Ek Choti si Ghost Story.

Disclaimer: The author does not expect his readers to believe that this story is true.

This happened when I was in sixth standard. We went to visit my aunt’s place (my mother’s sister) in Chas. It was a small village on the border of Bihar (now Jharkhand) and West Bengal. It was the month of June and I remember it was a very hot summer. My aunt’s family pundit had chosen this sultry month of June for the marriage for their eldest son. So the visit for the occasion was combined with our annual summer vacations, but I knew it would be fun as all our cousins will come and we will have the best of times playing in the mango grove that my uncle had.

So we reached there in the hot June morning and by evening all my cousins had arrived and the whole house was transformed into a mad house. The marriage rituals had started a couple of days earlier and the Barat was supposed to depart two days later to the bride’s place in the adjoining village.

Vicky was my age; he was more of a buddy than a cousin to me. We were partners in crime. Be it climbing trees or riding a buffalo he was better, stronger and braver than me. That afternoon when were sitting on the branch of a mango tree eating raw mangoes after lunch he told me the story that he had heard from the elders.

Before I tell you what happened let me first give you some details of the landscape. The mango grove must have been as large as a foot ball ground and in all there were around twenty mango tree. My uncle’s house was on the border of the orchard and faced the rising sun. At the very centre of the ground was a very old temple. Uncle had told us that it was there even before his great grandfather had won the orchard from the local zamindar (landlord) in a match of Chuasar (a game played with dice). The temple had an idol of a Godess sitting on a burning pyre. The temple was called Sati Mata Mandir. It was only later at school while reading about Raja Ram Mohan Roy I learned what the Sati meant.

I asked Vicky what story he had heard from the elders. “People say that they have been hearing strange sounds at night”, said Vicky. “What kind of sounds”, I asked. “As if a girl wearing anklets was walking around singing some song. The anklet rang as she walked”, said Vicky. I listened to him wide eyed. “Look, your face is white already”, he laughed at me. “No, no I don’t believe in this nonsense”, I said trying to sound brave. “No, my mother says this happens every time a marriage takes place in Durga Mausa’s family”, said Vicky. “So why doesn’t every one stay awake at nights and look for the source of the sound”, I asked. “Well, they say that if everyone is awake at night the sound doesn’t come. Just one or two people each night hear the sound and if they try to raise an alarm the sound stops. They have sent search parties several times but each time they have returned empty handed”, said Vicky. He looked at me, I was wide eyed once again, he began to laugh, I looked away embarrassed.

“Look, I have a plan”, started Vicky again. “Let’s do our own investigation tonight. Everyone has been sleeping on the terrace at night we will get ourselves a bed at the corner near the stair case and try to stay awake and listen to any sound that comes”. “And then”, I asked. “Then when the sound starts we will sneak out of the house and investigate the source of it”, said Vicky. “But you said that the noise stops when people wakeup”, I asked trying not to sound scared at this proposition. “I think whatever the source of the sound is, it gets scared when there are too many people, I am sure it won’t mind two kids. What say!” said Vicky extending his palm in a five. I didn’t take it, I had my own doubts, my mind was racing, what if it was some ghost or chudail or pishaach, and all kinds of ghost stories came into my mind. “I hope you are not scared”, he said. “No I am not but what if it’s a ghost”, I said. “Darpok (coward), I knew you were afraid. There is no such a thing as a ghost”, said Vicky teasing me. “Of course I am not a coward, we will do the investigation tonight”, I agreed trying to keep my voice steady.

All that evening I tried avoiding coming in direct contact with Vicky and during dinner I believed that he must have forgotten all about our expedition. But as I was washing my hands in the verandah with a jug full of water, after a hearty meal somebody caught my shoulder, I turned around, it was Vicky. “Ready”, he said with a smile. “Yes why not, but will there be enough space for us on the terrace? I think most of the beds have already been occupied”, I said. “I have kept two bed rolls for both of us, we will put them near the stairs so that we don’t wake up anyone when we sneak out, I have also got hold of a torch see”, he said showing me the torch and turning it on and off in my face, I dropped the jug.

When all the lights had been turned off and the last of chitter - chatter had died down I lay in my bed covered till head waiting for the time to come. I hoped that there would be no sound that night, I hoped that the sound maker would have forgotten his or her anklet at home or lost or broke it altogether. I didn’t realize when I dosed off, and I woke up with a jolt when I felt my body being shaken violently. I removed the sheet from my head and looked, it was Vicky who was shaking me. When he saw me awake he gestured me to keep silent.

“Listen”, he whispered, his index finger on his lips. I tried to listen, but I couldn’t hear anything. I looked at him confusedly. He looked at me, his finger still on his lips. And then I heard a faint sound. I thought it was a rustling of the leaves. But then it came again and again and then it continued in a rhythm as if someone was walking. It was unmistakably the sound of a pair of legs walking with anklets on. I started to sweat like a hog. I stared at Vicky wide eyed, this time I couldn’t hide my fear, but he was smiling at me mischievously. “Let’s go”, he said, took out the torch from underneath the pillow and started to move stealthily towards the stairs. I had no option but to follow him. I wanted to wash off the tag of a ‘Darpok’ from my forehead forever.

Very cautiously we opened and shut the front door and came out into the mango grove. The sound was very clear now. Someone was walking around with a pair of anklets. Vicky pointed towards the Sati temple, the noise was undoubtedly coming from that direction. He signaled me to follow him. We moved quickly, Vicky leading from the front because he had the torch. The night was bright as it was a full moon night and the moonlight cast weird shadows of the mango trees on the ground in front of us. I gathered all my courage and followed Vicky but strangely I wasn’t feeling afraid anymore but was excited about the adventure.

After running for sometime we came near the temple and hid behind a mango tree. Vicky switched off the torchlight. The sound of anklets was very clear and appeared to be coming from very close distance but there was no one to be seen. We looked hard all around us but there was no one. And suddenly from behind the temple a dark form appeared. The dark form was that of a woman. She moved gracefully and in the moon light we could see her jewelry shining around her neck and on her head. She was wearing what appeared to be an ethnic wedding dress. “Who is she”, said Vicky and before I could say or understand anything he came out from behind the tree and walked towards the figure. “Hey! Who are you?” shouted Vicky at the figure. The dark figure raised her face towards Vicky and in a moment disappeared, and at the same time Vicky collapsed in a heap on the ground. I was standing solidified behind the tree watching Vicky’s audacity but when he collapsed on the ground I ran to his aid.

“Vicky! Are you all right”, I shouted as I shook him by his shoulder. He was breathing heavily. Slowly he raised himself and sat up on the ground. He opened his eyes. “Vicky, are you okay”, I asked again. “Let’s go back”, I said. “Have all the guests arrived”, asked Vicky in Bengali and in the voice of a woman. I jumped as if I had got an electric shock. I knew what had happened to him, he was possessed by the Ghost of the Sati temple. I got very scared and wanted to run away but how could I leave Vicky. I mustered up all my courage and asked, “Who are you?” “Who am I? Don’t you know anything kid”, said the voice again in Bengali. “I am Shakuntala, don’t you know the girl whose marriage you have come to attend”, said the voice. “Yes, yes I know you Shakuntala Maasi”, I said and slowly started to back off. I knew it was no use trying to talk to a ghost in a dark night I should rather run home and get some help. Vicky turned Shakuntala started to look towards the ground and started humming some tune in low voice. I thought the opportunity was right, I turned around and ran for my life.

I didn’t stop until I crashed the front door, entered the house, and began to shout at the top of the voice from the verandah itself “Vicky has been possessed by a ghost.” My alarm woke up everyone in the house all my Mausas and Mamas and Maasis and Maamis and cousins and servants everyone came down in to the verandah. After getting a quick account of what had happened they armed themselves with laathis and torches and started towards the Sati temple. I followed them feeling guilty for what had happened to Vicky. When we reached the spot we saw Vicky lying senseless on the ground, he was breathing normally. They picked him up and took him into the house. The doctor was called and after sometime Vicky came back to his senses. The next morning when I asked him if he remembered anything he said that all he remembered was calling out to the figure but could not remember what happened after that.