It was a splendid evening. The sun had fallen in the west, and its glowing reddish orange, surrounded by few clouds here and there. No one would ever want to miss those scenes, neither Vasu, an adolescent just about to complete his schooling, a boy with enormous amount of courage and fearless attitude. That evening he was walking cautiously after descending from his school bus. He had to walk some distance to reach his village. The evening was even sweeter for him, because his mother left him behind home while going over to her native place, along with his brothers and sister. This kind of liberty was quite seldom in his life.
The main reason to leave him behind was that he had to prepare for his board exams and he could not miss his classes. Vasu planned for a great enjoyment during his mom's absence. His ecstasy knew no bounds. He gathered his friends and was wandering around in the town streets. It was becoming darker and darker. The sparkling lights of the town brightened the place. Vasu was quite eager about the evening supper in a local restaurant, which was a rarest moment. However, he could not but comply with his mother’s advice of spending the following two nights in “auntie’s” house.
For Vasu “aunty” was not a stranger. Though she appears to be a Mammoth to Vasu and Mysterious about her Past, She was such a good person at heart according to Vasu's Mother, They were such a bonded family friends, nothing happened without the knowledge of the other. Their affinity transcended beyond their family even distant relatives from either side recognised both of them. It was by chance they became neighbours, but they could not remain for long. Aunt’s family left the place and was residing a little far away. But their relationship continued to grow. Anyone looking at their relationship will certainly be shocked at their odd bondage. Because, both belonged to two different religions, one Hindu the other was a Muslim.
Well, after a delightful dinner in his favourite local restaurant, Vasu was in deep slumber in “aunty‘s” house. He was greatly satisfied about his enjoyment on that evening with his friends. The following day he went to school and returned back. Again he went for supper and on his way back, he thought for a while “Why not stay at home tonight?” It was his mother who had some reservation to leave her son alone in one of the newly constructed sparse settlement. Hence she advised him to stay there. But Vasu was quite courageous and he felt to be at home that night. He was not at all afraid, only the Fear did afraid of this vibrant youth. So he decided to go home straight away when the day light fall back and the skies painted dark.
That happened to be a new moon day. He was so tired he switched off the lights and fell on the bed. In the pitch darkness prevailing in the room Vasu couldn't get into his sleep at once. And that night it was an irony that street lights too had gone out. The circumstances were enough bad to make Vasu get disturbed all through his mind. He closed his eyelids, he was trying to fall asleep and he hardly found some, but his other organs were highly receptive. Especially, his ears. Now he felt some fear deep under his head, now his eyes were opened, ears sharpened, he hardly heard any sound except the sound that came from his ceiling fan which made a scratchy noise… all these scenes impelled that something was haunting him. He kept his eyes opened even broader to a feeble light source projecting from somewhere onto his wall and in a sudden flash he noticed something passing through like a shadow. He waited to notice what it was, alarmingly he heard a nasty breaking of vessels nearby and now he caught the thing passed through the light -it was his cat fall through the window.
Though Vasu had little sigh of relief, He had no way to find out a solution to sleep and pass that night and now something he never expected happened, Vasu started hearing some unusual sound nearing to him. His hearing became sharper and sharper as minutes ticked away. Now he could clearly hear some one’s steps coming towards him. The noise grew louder and louder at close vicinity as if someone was going to step on him. He tried to close his eyelids as tight as possible in great fear. He was breathing hot. His palms wet, he was sweating out like never before, His heart was stamping high. He could hear the sound very clearly. He was totally hallucinated. His mind was haunted. He could not find a way out. He mastered all his courage and opened his eyes. At the same time he sprang out of his bed. Still he was hearing the stamping of the steps, a little away. Somehow he moved forward to the switch board. Still in panic he could not find the switch board, even though he had long years of association with it. He was cursing the switch board and himself for not having complied with his mother’s advice. He could see as little as a blind. He waved his hands forward and slowly moved towards the switch. He came in contact with the board and finally put on the light. Brightness spread all over in a second and he could find nothing. His fear slowly rolled down and stability crept in. He was looking for clues. Still he could hear the cutting noise of the fan. He looked around the window was open. A gentle breeze was blowing in.
He sharpened his ears and now he could hear the same noise feebly. He sailed his eyes along the wind direction and caught the monster in his sight. It was the monthly calendar hanging over the wall oscillating to and fro. The tin beading given to the calendar on either end was in contact with the wall. The friction it had on the wall had given rise to the subtle noise. As and when the wind blew the calendar moved to and fro and caused the noise. He breathed easily and went to bed again with lights on……
“………….Fear is just what you feed your mind and Courage is what your mind feeds you…”
1 comment:
cool.. gud gng..
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