, we can't allow that!" Imam Saheb said in a nonchalant way.

"One more thing that I should tell you is that the power of ghosts reduces by a significant proportion when lights are turned on. The emergency lamp was instrumental in reducing Maroon's power. But next time, the clever Ifrit will make sure that there are no lights. Also, we don't know what other improvisation he will make." Dhuni Baba again said in a sad tone.

After hours of contemplation, we formulated a workable plan. We were unsure about the outcome and the dangers associated with it. But, we had to do it, as there was no other option.


Chapter 28
The final showdown
​


As per the plan, Dhuni Baba and Imam Saheb left Tara's house in the morning. I went to my home, and we passed the day as usual. But, I came from the office early, and went to meet Tara at the same spot at the same time just like yesterday.

We behaved like a lovey-dovey couple. I felt like I was the hero, and Tara was the heroin of a film. We hugged each other for a couple of times, and even kissed once. The moment we kissed -- it was the time when the red orb was saying goodbye to us -- I heard the sound of an angry screech. We didn't waste any more second, and started to run towards the house, this time it was my house, as we didn't want to bother Bahadur's family any more.

The screeches followed us all along as we ran like champion atheletes, and eventually reached my home, and closed the door without locking it. This day was the day after the new moon; darkness was reigning outside. Even though, I tried to have a stiff upper lip, I knew my heart was beating madly. Fortunately, Tara was with me. Her mere presence was good enough to enliven my soul. She was occasionally pressing my hand with her to instill some courage inside me. She said, "Don't worry, Akshar Babu! Everything will be alright."

As expected, the ghost struck around 8 PM. There was a huge gust of wind, followed by the entry of the suffocating fetid smell in the house. This time my emergency light worked only for a second before it was destroyed. I could sense that the evil creature had entered my house, but this time not with the shape of a vampire. The darkness was so complete that I thought it would swallow us before the evil creature did anything.

Before the creature could attack Tara, I threw a couple of magic stones given by Dhuni Baba. Dhuni Baba didn't tell me which material they were made of, but they had fluorescent qualities, and within a second, the entire room was filled with very soft, almost dreamy, green light. My astonishment knew no bound when I saw that the ghost had turned itself into a tree, to be precise, a bare, grayish tree trunk.

The ghost tree didn't like the light at all, and tried to break the stones with its might. But, they were unbreakable, as it seemed. In the meantime, both Dhuni Baba and Imam Saheb came out from my bedroom. The tree turned it's attention towards them. It went backwards a bit to generate momentum, and targeted Dhuni Baba.

Dhuni Baba, like he did last time, chanted an obscure mantra, and pointed his holy trident towards the ghost. It was clear to me that Dhuni Baba was applying a huge force to prevent the ghost from hitting him. But this time, his force was not as effective as it was before. Maroon was able to defeat Dhuni Baba's force, and the trident fell from his hand.

"Oh my God!" I screamed at that sight, as I knew if Dhuni Baba lost, we were gone for good.

But before Maroon could strike Dhuni Baba, Imam Saheb quickly came in front of him, face to face with the ghost. There was a talisman in his hand, which he dangled in front of Maroon. I didn't know what was inside the amulet, but Maroon didn't advance anymore.

Without giving any time to Maroon to regroup, Imam Saheb, in a very different voice, which sounded like thunder to me, said, "Your time of doing mayhem on earth is over Maroon. I, Imam Hasan, a direct descendant of the holy Prophet, in the name of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and in the name of Allah command you to go back to hell for ever."

Immediately, the trunk vanished in thin air, and what was left was the silhouette of Sabina. Imam Saheb said, "Sabina, this boy didn't make any mistake in loving you. He went to your house to rescue you, but he was afraid of your relatives, and fled away. He already got punishment for his cowardice from Alllah. He survived a fatal accident. I don't see any reason for your anger anymore."

In the meantime, Dhuni Baba had recovered. He threw that holy water on Sabina's silhouette, saying, "Let your soul find peace Sabina. Leave them for ever."

Sabina's silhouette vanished, and Dhuni Baba joined our four hands together.

The End​

Ghost story you killed me

Chapter 26
Finding the nature of the ghost
​

From the way he described the matter to them, Dhuni Baba seemed to be a master precis writer. When he was done, there was a pin drop silence in the room. Everyone started to look at me in such a contemptuousmanner that I was remembered of the Hindi song,

"Nayak nehi khalnayak hun main
Iss payar ka kanha layak hun main."

Bahadur, who seemed to have completely recovered by Dhuni Baba's magical medicines, didn't say anything, but only nodded his head in a disapproving manner. Champa released a heavy sigh of grief, and lamented, "What I thought of you to be, and what you turned out to be!"

From the facial expressions of young Mona, it appeared to me that she would have lambasted me, had the elders been not present in the room. Restraining her emotions, she said, "Tut Tut"!

Tara sat there like a stone, but I could see tears rolling down her cheeks. She was not even looking at me, and that hurt me the most. Being crucified by the dear ones, I prayed that let the earth open so that I could vanish inside it like Sita.

When I was sitting with my heads down, I heard this, " Everyone makes mistakes. He had made a mistake in his youthful exuberance. But, he got punishment for that. I think he should be condoned."

I quickly looked up to see that it was the other old man who said this. The electric connection was restored some time back. Now, I saw the person closely. He was around 5'6" tall, stoutly-built, he had no moustache, but had beard, which was dyed in sunset-orange colour, up to his collarbone region. His hair was also dyed in sunset-orange. I thought his age would be around 60.

"Imam saheb is right. What had happened was just an accident. You should forgive him Tara."

I was pleasantly surprised to hear Dhuni Baba's advocacy in my favour. These two guys seemed to have enormous influence on Bahadur's family. Tara's gloomy face again turned bubbly, and looking at me she even made a banter, " Now, get up your head Akshar babu, you don't have to behave like a newly-wed bride!"

Now, that was my turn to get moist eyes. Looking at our moment of joy, Dhuni Baba warned, "The danger is not over yet."

Again, our focus shifted to the real danger looming ahead.

Tara asked me, "What happened to Sabina?"

I said, "I heard the news that one of my health employee committed suicide on her day of marriage."

Catching words from my mouth, Dhuni Baba said, "Sabina mistook Akshar to be a betrayer, and vowed to take revenge. That's why her unsatisfied and aggrieved soul didn't leave earth even after her final rites, and she became a ghost seeking revenge. Her intention was to prevent any girl coming into your life. She would have scared them, but wouldn't have killed anyone."

"Then why did she kill my girl friends?" I didn't get the logic.

"That's because of Maroon, a blood thirsty and very powerful Ifrit. He used to create mayhem by possessing living humans. But, he was cursed by a holy Pir, who prevented him from possessing humans. After that Maroon searched for unsatisfied, vengeful departed spirits, whom he took control of and satisfied his demonic activities with their help." Imam Sahab said.

"The moment I heard that you lived in places like Joynagar, Jamalpur etc, I guessed that this could be the handiwork of an Ifrit. Fortunately, Imam Sahab, who many don't know is a specialist in dealing with jinns, has visited my house for attending a theological discussion. He was kind enough to attend your distress call."

"Now what?" I blurted.

"The creature will not disturb you for the time being, and if you wish we can create a Lakshman Rakha around your houses so that it can never enter there. But that's only a temporary solution. Because, when healed of the wound, which will happen very soon, it will again target you, and you cannot remain inside house for ever." Dhuni Baba said.

"Then what Baba? How do we permanently get rid of the evil?" Asked Tara.

"We have to invoke it, and the remaining will be done by us."

"Now?" I shuddered!

""May not be immediately! But within 24 hours, as it's wounded. This is the high time."

To be continued ​

Ghost story you killed me

Chapter 25
The bike accident
​

For the next 15 days, there was no news from Sabina; neither did she come, nor did she ring me. One day, around noon time, I got a call from an unknown number. It was Sabina with an SOS massage. She told me that her relatives hadn't approved our relationship, and they had incarcerated her inside the house until she was married off. Somehow, she managed a mobile phone from her niece. She would be married off next day to an old guy, who would take her to Saudi Arabia, his place of residence. She wanted me to rescue her that night.

Honestly, I apprehended this kind of reaction from her family, as I knew they were very orthodox in their outlook. That was why, I didn't break the news to my family. I had an intention of telling them at the very last moment, when they wouldn't be able to disapprove our relationship.

"Now that an emergency situation has arrived, I will have to show my mettle." I thought of taking police with me, but later on decided to go alone in fear of loss of face for the family and especially, Sabina. It was my problem, and I would be able to handle it myself: I was not short of confidence.

Thus, I took Raju's Hero Honda, and almost flew towards Islampally, Sabina's place of residence. Within half an hour, I reached there. But, I could not enter Sabina's house, as a gang of 8 strong men, including Sabina's father and two brothers, were keeping a close watch outside the gate. As soon as I reached there, they encircled me. A couple of guys were going to beat me, but Sabina's father prevented them.

He said in a stentorian voice, "You have done a grave crime by falling in love with my daughter. Didn't you know that we are faithful Muslims? I would have killed you on the spot right now, had my daughter also not committed the crime. Besides, you are a government officer. That's why I am offering you an amicable solution. You leave her for ever, we will not harm you."

After sounding the threat, those 8 men looked at me in a very angry manner. They seemed to be unarmed, but I knew from my experience that these guys can bring out choppers, knives and swords at the drop of a hat. From their aggressive appearance, it looked to me that they would not take a no for an answer. I could not leave without rescuing Sabina, either. So, I thought of a trick. I agreed to their proposal, and dragged myself away in a reluctant and dejected manner from the scene.

But, in reality, I didn't go away far from the place. Around 1km from the spot, I parked the bike, and waited patiently for night to arrive. Around 11 PM, I again visited Sabina's house. I parked the bike at a distance of 100 metre from her house, and surreptitiously moved to the window of Sabina's room. From the window, I saw, Sabina was sleeping. In a hushed tone, I called her name once, twice and thrice.

But, she didn't respond. I was a bit disappointed. She should have been alert, as I promised her that I would rescue her tonight. Perhaps, she didn't understand my trick, and thought that I had given up. But, "never give up" was my motto. So, I tried again, this time a tad louder, and that was the sound that alerted someone in the house. Within 5 minutes, those 8 men came out with lethal arms in their hands.

They didn't make any noise at all, but attacked me. From their attitude, I knew they were going in for the kill. If they caught hold of me, today would be my last day. So, I had no other option but to flee. I ran very hard, and started the bike. They were still chasing me. I was fleeing for my life, as I thought they could also avail themselves bikes. In the process, I hit a tree, met with that accident.

Dhuni baba released me from his grip, and I came back to the present. All of them were looking at me.

"You don't have to tell. I will tell them in short". Dhuni baba stopped me before I was going to say something. That meant Dhuni baba also saw, what I had seen! I was indeed amazed by Dhuni Baba's supernatural power!

To be continued​

Ghost story you killed me

Chapter 24
Kaleidoscopic scenes
​

"Mein agar payar karungi kisise
It will be kasam se for ever and ever."

Singing the song in her melodious voice, she looked at me eagerly. This was not a tourist season in Digha. The beach was empty, but there were a few people enjoying picnic in the nearby jhao forest. My voice had never been melodious, and I had very little idea about 'sur' and 'taal'. But, there was romance in the air which forced me to sing back,

"Main bhi agar dil dunga kabhi kisiko
That will be kasam se for ever and ever and ever."

I was supposed to be in an important election meeting for the entire day in Alipore, and she was supposed to be appearing for West Bengal Civil Service main examinations at Bhabanipur. But, we managed to make our way for this precious rendezvous in Digha.

"I will submit a medical certificate for the absence, but how will you manage?" I knew she was a good student, and her entire family expected her to crack the exam.

"Don't worry about that. They will never know it. Suhana is my best friend, and she will never tell them."

"But, what will happen to your career? Will you remain in this current petty post for ever?"

"When you are with me, do I have to think about these petty issues? Will you not take care of me?" She feigned anger in her voice.

"Of course, Honey! When I am there, you don't need to worry about anything in the world."

I was in no mood to spoil the romantic ambience that we were in. Love was in the air, I could smell it. Besides, I knew she was only 23, and this was her first attempt. I was sure she would crack the exam next time.

"But, can you convince your parents for this marriage? I think they are very orthodox." I had to ask as we moved towards the hotel.

"Of course, I will convince, but can you make sure that there will be no trouble from your end?"

"Oh, yes! My family believes in me, my word is the last word."

The answer was so convincing that she placed her arm around my shoulder. Even I myself didn't know how Sabina and I moved so close in only one month. I had known her because she was a temporary health employee in my block. Once, she had saved my life because of her presence of mind and foresight (read my pulse polio story here Tamrakshar's Universe : Pulse Polio Nightmare). Since then we fell in love with each other, and despite knowing how dangerous inter-religious affairs could be, we were unable to put breaks on our smooth-sailing love ship.

This scene vanished, and I saw a new scene. One day, Sabina came to my room looking very worried.

"What happened?" I signalled her to take a sit, and offered her a glass of water.

"The time has arrived Akshar! You have to act now." She finished the water at one go.

"I told you that I would act. But, what's the hurry?"

"We made a terrible mistake in Digha, Akshar. You are going to be a father."

"What? A father? That means you are pregnant?" I was more in shock than being happy at the prospect of siring an offspring!

"Don't shout! Someone may hear it. Tell me when are you going to marry?"

"When I promised you that I will marry you, I will keep my promise. But, you should abort this child. I will arrange everything."

"Akshar! How dare you tell me that? Sabina's face turned red, and she herself forgot to lower her voice, "The child is the product of our pure love. I will not destroy it. Will you marry me or not?"

That sounded like a kind of threat to me, and I said, "Okay, but have you told your father about our relationship?"

This time she turned down her eyes, "No. I got the news just today. I will go home and definitely tell today about our relationship. I cannot tell them about the child, though. But, we need to act fast, and give him the required sanctity by marrying as early as possible. Have you told your father?"

"Not yet, but that won't be a problem!" I assured her, and she left my chamber.

The scene vanished, and a new scene appeared.





To be continued​

Ghost story: you killed me

Chapter 23
Dhuni Baba's charisma
​

Like the last time, nothing happened, and I again looked back. Again, it appeared to me that there was a fight within the creature. Someone was going to attack me, but someone was preventing that. There was an intense inner fight, and the attacking spirit seemed to have won, and the entity jumped on me. But, before it landed on me, I heard a devine voice chanting an obscure Sanskrit mantra, which seemed to have held the creature back. To my great astonishment, Dhuni baba had entered the scene with two other people, one of whom was a 30-something young guy who had to be Dhuni Baba's grandson and the other was a 60-something beared, weird-looking guy.

I could not estimate Dhuni Baba's age, as he looked to me more than 100 years of age. The body of Dhuni Baba had no mass more than a skeleton had, his skin was so wrinkled and so shrunken that it appeared to me that a mild touch to it would make it break into hundreds of pieces. He was short in stature, and he had a trident in one hand, and a kamandal in the other hand. But the most significant part of his body was his eyes: they were very sharp and penetrating.

The powerful ghost, which could make a 60 kg body fly in air like a piece of paper with a flap of its wing, seemed to have been tied to something invisible, as it could not attack me despite all its efforts accompanied by loud screeches. Dhuni baba then took some holy water from the kamandal, chanted some obscure mantra, and threw it on the creature saying, "Go back!"

What was in the water, or how powerful was the mantra I didn't know, but the ghost seemed to have suffered a lot, as it made a hellish cry of anguish, and left the house in a huff.

The first thing the newcomer trio did was to take care of the three senseless people. I didn't notice initially that Dhuni baba carried a rugged jute bag on his shoulder, from which he took out some herbal medicines, and applied it on the three hapless people. Mona was the first to gain her consciousness back, followed by Bahadur, and Champa. Champa's injury seemed to have been the worst, and Dhuni baba and the other trio had to apply a lot of attention to her. Within half an hour, all of them recuperated, and we again sat together with hot tea.

Tara was slightly injured due the fall, but it was nothing compared to her mother's injury. Tara told the incidents in detail to Dhuni Baba, who, along with the other old man, seemed to have listened it very carefully.

Dhuni Baba seemed to be a very good listener, but he hardly talked in between. All he said was, "Hmm!" Dhuni Baba's grandson was not listening at all, as he was still taking care of both Bahadur and Champa. The weird-looking beared guy looked queer to me, as he was looking at me angrily, and nodding his head from side to side in disgust occasionally. I wondered why Dhuni Baba brought this guy with them!

Like a seasoned journalist, Tara narrated the story quickly without leaving out any important information. When Tara was done, the beared-guy looked at Dhuni Baba, and asked in Hindi, " Do you get it?"

Dhuni baba answered, "Yes, I think I do, but I need to know more."

He then turned towards me and said, "Young man, you seemed to have lost the memory of a very significant part of your life. Do you mind if I touch you?"

"Of course, not! Please do the needful Baba! I said in a grateful tone, as I had seen the charisma of Baba.

"Then sit quietly, and don't move", saying this Baba shut his eye, and put his right thumb on my forehead. His finger touched the portion of the forehead where pineal gland is situated. When he touched my forehead, it felt like an electric shock to me, and I shuddered. It appeared to me that my body was an electric circuit, and it was connected to a power supply. Initially, I tried to move back, but Dhuni Baba held my right hand firmly with his left hand. Within seconds, my initial resistance gave in, and I didn't resist any more.

Within a minute, I began to see the lost portion of my memory, which was of only three months duration, like a fast forwarded movie.



To be continued ​

Ghost story you killed me

Chapter 22

Will the ghost attack me?

​

For the first time, a different sound came from the creature; a sound which appeared like coming out of extreme anger, and which had some similarity with human voice. The creature quickly turned towards Champa, and flapped its dreaded wings, which were long enough to hit her.

The power possessed by the evil creature was so enormous that Champa flew in air like a piece of paper, and hit the wall. Her head hit the wall hard, she uttered a loud cry of agony, and became senseless. In the very dim light that was coming from the emergency lamp, I could not gauge it properly, but I thought I saw some blood gushing from Champa's head.

The creature again made a hellish screech, and turned towards Tara.

"You will die now!" A loud, distorted, husky sound came from the creature. The creature sounded a dire warning, for the first time, in a voice, which I could not term as human, though, that we could understand.

"Don't kill me. What did I do to you?" Frightened Tara pleaded with folded hands.

"Ha ha ha ha", the ugly creature laughed in its nightmarish voice. The laughter apperaed more like a sound coming from starting of a heavy duty truck. We looked at each other in utter dismay.

"There can be no woman in his life, and you made love to him."

"But, why should not any woman come in his life? What did he do?" Tara was frightened to the core, but didn't lose her mind.

"He cheated me, he took my life in a way. I will not let any woman come into his life."

I was utterly shocked to hear such blatant lies against me. "Will it be right to quarrel with a ghost?" I was in a bit of dilemma. But, before I could say anything, Tara asked, "But, why me? I didn't do anything to you?"

"Enough! Will I argue with you? Prepare for death." The ghost seemed to be in no mood to waste time. After sounding the dire warning, it walked the talk, and jumped on Tara.

I had never been a believer in my life, but the situation had made me one. For the last few minutes, I had been praying for Dhuni Baba to arrive and rescue us from the nemesis. But, the God didn't seemed to have listened to me, and I could foresee that Tara was going to die. She wouldn't be able to survive the vicious attack from this enormously powerful entity even for a minute.

At this juncture, suddenly, an idea flashed in my mind. Before the creature could land on Tara, I jumped on her. The momentum of my jump took both Tara and me on the floor, and I quickly lied on Tara covering her body.

My eyes were turned away from the ghost, but I was apprehending that my back would be torn into pieces any moment. One, two, three, I counted. But, nothing happened. I waited, and waited, but no, nothing happened.

I looked up to see the ghost itself was in a great dilemma. It appeared to me as if two entities were fighting within the ghost. The ghost was ready to pounce on me, but something was holding it back.

"Get out of my way, otherwise you will be killed." Which entity within the ghost won was difficult to understand, but the ghost in its horrific voice sounded an ultimatum to me.

"Kill me. I don't want to live this life. I love Tara more than my life. Please take my life, before you take her." I said this without any hesitation.

"Ohhhhhh! If that's your decision, be ready for death." The ghost seemed to be extremely angry at my disobedience!

"One, two, three ...", again, I started the countdown of my death.

To be continued ​

Ghost story: you killed me

Chapter 20

Missing link found?​



"Okay, I will tell you the truth. Yes, Akshar suffered a serious head injury when he was in Joynagar. He was riding a motorcycle, and his motorcycle hit a tree. He almost died of his head injury. He was in coma for 10 days. Eventually, he came out of coma, but the doctor told us that he might have lost some memory. We didn't tell him about the incident as per the instruction of the doctor. He doesn't remember the accident at all."

I again felt a sharp pain in my head while thinking about the incident. Like a negative of a photograph, I could see some scenes. I was riding a motorcycle. It was a dark night. There was no light on the street. I was riding at 100 km per hour. Then suddenly the scenes went blank.

From the expression on Tara's face, I knew that she got extremely excited. She asked, " Where was he going? Tell me about his girlfriend."

"What? Girlfriend? No, I don't think he had any girl-friend. He would have told me about her, had he had one. We also don't know where he was going. He had no motorcycle. It was someone else's bike."

There was a complete silence for few moments from Tara. She was extremely disappointed, I could tell that from her facial expression.

She again asked, " Are you sure?"

Mother said, " He doesn't hide much from me. Surely, I would have known about it, had he had one."

Then Tara looked at me, "Akshar, you have heard it all. Do you now remember anything?"

"Yes, very faintly! I saw that I was riding a motorcycle at a very fast pace. I was probably fleeing from somewhere. But, I can't remember more."

As I told her, Tara's phone rang, and she talked with someone very nervously for a couple of minutes. Her face turned pale.

Turning towards me in a broken voice she said, " The ghost has struck again. Dhuni baba was coming with 2 other people. But around 1 km downhill from here, a flying creature suddenly appeared in front of their bike, and Dhuni Baba's grandson, who was riding the bike, lost control, and the bike hit a rock. They all got injuries, but considering our desperate situation, they are coming. It will take another 20 minutes for them to reach here."

I was really sad to know the news. Looking at my morose face, Tara said, "But, there is a huge news. Dhuni Baba saw the ghost for a brief period. It's a female ghost."

"What, female ghost? What else he could see?" I cried in astonishment.

"That's all he said. Now, you please try to remember about the injury."

Mother didn't know much about the accident. But, some people in my first place of posting, Joynagar 1 block, could know about it. Was there any intimate friend? I tried hard to remember. But, it resulted in only an enormous pain in my head without any success.

Bahadur and his family had been chanting holy mantras even after the evil spirit seemed to have left. 15 minutes ago, they stopped. They were anxiously listening to our conversations.

"Do you have phone number of anyone in Joynagar?" Mona asked.

I checked my phone, even if I knew that the possibility was very thin. However, I found one name, Raju Das, which seemed rather unknown to me. Out of desperation, I rang him. The call was answered within few seconds and Bingo, the person knew me. He asked me about my health. I told him to introduce himself as I had difficulty in remembering the past. He said he was my landlord in Joynagar-1.

"But, Basab babu was my landlord. How come you became my landlord?" I was completely taken aback.

"Yes, you shifted to Basab babu's house in Baharu after your accident. But, before that you lived in my house for one year."

"What do you know about my accident?"



Chapter 21

The ghost enters the room​

"Accident! What do you know about it?"

"How could you forget about that accident? You almost died."

"Somehow, I forgot about it Raju! Tell me how did I suffer that accident."

"You took my motorcycle, and went to the Islampally alone. Some frenzied mob attacked you. You were fleeing at a very high speed. Your bike hit a tree, and you got a severe head injury. After spending few days in coma, you survived. Then, you shifted your house to Baharu. Your father came to take your belongings. You never came back. But, your father didn't tell me about your memory loss!"

"Tell me why did I went to Islampally?" I cut him short, and came directly to the most important question.

Before he could say anything, the mobile network went off, and the call was cut.

"Holy mess!" I exclaimed, and tried frantically to call him again. But there was no network signal.

Tara, too, was extremely disappointed. She said, "Sometimes, the network goes off for hours. You try my phone."

Only two service providers were available there. But in that hour of crisis, the other one came to no help; it, too, was unavailable. At that moment, a thunderous gust of wind came from no where, and broke the glasses of the window panes. The force of the wind was so great that even the door began to shake so violently that I thought it would break into pieces.

These signs were not unknown to me. I shouted, "Everyone careful, the ghost is coming."

The suddenness of the attack took us by complete surprise. Bahadur and his family had successfully prevented the ghost from entering the house last time by chanting mantras. But, this time they had been caught off guard.

To make matters worse, the lights began to flicker, and within seconds, the power went off, and suddenly the room was filled with that fetid smell. But, this time, for a change, the emergency light, very dim in intensity, though, lit on.

For the first time, I saw the ghost. Though I had never seen any thing more frightening than this, I was a bit surprised about Dhuni Baba's observations about its gender. The creature almost looked like a giant bat with wingspan about 2.5 meter. Its deepest eyes were burning red, the face was not like a bird's face, as it had a shape of its own which resembled no known animal's face. But, it had a long sickle like beak, it's knife-like claws were big and almost straight. The colour of the creature was tar-black, and the fetid smell emanating from its body made breathing extremely difficult.

Bahadur, who had recovered from a stroke just a few days ago, probably got another attack, as I could see him lying on then floor, writhing in pain with a hand on his chest. The frightening sight was too much for young Mona, who became senseless within few seconds.

The ghost now turned its attention towards Tara. After making another hellish screech, which was extremely painful for my eardrums to tolerate from such a close distance, the creature seemed to be pouncing on Tara, who was completely dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events. I, too, was undecided about my course of action. But, Champa remained alert, and she began to chant Hanuman Chalisha.



To be continued ​

Picture taken form the Internet

Chapter 19 A very important information

Chapter 19
A very important information ​



In the meantime, the banging on the door had increased. The frequency of the screeching sound had also increased, and the fetid spell began to enter the house. My face became pale. Had it entered?

But, Champa had by then begun to chant Gayatri mantra, while Mona started to chant Hanuman Chalisha, and Bahadur chanted the name of Ram repeatedly. Immediately, the smell vanished, but the knocks didn't stop, neither did the screeching sound.

Tara was a bit perturbed when the foul smell entered the house. But as soon it vanished, she again got back her composure. She said, "Akshar Babu, we don't have much time. Please tell me did you ditch a girl who later committed suicide?"

"No, never!" I told promptly as I heard this question previously on many occasions.

"Please tell the truth, don't hide anything at this dark hour. If you don't tell the truth, the priest will not be able to help you." Tara pleaded.

"I don't remember any such incident." I was a tad irritated this time. But, Tara didn't mind.

She again asked, this time a different question, though, "Did you survive a fatal accident?"

"Accident, accident" as I tried to think, I felt a sudden sharp pain in my head.

"No, I don't remember." I held my head with two hands as the pain continued.

Minutely looking at my contorted face, Tara asked, "What happened?"

"As you uttered the word accident, I felt a sudden pain in my head. For a brief second, I saw a flashback picture of a person riding a motorcycle. The picture looked like the negative of a photograph. But, I can't remember anything."

Tara suddenly came closer to me, and placed the hair backwards from my forehead with her hand, saying excitedly, "What's the deep cut mark on the top of your forehead?"

Looking at my perplexed face, she immediately brought a mirror. Indeed, there was a deep cut mark on the portion of my forehead, which was covered under the thick layer of my curly hair.

"Please, tell me what happened? How did you suffer the injury?"

I tried hard to remember when I suffered an accident, but could not remember anything. Suddenly, the banging on the door and the screeching stopped. There was a complete lull. We looked at each other.

"Did it leave?" I asked Tara.

"I don't think so. It will strike soon. It's just waiting for a suitable moment." Tara said calmly.

" When will the priest come? Why don't you ring her?" I asked impatiently.

"Oh, Akshar babu! This is not your city. They can't take a call while riding uphill. You don't have to worry about him. He will come very soon. But, he needs some specific information. I think you have suffered an accident. Maybe you have lost your memory. Please call your Mom, and put it on loudspeaker mode."

She again goaded, "Don't waste precious time. If you love me, ring your mother immediately."

I shrugged off my hesitancy, and put the phone on loudspeaker mode, "Hello Mom! I am in a serious trouble. The ghost has struck again. Somehow, so far, we have held it back. A priest is on his way to help. But, you need to give me correct information."

My mother had been aware of the trouble I was in. She didn't take much time to understand the gravity of the situation. I briefly introduced Tara to her, and told her that her life was in danger. Then I handed over the phone to Tara.

"Aunty, Please tell me, did Akshar babu suffer an accident? Did he have a girlfriend, whom he cheated later?"

There was a complete silence on the other side for few seconds.

Tara pleaded, "Without knowing the ghost, the priest cannot defeat it. You have tell me the truth Aunty. Otherwise, it will do me what it did to other two girls."

My mother probably understood the seriousness of the problem. After silence of few seconds, she asked, "How did you know? Even Akshar doesn't know it?"

"I saw a deep cut mark on the top of his forehead. Besides, the priest told me that such behaviour from a ghost has to be the result of severe revenge in its mind. So, we need to know the cause to solve the problem for ever." Tara uttered the words at a brisk space.








To be continued ​

Ghost story: You killed me

Chapter 18
Nemesis at the door​


"Well, if you ask me, I do believe in ghosts. I have read a lot of ghost stories, and seen a lot of horror movies. The creature can not be a mere ghost. The ghost of an unsatisfied and betrayed person must have been taken over by a demonic force. A mere ghost could have scared you to death, but it wouldn't kill. Only because of the demonic presence, it has become a killing machine."

My scientific temper was getting ruffled, but the situation was so grave, and I had been so helpless that I could not discard her argument as nonsense.

Bahadur's wife Champa said, "Akshar Shaab, you perhaps don't know that there is a temple of Godess Kali in a nearby village around 5 km downhill from here, where many people from the entire district throng to fulfill their desires. The Godess is said to be very powerful. In fact, we have prayed to her for Tara's father's speedy recovery, and see our wish has been fulfilled. The priest of this temple is personally known to me. He possesses such divine powers that ordinary people cannot even think of. I think we need his help."

Even before Champa could complete the last sentence, suddenly the tube lights began to flicker. That didn't look normal to me. I shouted, "Keep the torch ready. I know these signs."

Tara said, "Don't worry! Our emergency lamp will automatically be switched on the moment the power goes off."

Fortunately, the power didn't go away. Panick-stricken, I said, "We don't have much time Tara. I know from the previous experiences, it will strike sooner than later. Where does the priest live? Can you tell him to come immediately with all the requisites to ward off the evil spirit."

"He lives near the temple. But at this odd hour, will he be able to come?"

We heard a screeching sound, and the dogs began to bark loudly. The screeching sound was the same that we heard at the river bank. Tara understood the gravity of the situation. Meanwhile her sister, Mona, handed her the mobile phone. Tara rang the priest, and began to talk to him in a different hilly language. The conversation lasted around 10 minutes.

I was looking at her anxiously. "Will the priest come, or will there be a repeat of the ghastly incidents? This time, I will not let the creature to do any harm to Tara." I was nervous, but determined at the same time.

Whatever be the outcome of the conversation, Tara's face looked very grim, and she stared at me rather differently.

"What, what did he say?" I stammered. Meanwhile, there had been 3 to 4 times that uncanny screeching sound, and the dogs barked as if they had gone mad.

"I need to know certain information Akshar. The priest, Dhuni Baba has agreed to come. He will be here in half an hour or so. But, he asked me some specific information without which he cannot do much."

" I will tell you everything I know."

Tara was going to ask me something, but before she could, there was a bang at the window. We all were shaken by the sound.

"Are the windows closed? I think the entity is trying to enter forcefully." I screamed.

Bahadur and Mona immediately rushed to see if all the windows were closed. But, Tara was quite composed. She said, "Don't panic. All the windows are closed. More importantly, this is a house of believers protected by blessings of deities. The evil entity will not find it easy to enter here."

I was not convinced, but still went to inspect myself. Indeed, all the windows were closed, and there were idols and paintings of various Hindu deities.

Looking at my frown, Tara said, "You please sit down and answer my questions. If you want to permanently get rid of this evil, you need to answer few specific questions. To ward it off for the time being, my family members will chant mantras."

To be continued​

Chapter 17 Nemesis returns

Chapter 17
Nemesis returns​

Tara seemed to be a courageous girl, as she took no time to recompose her.

"That has to be a nocturnal bird! We are missing a torch." There was no hint of fear in her voice.

"Yes, I would like to agree with you." I said it without any conviction, as I had never heard this kind of sound in my entire tenure here.

We walked hurriedly. None of us carried any torch, as we could not foresee that our rendezvous would last so long. I was thinking about that uncanny sound. But, Tara goaded me to narrate my story, as we moved along.

I didn't hide anything. I told her about Sara and Sona and their unfortunate deaths. I also told her about the uncanny creature, which the girls had claimed to have seen. I didn't forget to tell her that I myself had experienced that fetid smell.

Moving on the narrow hilly road in the dark itself was very difficult. Fortunately, Tara, being the local girl, knew the places like the palm of her hand. She was holding my hand and showing the path. That day had to be a new moon day, as I could not see even a hint of the Moon. I could feel the pressure of her hand when I narrated the grisly deaths. She didn't say much when I was describing my story.

After finishing, I asked, "Now you must know why I was afraid of meeting girls?"

By that time, we came to a point where then onwards I could recognise the road. It would not take more than 10 minutes to reach her home. But, Tara was not saying anything for long. Shaking her hand I asked, "What? Scared?"

Tara didn't answer that question, but she herself asked, "Are you sure you experienced a fetid smell?"

"Yes, more than once!"

"What was it like? Like dried fish or rotten meat?"

"Well, more like a dried fish."

We have entered the locality, and a very dim light was coming from few scattered houses. I could see that Tara was going to say something. But she could not, as suddenly out of nowhere a putrid smell filled the air around us.

"Oh my! This is the smell I was talking about." I shouted, and I could feel that adrenaline began to flow in my blood.

"Run, run towards the home", there was something in my voice that made Tara to obey without any delay. We both ran as hard as possible towards Tara's house. For few seconds the smell seemed to have followed us. But when we reached Tara's house, the smell had gone.

Five of us were sitting on Bahadur's small drawing room. The door was closed. Bahadur's wife brought hot tea for us. There was small fireplace inside the room. Singeing of woods was able to give a mild fight to the overwhelming cold.

Tara might have taken her family into confidence regarding our relationship. That was why they were not shocked to see me with her, but they were surprised to see us running scared. Tara told them briefly about what had happened in my past, and what happened just now.

"There has to be the presence of a demonic entity, I am sure." Tara opined like a paranormal investigator.

"What? How do you know?" My jaw dropped, as I asked her.

To be continued ​

Ghost story: You killed me

Chapter 13
Entry of Tara​

Bahadur was released from the hospital after 15 days. His right side became paralysed, but he could speak in a mumbled voice, and could do some easy works with his left hand. His wife was taught how to give physiotherapy to him, as the poor chap could not afford to appoint a physiotherapist. The doctor promised that with regular physiotherapy, Bahadur would be able to lead a normal life. But that would take few more months. I did not employ any one during this time. As a matter of fact, no male was available for employment, and I would not employ any female. So, I was bunking most of the daily chores, and eating at a roadside restaurant.

After the end of the month, I went to Bahadur's house to hand him the promised 2000 rupees. But, his reply caught me by surprise. He took my hand in his left hand, and said, "Shaab, what you have done for me was wonderful. But, I can't take any more help. Why would you pay me 2000 rupees for nothing? No Sir, I can't take this money."

Overcoming the shock, I looked around the dingy room of that shanty. It didn't need the eye of a Sherlock Holmes to understand that the family was living in squalor. I asked, "Have you got any other source of income?"

Bahadur remained silent, while his wife nodded her head from side to side. In a state of surprise I enquired, "Then how are you going to survive? What happens to your daughters' studies? What I am offering you is not a big amount, but good enough for your sustenance. If you feel hesitant, take this money as loan, and when your elder daughter gets a job, repay me."

At that moment, Bahadul suddenly felt discomfort, and we let him take rest and moved to the other dilapidated room. His wife in a solemn voice informed me that Bahadur was less concerned about money than about my well-being. He wanted his elder daughter to replace him. He thought that I had been going through a horrid time, as there was no one to look after me. I tried to evade by saying , "But, being a bachelor, I can't keep an unmarried maid at my house. What will people say?"

"This is a very small village Shaab! Everyone knows everyone. People are very big-hearted here. They also want Tara to replace Bahadur."

I was a tad discomforted by this argument. I could not tell them the real reason behind my stoic refusal. I tried to offer the money to Bahadur's wife, saying that I would think about the employment matter later. But these hilly tribes were strange people, indeed. She said that as per the instructions from Bahadur unless I appoint Tara, the elder daughter, she would not take any more help.

I thought very hard that night. It was true that doing the household chores was becoming very hard for me. Because of my laziness, the wooden floor was covered with a thick layer of dust. I was wearing the same dress for the entire week. Most importantly, my stomach was showing white flag, as it could not take the cheap, unhygienic food from the local roadside restaurant any more. These were very strong reasons in favour of employing Tara, but I balked at the thought of the past incidents. Will the evil-force appear in this distant, desolate place? Maybe not, I thought. Also, I felt a strong compulsion to help distressed Bahadur.

Next morning, I went to Bahadur's house, and gave my ascent to employ Tara.

Chapter 14
The menace seemed to have gone​

I had been on tenterhook since Tara joined from the next day. She was not as quick as Bahadur; she took around 3 hours to finish the chores. I was half an hour late to arrive at my chamber. But, that was immaterial, as the workload was very light. Tara might have taken longer than Bahadur, but her work was neat, and the items she cooked were tasty.

For the first time in this hilly village, I ate something that gave pleasure to my finicky tongue. She might not have talked much, but surely, she was not at all taciturn like her father. But, as I said, my nose was on overwork to smell something uncanny. The same routine continued for the next 6 months. Tara arrived sharp at 6-30 AM, and left at 9-30 AM. I gained the weight that I lost previously. Allaying my fears, nothing uncanny happened in this six months, and I began to believe that nothing would happen in future, either.

In the next six months, I almost forgot about the past, and began to lead a normal life. The moment I became normal, my eyes fell on Tara. That far, I never looked at her properly, as I had been very scared. But when I looked at her for the first time, I noticed that she was a charming young lady. Compared to an average tribal girl, she was on the taller side; her complexion was fair, she had a cute face with gleaming eyes, her body was shapely.

The next day, I was amazed to note lustrous green bangles on her both hands and two golden earrings. She wore a new blue kameez for a change. She smiled coyly when I enquired if it was a new dress, but didn't answer.

The next day, when she served the morning tea, I didn't know whether it happened by design or not, but her hand touched my hand when I was taking the cup from her. It was not as if I hadn't have any experience of getting a female touch, but this was definitely different. I felt like getting an electric shock. Shaken a bit, I looked at her. She smiled, and went away. I sat there for a minute with a perplexed look on my face.

Since then I felt an uncontrollable attraction towards her. I would talk to her for no reason, and I would like to come close to her. She seemed to have relished my new found attention towards her. Everyday, she would put make up in a new way with various flowers, and everyday I would wait for the tea time. She would not occasionally make hand contacts, and I would be in cloud nine for the rest of day.

Leading a bachelor life was hard but not impossible when you didn't have temptations in front of you. I was a vigorous man who had been denied the relationship with a woman for too long, and Tara was a hot, young lass bubbling with energy. She was like a fuel in front of fire. Every time I looked at her amorously, my heartbeat increased, my nostril expanded, my head spinned, and it seemed like I would lose control over myself. Whenever that happened, I would quickly move out of the scene to avoid an embarrassing situation. I would hear a sound of muffled giggling.

I had had a good habit of exercising every day when I was in plain land. I went to the gym regularly. Here, I thought I had had enough exercising by riding the motorcycle up the steep road. So, I didn't exercise, but preferred walking in the afternoon. The village was very small, but it had a vibrant Buddhist monastery.

Everyday, when I reached home early, I would walk to the monastery. The monastery had a moderate round hall where calmness prevailed. The room was meant for meditation. I would seat there for 15 minutes trying hard to concentrate, but every time I failed. I could not concentrate for more than 30 seconds. My mind would veer away.

One day, I was again trying hard to concentrate, but I could not, as the bubbly face of Tara appeared in front of my closed eyes. A lot of water had gone under the bridge since the ghastly incidents. Isn't it a good time to settle in life? I couldn't stop thinking about Tara all the time. I could even smell the fragrance of the hair oil she used. Frustrated, I shook my head, and I heard the sound of muffled laughter from my right side.

Chapter 15
Getting close to Tara​

"Oh my gosh! What are you doing here?" I was very surprised to see Tara sitting next to me in there. Giggling, she got up, and said, "I shall be waiting for you outside the monastery." She slowly sauntered out of the hall. Looking at the rhythmic movement of her shapely hip, I realized that in the last few months we had, indeed, become close.

Without wasting any time, I followed her. She said, "The day light will last for at least half an hour. Let's sit in the riverbank."

The river looked like a thin line. The water level could hardly touch my heel. The riverbed was full of rocks and pebbles of various sizes. We sat on two medium-sized rocks side by side. Tara was playing with the cool stream with her tiny, long fingers. I was sweetly surprised to note her pink lipstick, which she had never worn before.

"What were you doing in the monastery? You are not a Buddhist. Are you?" I blurted as I was indeed astonished to see her at the monastery.

"Yes, I am a Nepali, and I am a devout Hindu. But, you are also a Hindu." I could see hint of smile on her face and a glint of amusement in her eyes.

"Oh me? You don't know what I went through in recent years. But, let that go. Tell me what are you doing here, as I have not seen you here previously." I tried to rephrase my question.

Tara became a bit concerned. She said, "Why skip what happened to you in recent years? I would like to hear that. And, as far as my presence here, will you be offended if I tell you that I was following you?"

Tara was an educated girl. She had been doing her Masters before the mishap of her father. She was a chirpy girl with a good head on her shoulder. Once, she told me that she had been appearing for various competitive examinations in Sikkim. She might have been doing a menial job at my house, but I always had respect for her. So, I got more surprised at her answer. Caressing my hair I said, "Oh really! May I know why?"

Tara giggled, and in the evanescening sunlight, she looked like a beautiful wild flower. Tara said, " I have got a news for you. But, before that I need to know something."

Looking at my perplexed face, she continued, "You know, we hilly people are very open. We don't hide our emotions, and we listen to our heart. But you seemed to be very shy, and very reticent. But, today you have to open up."

Birds were chirping while returning to their home. The Sun would set very soon. It looked like a beautiful orange orb. Tara's words sounded so familiar. Didn't I hear these words previously? As a matter of fact, I had, indeed, been very shy, and could never take an initiative to express my love.

I looked at her face. Oh boy, she was looking straight into my eyes like an examiner. I got an inkling where she was arriving at. Being shy, I was very reluctant to express my feelings towards her. Now, it seemed to me that she had initiated the action. So, I garnered some courage, cleared my throat, and said, "Yes Tara! I don't want to hide my emotions towards you any longer. Since you ask, may I say?"

"I am all ears." Tara laughed.

Chapter 16
A very disturbing sound​

"Well Tara, for the first few months after you joined, I had been hesitant to look at you. The reasons I should tell you later. But after that, you have stolen my mind. I can't go to sleep without thinking about you. Even in office, I think of you. It looks like I can't live without you." I said passionately.

The stern look of an inquisitor vanished in no time from Tara's face. She could not make eye contacts for few moments, and her lower lip began to quiver, as if she was searching for words. The moment was very ripe for making inroads into her heart. There was no third person in the vicinity. So, I took her hand, dragged her towards me and gave her a tight hug. I was a tad hesitant about her reaction; would she wince was the doubt in my mind. But, it looked to me that she, too, was longing for this moment, as she literally melted in to my chest.

"I knew, I knew." I could see tears in her eyes as I released her.

"No tears please! What's your thought on me?" I asked gently, as I wiped her tears of joy with my hankie.

With a pout, she said angrily, "Do I have to tell that? Are you so dumb?"

I batted my eyelids affirmatively and said, " Okay, I take a yes for an answer. But you were going to say something to me. What was it?"

The Sun had vanished by then, and the darkness had begun to set in. The cold had started to show it's fang.

"Well, you know it's been more than a year since I am with you. My father has recuperated well.
He is now ready for taking over."

I was still looking at her eagerly. Was it all she wanted to say, I asked myself.

" And that's not all. I got a job at the Secretariat at Gangtok. I will have to join by the first week of the next month."

"That's great news Tara", as I congratulated her, I didn't lose the opportunity to hug her again.
"Days of sorrow are over for you and your family." I was indeed very happy to know the good news. The thought of losing her didn't occur in my mind at that point.

"Oh, you don't get my point", Tara was a tad disappointed at my not getting the point.

I thought for a moment, and then I realized what she wanted to say.

"What would happen to us Akshar babu?" She asked the question to me in such a manner that for a moment I thought I was the encyclopedia, having all the answers in the world. But in reality I was not. So, all I could give her was a blank look.

It was very dark now. I didn't have the torch with me. Tara's house was at the same distance as that of mine from this place. So, I said, "Give a couple of days to think Tara. I hope to come up with a solution by then.

Just before I was going to leave, she said, "Please wait! I am not done yet. Before I leave, you have to tell me what was the reason that made you scared even to look at me."

"That's a serious point that I should not hide from you. But, that's a long story. Let me escort you to your home. I will tell you as much as I can during our journey."

"That would be better. Okay, let's move."

The hilly people were very good at day time, but at night most of them took to drinks, and you could not trust even Gods when they were drunk. So, Tara had no hesitation in accepting my offer.

Just when we turned back, hand in hand, we heard the screech of something not far away from us. The sound was so shrill, and so uncanny that it made both of us shudder.

To be continued​


Picture taken form the Internet