by Sanchit Garg
“No, you don’t! After what’s been happening in the past few days, we need to be extra scrupulous.”
When did Father turn this apprehensive?
“Okay, Father! Let’s go, then.”
Father went inside to grab his rifle and came back in the hall, flashing it. I fleetly grabbed a lamp and lit it up. We exited through the front gate. The cowshed was just to the left of our home’s entrance gate.
“Father! The door is locked shut. So, maybe one of them had a bad dream. That’s all. Let’s get back inside.”
“Okay! But still, we need to check them out.”
We had three cows with us and a calf who had just been born a few days back. I opened the door lock. It was dark inside. But I could still scarcely see in the moonlight that they were all sleeping peacefully.
“Let’s go back, Father! They are all sleeping. Nothing is wrong.”
“Okay! Let’s head back. It seems all fine to me, too.”
In the morning, I went to get milk from the cows. Once inside the shed, the one who gave birth to the calf was still sleeping. The other two were up and ready for milking. I went close to the sleeping one to see how she was doing. I touched her, and there was nothing, surprisingly nothing.
What happened to her? She was all right and excellent the day before. She didn’t display any sickness and was eating well, too. Was there something wrong with her? But, there are no external injuries for that matter. I turned her to the other side and the view aghast me. It was like some animal, maybe a wolf or something had scarred her skin bearing the flesh outside. How did this happen? I need to call the village doctor to take a look at her.
I went back inside the house and called out for Jai, “Jai! I have a noble task for you. Will you do it?”
He was excited, “Yes, Father! Yes! I will do it. Just tell it to me.”
“Okay! You need to fetch the village doctor straight away and don’t you come back without him. Say to him- it’s an exigency.”
He rushed away and after a few minutes, came back with the doctor.
I praised him, “You did a great job today, Jai. Your mother will be so proud of you. Finally, I can see that you are on the path to become a man soon. So, haste back inside. Hush now!”
Once he went inside, the doctor spoke up.
“So, what’s the exigency? Is it bad?”
“Yes, it is bad.”
“Where is the patient, then? All I can see are cows in here.”
“The cow is your patient, doctor.”
He spoke irately, “You called me in such a haste, and now you are joking? Don’t joke with me! I had to leave a patient of mine in between his plaster.”
I chuckled, “He’s not going to die just because of some plaster. I want you to examine my cow. She hasn’t woken up since the night, and there are these strange marks on her body.”
He scorned, “Just for a cow; you called me this fast! Okay! Let’s check her out.”
We walked to the new-fangled cow. While he was checking her out, I just stood there and waited. Some 5-6 minutes passed, but he was still checking her. He looked perplexed to me.
I finally spoke, “Doctor, what happened? Is it going to take more time to check her? When is she going to wake up? Please treat her fast?”
“You are asking me what happened! Well! What happened is that she is dead and must have been since the night, judging from her body temperature and blood. Also, her eyes have turned yellowish purple, so I don’t know what to make of this as this is the first time I have ever seen such a thing. Did she display any obscure behaviour before all this? Was she not eating food or giving out milk? Her blood colour is also not normal, either. It has turned very dark, almost black. You didn’t give her anything rancid to eat, right?”
I was startled, “No, doctor, why would we give her something that would get her killed. She was only getting the usual, nothing else…”
“Then, I would say some alien disease got to her. Maybe some new kind of flu? You should be extra scrupulous now with the other cows and get them vaccinated as early as possible. Animals catch this disease very fast.”
Bewildered, I replied, “Okay, Doctor! I will. Thank you for your aid. You can go now. I will see to the rest of it.”
I was still unable to fathom why all this happened. It was not right. She was one of our most vigorous cows. How could she die so soon, without any antecedent?
I walked back into my home and told my father that our cow has died due to some plague, and everything else is fine now. Also, that we need to cremate her sometime in the evening. Father got a little sad, but he didn’t ask why it happened. Maybe he already knew that something wicked happened last night.
An hour later, we all gathered for breakfast in the dining room. Nandana and Mother served the food. As I was eating, the words of the Fakir came to my mind- you all will die… return what is taken back. Do his words really carry the truth? I don’t know, but these deaths are happening around us, and they are recurring. Why is that? It is like they are getting closer and closer. First, they happened somewhere in the village. Then, it was ten houses away, seven houses away, two houses and now it has reached us. It seems like a pattern, or maybe I am imagining things to make up a reason for all these events. Perhaps it’s nothing like that. But what exactly happened on the night of the 10th of August, the day when Vijay disappeared, that sprang all these deaths. Maybe, it’s just normal. Like people do die every day.
I think I can send a letter to Tauji to ask him about this, not directly as I don’t want to outrage him because all of this is just a product of my mind. Still, I need to ask anyhow whether he or any of his sons, ever went to the old house or took in something by mistake which was not to be taken. Maybe nothing happened, and it’s just the wrong time of the year. But I need some answers, anything to subside this feeling in me, that there is nothing shady.
In all my thoughts, someone hollered at me, "Why are you not eating your food? Is something wrong with you?"
I shook my head to get away from all this speculation and found out that it was my father who was giving me a stern look.
“No, father! There is nothing wrong with me. I will finish it now.”
I went back to eating, yet all these deaths, all these thoughts were plaguing my mind constantly, to do something, anything to make them all disappear. It felt as if they had started making me deranged. Maybe I should visit that house anew, perhaps at night to see if there is something genuinely strange there or not.
Later, at night, when everyone else was asleep, I decided to make my move.
I need to sort this all out. The thoughts in my head, all these deaths, the house and everything else was making me antsy. I needed to do something, something alone. I ought to go to that old-abandoned house. But what if there are dangerous people out there who are responsible for all these events? I can't take father’s rifle, as it would be locked inside his cupboard as usual and me asking for it would make him leery of what I am planning to do and secondly, he would never allow me to touch or use it because he still treats me as a small child. So this is out of the equation. Instead, I can take a kitchen knife with me for added protection, like if there is anyone evil, I can scare them with it or if the worst befalls, stab them and run away.
I stood up gently from the bed and taking baby steps, left my room to reach the hall and then quietly entered the kitchen to grab a sharp knife. I grabbed the knife and was about to exit the kitchen when I saw my brother, Mohan in the hall, walking towards the direction of the kitchen.
Why is he here? Maybe to grab a glass of water, but I can’t be seen now. I need to hide before he sees me.
The kitchen was constructed in such a way that a small store was to the end of it, but there was a door with a latch on it, which barred entry into the store. And, this sporadically made a squeaking sound whenever someone tried to open it. So, I decided it was better not to get into that. Suddenly, an idea clicked my mind that maybe I can pretend that I ca
me to get water and dupe him. I seized a glass and began to fill water into it from the pot, gradually. Mohan walked inside the kitchen.
I acted to be shocked, “What! Who’s there?”
Mohan replied, “It’s me, brother! Why are you here in the kitchen at this hour?”
“Me! I had a bad dream, so I woke up feeling parched and came here to drink some water. But why are you here?”
“The same as you. I didn’t have a dream, but I was unable to fall asleep, and my throat felt parched, too.”
“Okay! Here is some. Drink it.”
“No, brother! You drink first. I will drink it after you go back.”
What is he saying? Did he get the better of me? Does he know my plan?
I replied in an exasperated tone, “No, I am ordering you to drink it first. Just do that. I won’t listen to any ifs and buts.”
With a down face, he said, “Ok…”
I laughed internally. It looks like my plan is working well.
He drank the water and still didn’t go back.
“Why are you still here? Don’t you need to go back to your room.”
“You drink water, too, and then we would go back together.”
“Well! You can go first, and I will follow back after drinking two-three more glasses of water.”
“No! I will wait.”
Why isn’t he going? Just go, man. I have an important mission to accomplish. I can’t let you know that something is fishy.
I replied, “Okay, we will go back now.”
I moved back towards the direction of my room, and he followed me.
Why is he moving behind me? Do I need to do everything afresh? Oh, God! No! Why did this jerk have to come at this hour?
I feigned to enter my room and just when I was inside, I tried to turn back to get out when I saw him still standing at my room’s door.
I scowled and asked him in a soft voice, so as not to wake anyone else, “Why are you still here?”
“I was checking up on you. To see if you went to sleep or not.”
“I was about to. So, please don’t scare me like that.”
“Okay! I am going back now...”
Maybe he’s still out. I need to pretend that I am sleeping for the next few minutes, just to be extra vigilant and then, I will make my move again.
After some ten or more minutes passed, I decided to make my move again. I sat up from my bed and moved my upper body and neck to get a 180-degree view of the room, to see if everyone else was sleeping soundly or not. I took my slippers in my hand and gently walked out of my room and into the hall. After taking a complete back-to-back look in the whole hall, I made my move to the kitchen to grab that knife for protection. Once clutched in my left hand, I put my slippers back on and moved to the front gate. I opened the latch of the front door gently and then opened one door of the double door setup partway to peek outside. It was all placid. I couldn’t see anyone for miles.
Oh, gosh! I forgot about the lamp. There is one in the kitchen. I should get it quick. I went into the kitchen again and grabbed the lamp with my right hand. After lighting it up, I hid it under my shirt so that the light didn’t reach the rooms, waking someone up. Now, I was finally ready to move out. I walked out of the front door, putting my feet carefully and gradually. Once outside, I returned the door to its original position. I was about to move left in the direction of the old house when something touched my right leg. I dropped the knife and bustled my left hand towards my mouth to prevent myself from screaming out in fear.
Who will be here at this time of the night? I even double-checked before, and there was nobody outside. But, it was a no moon day, so, everything was dark. Is there a ghost out here? God! Please save me.
Now, I felt it rubbing my right leg and moving to my left leg. Maybe I should look down to see what exactly it is. I tried to move my gaze down, little by little, towards my leg. My mouth dropped open. It was just a black stray dog. I was comforted to see him, but also furious at him for touching me like that. I just wanted to kick him and make him go, but then any noise could thwart all my plans. I picked the knife back up and started moving slowly towards the old deserted house. It was about fifteen houses away from us. So, I kept on walking, taking little steps and holding the lamp in my right hand to as downward as possible, as to not make its light reach any window panes of the other houses that were in the path.
eventually reached it. I don’t know why, but this house always gave me the creeps. Perhaps because it has been vacant for a long time and now it’s only inhabitants were the spiders and the moss.
I walked towards the entry gate and while facing it, brought the lamp closer to it to get a better view. It was all grimy and fractured, but a little dust wasn't going to hamper my efforts to reach here. The door latch, all rusted, had already fallen. So, I just pushed the door and went inside. It was too dark even with the lamp in my hand.
The double-storey house was much smaller than ours with a hall in front as one entered from the main gate, three rooms on the left side, two rooms and a kitchen on the right side of the hall, like in a U shape. A staircase in one corner of the hall lead to the first floor which had only two rooms on either side of it. I looked around. Apart from the front gate, most of the other gates were either damaged to the point of being half-torn or even to the end of only the hinges remaining. There were signs of decay. Segments of the edgings seemed to have fallen entirely away and some of the walls, just like the gates were not much even there. Tree roots jutted from the ground, breaking the cement and tangled in devilish patterns.
I decided that I ought to watch all the spaces closely, so it was better if I started from the leftmost room that was closest to the front door. Luckily, there was no door to this room. I brought the lamp to my head level and stretched the hand holding it, forward to cover more area. I moved from wall to wall, but there was nothing more in this room apart from rubble everywhere, and darker squares and oblongs where picture may have hung before. A mirror was also hanging on the wall adjacent to the room’s entry gate. I was about to move out of this room when I heard an eerie noise of some kind. I moved the lamp towards the direction of the noise and saw a shadow across the room, something moving and then the next instant, it was gone. As if, it was never there. It was too dark, so, maybe it was nothing at all. I moved out of this room and reached the door to the next room. This one unluckily had a complete door with a handle to pull it towards me. I reached my hand towards the handle and tried to pull it. It didn’t budge. I tried to pull it again, but still, it didn’t move a single bit. I believed that it might need me to pull it with my full force. I placed both the knife and the lamp down and then, with both my hands, pulled the door by the handle as hard as I could.
It opened.
“Ufff!!”
I rubbed the sweat off my head using the dorsum of my hands as the palms were too dusty. I was about to reach out to the lamp and the knife, to pick them up when I heard a noise. It was feeble, but it felt like someone was moving inside the room taking small steps. I pronto got a hold of the lamp and moved my hand holding it gradually towards the inside of the room. I couldn’t do anything in the dark, so I shifted to pick up the knife. At this moment, I felt a sudden gush of cold wind which made my shoulders shiver.
I shouted, “Yikes!!! Where does this wind come from?”
And then, I screamed, “Is there someone in here! I won’t hurt you, I promise. You can come out!”
No response!
What was I thinking? Who is going to be here in this forsaken house at this hour? Maybe, I am just a little bit afraid, and it was a product of my mind. I have never been this scared before. A married man with two children and I am behaving like this.
What the hell!!!
I reached to the knife again and picked it up. I suspired, and all the dust inside the room came rushing into my nose. I tried to exhale and push all the dusty air back outside my nose, but still, some got inside my windpipe, making me cough badly.<
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This was a horrible idea. I will never do this again. Never! But I can’t just stand here.
So, I moved inside the room, placing my left foot forward. I was about to move towards the left side of the room when I saw two legs standing still. I brought the lamp up to get a better picture of who it is. There was a man who was standing facing the wall. I couldn’t make out his face, so I called out to him.
“Hey! Who are you?”
No response.
“Why aren’t you answering? Speak up.”
Still, he didn’t reply or say anything.
“What kind of a shy person he is?”
I will just walk towards him and give him a tight scolding.
I started walking towards him, but I stopped at arm’s length from him and placed my right hand on his shoulder with the knife pointed opposite his neck.
I shouted, “Turn back towards me! I am not here to harm you.”
He felt a little cold. Maybe the effect of the wind made him shiver too. Now, he began to turn slowly towards me. Just as he was half-turned, I got a glimpse of his face.
“Vijay! Is this you? Vijay!”
With a stammering voice, he replied, “Yes! I am Vijay. Who do you think this is?”
I was startled, “What are you doing here?”
“My father left me here, all alone.”
“Tauji told us that you died. But you look perfectly fine to me. So, why did he lie to us? And why did he leave you behind? Doesn’t he love you anymore.”
“I don’t know. One moment he was here and the next, he was gone.”
“But he left town more than a month back. Where were you all this time.”
Suddenly, his voice turned a bit scrappy.
“I… I... Don’t remember it!”
“No, problem! I will take you back home with me, and then, my father will give a tight scolding to Tauji. So, let’s go back…”
Before I could finish my sentence, he ran out of the room. I chased after him to find him standing near the kitchen’s gate. It looked like he was crying.
He raged, “We will never leave this house.”
